Pirate, I am the demon fox that brings disaster to the world!

Chapter 381 Remember This Moment

His gaze slowly swept over Zoro and Kuina, a meaningful smile curling up the corners of Yakumo's mouth. After briefly addressing Koshiro's concerns, the conversation finally turned to the topic of the day: the two young men and women before him.

"Zoro, Kuina," Yakumo Bai's voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of the two clearly.

"You both have excellent talent in swordsmanship. You share the same ruthlessness and determination to never give up until you achieve your goal. As time goes by, perhaps you can truly reach the level of the former Shimotsuki Ryoma."

Zoro raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip on the broken wooden sword. Although the other party's tone was calm, he always felt that the other party's gaze was like a searchlight, seeing through him.

"Ryoma Shimotsuki? Who is that? Is he also a great swordsman?" He couldn't help but ask, his curiosity about the strong man overwhelmed his vigilance.

Kuina pursed her lips, she was more concerned about the "prophecy" spoken by Yakumo Shiro.

"In the future...where will I be standing and what kind of scenery will I see?" The girl's eyes trembled with an imperceptible light, showing both nervousness and a faint expectation for the future.

Seeing that the two had finally let down their guard and restrained their outward sharpness, Yakumo Bai chuckled lightly and did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to look at Koshiro.

"Swordsmanship, although I haven't practiced it systematically like some of you here, I can still be considered a great swordsman now.

Mr. Koshiro, I think you know it all too well. The tranquil waters of the East China Sea cannot produce an outstanding swordsman. Only in a truly turbulent environment, after experiencing thousands of baptisms of life and death, can one sharpen the sword in one's hand!

Upon hearing this, Koshiro fell silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Wado Ichimonji at his waist. He knew what Yakumo Shiro said was true. The East China Sea was only a small part of the vast ocean, and for Zoro and Kuina, who yearned to become stronger, it was indeed too small. But thinking of Wano Country's past turmoil, he hesitated again. He didn't want to expose his two children to unknown risks.

"However, I do have a method that can help them become stronger quickly. While it can't completely replace the training of combat, it should be able to help them save a lot of time. At the same time, it can also reduce the risk of falling midway.

What do you mean, do you want to give it a try?"

Having said that, Yakumo Haku looked at Kuina and the others again, and the result was not unexpected. They were all driven by their dreams and showed more or less interested expressions, even though, in their opinion, such a thing might not exist.

"Excuse me, what method do you mean by...?"

After a quick and brief consideration, the girl was ultimately unable to overcome the desire that was brewing in her heart. Kuina couldn't help but ask first. Although her voice was soft and gentle, her eyes gradually flickered.

"Don't worry. Before that, I need to get to know you better. If you're confident in your swordsmanship, why don't you show me another duel? That might give me some more references."

Yakumo Bai's tone was somewhat casual, but it instantly made the atmosphere in the dojo tense.

Hearing this, Koshiro frowned slightly and was about to speak to stop him, but was suddenly restrained by a heavy pressure. He looked up at Yakumo Bai, but saw that the other party was just staring at the field intently, as if he didn't notice anything.

"Don't worry, it's just a sparring match, so be it."

Yakumo Shiro's gaze fell on the two boys and girls, "I want to see how much you are willing to sacrifice to become stronger."

"Humph, if the method you mentioned really exists!"

Upon hearing this, the still young and energetic Zoro immediately found a new wooden sword and looked at Kuina again with burning eyes.

"Come!"

The young man's voice was full of fighting spirit. After the rest just now, his physical strength had recovered a lot. Now he was ready to fight and avenge his previous defeat.

"it is good."

Seeing this, Kuina took a deep breath and picked up a new wooden sword. There was a hint of imperceptible fatigue in her voice, but she still straightened her back.

Even though her strength hadn't fully recovered, she didn't want to show weakness in front of Yakumo Haku or her father, and she certainly didn't want to lose to Zoro.

"Take the move!"

With Yakumo Haku's "Begin," Zoro launched the attack. Perhaps because of the different environment today, under pressure, his footwork was more steady than before, and the angle of his wooden sword swing was more tricky.

Kuina tried her best to respond. Her swordsmanship after years of practice was still exquisite. Every block and every counterattack was just right.

If nothing unexpected happened, this duel would still end in a evenly matched outcome as usual. However, as time passed, the girl's physical exhaustion caused her movements to gradually slow down.

"Hoo~ho!"

Sweat trickled down Kuina's cheeks, dripping onto the dojo floor, leaving a small, dark stain. Her breathing became increasingly rapid, her arms began to ache, and the fingers gripping the wooden sword couldn't help but tremble slightly.

As a long-time rival, Zoro naturally noticed her changes keenly. At that moment, his men's attack became more fierce, and the wooden sword attacked Kuina like a storm.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The sound of wooden swords clashing rang out frequently. Seeing that Kuina's defense was becoming more and more strained, and the flaws were gradually revealed - finally, with a momentary lack of reaction, a blunt wooden sword broke through the layers of obstruction and stabbed straight into Kuina's chest.

"Damn it... Oh no, it's too late!"

The sword flashed before her. Although the girl wanted to dodge, her body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. She could only watch helplessly as the wooden sword got closer and closer to her...

But at this moment, a figure suddenly flashed by as fast as lightning, caught Kuina steadily with one hand, and with the other hand, blocked the sword light that was about to fall with incredible precision. No matter how hard the other party tried, he still couldn't shake it at all.

"It seems that today's results are a little different~"

The corner of his mouth muttered softly, looking at the scene in front of him, Yakumo Bai did not seem to be too surprised, just flicked the wooden sword in front of him, and in Zoro's unbelievable eyes, made it fly out

Similarly, the competition that was interrupted by Yakumo Haku's attack also cut the string that had been taut in the girl's heart.

"I...I lost?"

The wooden sword in her hand fell to the ground unconsciously, and the sound seemed to be faintly choked with sobs. Kuina stared blankly at Yakumo Shiro's shoulder, and a strange wet feeling suddenly filled her eyes without warning.

"This, this isn't right. Why... I've been working so hard... I've even boasted about becoming the world's greatest swordsman..."

The girl's long-held pride collapsed at this moment, and she couldn't help but stumble back a few steps. She had always been proud of her swordsmanship, and she was able to pick herself up after the low point and maintain her undefeated status through her own efforts.

I have always thought that I have overcome the "conclusion" given by my father and can calmly accept the fact that Zoro has gradually surpassed me in strength and physical strength.

But now, when what I expected really happened before my eyes, the torment in my heart was far more painful than I had imagined. Could it be that I was really not suitable to be a swordsman?

"Kuina..."

Koshiro walked forward with difficulty under the pressure of the Conqueror's Haki, wanting to comfort his daughter, but was stopped by Yakumo Haku.

Zoro, who was lying in the distance and struggling to get up, leaned on his wooden sword with one hand, looked up at the collapsed Kuina, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Are you feeling unhappy? Are you in pain? That's perfectly normal. Remember this feeling, both you and Zoro."

As if he had achieved his goal, Yakumo Shiro walked closer, and while speaking, he helped the girl to stand up. Under the gaze of a pair of moist and sad eyes, he said in an unchanged tone,

"Because only in this way, after experiencing failure and despair, can you have the courage to go to hell!"