Chapter 4

The following days were filled with repetitive, monotonous training. But for Dongze, who was completely engrossed in sharpening his skills, time seemed to pass unnoticed. With each swing of his sword, his techniques grew more refined—every strike, every thrust, becoming sharper than before.

Yet, to the other disciples, his movements still seemed rigid and methodical. To them, it was just the same, repetitive practice, day after day.

Of course, there was one exception—Koshiro.

At first, he was merely surprised by Dongze's rapid improvement. Then, that surprise turned into shock. Soon, it became something else entirely—an unsettling numbness.

Now, he didn't even want to watch that kid anymore.

Why?

Because it was terrifying.

It wasn't just that Dongze was improving. It was the speed at which he was improving. If zoro's growth was like a person sprinting, and Kuina's was like riding a bicycle, then Dongze… was on a rocket.

Every single day, he mastered a new form of basic swordsmanship, perfecting it to a degree that defied all logic.

It felt like watching someone participate in a philosophical debate about the beauty of yin and yang—only for one side to be utterly overwhelmed before the other even started speaking.

To everyone else, Dongze seemed to be mindlessly repeating the same sword swings. But the truth was far from that. His adjustments were microscopic—barely visible. A slight change in angle here, a subtle shift in breathing there. Even his spirit was evolving.

This was what disturbed Koshiro the most. In swordsmanship, even the smallest details could mean the difference between an ordinary warrior and a master. A fraction of a degree, a shift in rhythm—those were the things that separated the great from the forgotten.

For a swordsman, finding one's own path was an insurmountable wall for many. Yet here was Dongze, effortlessly making adjustments that even seasoned warriors would struggle with. And the strangest part? He wasn't even particularly talented.

At least, that's what everyone thought.

Perhaps it was fate, but Koshiro, for the first time in years, felt his own heart waver.

As he looked at Dongze, who had just sheathed his sword, a thought surfaced in his mind:

"Maybe… maybe he's the one who can help me achieve that dream."

A New Challenge

Time passed, and two months flew by.

During that time, Dongze had pushed himself to the limit, using his golden advantage to perfect his basic swordsmanship and temper his own body. His rapid growth was astonishing—even to himself.

zoro's usual training equipment now felt weightless in his hands. He could even handle two or three times the weight with ease.

"I'm turning into a beast," he thought with a wry smile.

Yet, despite his progress, he had never been called up for a sparring match since his last defeat to zoro. Whether it was Koshiro's arrangement or sheer coincidence, he didn't know.

Meanwhile, zoro continued his relentless pursuit of victory against Kuina, only to rack up his 1,000th consecutive loss.

Then, one day, Koshiro finally made his move.

With ten of the thirteen basic sword techniques mastered, Dongze hit an invisible wall—his progress on the eleventh form had stagnated for half a month.

Koshiro noticed.

And in response, he arranged another match between Dongze and zoro.

"Father!" Kuina protested, her face flushing red. "You know Dongze isn't zoro's opponent!"

Kuina's own improvement had been staggering, largely thanks to the names Dongze had told her before. Now, even with zoro's insane training, the gap between them hadn't closed. If anything, it had widened.

So why? Why was her father throwing Dongze into another one-sided battle?

"Is this supposed to be some kind of humiliation?" she demanded.

Koshiro sighed at his daughter's outburst.

"Kuina," he said calmly, "have you ever heard the saying: 'After parting for three days, one should look at a person with new eyes'?"

Kuina frowned, confused. She had never heard that phrase before, but she understood the implication.

Her father was saying that Dongze had changed—that he had grown enough to stand on equal footing with zoro.

But… how was that possible?

She knew zoro's strength better than anyone. He improved every single day. Even she had to train in secret to maintain her lead.

And yet, somehow, Dongze had surpassed zoro without anyone noticing?

Seeing his daughter's doubt, Koshiro's gaze softened.

"As a swordsman," he said, "you must not let appearances deceive you. Otherwise, you'll never see the path beneath your own feet. And without that—" his expression sharpened— "you will never be able to claim the throne of the world's strongest swordsman."

Kuina remained silent.

Koshiro continued, "You and zoro aren't the only ones who have been improving these past two months. Dongze has been growing at a speed neither of you can even comprehend."

Kuina still wasn't convinced. "But with his talent—"

Koshiro sighed again.

Had it not been for that conversation with Kuina, he himself never would have noticed Dongze's talent. It was a reminder that sometimes, even the brightest gems remained buried beneath the dirt.

And now, his own daughter was failing to see what was right in front of her.

"Let's see how far you've come, Dongze."

The Battle Begins…

In the dojo, the disciples gathered, forming a wide circle around the two fighters.

Dongze stood across from zoro, who wielded his bamboo sword with one hand.

Seeing this, Dongze shook his head.

He knew exactly what zoro was thinking.

"He doesn't take me seriously at all."

zoro probably thought of this as just another quick win before challenging Kuina again.

But today…

"That's about to change."

"Begin!" Koshiro called out.

zoro wasted no time, launching forward like a charging boar. His bamboo sword swung down with full force.

SWOOSH!

The air whistled as the attack cut through it.

Then—

A single thrust.

Dongze's bamboo sword pierced through the attack, landing against the side of zoro's own blade.

Silence.

The crowd blinked.

The scene was eerily familiar. It was just like when Zoro had challenged Dracule Mihawk in Baratie—and had been humiliated with a tiny dagger.

Now, it was happening again.

zoro's full-power strike had been intercepted by a single, calculated thrust.

And the one who had done it… was Dongze.

The disbelief spread like wildfire.

"Impossible!"

"What the hell just happened?!"

"Did Dongze… just stop zoro's attack with a single strike?!"

Even zoro himself was frozen in shock.

He knew what this meant.

Dongze… was stronger.

And this was only the beginning.