Chapter 179: Kuina
Koshiro Shimotsuki told the Train Crew about the history of Isshin Dojo, and also chatted about the local customs on this island. The atmosphere was harmonious and friendly.
He also had his disciples demonstrate Isshin Style sword technique to the Train Crew.
The sword techniques mastered by the disciples were mostly just superficial knowledge. Zoro was just relying on his body strength to make his sword technique seem powerful and heavy, nothing particularly outstanding.
Only Kuina vaguely grasped a bit of the essence. Her sword strikes clearly had a different feel compared to the other disciples.
Of course, the disciples couldn’t sense this point. The Train Crew had sufficient strength; even without understanding sword technique, they could see something from a high vantage point.
“Your disciple named Kuina seems to have good talent, much stronger than the others.” March 7th evaluated.
A flash of excitement from being recognized passed through Kuina’s eyes, and her sword strikes became even sharper.
“You’re too kind. Kuina is my daughter. Influenced by her surroundings, plus starting sword practice younger than the other disciples, it’s normal for her to have her current skill level.”
“On the other hand, Zoro has only been practicing sword for less than a year, yet he’s surpassed most disciples in the dojo. That’s true prodigious talent.” Koshiro Shimotsuki said flatly.
“Zoro is indeed good, with outstanding body strength and excellent character.” Dan Heng agreed, recounting as a joke how Zoro mistook them for bad people and single-handedly held them off by leading them in circles.
Koshiro Shimotsuki’s expression was slightly odd, but in the end, he chose not to expose his disciple.
After the demonstration ended, Zoro looked at Meng Huaifeng and remembered him saying that he couldn’t beat one person.
Zoro’s head heated up, and he decided to prove himself in front of them by challenging Kuina once again.
“Kuina, I challenge you. This is the 1653rd time. This time, I will definitely defeat you!” Zoro said to Kuina, holding two bamboo swords.
Zoro’s mouth skills weren’t honed yet; the third sword basically had no lethality.
So when challenging Kuina, Zoro temporarily used dual-wield style.
“Fine.” Kuina agreed coldly without hesitation.
It was rare for a guest to recognize her, yet her father denied it and instead praised this guy. Kuina was holding in a bellyful of anger.
The two stood facing each other in the dojo, with the dojo’s disciples and the Train Crew watching with great interest from the side.
“1653 times, how does he remember so clearly?” Meng Huaifeng couldn’t help but complain.
If not for knowing Zoro’s character, he would have reason to suspect Zoro secretly kept a little notebook for grudges.
“Ah, I can’t even remember what I ate yesterday.” March 7th said, a bit embarrassed.
“Ever since Zoro came to the dojo, he basically challenges Kuina five or six times every day without fail. His progress in becoming stronger is visible to the naked eye.” Koshiro Shimotsuki said.
If not for Kuina also progressing rapidly under Zoro’s pursuit, she probably would have been defeated by Zoro long ago.
“Five or six times a day? Doesn’t it get annoying?” March 7th exclaimed in surprise.
“Hah!”
Zoro let out a loud shout and charged at Kuina first. Kuina raised her sword to meet him.
Today’s Kuina seemed exceptionally ferocious, meeting every move head-on with hard clashes, her power seemingly a few degrees stronger than usual.
Relying on her two-year age advantage and being in the direct growth period, Kuina’s power could barely still suppress Zoro.
Plus her advantage in sword technique, it wasn’t long before she knocked Zoro’s two swords flying and brought one bamboo sword down on Zoro’s forehead.
“Ugh.” Zoro held his forehead and squatted on the ground.
“1653rd win.” Kuina announced, looking toward her father and the Train Crew.
“Damn, lost again! I’m going to intensify my training!” Zoro said annoyed. Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, he rushed out of the dojo with his head down.
That lively and vigorous appearance didn’t look like someone who had trained for a long time and just gone through an intense fight.
It had to be said that Zoro was indeed full of energy, with very quick stamina recovery.
“Although Kuina’s power is a bit greater than Zoro’s, it’s not enough to crush him. If she used more techniques, she should win more easily.” March 7th frowned slightly.
Although Kuina won cleanly and neatly, she hadn’t utilized her advantages at all.
