It must be said that the aura of being directionally challenged is truly invincible.
After wandering around the village with Zoro for half an hour, Xiano was almost dizzy. Finally, they asked a local man for directions and managed to find the gate of the Isshin Dojo.
Surprisingly, Koshiro was already waiting at the entrance.
"Why are you so late?"
The middle-aged man, dressed in a kimono and wearing black-framed glasses, smiled at Zoro. "It's your fault, isn't it? You got Lord Xiano lost too?"
"..." Zoro's face turned red again.
He could lie in front of Xiano, but he couldn't argue against his own teacher.
Grumbling, he turned around, "So annoying, I brought him here, isn't that enough? I'm leaving now, don't call me for dinner, I haven't finished today's extra training yet!"
Watching Zoro leave, Koshiro smiled and turned to walk into the dojo.
"Dinner is already being prepared. Lord Xiano, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Let's eat together later?"
"I am indeed a bit hungry. Thank you for the hospitality."
Xiano didn't stand on ceremony and followed behind, curious. "Mr. Koshiro, you know my name? Has Junichi already returned from the clinic? So quickly?"
"Junichi?"
Koshiro was slightly taken aback and shook his head. "No, I only know that the child has returned, but I haven't seen him yet. Speaking of which, I should thank you on his behalf. The trip to Asakura Island turned out to be so dangerous. If it weren't for you, he might not have made it back alive."
"Then how do you know so much..."
"Well, naturally, it's because Lord Xiano has become quite famous recently."
Koshiro took a few newspapers from the middle layer of the cabinet and handed them to Xiano, smiling. "After reading these, you should understand."
Newspapers?
Xiano took them curiously. He had been drifting at sea these past few days and hadn't encountered any News Birds.
Or perhaps the News Birds flying high above hadn't noticed their small boat.
"Here, have some tea." Koshiro personally brewed a cup of green tea and handed it over.
"Thank you."
The two sat on the tatami, separated by a tea table. Xiano spread out the newspapers and began to read carefully.
These newspapers were all from local publishers in the East Blue Sea. The headlines, without exception, were all about the events on Asakura Island.
"Shimotsuki Village is isolated. Besides me, who subscribes to the newspaper every day, not many people know about your deeds yet."
Koshiro said with a smile, "But it's different on other islands. In many places around the nearby seas, you've been the focus of attention these days. It's not an exaggeration to say that you are the most dazzling new star in the East Blue Sea right now."
He wasn't exaggerating at all.
From Xiano's unstoppable advance to the finals with overwhelming dominance, to the series of unexpected events that occurred in the martial arts school during the competition;
To the eerie and terrifying complete Puppetization of the seven great martial arts school masters, and the revelation that the mastermind behind it all was the long-deceased president, Sakuraba Itsuki...
This bizarre story was already captivating enough. And in this desperate situation, a young Swordsman suddenly stepped forward, single-handedly crushing the conspiracy.
After finding the mastermind's treasure-filled secret chamber, he took nothing for himself and instead decided to distribute the vast wealth inside to all the victims.
Before dawn, the young swordsman quietly departed, leaving his deeds and name hidden.
——This was the quintessential template of a young hero from traditional folk tales, so it was no wonder the hype exploded.
Several local newspapers in the East Blue spared no ink, continuously reporting on the story for several days, with sales soaring.
Even the World Economic Times was stirred into action, hastily following up. Though it wasn't the headline, it still occupied a significant portion of the second page.
After all the buzz.
The title of "The Strongest Swordsman of the Younger Generation in the East Blue" had quietly spread across most of the region.
"This... this is way too much praise..."
Xiano held the newspaper, his face red with embarrassment.
Most of the time, the reporters weren't on the scene, and much of the content was based on post-event testimonies, leading to many inaccuracies in the details.
For example, he had indeed left the 200 million Berries in the secret room, but the 400 million Berries from the Roguetown vault were firmly in his grasp. There was no way he was as noble as the reports made him out to be.
Junichi's involvement was completely ignored, but this was also a form of protection, which could be considered a good thing.
After all, as the son of the mastermind Sakuraba Itsuki, his identity was highly sensitive.
With fame rising, there was a risk that many victims' families might not distinguish right from wrong and come seeking revenge.
But then again.
The most off part was definitely——
"I've been hailed as the strongest swordsman?!!"
A swordsman?
The latest novel is first published on 69shu!
Are you kidding me!
His mediocre swordsmanship was hardly something to show off in a major battle. The final victory was clearly achieved through the sheer strength of his robust body, punching his way to triumph!
"Ugh..."
Xiano scratched his head, feeling a bit of a headache.
Would he now be constantly challenged by swordsmen seeking to spar or receive guidance?
But this outcome wasn't entirely unexpected.
After all, when the real battle began, everyone who could flee from the Martial Arts School had already done so. However, his entire journey through the swordsmanship tournament had been fully documented.
A genius swordsman who swept through the competition undefeated, ultimately defeating a terrifying Devil Fruit Ability User...
If not through swordsmanship, then what else?
It made perfect sense.
Even the front-page photos in these newspapers were taken during the Sea Selection, captured by reporters.
——A black-haired youth holding a bamboo sword, standing proudly on a wooden platform, undefeated, surrounded by a crowd of awestruck spectators.
At a glance.
He truly had the aura of a young swordsman who emerged invincible from the start.
"Sigh."
Xiano let out another long sigh.
Koshiro, however, misunderstood his meaning and chuckled:
"Frowning even after gaining fame, it seems Lord Xiano prefers to keep a low profile. That's understandable, otherwise why would he leave quietly after everything was over?"
He didn't hide his admiration, making Xiano even more uneasy.
He was afraid the next words out of Koshiro's mouth would be something like "I'd like to witness your swordsmanship," "Dinner is still being prepared," or "How about we spar a bit?"
Fortunately, the figure that pushed open the door saved him from his awkwardness.
"Father."
A cold-faced girl with short black hair stood at the door and spoke calmly, "Granny said the food is ready, and she sent me to call you. Let's go now... Huh?!!!"
She suddenly exclaimed, her gaze turning to Xiano, her little face filled with surprise and delight. "Lo... Lord Xiano! What are you doing here?"
Before Xiano could react, she rushed over and grabbed his arm, touching and examining it left and right. "An illusion? No! It's not an illusion! It's really you!"
Xiano's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Koshiro.
"This is my daughter, Kuina. Please forgive her; she doesn't usually act like this."
Koshiro chuckled. "It's all because she saw you in person that she got so carried away. Speaking of which, besides practicing swordsmanship, she also loves reading. She often flips through the newspapers I subscribe to. These past few days, she's been quite obsessed with your story, reading it over and over again."
(End of Chapter)