Chapter 18: The Swordsmanship Prodigy

Kuina looked at her endlessly patient father with a hint of confusion. She couldn’t understand it at all—just as Tang Shen should have laughed at this ridiculous challenge, yet he didn’t, instead watching with utter seriousness.

“Kuina, I’ll leave this match to you,” Koshiro suddenly said with a gentle smile.

“Yes, Father,” Kuina replied, momentarily stunned. She glanced at Tang Shen in surprise before speaking.

What surprised her was that just a few minutes ago, Tang Shen had told her she would be the one to face Zoro. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had said, and he hadn’t told her to hold back. On the contrary, he instructed her to provoke Zoro mercilessly—if she could defeat him in a single blow, she should, without offering a second chance, even belittling him with words.

At that moment, Kuina felt her master’s scheming nature had grown even deeper, but she agreed obediently. She did, however, look at Zoro with a touch of sympathy.

That sympathy meant she would indeed do as Tang Shen had instructed.

Roronoa Zoro was equally surprised, since the voice hadn’t come from the dojo but from behind him. He turned quickly, only to see Kuina looking at him calmly, leaving him utterly baffled.

What was going on?

Wasn’t this girl always beside his big brother?

What was happening? Was she supposed to fight him now?

A flush of embarrassment and anger rose within him. As a man, how could he bully a girl? He turned and shouted at Koshiro, “What? She’s a girl—how can she fight me?”

In his mind, all his opponents had been boys; girls were always too weak, never able to defeat boys.

“Kuina may be a girl, but among all the dojo students she’s the strongest—even stronger than the kendo instructors,” Koshiro replied softly.

Zoro’s eyes widened. This girl, only slightly older than himself, was that strong?

Indeed, those who followed his big brother were never ordinary, but today he would defeat her. To catch up with his brother, he couldn’t afford to be weak.

“Alright then.”

“Let’s proceed to the dojo.”

Before the duel, the necessary formalities were observed, step by step, as if this were a proper challenge match.

Tang Shen couldn’t help but admire Koshiro—he truly was a good teacher: patient, knowledgeable, tolerant, even single-handedly helping Zoro build his belief in kendo.

Of course, being a good teacher didn’t mean he was a competent father. His obsession with becoming the world’s greatest swordsman was too intense.

Watching Zoro hold three bamboo swords in his left hand, three in his right, and three in his mouth, bowing toward the altar, only to drop one sword, then exchange greetings and drop another, Tang Shen was at a loss for words at Zoro’s peculiar logic—truly unlike ordinary people.

He didn’t need to think much to guess Zoro believed the more swords he held, the stronger he would be. Such innocence was almost frightening.

Yet, he had to admit, Zoro possessed stubborn talent. Though he had never wielded a bamboo sword, he somehow, as if blessed with protagonist’s luck, was already walking his destined path.

Even the stance he adopted now foreshadowed his future in swordsmanship—his self-created Three-Sword Style.

Some people were born to learn the way of the sword; fate worked in mysterious ways.

At least, from Tang Shen’s perspective, Zoro was such a person, for he had already glimpsed his future.

The students of the dojo were abuzz with whispers, mocking openly as they watched from the sidelines alongside Tang Shen.

“Is this guy an idiot?”

“He dropped another one!”

“Does he think the more bamboo swords he holds, the stronger he is?”

“Haha, I bet he’ll be defeated in an instant!”

Kuina also looked speechlessly at the clumsy Zoro before her, hearing the comments of the other students. She felt a bit uncomfortable, yet she couldn’t see a hint of embarrassment on Zoro’s face. He merely glared at her fiercely, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

She couldn’t understand why someone so clearly weak dared to challenge the dojo—so brashly, too.

And her master and father treated him with utmost seriousness.

She couldn’t figure out why.

Silently, she thought: “Don’t blame me, Master said not to underestimate any opponent. Besides, he gave special instructions.”

“Begin!”

With the word given, Kuina didn’t give Zoro a chance to react. She attacked first, striking his bamboo sword with ruthless force.

She held back, using only thirty percent of her strength, yet was surprised when her attack was blocked.

A flash of sharpness appeared in her eyes. She twisted her wrist, sweeping her bamboo sword upward with greater power, now at fifty percent strength.

Crash!

Zoro was sent flying, all his bamboo swords scattering to the ground, accompanied by a cry of pain as he crashed heavily onto the floor.

His reflexes and strength were utterly crushed.

Too weak—far too weak. Kuina felt as though she were bullying a child.

Well, he was just a brat—an exceptionally brash one.

“So weak!” Perhaps because she’d spent the afternoon with Tang Shen, Kuina instinctively muttered.

That simple phrase instantly stung Zoro’s nerves. He jumped up from the floor, eyes blazing, gritting his teeth in rage. No one could call him weak—he would never stand for it.

“Damn it!” Picking up two bamboo swords, he instinctively assumed a starting stance, glaring furiously at Kuina.

Seeing his stance, Kuina was momentarily stunned, and Koshiro, standing nearby, was equally startled.

In their eyes, Zoro had never studied kendo—how could he possibly defeat Kuina? It was like a toddler trying to challenge an adult.

Yet his stance was remarkably precise.

“You’ve studied Two-Sword Style?” Kuina’s gaze sharpened for the first time. If he had trained with bamboo swords, she would fight him with full strength.

“No, today’s the first time I’ve ever held a bamboo sword,” Zoro growled fiercely.

His words left Kuina stunned, and Koshiro, standing beside her, was equally astonished. His eyes opened wide, examining Zoro from head to toe with unprecedented seriousness, as if he were seeing an uncut jade for the first time.

Wildness coursed through him, brimming with aggression. Aside from that one move, the rest was pure chaos. Though still weak, within that small figure Koshiro saw limitless potential.

A single phrase echoed in his mind: “A genius of the sword.”

Zoro cared little for what others thought. At this moment, all he felt was that his pride had been deeply wounded: “How could I—how could I lose to a girl?”