Inside the tearoom, a large and a small figure sat opposite each other, drinking tea and sake in quiet comfort.
But just as Lin Mo finished a cup of wine, a sudden surge of sword intent filled the room. Invisible sword energy, powerful and overwhelming, rippled outward from him, distorting the air within the confined space. It vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Koushirou's previously smiling face stiffened at the unexpected pressure. His fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, and even the way he looked at Lin Mo changed.
"You... your swordsmanship, it just advanced somehow..." Koushirou said, astonished.
He couldn't explain it, but he was sure that the Lin Mo sitting before him now was on a completely different level from the one who had sparred with Kuina earlier. In both his grasp of the sword and his comprehension of swordsmanship, Lin Mo had undergone a subtle yet astonishing transformation.
This child was truly a rare genius in the way of the sword.
After some thought, Koushirou couldn't help but ask, "May I ask who taught you to wield a sword?"
"I'm self-taught."
"Self-taught? So you don't belong to any school or master?"
"No."
"Then how did you learn to fight like this, without any guidance?"
"No comment."
Koushirou wasn't the kind to pry too deeply. Smiling again, he said, "If you're unwilling to say, I won't press. But how about this? Why not stay at the dojo for a while? You'll have all the sake you want, and I can teach you swordsmanship."
Truthfully, when Lin Mo said he had no master, Koushirou was already tempted.
A child this gifted was hard to come by. Naturally, he didn't want to let such a talent slip away easily.
"No," Lin Mo declined. "I'm a traveler. I never stay in one place for too long."
"A traveler?" Koushirou was taken aback. "With your talent, just wandering aimlessly seems like a terrible waste. If you stayed here, I would teach you everything I know. With your potential, you could master it all in no time. Then you can return to your travels afterward."
"I appreciate your offer, but I must decline," Lin Mo replied, using the same words he'd once used to refuse Shanks. "Inheritance of sword techniques, becoming a revered swordmaster none of that interests me. All I want is to live freely, unbound. That's my dream, nothing more."
Koushirou asked one last time, "You really won't stay?"
Lin Mo nodded firmly. "No."
Seeing there was no persuading him, Koushirou gave up with a sigh. "Very well. Then how long do you plan to stay in Shimotsuki Village?"
Lin Mo thought for a moment. His sign-in progress was only at 30%. Based on his experience in Windmill Village, it would likely take at least ten days to two weeks to complete. "Around half a month."
Hearing this, Koushirou took another sip of tea. "There are no inns in the village. Until you leave, you may stay at the dojo."
"Alright," Lin Mo agreed without objection.
After a bit more small talk, Koushirou arranged a guest room for Lin Mo and had all the sake he'd promised delivered to him.
After storing the fifteen half-man-tall jars of sake in his system space, Lin Mo noted that it was still early and decided to take a walk around the village.
As he stepped into the courtyard, he suddenly sensed a killing intent rushing at him from behind.
Sidestepping the attack with ease, he turned to see the green-haired boy charging at him with two bamboo swords.
Without hesitation, Lin Mo landed a light chop to the attacker's wrist, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Damn it!" Zoro climbed to his feet, gritting his teeth. "Kuina only lost to you because you cheated. If you're a real man, pick up your sword! I challenge you! If I win, give Wado Ichimonji back to Kuina!"
Lin Mo was speechless.
What the hell was this logic?
He had no intention of entertaining the boy. But just as he turned to leave
"Take this!" Zoro shouted, charging again with both bamboo swords raised.
Just like before, Lin Mo evaded Zoro's wild strikes effortlessly, not even needing to face him directly. A single chop brought Zoro down once more.
The third time Zoro charged at him, Lin Mo was visibly irritated.
Was this kid always this annoying as a child?
"If I beat you using a sword, you'll stop bothering me, right?" Lin Mo drew Tōyako from his waist, easily deflecting Zoro's attacks. He noticed that Zoro's strength did surpass Kuina's by a bit, but in terms of technique and insight, the gap between them was obvious.
No wonder he could never defeat her.
Without further thought, Lin Mo did what Kuina usually did during their matches he delivered a clean blow straight to Zoro's face.
