Chapter 8

8. Koushiro

At the entrance of the dojo in Shigetsu Village, Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi exchanged a glance, firming their resolve.

Liu Hao hadn't expected Zheng Zhi to be even more eager than himself. They had already discussed it before coming, deciding to follow the hunters who were selling furs.

The two entered the dojo and saw a group of young children swinging wooden swords, looking quite serious.

Liu Hao glanced around but didn't see Lümao or any girls. He focused his attention on the instructor. Although the instructor wasn't Koushiro, the stance of swinging the sword should be similar, so he decided to take note of it.

However, the instructor didn't give Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi a chance. Seeing them enter, the instructor stopped his movements, walked over with large strides, and gave them a sharp look.

"Do you two have any business here?" The instructor's tone was not friendly.

"We came to learn swordsmanship!" Liu Hao replied, noticing the instructor's eager expression. He felt a bit intimidated.

"Oh!" The instructor's demeanor softened, but he still had some doubts. "Wait a moment, I'll inform the dojo master!"

"Thank you for your trouble!" Liu Hao said politely, "We are very grateful!"

The instructor was pleased by the sincere gratitude and nodded politely.

Shortly after, Koushiro came out with a little girl around six years old, the cute Kaya.

"Hello, Master, we apologize for the disturbance. We came to learn basic swordsmanship from you," Liu Hao said, bowing slightly. He knew a 90-degree bow was not his forte.

"Sure! Have you two studied swordsmanship before?" Koushiro asked, maintaining a gentle tone. He didn't think much of it; anyone willing to learn, especially just basic swordsmanship, was no big deal.

"Master, we have never studied swordsmanship before," Liu Hao replied. He continued, "There's one more thing, Master. We are sorry, but we don't have much money. We want to learn basic swordsmanship from you and practice at home. Can we do that? Of course, we will pay the necessary fees!"

Koushiro was taken aback; he had never encountered such a situation. Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi were adults, and most of the students here were young children. The fees were not a big concern for Koushiro; a nominal fee was enough.

Seeing Koushiro's hesitation, Liu Hao quickly added, "If the fees are high, can we pay a portion now and the rest after two months when the crops are harvested?"

Liu Hao knew Koushiro bought crops from Luffy's father and had no idea how to charge, so this was the best he could think of. After all, he and Zheng Zhi were adults and couldn't freeload like Zoro.

Koushiro smiled with narrowed eyes but didn't agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "Do you live nearby?"

"Yes, Master, we live in a small village not far from this island. We have cultivated a piece of land and will sell the harvest."

Koushiro found this strange; Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi didn't look like farmers. Their demeanor suggested they could be nobles.

"Can you tell me your names?"

"My brother is Tegar D. Zheng, and I am Tegar D. Liu."

Liu Hao introduced himself while staring into Koushiro's eyes. Although Koushiro tried to hide it, Liu Hao noticed a slight twitch in his eyelashes.

"Are you of the D clan?" Koushiro asked, his tone carrying deep meaning. "Here's what I'll do. You can pay the fees after the harvest. For now, stay at the dojo and practice until you are proficient, then you can go home and continue practicing."

"Thank you very much, Master! We arrived in Shigetsu Village on a hunter's boat and need to inform the hunter and the village."

Liu Hao was surprised by his success and smiled genuinely. Zheng Zhi was also very pleased.

Koushiro felt reassured by their smiles. He made this decision because of their D clan heritage, and money was not a concern. Additionally, the fact that Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi had no money played a role.

Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi exuded confidence and dignity, which Koushiro believed indicated they were in a difficult situation but still chose to farm rather than become pirates. This impressed Koushiro.

As for why two adults who had never studied swordsmanship wanted to learn, it wasn't important. Koushiro could easily verify if Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi were lying. By the time Liu Hao found the hunter, Koushiro already had all the information about them from the small village.

"Over a month in the small village, they planted crops and spent almost all their time practicing. They only had two sets of clothes and one ordinary sword each. Were they fugitives?"

