Zoro’s face instantly turned bright red.
The poor kid was only eleven years old.
How much was he supposed to understand?
Part of him felt like he understood exactly what Ian was implying.
The other part was absolutely certain he didn’t.
The result was complete confusion wrapped in overwhelming embarrassment.
“Master!”
He stomped his foot into the sand.
“What are you even talking about?!”
Ian burst out laughing.
“Hahaha!
Relax.”
He waved dismissively.
“I’m messing with you.”
Zoro narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Clearly unconvinced.
Still, after a few more seconds of muttering under his breath, he eventually picked up his wooden swords and headed toward the village.
Ian watched him disappear down the moonlit path.
A smile lingered on his face.
Then the beach grew quiet once more.
Only the waves remained.
At the same time, back at Isshin Dojo…
Kuina carefully slid open the door.
The room beyond was illuminated by warm lantern light.
The moment she stepped inside, she paused.
Her father wasn’t alone.
A tall man sat across from Koushirou.
Broad shoulders.
Dark cloak.
A presence that seemed strangely difficult to ignore.
He wasn’t doing anything.
Wasn’t speaking.
Yet the room felt subtly different because he was there.
Like calm seas concealing a storm beneath the surface.
Kuina instinctively stopped at the doorway.
Koushirou noticed her first.
His expression softened immediately.
“Kuina.”
She straightened.
“Yes, Father?”
“Come here.”
He gestured toward his guest.
“This is Uncle Dragon.”
Kuina blinked in surprise.
Then walked forward and bowed politely.
“Hello, Uncle Dragon.”
Monkey D.
Dragon looked down at her.
For a brief moment, a rare smile appeared beneath the shadow of his hood.
“What a polite child.”
Koushirou chuckled.
“Now off to bed.”
His tone became gentle but firm.
“We still have matters to discuss.”
Kuina nodded obediently.
“Good night.”
As she disappeared down the hallway, Dragon’s gaze followed her for a moment.
Then he turned back toward Koushirou.
“You’re not planning to continue training her?”
The question hung quietly in the room.
Koushirou was silent for several seconds.
Eventually, he shook his head.
“What would be the point?”
Dragon raised an eyebrow.
Koushirou’s voice remained calm.
“A girl shouldn’t have to spend her life chasing battle.”
The room fell silent again.
Dragon’s expression didn’t visibly change.
He merely smiled faintly.
And let the matter drop.
The following morning dawned bright and clear.
Sunlight spilled across the rooftops of Shimotsuki Village.
Fishing boats drifted from the harbor toward open waters.
The scent of fresh bread mixed with the smell of the sea.
Ian had barely finished preparing for the day when a familiar notification suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Hidden Mission Completed: Help Kuina Overcome Her Mental Barrier]
[Reward Granted: Swordsmanship Level +1]
Ian froze.
Then blinked.
“…Well.”
A grin spread across his face.
“That’s unexpected.”
He had anticipated progress.
Maybe a small reward.
He had not expected this.
The moment the notification disappeared, a torrent of understanding flooded his mind.
Swordsmanship.
Combat.
Timing.
Distance.
Countless insights surged through him.
Not as scattered fragments.
As complete understanding.
His eyes slowly closed.
A warm current spread throughout his body.
Through every muscle.
Every tendon.
Every nerve.
It felt as though an invisible forge had been refining him from within.
The transformation lasted only a few seconds.
Yet when it ended—
Everything felt different.
His posture.
His balance.
His instincts.
Even his perception of the world itself.
It was as though an unseen veil had been lifted from his eyes.
“Swordsmanship Level 6…”
Ian slowly opened them.
A rare look of surprise appeared on his face.
“The gap is bigger than I expected.”
Much bigger.
Level 5 had already made him an exceptional swordsman.
Level 6 felt entirely different.
This wasn’t improvement.
It was a breakthrough.
A genuine leap into another realm.
The sword no longer felt like a tool.
Nor merely a weapon.
It felt like a language.
And for the first time, he felt as though he was beginning to speak it fluently.
“Status.”
A familiar panel appeared before him.
