So, this is how much it costs?
He felt like he couldn’t even sell himself for that price.
That was Zoro’s main thought as he followed Kuina back to see Koushirou.
When Kuina placed the bag of money on the table, Koushirou was also surprised.
“I…
I don’t have money!”
Seeing Koushirou counting the bills, Zoro finally spoke up, looking desperate.
Kuina and Koushirou looked at him strangely.
“You are different.
You don’t need to pay.” Koushirou shook his head.
He had set the price to make it clear: this was a transaction.
He teaches, the student pays.
No extra strings attached.
He still couldn’t fully read Ban, but the boy clearly understood his meaning.
Zoro wanted to say more, but Kuina dragged him out.
“9 million Berries…
what a huge sum.”
Koushirou looked at the stacks of money and sighed.
Not just anyone could pull that out.
“A strange aura, and deep pockets…
interesting indeed.”
The next day.
Ban woke up early, did his warm-up exercises, and met the other students.
Almost everyone was from the village.
Most were around Zoro and Kuina’s age, with only a few older ones.
They were all curious about the newcomer.
But during breakfast, their curiosity turned into shock.
Ban ate slowly, but the food disappeared at an incredible rate.
His appetite was monstrous.
Clatter!
Zoro stared, mouth open, as a piece of meat fell from his chopsticks.
He was drooling without realizing it.
“No wonder he paid so much…
is this the food fee!?” Zoro muttered. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Ban ignored them.
He needed massive amounts of energy to fuel his growth and training.
He couldn’t train on an empty stomach.
After breakfast, the real training began.
Everyone held wooden swords and practiced basic stances.
Ban was patient.
Kuina stood beside him, correcting his form.
From a distance, Koushirou watched.
He has some basics, probably self-taught.
He has never fought seriously with a sword before.
His forms are slightly off, but his foundation is solid.
Koushirou nodded and left.
Kuina, however, took her job seriously, explaining every detail and how to channel force correctly.
Ban finally understood why his swings felt awkward before.
He still had a lot to learn.
The morning was group training; the afternoon was free practice.
Zoro and Kuina continued their duels.
Most students left, but Ban stayed.
He repeated the standard forms over and over again.
Until sunset, his breathing remained steady.
It was nothing to him, but he could feel his control over his body improving.
“Time for dinner!”
When Kuina came to find him, she saw Ban still practicing perfectly.
A complex look appeared on her face.
That night, only the four of them ate.
“Remember to balance work and rest,” Koushirou said calmly.
“It’s very easy for me.
I can feel my strength and control improving rapidly.” Ban replied.
Koushirou paused, then looked at him seriously.
“Alright. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
If you can reach my standard in one month, I will teach you personally.”
“Deal.” Ban nodded and went back to eating.
In the following days, Ban entered an insane training mode.
He worked so hard that Koushirou eventually had to ask him to train elsewhere, fearing it would demotivate the other students.
Even so, Zoro and Kuina were infected by his intensity and started training twice as hard themselves.
In the woods behind the dojo.
Ban closed his eyes, holding a wooden sword.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Four wooden swords attacked him from all directions.
Kuina and Zoro were ganging up on him.
The hits hurt, but Ban ignored the pain.
He focused entirely on sensing the weapons.
He wasn’t sure if this was the correct way to train Observation Haki, but he remembered that was roughly how Rayleigh taught Luffy.
Even if it didn’t work, it was good practice and helped the two kids get stronger too.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The two panted heavily, exchanging a glance.
They both saw helplessness in each other’s eyes.
But in Kuina’s eyes, there was mostly unwillingness.
As she grew older, she felt the gap between people growing wider and wider.
Or rather, the gap between men and women.
She had already felt it watching Zoro improve so fast.
Now, with Ban, the difference was even more obvious.
She clearly sensed that Ban was holding back at least 90% of his strength when swinging his sword, yet neither she nor Zoro could block his attacks head-on.
This was the difference.
An innate difference.
“There are countless powerful women on the seas.
Even among the Emperors standing at the very peak of the world, one of them is a woman.”
As the look of frustration in Kuina’s eyes deepened, Ban’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Monday to Friday – Update 3 Chapters a Day”
“Saturday and Sunday – Off”