Shimotsuki Koshiro passionately lectured his talented students on the deeper mysteries of swordsmanship. His voice held an air of anticipation, "Once you comprehend these realms, you'll have stepped into the world of true strength."
"How far you go depends on your own dedication," he continued, glancing at the gleaming blade in his hand.
Sheathing the treasured sword, he turned to Kuina. "From today forward, you'll practice with a real sword. Kuina, this named blade is officially yours to keep."
This was the very sword his father had passed down, originally meant to be in Kuina's care. But when pirates arrived, Koshiro had reclaimed it for himself.
"Yes, sir!" Kuina's heart swelled with excitement. She had already experienced wielding a real sword in Uta's world, felt its weight, and since then, her wooden sword had seemed like a poor substitute.
Koshiro then looked to Zoro. "These two blunt swords are yours. They were crafted by my father, who wanted you to have them for your diligence."
He handed the dull blades to Zoro, then turned to Luffy. "As for you, you already have a sword, so I won't be giving you anything else."
Luffy nodded slightly; he had come here to learn swordsmanship, after all. But… was he really the only one not receiving anything?
While handing Zoro his swords, Koshiro had even mentioned that they were crafted by Shimotsuki Kozaburo, subtly hinting, perhaps, that Luffy should go and trouble the old man himself? After all, he had already spent over a month training on the island.
Or… was he overthinking it?
Luffy fell into contemplation. Was it just his own overactive imagination? Swordsmanship had its own kind of romance, and he was momentarily unsure of his next move.
Wait a second, why was he thinking so much about this? He was here to get stronger and possibly earn some upgrades from the old man.
With that realization, Luffy felt a wave of relief. Lately… had he been overthinking everything?
After all, he was just a kid!
It had to be the "curse of knowledge" at work, he concluded.
"Kuina, take good care of this blade," Koshiro advised her.
Holding her new blade, Kuina nodded earnestly.
That evening, the four of them gathered in the dream world once again.
"Kuina, let's duel with real swords this time!" Zoro challenged, brimming with confidence now that he had his own pair of swords.
"Hmph, I won't lose to you!" Kuina declared, drawing Wado Ichimonji.
Luffy watched the two of them, then glanced up at the moonlit sky. Reaching into his belongings, he pulled out a wooden flute and began to play. Ever since that firework display in the dream world, Uta had taken a liking to moonlit scenes. Though dim, the twilight provided just enough light for them to see.
To the haunting notes of the flute, Zoro wielded his two dull swords, attacking Kuina with his usual swift, aggressive style. He wielded the swords like twin windmills, striking at her repeatedly.
"You're starting to look like a real two-sword style fighter," Kuina remarked with a smile, deftly dodging his attacks and choosing a more technical approach instead.
"It's about time you changed that head-on style of yours!"
With each clash of blades, Kuina's swordsmanship easily overwhelmed Zoro, and she could still defeat him within five moves if she chose to. But it seemed she wanted to draw out the duel a little longer.
Uta sat nearby, hugging her knees and leaning her head on Luffy's shoulder, listening to the serene melody and admiring the skillful duel between the swordsmen.
Despite her efforts to extend the fight, Zoro eventually fell to Kuina's superior technique.
Age, height, diet—all of these factors influenced the effectiveness of their training.
"You really have gotten stronger, Zoro," she said as she lowered Wado Ichimonji, looking down at the boy she had once again defeated.
Zoro had indeed improved; he'd even managed to slice a strand of her hair during the match. Luckily, it was only in the dream world and didn't affect her real body. It was the first time in years that Zoro had managed to land any kind of "hit" on her.
"Luffy's been training me," Zoro admitted. "But… I still can't beat you, Kuina."
"You're only nine, after all," Kuina replied.
She had noticed that Luffy had taken Zoro under his wing for additional training, but since they were boys, she couldn't bring herself to join them as openly as Uta did. Aside from their dojo lessons, Kuina mostly trained alone, only occasionally joining them in the evenings thanks to Uta's influence.
Once, Zoro had been the same way, always off in the woods training by himself.
Their drive for first place had set them apart from the other students by a wide margin.
Kuina glanced at Luffy, who was still playing his flute. She couldn't help but admire how convenient Uta's ability was—allowing her to train her body automatically in the dream world while her mind was free to learn and experience other things.
She walked over to Luffy, holding her sword in front of her.
"Luffy, I challenge you!" she declared, her blade pointed directly at his throat.
"Alright, I accept," Luffy grinned, reaching for his Navy sword on the ground nearby.
"Go for it, Kuina! Beat Luffy to a pulp!" Uta cheered, cupping her hands around her mouth like a tiny trumpet.
"I'm an equal-opportunity fighter, so I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl," Luffy warned.
"That's exactly what I want!" Kuina replied confidently, gripping her blade with both hands.
The sparring with Zoro had been a warm-up; Luffy was the real challenge. Even though she felt a bit guilty for thinking it, it was true. Fighting Luffy was entirely different from fighting Zoro. Just standing in front of him, she could feel the tension in the air. It was hard to believe he had only been learning swordsmanship for a month.
Both took their stances, hands poised on the hilts of their sheathed swords. Both were single-sword style fighters.
Even with her sword still in its scabbard, Kuina could feel a chilling wind as if his very presence left her no openings.
One strike—one chance.
Kuina knew she would only have a single moment to counter. The gap in their skill was too vast for any prolonged exchange of blows. With real blades, a single mistake could be deadly.
They circled each other, each eyeing the other warily, neither willing to give even an inch.
Zoro and Uta instinctively held their breath, waiting for the outcome.
Kuina was aware of her disadvantages—her speed, strength, and reflexes weren't on par with Luffy's. Her only hope was to wait, bide her time, and catch him in a rare slip-up, using her skill and the edge of her named blade to turn the tables.
For her, making the first move was unthinkable.
"Well, uh…" Luffy let himself savor the moment, enjoying this classic standoff reminiscent of his favorite anime. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Kuina instinctively drew her sword.
The sharp clang echoed as her blade left its sheath.
Realizing he hadn't actually attacked, she sheepishly resheathed her sword, emb
arrassed.
Uta's toes curled as she looked away, unable to bear the awkwardness.
This… was really awkward.
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