Time flew by, and it was already the year 1507 of the Sea Calendar.
Noah decided he was ready to head for the Grand Line.
He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
This trip to the Grand Line was time-sensitive and carried a heavy mission.
He had to lay the groundwork within two years and present a grand gift to the World Government.
That day, he came to bid farewell to Master Koushiro.
He went to the Shimotsuki dojo once more, as usual.
The familiar surroundings brought new feelings as he was about to leave.
He looked for a while at the noisy training yard and the Japanese-style eaves before going to find Master Koushiro.
Noah wasn’t close to others in the dojo; this was a deliberate distance he kept.
Talking too much could lead to mistakes.
Getting involved with others wasn’t a good thing for him right now.
The other students only knew that there was a senior disciple in the Shimotsuki dojo who was a great writer.
He was aloof but incredibly talented, and his novels sold well across the seas.
“Are you leaving the Four Seas?”
“Yes, Master.
I’m heading for the Grand Line.
I’ve come to say goodbye.”
“Given your swordsmanship, it’s already very restrained that you’ve stayed this long.
Since you’ve made up your mind, go forward with all you’ve got.”
“Yes, I’ve said it many times, but I’m still very, very grateful for your care and guidance.”
“I accept your gratitude.
Come to the small island 100 nautical miles north of Shimotsuki Village in three days.”
Noah looked at Master Koushiro.
A glance was all it took for them to understand each other.
The fighting spirit within him ignited instantly but was fully suppressed.
He nodded heavily and turned to leave.
Noah wasn’t the only one whose fighting spirit was ignited.
After speaking those words, Koushiro’s own sword intent also sang with joy.
He had been in the East Blue for too long.
On this island, whom could he draw his sword against to test his swordsmanship?
Fortunately, Noah appeared later.
The moment he first saw him, Koushiro knew Noah’s future held immeasurable potential.
So, he had been looking forward to it, passing down the secret techniques of Shimotsuki Swordsmanship and guiding him on the path of the sword.
He just hadn’t expected the other party to catch up so quickly.
Now, with family ties holding him back, he could no longer climb the peak of swordsmanship.
If that was the case, this battle would be his farewell.
Wado Ichimonji resonated with its master’s fighting spirit.
Three days later, Mumei Island.
The weather was a bit gloomy, with dark clouds gathering.
The island wasn’t large; it was covered in rocks with little vegetation.
It was so desolate that no one ever came here, not even passing ships.
Two swordsmen arrived on this island for a clandestine duel.
Only Robin accompanied them.
She stayed on a small boat offshore to watch, not going onto the island.
Some first-aid supplies were also on the boat.
Although it was a spar, injuries from slips were inevitable.
Koushiro and Noah stood on opposite sides, watching each other.
Two sword auras rose into the air.
Koushiro’s sword aura was as pure and cold as the bright moon, carrying a chilling killing intent.
Noah’s aura, however, was like a fiery red sea, passionate and sincere, with a resolve to overturn everything.
Without a word, the two rushed at each other and began to clash with pure sword skills.
Both trained in Shimotsuki Swordsmanship, Koushiro’s swordsmanship was mature and his experience vast.
But Noah wouldn’t lose in this regard either.
His Observation Haki, combined with his analytical abilities, acted like a sponge, continuously absorbing his opponent’s sword techniques and experience.
After a while, he regained the advantage.
The two exchanged a blow and separated.
“Remarkable progress.
The warm-up is over.”
Saying this, Wado Ichimonji was wrapped in a black Armament Haki, with some pink power resembling cherry blossom petals flowing around it.
Noah, not to be outdone, also wrapped his sword in Haki.
The two quickly closed in and resumed their fierce battle.
This time, Noah was completely suppressed.
In terms of Armament Haki, Noah was already slightly inferior to Koushiro.
The accumulation of decades of training by his opponent was not to be underestimated.
Even with some decline, it was a foundation that couldn’t be overcome in just a few years.
Furthermore, Koushiro’s slashes had a certain impact that penetrated Noah’s defenses, damaging his body.
This must be Ryuo, very powerful.
There was no way to defend against it except to endure it head-on.
The internal injuries slowly accumulated.
If he couldn’t find a way to counter it, he would have to accept defeat.
His analytical power worked at full speed, analyzing the flow of Ryuo.
To analyze it more comprehensively, he even sacrificed some defense, allowing Ryuo to penetrate deeper to speed up the analysis.
Koushiro maintained the same intensity of attack, neither increasing nor slowing down.
The two maintained a tacit understanding.
Soon, Noah was covered in wounds.
Fortunately, his efforts bore fruit.
By deeply feeling the power and characteristics of Ryuo, he had finally learned this advanced Armament Haki technique.
Upon seeing cherry blossom-like patterns appear on Noah’s Armament Haki, Koushiro was very pleased.
Three days prior, Koushiro had decided to teach Noah Ryuo, but this technique was difficult to learn even in Wano Country.
Besides slow training, there were few ways to grasp it quickly.
The only method was to learn through wounds sustained in high-intensity combat.