“Kuina, did you hear that? Boys naturally have more strength than girls. Zoro’s strength is growing fast. In a bit more time, with your fighting style, you’ll probably no longer be his match.” Koshiro said to Kuina.
Kuina pursed her lips tightly. Although her father loved her, he had repeatedly expressed regret that she wasn’t a boy.
Meng Huaifeng shook his head slightly. The more someone is denied something, the more they want to prove it.
The more Koshiro said women’s power was naturally inferior to men’s, the more Kuina insisted on using power to surpass Zoro.
Until one day Zoro’s power exceeded hers, and if she still didn’t want to lose, she would have to use more techniques.
“Who says boys naturally have more strength than girls? Step forward and take a baseball bat from me first.” Star scoffed.
“Sorry, though this might not make you happy, it’s an undeniable fact. Just look at the strong people on the sea now—there’s only Charlotte Linlin among women, but she’s not an ordinary human.” Koshiro said apologetically, looking at the Train Crew with more males than females.
“I know there are many powerful female strong people, like Jingliu, Kaisa, Herta, Ruan Mei, and others.” Star said unconvinced.
“Never heard of them. Are they strong people from some small country? I mean the true peak strong people on the great sea.” Koshiro said.
“I’m talking about peak strong people.” Star said.
Koshiro stopped arguing. These people had just set out to sea not long ago, with limited knowledge. They probably had no idea how strong true strong people really were.
“Father, I’ll take my leave first.” Kuina said, feeling a bit upset.
“Mm.” Koshiro nodded.
Watching Kuina’s departing figure, March 7th puzzled, “She seems a bit sad. Is she really your daughter? Why does it feel like you’re always suppressing her?”
Koshiro said helplessly, “My daughter’s kendo talent is indeed good, and she has high aspirations. I know she dreams of becoming the world’s strongest swordmaster.”
“But she neither has a prodigiously talented physique nor any special powerful bloodline. With her talent, becoming the world’s strongest is already difficult, and being a girl makes it even harder. It’s not that she’s destined to fail, but the hope is extremely slim.”
“In this situation, I can only constantly give her pressure to make her work harder. Only if she persists will she have even a sliver of hope to achieve her dream.”
“Aren’t you afraid the pressure will crush her?” Meng Huaifeng asked.
“If she can’t even persist through this and gets crushed, then that’s that—destined not to become the strongest. Instead, recognizing reality early and living steadily, inheriting my dojo, isn’t bad either.” Koshiro smiled.
His expectations for his daughter weren’t actually that high. It was just that since she wanted to be strong, he’d give her a push. If she endured, she might realize her dream; if not, it was fine.
“But it feels a bit too cruel for your daughter.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“This is the price ordinary people must pay to become the strongest.” Koshiro said seriously.
But this price might exceed your expectations. Meng Huaifeng sighed inwardly.
In the original story, Kuina would be single-killed by a bamboo ladder, very likely because she trained to her limit, exhausted, causing her to miss her step and not react in time.
After visiting the dojo, the Train Crew dispersed to freely explore the island.
Meng Huaifeng and March 7th strolled along the seaside.
“Although Uncle Koshiro makes sense, I still feel something’s off.” March 7th faced Meng Huaifeng with hands behind her back, hopping backward.
“What’s right or wrong about it? It’s only about whether it fits. The same education method has both successes and failures. We’re just used to Sister Himeko and Uncle Yang’s encouraging style, so you instinctively don’t approve of his suppression style.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Is that so? Good thing Sister Himeko and Uncle Yang are both gentle. If they were like Uncle Koshiro, I couldn’t bear it.” Imagining daily scenes of being struck down by Sister Himeko with disappointment and pressure, March 7th hugged her arms and shivered.
“Maybe like that, March, you’d be much stronger than now.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“No matter how much stronger, I don’t want it.” March 7th said without hesitation.
“Hey~ hey~”
March 7th, walking backward, suddenly kicked a small reef stone and lost her balance.
“Careful.” Meng Huaifeng pulled March 7th, preventing her from falling.
“Scared me.” March 7th gently patted her chest with her other hand.
“Don’t walk backward; you can’t see the road.” Meng Huaifeng said helplessly.
