It was Sunday morning, Cain's eyes fluttered open before his alarm even went off. He reached over to silence the alarm that would soon disrupt the peaceful quiet of his room.
He pulled on his training clothes, the fabric still stiff and slightly damp from yesterday's sweat. He tightened the strings on his shoes, took a deep breath, and slipped quietly out of his room.
The village was shrouded in a soft mist, everything was quiet, and the only sound was the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. He felt an unexpected calm wash over him.
This solitude was a luxury, one that gave him space to think, to center himself before plunging into the training of today.
Today was a weekly day off at the dojo, so Cain decided to do some solo training. He took his first steps into a light jog, heading toward an open clearing he'd found on the outskirts of the village, away from prying eyes.
When he reached the clearing, the sky was still dark, though the faintest hint of color started to spread across the horizon.
He started with stretching his body to avoid stiffness and did some basic physical exercises. After that, he began running through his basic forms, moving through the techniques Koushirou had drilled into him since his first day at the dojo.
As the time passed, he started to feel some real progress. Although it's only the fourth day of training, I think I have a good grasp of the stances and grip. I will move onto the swings now.
He started swinging his shinai in the vertical slash, focusing on precision and power. Then he incorporated horizontal and diagonal swings, making sure each one had the same weight and speed. Swing after swing, he felt his control improving.
Next, he sat on the ground cross-legged and started concentrating. The image training method given by Koushirou is really effective, even if it does not help in the physical training, it helps in simulating the various possible attack and defense methods as well as evasion and strategy.
He sat there for the next few hours and simulated sword fights with Koushirou as an imaginary opponent and practiced different strategies and counter-attacks in his head. As he opened his eyes after a few hours, he felt that he had gained some virtual experience. He just has to make it real through battles.
It is often said that martial arts skills improve faster in battle. Hmm, should I find someone to spar with? How about Zoro…yes, I will challenge Zoro to a spar!
With that, he returned to the dojo to ask around. After asking other students in the dojo, he discovered that Zoro often trains at the cliffside near the mountain.
With that information, he quickly found Zoro training while lifting rocks as makeshift weights.
Cain observed him from a distance for a while. He looks funny with that serious look on his child's face. But for someone his age, Zoro is insanely strong. That rock has to weigh at least fifty kilograms!
Cain approached with a grin. "Hey! You're Zoro, right? I heard you're the strongest student in the dojo!"
Zoro turned to see him, stopping his training. "You are the newbie, Cain right? What do you want?", he answered Cain plainly, neither being friendly nor being dismissive.
He doesn't look so cheerful as shown in his younger years in the anime. As I suspected, Kuina is already dead.
Cain asked with a smile, "Do you always train here by yourself when you are not in the dojo?"
"Yeah. Sometimes, Johnny and Yosaku also train with me here." Zoro said while pointing towards two people running a little far away. Seeing Cain, they also approached him.
They were about three years older than Cain and 5 years older than Zoro.
"Cain, right?" Johnny asked, cracking open his water bottle. "We've been hearing about you. People say you're giving Zoro a run for his money."
Cain laughed, shaking his head. "I'm nowhere near Zoro's level," he admitted and said with a smirk, "But I will catch up and surpass him soon."
Zoro didn't take him seriously and just scoffed saying he will work even harder.
"Well, good luck," said another boy, Yosaku, with a smirk. "We've all tried that at some point, but none of us have managed to get close." He glanced at Zoro, admiration clear in his eyes. "Zoro's in a league of his own."
Despite the teasing, the conversation was warm and friendly. Cain found himself laughing, sharing stories of his own struggles with the training, feeling a sense of belonging he hadn't expected.
It was different, being among others who understood the same exhaustion, the same drive. Because of this, he quickly became friends with them.
As they talked, Cain noticed Zoro's expression shift slightly, as the conversation shifted to their motivations.
Johnny and Yosaku shared their reasons for joining the dojo—wanting to become bounty hunters. But Zoro remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ground, his usual confident demeanor subdued.
He is likely thinking about Kuina. Should I probe a little? I hope it doesn't backfire, thought Cain.
He asked, "What about you, Zoro? Why do you train so hard?"
"I made a promise, and I don't plan to break it." Zoro said with determination.
"There was someone I wanted to surpass," he said, his tone heavy with emotion. "Her name was Kuina. She was…stronger than me, even though we were about the same age. She was the best."
Johnny and Yosaku also fell silent with sad faces.
"What happened to her?" Cain asked hesitantly, I want to know if she really died by falling from the stairs!
Zoro looked up at the sky, his jaw tense. "She…died. She fell from the stairs and hit her head too hard."
Well! It was all true!...It's honestly hard to believe that people in One Piece can die by that.
Zoro continued, "She wanted to be the world's greatest swordsman…but she couldn't."
The others shared a somber look. In their own ways, they all understood the burden of ambition, the drive that pushed them to train day after day.
But for Zoro, it was different. He wasn't just training to become strong—he was honoring a memory, a promise he'd made to someone he cared about and lost. It was a drive fueled by both love and regret, a promise that went beyond words.
Cain looked at Zoro, feeling a little sympathetic. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice sincere. "That's…a heavy burden to carry."
Zoro nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah," he murmured. "But it's what keeps me going. Every time I pick up a sword, I remember her, and I remember that promise. I'll become the strongest swordsman in the world—for her."
"You want to become the strongest swordsman? Then I am even more sorry for you." said Cain, looking even more sympathetic.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The somber environment instantly changed into a tense one. Zoro took Cain's words as a challenge to his determination and instantly snapped.
"What are you sorry for?! You think I can't become the strongest swordsman?! Just you wait! After graduating from the dojo, I will challenge all the strong swordsmen and beat them all! Then I will challenge the current strongest swordsman and beat him too! And become the strongest swordsman!"
Cain laughed and said with a smirk. "I will be the one to become the strongest swordsman! Why don't you aim for the title of second strongest swordsman instead, hahaha."
Zoro looked a little shocked but instantly retorted, "You also want to become the strongest swordsman? But no matter what, I will be the one who becomes the strongest swordsman!"
Cain stopped laughing and pointed his finger towards Zoro's face, "In that case, from today, you are my rival! I challenge you to a spar!"
Zoro agreed and said that he will beat up Cain. On the other hand, Johnny and Yosaku relaxed after hearing the full conversation and then got excited to see the spar.
"I'll be the referee!" announced Yosaku.
"Take your positions!"
Zoro and Cain took up their position and stances, three meters apart from each other. Zoro much more relaxed than Cain.
"3…2…1…Begin!"