Chapter 19 Swordsmen! Zoro and Kuina's Decision!
"shave!"
In the forest, Lister suddenly leaped up, his feet stomping in mid-air, each stomp producing a loud cracking sound.
His figure was elusive. When he stepped on a tree that was so big that it would take two people to hug it, the tree snapped in half with a crack. When he stepped on a rock, the rock shattered into pieces.
"Moonwalk!"
As Lister descended, just before landing, he stepped down with his right foot, propelling himself upwards and moving to the left front.
"Storm Kick!"
Lister followed up with a kick, the super-fast kick creating a vacuum and forming a fierce slash, causing a large tree five or six meters away to fall.
He flipped in mid-air and landed upside down, concentrating all his strength in his index finger.
Finger gun!
In the blink of an eye, the index finger touched the ground.
Boom!
The ground cracked and then sank, with dirt and gravel flying everywhere. Lister rolled twice and stood on a tree branch. When the dust settled, a circular pit with a diameter of three meters appeared on the ground.
"The old man didn't lie to me. Iron Body, which seems far less effective than Armament Haki, and Paper Drawing, which seems less effective than Observation Haki, are the root and main branches of the Six Powers. It is much more difficult to control the power of the whole body than to unleash the power in an instant. Learning Finger Pistol, Moon Walk, Shave, and Tempest Kick does not necessarily mean you can learn Iron Body and Paper Drawing, but mastering Iron Body and Paper Drawing and mastering the other four styles is only a matter of time."
"However, what truly allows the Six Styles to break through the shackles of the human body and push open the door to the limit is the secret technique known as the 'Seventh Style,' which surpasses the Six Styles: Life Return!"
"To transmit one's will to every part of the body, including the hair and internal organs, in order to achieve free control of the body."
Even with the information provided by Koushirou, Lister, who learned the remaining four techniques in just four days, still felt at a loss when faced with the secret technique of "Life Return".
The control over the body by "iron blocks" and "paper drawing" is limited to the surface, the control of the skin and flesh.
"Life Return" involves a deeper level, including flesh, internal organs, and hair, and represents the evolution of the Six Styles from the outside in.
If the Six Forms are an external martial art, then "Life Return" is the transition from an external to an internal martial art.
night.
A gentle breeze is blowing.
The campfire crackled and popped.
Lister attempted to combine the "meditation" practice taught to him by Koushirou with the training of "life return".
The information states that "Life Return" is currently just a concept and lacks specific training methods. However, to learn "Life Return," one must master "Iron Block" and "Six Forms." The first step in its practice is to perceive every change in the body, such as the flow of blood, the beating of the heart, the peristalsis of the internal organs, and even the trembling of the hair. Doing these things requires extremely keen senses and a sufficiently strong will.
"Um?"
Lister heard faint footsteps, and after a while, the owner of the footsteps appeared before him.
Lister glanced at the real knife in Kuina's hand and saw the determined look on her face; he was not surprised.
"I want to become the world's strongest swordsman!" Kuina said, staring at Lister.
"oh?"
"I will become stronger, even stronger, to prove to the world that women can also become great swordsmen!"
"You've made up your mind? You know this road is full of hardships; you'll have to pay a higher price than men, and even risk your life!"
"I'll risk my life!" Kuina said without hesitation.
Lister laughed loudly: "Hahaha...I believe you."
Waves gently lapped against the shore, splashing up a spray of white foam. On the deck of a merchant ship, Lister leaned against the railing.
"Are you sure you don't need to? Say goodbye to your father."
"Need not!"
Kuina's expression was cold. She was holding an ordinary katana, while the Wado Ichimonji was left at the dojo. In her words, from the moment she left the dojo, she wanted to break free from its cage and say goodbye to the past.
The Wado Ichimonji is a symbol of the dojo's lineage, so it's no Dragoner suitable for her; it's more appropriate to leave it to Zoro.
"Kuro, it's up to you now."
Standing not far away, Kuro adjusted his glasses, bowed slightly in standard aristocratic manners, and said to Kuina, "Welcome to Arkham!"
Kuina glanced at Lister.
Seeing her doubt, Lister said, "The vast ocean is full of dangers, and it's not a place for the kind of training you get in a village. Determination is important, but even more important is the strength to match it. Go to sea, and with your sword, carve a path through it. When you are famous throughout the East Sea, I will come to find you."
Kuina understood the implication in Lister's words: you are still very weak. She snorted to show her dissatisfaction, but did not refute him.
She frequently challenged Lister to duels, just like Zoro challenged her, and she lost every time!
"Also, give yourself a code name!" Lister said.
"Code name?"
"For example, Kuro's black cat."
Kuina fell into deep thought.
"Unexpected? How about penguins? A seemingly clumsy creature that can survive in the coldest places on earth, a tenacious life form unafraid of ice and snow!" Lister suggested.
Caught in a dilemma, Kuina immediately said, "Okay!"
Lister did not leave with Kuina. Koushirou was one of the few in the East China Sea who could be considered a strong person and a suitable sparring partner.
Unlike Kuina, who needs to hone her skills and transform them into combat power, Lister needs to cultivate himself further and receive guidance from a strong person to advance to a new level.
Lister set himself a goal: before leaving Shimotsuki Village, he would master "Life Return," become proficient in the Six Powers, and learn Armament Haki and Observation Haki, so that he wouldn't be reduced to a grunt when he reached the Grand Line.
Lister was not without a way to cultivate domineering power.
In fact, Armament Haki and Observation Haki are more like advancements of "Iron Body" and "Paper Drawing" in the Six Powers. In other words, the training of "Iron Body" and "Paper Drawing" is also the foundation for the cultivation of these two types of Haki.
Moreover, the "meditation" training taught by Koushirou, which involves listening to the breath of all things, tempering one's will, and gaining the power to cut through steel, is also a kind of domineering training method.
Koushirou didn't want Kuina's future actions to affect the dojo and the village, so he announced that Kuina had fallen down the stairs and died while getting a whetstone, and held a funeral for her.
Spurred on, Zoro trained even more intensely.
Koushirou, who witnessed everything, sensed Zoro's inner pain and realized that if things continued, he would fall into a painful predicament from which he could not extricate himself.
Midsummer, the sun is blazing.
Koushirou, holding the Wado Ichimonji, went to Zoro.
The temple grounds were empty.
"Why are people so fragile, Zoro?" Koushirou asked.
"Kuina, she's always been a child who refuses to admit defeat. She's practiced in this dojo since she was little, developing skills that even adults can't withstand. Perhaps because of this, she's become somewhat arrogant. And then, Zoro, you appeared. I'm very grateful to you. In order not to lose to you, who are gradually getting stronger, that child practiced even harder. She didn't want to lose to you, a boy! So, she gradually began to break down the barriers of female swordsmen. I'm just an ordinary father, and seeing you like this makes me very sad."
Tears streamed down Zoro's face as he gritted his teeth and said, "Master, give me that sword!"
Koushirou glanced down at Wado Ichimonji.
"Kuina's knife?"
"I will become stronger, including hers. I will become so strong that my name will resound throughout heaven. I will become the strongest swordsman in the city world. We all agreed on this. I, I..." Zoro said in anguish.
Koushirou smiled, turned around, picked up the Wado Ichimonji, and said, "I entrust Kuina's soul and dreams to you."
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End of this chapter...