15 – The Swordsman with Yellow Eyes

"Haha, say no more, Shakky. That stuff is useless to him now." Rayleigh interrupted with a laugh. "He's already past the beginner stage."

"What?" Shakky was shocked when she heard that.

She looked at Junichi in disbelief, who nodded slowly.

"He has already mastered full-body coverage and has started training in Imbuement," Rayleigh said with a satisfied smile, clearly enjoying her astonishment. "So, the Kuja's secret techniques are no longer useful to him."

Shakky was dumbfounded. This was just too unbelievable. It had only been seven days, and he had already trained his Armament Haki to such a level.

That kind of talent was way over the top!

"Ae you a monster?" Shakky couldn't help but ask.

Junichi shrugged. "Maybe."

"Honestly, I've never seen talent like yours in my whole life," Shakky said, holding her head like her worldview had just been shattered.

Rayleigh was laughing heartily beside her. He had felt the same shock, and now it was someone else's turn.

"Alright then, that stuff really is useless to you now." Shakky took a deep breath and put away the notebook on the counter, smiling bitterly. "This notebook only goes up to Hardening… After all, that's the limit for most people."

She shook her head as she spoke. That was the price of making Haki widespread. For most people, their natural talent just wasn't enough, and the chance to awaken Haki was extremely slim. Rather than waiting endlessly, they might as well use this notebook.

At least then, they'd have a chance of grasping Haki in their lifetime.

"Let's talk about something else," Rayleigh said, turning to Junichi. "I originally planned to train you for six months, but since you've finished the course ahead of schedule, I've got nothing left to teach you."

Junichi became serious when the topic shifted.

"So, I'm planning to bring in another teacher to instruct you in swordsmanship," Rayleigh said.

Another teacher? Swordsmanship?

Junichi nodded slowly. "Alright, I'm fine with that."

The swordsmanship of the One Piece world definitely had value.

Cutting iron.

Airborne slashes.

These were incredible techniques that didn't exist in the Naruto world.

The more he learned, the more confidence he'd have when facing Itachi upon returning.

"Then just wait a bit. It'll take him some time to get to here," Rayleigh said.

Junichi naturally had no objection. "Okay."

Of course, he was also curious who Rayleigh would invite to teach him swordsmanship.

---

Somewhere in the first half of the Grand Line, a small one-man boat drifted through choppy waves.

A stern-looking man, wearing a wine-red shirt and a long coat, lay resting on the boat, and a black hat covered his face.

Pururu! Pururu!

Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang.

The man removed his hat and opened his eyes, revealing a pair of sharp yellow pupils.

He picked up the receiver. "Rayleigh?"

"It's me."

Rayleigh's hearty voice came through the Den Den Mushi: "I remember you said you've been staying in the first half of the Grand Line recently?"

"That's right," the man replied succinctly.

"Perfect. I'm calling in that favor you owe me," Rayleigh said with a chuckle. "I'd like you to come to Sabaody and teach someone swordsmanship."

The man didn't respond right away. He had owed Rayleigh a small favor from some past help during his travels.

"You know my standards," he said in a low, raspy voice. "If he is hopeless, I suggest you find someone else."

"No, no," Rayleigh replied casually. "This one is a true gem, a talent so amazing that even I was surprised. You'll be impressed too."

"Oh?"

Even Rayleigh was surprised? He knew the other's identity, he was the right hand of the Pirate King.

If someone could astonish him, then the person must be a real genius.

"Alright. I'll be there in about ten days."

Rayleigh smiled. "I'll be waiting."

---

Ten days passed quickly.

While waiting for the swordsmanship instructor, Junichi continued diligently honing his skills.

---

[You have practiced Armament Haki. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced Observation Haki. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced Uchiha-style Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced Sly Mind Affect Technique. Proficiency +1]

[You have practiced Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Proficiency +1]

---

He hadn't neglected his jutsu training.

Even though, in the One Piece world, these techniques seemed pretty underwhelming. They weren't at a level that could hold their own on high-tier battlefields.

However, once ninjutsu reached a high level, it underwent a qualitative transformation—gaining special effects or terrifying power.

Its destructive power could definitely rival Logia-type Devil Fruits.

Besides, the upper limit of chakra was ridiculously high, in the later stages, it could even break through into Country level. They even managed time-space travel.

And the strongest among the Otsutsuki clan... He transcended to Solar System level!

He wasn't about to give up on that potential. Additionally, he discovered something unusual.

His Sharingan had awakened.

---

On a quiet, deserted grove, Junichi stood gazing at the sea, and through the clear water, he saw a pair of eerie, crimson eyes.

A black tomoe was spinning in each eye.

A cold and oppressive aura radiated from his pupils.

"This world feels... comfortable to me," he murmured, squinting in thought. "This kind of comfort... it's as if my body is being nourished. Some minor internal injuries... are healing naturally? What's going on? The Uchiha bloodline too... it feels like it's being nurtured, and is starting to manifest on its own."

The feeling reminded him of how Obito nourished his Mangekyō Sharingan with Hashirama cells. It seemed like the Sharingan had always been in a state of nutrient deficiency. That was why it required intense emotional trauma to awaken.

"But if the body is sufficiently nourished... could it awaken naturally, without emotional triggers?" Junichi narrowed his eyes. "Like how a body naturally matures over time..."

He felt like this theory might be correct.

Maybe, even the issue of Mangekyō blindness could be solved this way. After all, in this life, he had lost his parents early on and had no blood relatives.

"Too bad bloodline limits aren't counted as skills," he shook his head, a little disappointed. "Otherwise I could farm proficiency and level it up quickly."

---

Meanwhile, at the docks of the Sabaody Archipelago, a small boat rode in with the waves, slowly approaching the pier.

Onboard stood a man, carrying his black blade across his back as he stepped ashore.

"That guy is...!!"

Someone seemed to recognize him, their pupils shrinking in shock.

"Why is he here?"

"Who knows? I heard he's always looking for strong swordsmen to fight."

"Scary... just being looked at by him feels like you're being stabbed with a blade."

"That man is a great swordmaster!"

Ignoring their chatter, the man calmly adjusted his hat and began walking toward Grove 13.