As expected.
Zoro charged forward with a loud yell, looking full of momentum, only to be sent flying the next second, landing flat on the ground.
He quickly rolled back up, glaring at Kuina beside him. "Hey! Why didn't you help?"
"Didn't you say it was a one-on-one fight?" Kuina retorted, but she still adjusted her position, forming a pincer attack with Zoro. With a low shout, they both struck simultaneously.
Despite their bickering, they still had tacit understanding.
Unfortunately.
In the face of absolute power, all flashy techniques were meaningless.
Even though Xiano was holding back, he effortlessly knocked away three bamboo swords with three swift strikes, then followed up with two more moves to take down both of them.
A simple yet devastating 5A-level combo.
"Damn it!" Zoro couldn't accept the reality, tugging at his hair in frustration. "How could this happen?"
"Losing to Mr. Xiano is only natural, isn't it?" Kuina said.
She almost wanted to mock him—after all, wasn't he used to losing to her so many times before? But seeing Zoro's expression, she swallowed her words, bent down to help him up, and smiled.
"Alright, get up. At least this shows you that there's always someone better, and there's always a higher goal to strive for. It's a good thing. We'll work hard together to catch up!"
"But it's still so frustrating!"
Zoro gritted his teeth.
Deep down, he knew there was a gap and could accept his failure, but he never expected to lose so badly.
He couldn't even see the trajectory of Xiano's sword. How could someone who didn't look much older than him be so skilled?
Kuina patted his shoulder, not bothering to console him further, and went to look for her bamboo sword. The backyard was dimly lit, and it took her a while to find it behind a beam.
Zoro, still dejected, went to pick up his own, but before he could bend down, Xiano had already picked it up for him.
"?" Zoro stared wide-eyed at Xiano.
"I'm confiscating one as punishment for your earlier rudeness. I'm quite petty, you know," Xiano said with a chuckle. "Don't look at me like that. If you're feeling wronged, then train harder and earn it back with your own strength someday."
"Of course, by then, you might not even care about this bamboo sword anymore. So, if you ever manage to defeat me, I'll gladly give you this blade on my back."
"Really?!"
Zoro's eyes lit up, immediately forgetting about his bamboo sword.
He had been drooling over the Authentic Blade for a long time and never expected Xiano to propose such a deal.
What a nice guy!
"Deal!"
He regained his vigor, standing on his tiptoes and extending his pinky finger.
"Pinky promise! No take-backs! Just you wait. One day, my swordsmanship will surpass yours, and you'll hand over that blade willingly!"
"How childish."
Xiano sighed, but faced with the determined Mosshead, he eventually extended his own finger.
"Pinky promise, sealed for a hundred years!"
After loudly sealing the promise, Zoro ran off excitedly.
His impatient demeanor made it clear he was going to train even harder.
So rude. When will he ever grow up? Kuina sighed as she watched his retreating figure.
Looking back at Xiano, she bowed deeply and earnestly, "Thank you, Lord Xiano. It was truly an honor to spar with you, although..."
She gave a bitter smile, "Your sword was just too fast. My eyes were too dull, and I couldn't learn anything from it. I still feel a bit regretful about that."
Xiano wasn't sure how to respond, so he laughed it off and quickly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, it's been a while since I last sharpened my sword. Do you have a whetstone at your place?"
A whetstone?
Kuina nodded, "Yes, we do. But since we usually use bamboo swords at the Martial Arts School, it's rarely used. It's been kept in the attic. I'll go get it for you now."
"No need," Xiano hurriedly said, "Just show me the way. I'll get it myself."
Don't risk your life, girl!
Do you think I brought this up just to earn Points? It's also to save your life.
If I let you go alone and you fell to your death, I'd feel guilty for half my life!
...
In a secluded storage room.
Xiano looked up at the wooden ladder in front of him, stroking his chin, still finding it hard to believe.
Wait, the attic isn't that high, barely three meters. How could a trained Swordsman, who could easily defeat an ordinary adult, just fall to her death?
He glanced at the information on the system panel.
The bamboo sword he had tricked from Zoro had already been successfully sacrificed.
[Offering: Zoro's Bamboo Sword]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Value: 500 Points]
[Appraisal: One of the bamboo swords that accompanied Zoro for several years, witnessing countless sweat-stained days and nights. Though he may replace it with one famous sword after another in the future, he will never forget these initial companions.]
[Remaining Points: 10825]
Five hundred Points, which was within the expected range, left Xiano somewhat satisfied.
The latest novel is first published on 69shu!
"I just wonder if this is more or less..."
He gently touched the ladder in front of him, attempting to initiate the sacrifice.
[Offering: Kuina's Great Quick Ladder]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 1500 Points]
[Appraisal: The mystery surrounding Kuina's death remains unsolved, but it is certain that she fell from this ladder while fetching a whetstone to sharpen her beloved Wado Ichimonji. This event altered the world's timeline, and while the future seas lost a remarkable female Master Swordsman, they gained a man who vowed to become the world's greatest Swordsman—'I will grow stronger for her sake, until my name echoes in heaven!']
Fifteen hundred Points?
Xiano was genuinely surprised. Logically, Kuina was only a minor character, and her current strength shouldn't add much weight. The offerings from her should be worth at most a couple of hundred Points.
Indeed.
Beyond the three rules of sacrifice he had summarized, there existed a special rule.
—Those special items that altered the world's timeline and were associated with iconic moments often held greater value.
Xiano looked at the Points column.
[Remaining Points: 12325]
The Points he had spent earlier were almost fully replenished, thanks in large part to the Great Quick Ladder.
How many Points could Luffy's straw hat provide?
Probably more than he had initially anticipated.
Xiano felt even more eager about this prospect.
Now, the sacrificial items that could be obtained in the surrounding seas had almost all been gathered by him.
All he needed was to get this last straw hat, and then he could return to Cocoyasi Village in peace to focus on his cultivation.
After that.
For a considerable period of time, he would no longer need to worry about Points.
With his thoughts settled, his gaze turned back to the dojo outside.
A light rain was drizzling, and Kuina was still waiting in the courtyard.
After some consideration, he rummaged through the warehouse for a brush and ink, then strode out.
As the saying goes, if you take something from someone, you owe them; if you eat someone's food, you owe them.
Having gained so many Points for free, it was time to give a little something back—like saving Kuina's life, for instance.
Removing the ladder and moving the whetstone downstairs didn't mean the danger of Kuina falling to her death was completely gone.
Xiano had quite a favorable impression of this intelligent, courteous, and exceptionally talented swordsmanship girl. He genuinely didn't want her to leave this world in such a ridiculous manner.
All absurdities often have their reasons.
Xiano had just noticed that when Kuina was searching for her Bamboo Sword, she fumbled around for quite a while before finding it. The lighting was indeed a bit dim, but it shouldn't have been that bad.
Could it be...
Just like Tashigi, who looked exactly the same, Kuina was actually severely nearsighted?
The second update was a bit late due to some matters, apologies. From now on, it will be similar to before, with a fixed update at noon and another in the afternoon.
(End of Chapter)