Koushiro speculated, shaking his head. He didn't focus on the reasons, just confirming they hadn't lied. He planned to teach them for a few days and let them practice on their own, then reassess.

There was no threat from Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi to the dojo. As a dojo master who could trade with Monkey D. Dragon, he was far from simple.

Koushiro taught only the most basic swordsmanship, including the fundamentals of force and control. He personally instructed, and Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi concentrated fully, cherishing this opportunity. They learned quickly, and Liu Hao's progress, thanks to his high mental attributes, surprised Koushiro.

In just three days, Liu Hao felt his basic swordsmanship had improved significantly, which was very satisfying.

After three days, Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi bid farewell to Koushiro and returned to the small village, feeling very content.

This month, Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi spontaneously adjusted their training plan, increasing the time spent on basic swordsmanship, eliminating the Taizu Long Fist, and reducing the time for military boxing and Tai Chi. They dedicated more than half their time to basic swordsmanship.

They had agreed with Koushiro to return to the Shigetsu Village dojo for an assessment in a month. Liu Hao had decided to focus on improving his basic swordsmanship for the next year, aiming for perfection, with a minimum goal of mastery.

Koushiro had only taught them eight basic movements, and Liu Hao felt there might be more. If he missed out on them due to his own reasons, it would be a great loss.

This success in learning basic swordsmanship was thanks to Zheng Zhi. Liu Hao had planned to try again after six months, but this early success was a pleasant surprise, exceeding his expectations for the dimensional trial.

Regardless of what they learned from Koushiro, just being his students provided a good cover. It was like having a famous person vouch for them in a new country, which would stop further investigations.

Additionally, the issue of meat was somewhat resolved. Learning swordsmanship, even without hunting skills, increased their opportunities. Holding a sword made them bolder.

After three weeks, Liu Hao felt his talent was on par with Zoro's. He had reached a bottleneck, the limit of basic swordsmanship, with a barrier preventing him from advancing to the proficient stage.

For a whole day, Liu Hao couldn't find a solution. He thought about various methods from novels he had read before crossing over and decided on a few:

1. Switch to a heavy sword to gain more experience, increasing the chances of breaking through.

2. Face a fierce beast to force himself to improve.

3. Change the environment, practicing basic swordsmanship in water to use the resistance for better results.

Comparing the methods, the heavy sword seemed the most reliable, but the cost was a problem. Facing a fierce beast was a last resort, and he wanted to use it only after the next bottleneck. Therefore, the third method was the most suitable.

The next day, Liu Hao took Zheng Zhi to the beach and explained his idea. Zheng Zhi was impressed; this method sounded very practical. The resistance of water was also excellent for physical training. The only thing to consider was the duration of immersion.

On the first day, they took turns practicing in the water, struggling to stand at first. By evening, they could barely swing the sword.

The next day, by sunset, they could perform a set of movements, though the swordsmanship was deformed and not effective for training.

On the third day, they began to adapt to the water flow, moving with it. Although it didn't help their swordsmanship, they learned to use and counter the water's force, gripping the sword more firmly.

On the fourth day, their basic swordsmanship, like when they first learned, improved in the sea.

...

In Shigetsu Village, Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi returned for their assessment after a month.

Koushiro was very interested in Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi, especially Liu Hao, whom he saw as a rare swordsmanship talent. His only regret was their age; if they had started younger, they could have become great swordsmen.

Koushiro had learned from the hunters about their diligence over the past month, which earned him more trust.

The assessment was a sparring match, which Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi hadn't considered. They had practiced but hadn't engaged in actual combat, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Koushiro was surprised by their lack of combat experience but understood. This was natural for beginners, and it eliminated his last doubts.

"Here's what I'll do. You two stay at the dojo for a few days. I'll focus on your weaknesses and conduct the test again in a few days."

"Thank you, Master! We are sorry to trouble you!"

Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi felt embarrassed; their previous confidence had vanished. They realized they still had a long way to go. The realm of basic swordsmanship was meaningless without combat skills.