Zoro was sent flying, landing flat on his back under the starlit sky.
Sheathing his sword, Lin Mo prepared to leave.
Gazing up at the stars, Zoro clenched his fists in frustration. "Damn it! We're about the same age, so why is he so strong? Why?!"
Whatever faint hope he had that Lin Mo won by luck was completely shattered.
Lin Mo was the real deal.
Climbing to his feet again, Zoro stared at Lin Mo's receding figure, fists tight at his sides. Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore and called out, "Hey, wait!"
"Hm?" Lin Mo turned his head slightly.
"How long have you been practicing swordsmanship?" Zoro asked.
"Not even half a day."
"Ha-half a day?" Zoro nearly choked. "That's impossible! You can't be that good in just half a day!"
He instinctively thought Lin Mo was messing with him, but for some reason, Lin Mo didn't strike him as the lying type.
Whether he believed it or not didn't matter to Lin Mo. "Believe what you want. I'm leaving."
Zoro quickly ran ahead and blocked his path. "I didn't say I don't believe you. I'm just... shocked. Look, can you teach me how you practice swordsmanship? I want to be as strong as you!"
Lin Mo hadn't expected Zoro to ask for instruction.
But thinking about how persistent he was just now, it was clear that Zoro wouldn't give up unless he got something. Might as well give him some guidance and let him figure things out on his own that way, Lin Mo could finally enjoy some peace.
With that in mind, he asked, "How long have you been training at Isshin Dojo?"
"Almost a year!"
"And after a year, all you've learned is to charge in recklessly and overpower your opponent with brute force?"
"Uh..." Zoro looked flustered.
"Do you know why you can't beat Kuina?" Lin Mo continued.
"I... I don't. I've trained so hard, but I still can't win. Do you know why?"
"Because your fighting style has no technique." Lin Mo didn't sugarcoat it. "You're strong, yes, and with your dual-wielding style, you're on par with Kuina in terms of raw power. But even if you become much stronger in the future, she can still defeat you with superior skill. From the start, you were walking the wrong path."
"The wrong path?" Zoro asked anxiously. "Then how can I beat her?"
"Start by refining your basics. On top of that, focus on improving your sword technique. Don't just charge in with brute strength. Study your opponent's patterns, anticipate their moves. If your skill is strong enough, you'll find flaws even in the most flawless swordplay."
Just as he finished speaking...
Ding! Guiding Zoro in swordsmanship. Sign-in progress +20%. Current progress: 50%. Reward: Swordsmanship Level +1. Current level: Lv4.
Lin Mo immediately felt a change within. A surge of power rose from deep inside, and an even stronger, more fearsome aura radiated from his body.
As expected...
To complete the sign-in progress, interacting with key individuals was the way to go. A single exchange with Zoro had boosted his progress by 20%.
"What was that just now?" Zoro muttered. "Was it my imagination, or did I feel some kind of pressure just now...?"
Lin Mo glanced at him.
No wonder this boy would one day become the right-hand of the future Pirate King.
Returning to the topic, he asked, "Did you understand what I just told you?"
Zoro scratched his head, looking a little unsure. "You mean... I have to think and analyze my opponent's moves, then find a weakness to beat them?"
"In real battles, your enemies won't give you much time to analyze anything."
"Huh? Then what should I do?"
"You'll have to figure that out on your own." Then, Lin Mo suddenly asked, "Do you believe a sword exists that can cut through anything?"
Zoro was stunned, eyes lighting up. "Really? Is there really such a sword?"
Lin Mo smiled faintly. He picked up one of Zoro's bamboo swords. "Watch closely."
A breeze swept past.
A leaf floated down from above.
Lin Mo swung the bamboo sword at the drifting leaf.
When the leaf landed gently on the ground, perfectly intact, Zoro scoffed. "Trying to cut a leaf with a bamboo sword? That's impossible"
Before he could finish, a loud crack echoed nearby.
Not far from where the leaf had fallen, a man-sized boulder suddenly split apart and shattered into rubble.
"What the...?" Zoro's jaw dropped. "What just happened? How did that rock break?!"