The bright moon shines in the clear breeze, and the yellow... creek flows into the sea.
The fallen leaves in late autumn turned red, making the moonlight look even colder. In the backyard of the Isshinryu Dojo in Shigetsuki Village, Koushiro knelt in the corridor wearing a white shirt. Next to him was a stack of dumplings on a white porcelain plate and a small pot of sake.
Dong Dong Dong Dong!
A thin man with split hair covering his face pressed his hands on the rag and ran from the other end of the corridor to this end, working hard.
There are many students in the dojo during the day, so cleaning can only be done at night.
Suddenly, Koushiro asked softly.
"Is Zoro not back yet?"
The man paused after hearing this and replied in a hoarse voice: "He said he was going to the mountains for training during the day, so he probably got lost again."
"I see."
Koushiro nodded and stopped talking, picked up the bamboo sticks with the dumplings on them, and drank silently to the moon.
In response to this, the man remained silent and spoke after a moment.
"Mr. Koushiro, I'm going to leave tomorrow."
Koushiro paused for a moment, with a faint smile still on his face.
"good."
"Don't you ask me why?"
The man looked at him curiously.
"If you want to say it, you will naturally say it. If you don't want to, why should I ask?"
Koushiro smiled and said: "I understand how you feel...I once had a life like yours, hiding all day long, wandering around, and even living under someone's roof, for fear of being found by the enemy."
"Is it fake? Sir, you are obviously so strong!"
The man's eyes widened in shock.
He was rescued by Koushiro, and the brilliance of the sword from the mouth of a ten-meter-long sea beast was still fresh in his memory.
It was also for this reason that he chose to clean the dojo for free.
He was so shocked that he didn't even notice that his original voice was exposed.
But Koushiro didn't pay attention and shook his head.
"There are people outside the world, and there is a sky outside. The sea is so vast, and strong men emerge in endlessly. What does it matter down there?"
After that, he took out a money bag from his arms.
"This is your wages during this period. If you have a little more, it will be considered as my funding for your shipping expenses."
If you want to leave Shuangyue Village for a long voyage, you must take a merchant ship that comes and goes once a week. The merchants will naturally charge money.
"I……"
Plop!
The man knelt down in front of Koushiro, his head lying deeply on the floor, his whole body trembling and he kowtowed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Lord Koushiro!"
"Your great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten by me!"
Koushiro still smiled gently and picked up the wine glass.
"Go and have a rest early."
"I'm back!!"
At this time, a powerful shout came from the front yard. The man wiped his tears, picked up his money bag, and quickly walked towards his room, an inconspicuous woodshed.
Koushiro slowly turned around and was about to say hello when suddenly the corner of his mouth twitched and a gentle smile stretched on his face.
"Zoron!"
His tone was still calm, but Zoro winced and quickly explained.
"It's not my fault, Master Koushiro! He suddenly jumped out and hit me out of nowhere, so I struck harder."
Not only did Sauron come back, there was also a middle-aged man who looked completely unrecognizable, with a bruised nose and a swollen face.
Zoro's T-shirt was cut open at the shoulder, and the wooden knife was broken from a third of the way, proving that the process was not easy.
Feeling his eyelids fluttering rapidly, Koushiro took a deep breath.
"So, who is he?"
"Another pirate hunter came to find that guy. Who did he offend?"
Throwing away the "trophy" in his hand, Zoro sat down on the floor and took off his T-shirt. This action affected the wound and he grimaced in pain.
Seeing this, Koushiro sighed helplessly, got up and found a medical kit to help Zoro sort out his wounds.
The pirate hunter who fell on the ground saw this scene through the slits in his eyes and opened his mouth slightly.
Sir, I think I can still save it.
But both of them ignored it. Koushiro nodded and said: "The new overlord of the East China Sea, the great pirate with a bounty of 55 million Baileys, the Black Earl."
"Black Earl? Sounds like a nobleman...hiss!"
Zoro's eyes widened and his chest puffed up.
After a long while, Koushiro took his hand away and then he breathed a sigh of relief: "It's quite troublesome to offend a noble."