Noah lived up to his expectations and actually learned it.
Such swordsmanship talent was truly enviable.
In fact, if Noah hadn’t learned it soon, Koushiro would have struggled to continue.
It wasn’t a lack of stamina but a decline in control.
It was already difficult to unleash Ryuo, let alone maintain a safe power range to continuously unleash it for the opponent to feel.
If Shimotsuki Swordsmanship didn’t emphasize control, he would have accidentally severely injured Noah long ago.
The spar continued, and a light rain began to fall from the sky.
In the wind and rain, the two swordsmen continued their battle.
Half a day later, both were no longer in good condition.
Koushiro was mentally exhausted and covered in sweat.
Noah, on the other hand, was a bloody mess.
His condition, with excessive blood loss, couldn’t last much longer.
Then, he would use Flying Slash to decide the winner.
The two stood firm and drew their swords.
A moon-like slash and a crimson slash began to clash.
The island’s surface was shattered by the swordsmen’s strikes.
Waves of sword energy flew wildly.
Occasionally, fragments of sword energy that fell into the sea would cause huge waves.
Robin rowed her small boat further back.
In this kind of confrontation, both had entered a state of self-forgetfulness.
One sword after another, perhaps until exhaustion.
However, Noah’s sword couldn’t withstand it any longer.
In such a confrontation, even Armament Haki couldn’t fully bear the damage to the sword.
His sword had already developed cracks and likely couldn’t withstand the next collision.
Koushiro sensed the determination to decide the outcome and followed his disciple’s wish for a single blow to decide the winner.
His initial love for swordsmanship, his pride as a swordsman, the pain of seclusion for his family, the regret of not being able to continue, and the comfort of seeing his successor.
All these were crushed into the Shimotsuki-like sword energy.
The energy first expanded, then extracted emotions as nourishment, turning them into pure moonlight.
This Flying Slash was his peak sword strike and a reflection of his life.
Noah, too, was constantly stimulating his sword intent, pouring his will into it.
His initial innocence upon arriving in the Pirate World, the two years of suffering under darkness, the burning trees of Ohara, the injustices he witnessed and heard in the Four Seas.
He poured his dissatisfaction with the old world and his longing for the new world into it, letting it burn.
A crimson sword light appeared.
At first, it was like tiny sparks.
Upon contact with Noah’s will, it quickly spread until it formed a ferocious force.
Conqueror’s Haki also permeated the air, vaguely wrapping around the sword energy, transforming it into the shape of a dragon.
The dark clouds in the sky also churned with the Conqueror’s Haki, and a torrential downpour began.
The Dragon King’s arrival was accompanied by wind and rain, with thunder roaring, as if expressing dissatisfaction with this outdated world.
Swing the sword!
The Shimotsuki slash and the crimson dragon clashed.
They met in silence, then after a few seconds, a deafening roar echoed through heaven and earth.
A powerful explosion erupted from the center of the two, and strong winds swept the surroundings, creating a storm around the island.
After the storm subsided, Robin rowed her small boat to the island.
She saw sword marks of various sizes crisscrossing the island.
Cracks tens of meters long were everywhere.
Walking to the center, she saw Koushiro and Noah lying on the ground.
Fortunately, both were still breathing.
Koushiro’s once refined appearance from Shimotsuki Village was gone.
His samurai attire had become rags, and even his glasses were broken, hanging askew on his nose.
Noah was in worse shape.
He had already been badly battered while analyzing Ryuo earlier.
In the subsequent clash of Flying Slashes, his clothes were barely recognizable, only barely covering him.
Robin checked him over.
Noah’s injuries were all external.
They looked frightening but weren’t severe.
She simply bandaged his wounds and planned to treat them thoroughly back home.
Fortunately, besides the first-aid supplies, she had also brought two sets of clothes.
Otherwise, Koushiro and Noah would have been utterly humiliated.
Especially Koushiro; if he returned to Shimotsuki Village in that state, Kenshin might have collapsed.
After changing, Robin took them back to Shimotsuki Village.
On the small boat, Noah looked at the nearly destroyed Kaijo sword with a touch of sadness.
Although it wasn’t a famous sword, it had been with him for several years.
What a shame.
“Take it.”
Koushiro handed over Wado Ichimonji.
“Master, I can’t accept this.”
“Wado Ichimonji, one of the Twenty-First Great Grade Swords, was forged by a relative of mine.”
“This sword has suffered with me.
As a famous sword, it yearns more to be held by a strong person, to achieve great deeds on the magnificent sea.
I will continue to live in the East Blue from now on, and I don’t want it to be buried on this small island.”
Noah hesitated.
“How can a swordsman aiming for the peak be without a famous sword?
Compared to the great deeds you are about to accomplish, can a Great Grade Sword not bear their weight?”
“Yes, Master, I accept it then.
I will surely make Wado Ichimonji a Supreme Grade Sword and make it renowned across the seas.”
Noah took Wado Ichimonji, thinking that he must reclaim Shuusui and give it to his master in the future.