“No, I like it. Aren’t you watching?” March 7th refused, but the two ended up walking side by side.
The two arrived near a cliff and saw a small figure on the cliff madly practicing sword.
“It’s Kuina.” March 7th said.
“Mm, let’s go take a look.”
“Hey, Huai Feng, quietly tell me, do you know her?” March 7th asked, shaking Meng Huaifeng’s hand.
She knew Huai Feng had a lot of secret information about the New World from unknown sources, but after the first world, he rarely told them details.
He only occasionally leaked relevant information when they encountered something.
Because Meng Huaifeng said many details might differ from what he knew, and he didn’t want them to form preconceptions and misunderstandings.
In Meng Huaifeng’s original world, a work likely had novel, comic, anime, and TV series versions, each differing. Who knew which version the real world was?
“I know. If nothing unexpected happens, in at most half a year, she might die.” Since March 7th asked, Meng Huaifeng told her.
“Ah?” March 7th’s small mouth opened slightly in shock.
Such a cute little sister would die in not too long?
“How does she die? Let’s save her.” March 7th said.
Meng Huaifeng shared his guesses as the two slowly walked toward the cliff.
Kuina must have trained for a long time, probably coming straight here after leaving the dojo.
Her body was already swaying unsteadily, sweat soaking her clothes, even her hand holding the bamboo sword trembling slightly.
“Huff~ huff~”
Kuina finally couldn’t hold on and collapsed on the grass, panting heavily.
“Even with such hard training, my progress speed still can’t match that guy’s. I can only watch him catch up bit by bit. Is the gap between girls and boys really that big?” Kuina murmured. She wasn’t sure if it was tears or sweat welling up in her eyes.
No matter how strong Kuina was, she was still just a child not yet eleven.
But she was the current senior sister of Isshin Dojo. Even if venting or crying, she couldn’t let others see.
So Kuina came alone to this remote cliff.
“Of course not that big.” A somewhat familiar voice sounded from not far away.
Kuina hurriedly wiped her eyes as if wiping sweat. The sweat stung her eyes red, and more tears flowed from the corners.
“It’s you guys?” Kuina got up and looked at the newcomers.
The sister with pink hair had praised her; she remembered clearly.
“Your father only said boys have more strength than girls, but didn’t say girls are more agile than boys. He only mentioned advantages, not disadvantages.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Exactly, why compare your weakness to others’ strengths? You should fully utilize your advantage in technique instead of clashing head-on with him.” March 7th said.
“But, I’ve already started developing. When I have two burdens, can I still be as agile as now?” Kuina put her hand on her chest.
Meng Huaifeng couldn’t help glancing at March 7th, who glared fiercely at him.
“Turn around, cover your ears, and don’t listen!”
Meng Huaifeng shrugged and turned his back.
March 7th didn’t mind Kuina’s sweaty smell and whispered in her ear.
“Actually… everyone… that big… normal… not big…”
Kuina’s eyes gradually lit up: “Sister, so girls can also become the world’s strongest?”
“Of course! When strength reaches a certain degree, the physical differences between men and women matter less and less. Ultimately, strength depends on controlling energy.” March 7th said.
“Energy?” Kuina hadn’t encountered knowledge related to Haki yet.
“Yeah, like Imaginary Energy, Internal Energy, magic power, and such.” March 7th said.
“For ordinary people, embarking on a Destiny isn’t easy, and March, this world’s mainstream is Haki, which is indeed greatly influenced by body strength.” Meng Huaifeng reminded.
“Oh right, forgot that. If cultivating that Haki, girls are indeed at a disadvantage.” March 7th scratched her head.
March 7th took a small booklet from her Train Ticket and gave it to Kuina: “This is Internal Energy cultivation. You can practice this from now on.”
Kuina flipped through it briefly, looking confused: “I… don’t understand.”
“I’ll do it.” Meng Huaifeng pointed at Kuina’s forehead, directly transmitting the Internal Energy cultivation method into her mind.
For the increasingly powerful Meng Huaifeng, doing this no longer required Soul Skill; it was effortless.
“Right, teaching her Internal Energy won’t affect this world’s own power system, right?” March 7th asked belatedly.