"The real trouble is not just that...it is said that the Black Earl has the ability to communicate with the dead. Some guys want to find the treasures left by Wu Nan in this way, so they will try every means to catch him and please them.
.”
"Including this guy?"
Zoro pointed to the ground.
No, I just want to see my mother again.
The pirate hunter cried, two balls of liquid gushing out of his eyes.
Mom, I miss you so much. These guys are all devils, devils!
Seeing this, Sauron was stunned.
Okay, no need to answer this question.
"Tsk, tsk, the art of channeling!"
Hearing this long sigh, Koushiro paused: "What? Are you interested too?"
"I'm a little curious, but I won't do that."
Zoro raised his head seriously and looked at Koushiro: "I will use my own sword to make my name resound throughout heaven!"
"Instead of relying on psychic or something like that."
Koushiro remained silent.
"Master, you promised me that you would let me go to sea when I turn seventeen."
Suddenly, Sauron's words pulled him out of his memories.
Looking at the slightly nervous Zoro in front of him, Koushiro smiled.
"Who brought you back tonight?"
"Uncle Kule at the head of the village...hiss!!"
As soon as the words came out, Zoro felt something was wrong and looked at Koushiro in disbelief.
Can we talk anymore?!
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
But what surprised Zoro was that after Koushiro smiled, he nodded.
"Then go for it!"
"master?!"
Zoro looked surprised.
"You wait here..."
After that, Koushiro stood up and walked towards the stairs, leaving Zoro behind. After a while, he came back holding something wrapped in a long white cloth.
Seeing that thing, Sauron's pupils shrank and he couldn't help but kneel down.
Koushiro sat down cross-legged and placed the things between the two of them.
"It's only a few months before you turn seventeen. Before you go to sea, you need to be familiar with every inch of this sword."
"As a swordsman, you must understand the weapon in your hand."
When the white cloth was lifted, there seemed to be a moon halo circulating in the venue, which made people's eyes sting.
This is a gray and simple samurai sword with a simple shape, no exquisite decoration, no features, and no appearance of a famous sword. You can't tell it even if it is mixed with bad swords, but its sharpness and strength make it a fast knife.
Twenty-one jobs!
Mingren: Hedao Yimoji!
This is the best sword in the village. At the same time, it is also the personal sword of Zoro's childhood sweetheart, Koina, the daughter of Koushiro, who unfortunately died young.
Sauron silently grabbed the sword and said after a while.
Pulling out the long sword, Zoro looked solemn, feeling the friction feedback from his fingertips: "If it were other swords, maybe it wouldn't work, but this one... doesn't have to!"
Its length, width, weight, and even the tiniest arc and optimal swing angle were all memorized by Zoro through muscle memory during his defeat in 2001.
Koushiro nodded slightly.
"That's good, it belongs to you now."
Hearing this, Zoro raised his head in shock, but when he met Koushiro's expectant eyes, all the words came to his throat, but no sound came out.
Plop!
Kneeling down solemnly, Zoro pressed his forehead to the ground and gritted his teeth.
"Thank you very much, Master!"
Only Zoro understands how important this sword is to Koushiro, and how much expectations are placed on him when it is given to him.
I will never let you down!
I swear!
I am definitely the greatest swordsman in the world!
"After bandaging the wound, go and rest. Being knelt down by two young men one night makes me feel really old."
Koushiro didn't support Zoro and stood up with his hands on the floor.
"Remember to take him to the hospital tomorrow. Don't do anything lightly or harshly."
After that, he turned around and left.
There are still good people!
The hunter's eyes filled with excitement, but he suddenly blinked and looked at the figure flashing past in the backyard.
yes!
Why should I fight him?
Am I not here to find someone?
"Stop...stop!"
He choked out a sentence from his throat, tapped his chin on the ground, and approached the figure climbing the wall like a wriggling caterpillar.
"So... tenacious!"
Zoro's mouth twitched at this scene, and then he grinned with a sneer.
"But I said, don't even think about causing trouble in the village."