Ian Gale
Abilities
Observation Haki
Armament Haki
Conqueror’s Haki
Swordsmanship Lv.6
Check-In Progress
Windmill Village: 100%
Shimotsuki Village: 45%
Ian nodded.
No mistake.
The increase was real.
And significant.
“The system really knows how to reward people.”
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Originally, he’d assumed advancing his swordsmanship would require years of effort.
Instead, helping a troubled girl rediscover her dream had pushed him across a major threshold.
Honestly?
That felt appropriate.
A sword wasn’t merely about defeating opponents.
It was about understanding people.
Understanding conviction.
Understanding yourself.
Ian glanced toward the village.
A smile appeared.
“Well.”
His hand settled lightly on the hilt at his waist.
“This certainly improves my chances.”
Before reaching Level 6, he would have estimated roughly an eighty percent chance of defeating Koushirou.
Now?
The answer felt very different.
His confidence wasn’t arrogance.
It was clarity.
He understood exactly how much stronger he had become.
“And my body keeps improving too.”
He clenched a fist.
Power surged effortlessly through his arm.
Compared to yesterday, he felt like a completely different person.
“Not bad.”
His grin widened.
“A power-up right before a duel.”
“Fortune really is on my side.”
With that, Ian left for Isshin Dojo.
By the time he arrived, morning training was already underway.
The sounds reached him before the building came into view.
“Hah!”
“Hya!”
“Again!”
Wooden swords cracked together rhythmically.
Students moved through drills beneath the rising sun.
The atmosphere was lively.
Focused.
Disciplined.
Ian stepped through the gate.
Almost immediately, someone intercepted him.
“Excuse me, sir.”
A man in a white training uniform stepped into his path.
Although dressed like an instructor, his bearing revealed considerable skill.
This was no ordinary student.
Ian stopped politely.
“I’m here to see Koushirou.”
The instructor blinked.
“For what purpose?”
Ian smiled.
“I’d like to cross swords with him.”
The training yard grew noticeably quieter.
Several students stopped mid-practice.
Others turned curiously toward him.
A challenge.
Those weren’t unheard of.
But it had been a long time since someone had openly challenged the master of Isshin Dojo.
The instructor hesitated.
Then nodded.
“I’ll inform Master Koushirou.”
He hurried off.
The moment he disappeared, another familiar figure came sprinting across the yard.
“Master Ian!”
Zoro practically launched himself over.
His excitement was impossible to miss.
Ian laughed.
“Morning.”
The boy’s eyes sparkled.
“You really came!”
“Of course I did.”
“Hehehe…”
Zoro rubbed his hands together eagerly.
“This is going to be amazing.”
A duel between two masters.
For an aspiring swordsman, there was nothing more exciting.
Ian merely shook his head.
Kids really were easy to entertain.
A few moments later, the dojo doors slid open.
Several figures emerged.
At the front walked Koushirou.
And beside him—
Dragon.
Ian wasn’t surprised.
Not anymore.
The clues had already been there.
Now they simply stood in plain sight.
So Koushirou truly did have ties to the Revolutionary Army.
Interesting.
Though not his immediate concern.
Dragon noticed him first.
A faint smile appeared beneath the revolutionary leader’s rugged features.
“We meet again, traveler.”
Ian nodded politely.
“It seems we do.”
Dragon chuckled.
The reserved response didn’t bother him in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Koushirou stepped forward.
His presence was calm.
Welcoming.
The kind of person who naturally put others at ease.
“Kuina told me about your visit yesterday.”
Ian inclined his head.
“Then introductions aren’t necessary.”
“It would seem not.”
Koushirou smiled.
“If you’re here seeking a match, I have no objections.”
Exactly as Ian had expected.
A true swordsman rarely turned away a challenge.
Because a duel wasn’t simply a contest.
It was communication.
A conversation conducted through blades.
A chance for both sides to learn.
Koushirou glanced around the dojo grounds.
Then returned his gaze to Ian.
“That said…”
A hint of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
“Where shall we hold our duel?”
The training yard fell completely silent.
Students stopped moving.
Even Zoro held his breath.
The long-awaited meeting between Ian and Koushirou had finally arrived.
And the duel was about to begin.