"Don't call me Master, you're not qualified to be my student."
Mihawk said coldly, "I'm only teaching you to repay a favor."
"Then... Mihawk?" Junichi immediately changed his form of address.
It was just a title. He wasn't trying to force a relationship or insist on becoming Mihawk's disciple.
"That's fine." Mihawk gave a slight nod, then said, "Let's begin now."
"Alright." Junichi's expression turned serious.
Mihawk started from the very beginning, explaining the principles, techniques, and rules of swordsmanship to Junichi.
He broke down the art completely, dissected it thoroughly, and fed it to Junichi piece by piece.
Various schools and styles of swordsmanship came easily to him.
In Mihawk's eyes, schools, styles—they were all the same in essence. All were merely means to refine one's will, gather strength into a single point, and ultimately comprehend the concept of "Cutting Steel."
So, he taught the most fundamental and core concepts directly. Junichi was astonished as he listened.
His thoughts became clear, and all the confusion he had before suddenly made sense.
[You are learning Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
[You are learning Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
[You are learning Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
As he listened, Junichi's proficiency slowly increased.
...
Half an hour later, Mihawk stopped the explanation and said, "Now, start practicing from the basics of swordsmanship. Correct your mistakes. Integrate the breathing, power application, rhythm—everything I just told you."
As he spoke, he lifted his chin slightly, signaling that Junichi could begin.
"Alright." Junichi nodded, picked up his ninja blade again, and began to swing slowly.
Slash, chop, slice, stab, sweep, flick... He started over from the most basic sword techniques. A complete basic sword style works the entire body's muscle groups, letting the swordsman train their whole form. But the Uchiha-style swordsmanship wasn't that well-developed. So, some of the techniques were unfamiliar to him.
His movements were awkward and stiff. For real swordsmen, it was painful to watch.
Breathing, power control, posture—he had no spare energy to incorporate them yet.
"As expected..." Mihawk shook his head and sighed softly, "You not only lack the heart of a swordsman, you have no talent for swordsmanship at all."
"I take back what I said earlier. Forget twenty or thirty years—I'm afraid you'll never grasp 'Cutting Iron' in your lifetime."
Upon hearing this, Junichi only sighed. He knew full well that he had no talent. But that was fine. He was a player with cheats—talent wasn't something he relied on, it was experience.
[You have practiced Basic Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
His system interface faithfully displayed his progress.
"You practice on your own." But from Mihawk's perspective, there was no improvement at all. He had no interest in watching a clueless newbie swing a sword clumsily. It was a waste of time.
"I'll come back at noon." He tossed out this line and left straight away.
"Take care." Junichi didn't mind at all—in fact, he even had the mood to wave goodbye.
Then, he continued his training.
[You have practiced Basic Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
---
Mihawk returned to Shakky's Rip-off Bar and opened the door.
Ding-a-ling!
"Welcome... Huh? You're back already?" Shakky said in surprise.
Rayleigh seemed to realize something and was just about to speak when, Mihawk shook his head and walked to the bar, sitting down.
"That boy's talent is completely lacking. He doesn't have the heart of a swordsman, nor any talent for swordsmanship."
He looked at Rayleigh, puzzled. "I don't understand why you thought he had potential. In my eyes, pursuing the path of the sword is meaningless for him."
"He won't be able to cut steel in his lifetime."
Upon hearing that, Rayleigh didn't argue. Instead, a faint, smile appeared on his lips. Because, not long ago, he had thought the same thing. He once believed Junichi wasn't suited to train in Haki, and that it would be difficult for him to awaken it.
And then reality slapped him in the face, real hard. So hard that he questioned his eyesight. Well, he was wearing glasses, so his eyes weren't exactly the best compared to those who didn't need them. But despite this, he was sure that Junichi would master Cutting Steel, because he could see it.
"Don't be so quick to judge. Give the kid a little time."
"This isn't a matter of time…" Mihawk shook his head, not intending to argue further. Instead, he said, "I'll teach him for about two months, and guide him onto the right path. How far he can go after that is up to him."
"That's more than enough," Rayleigh nodded.
"Good." Mihawk let out a sigh of relief. He'd been worried Rayleigh might make some unreasonable request, but luckily, that didn't happen.
Two months was enough to repay the favor. He'd treat it like a two-month vacation.
"By the way, I actually have a request for you, Shakky," Mihawk turned to her.
Shakky's eyes lit up and she smiled, "Oh? Business coming my way?"
"I want information on the Ten Rat Pirates—especially their location," Mihawk stated his request. "Their captain is in possession of a Great Grade Blade. I came for that blade."
Shakky fell into thought, trying to recall any information about that pirate crew.
Rayleigh, meanwhile, grew curious. "So your recent activity in the first half of the Grand Line has been all for chasing that blade?"
"That's right."
Mihawk nodded, his expression turning serious. "That captain isn't even a swordsman, he hasn't mastered Cutting Steel. For a Great Grade Blade to be in his hands is a waste, a disgrace to such a famed blade!"
"I intend to reclaim that blade to find it a proper owner."
Rayleigh smiled at that but didn't comment. That was just Mihawk's nature—his way of doing things. He saw no need to intervene.
"I think I've got some recollection. I'll give you the detailed intel tomorrow," Shakky said after recalling, "30% deposit upfront—one million Berries."
"Alright." Mihawk nodded and pulled out the money.
After paying, he left the bar to shop for supplies and book a place to stay on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Around noon, he returned to where Junichi was training.
---
[You have practiced Basic Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Basic Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Basic Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]
[You have practiced Cutting Steel. Proficiency +1]
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Junichi kept swinging his sword. Even though he was panting and drenched in sweat, he didn't stop.
Inside his body, the Sea King meat he'd eaten earlier constantly turned into a warm current, restoring his stamina.
"Getting close…"
He narrowed his eyes, murmuring to himself. His proficiency had nearly reached the threshold. He could feel that barrier approaching.
Shuuh!
He immediately pushed himself harder.
At that moment, Mihawk returned. He saw Junichi still training diligently, with a large patch of ground soaked from his sweat.
But his expression remained indifferent. Hard work was the cheapest thing in the world.
Without talent, no matter how hard you work, you'll never become a great swordsman.
"Barely any progress."
Watching Junichi's sword swings, he shook his head in disappointment. "I overestimated this boy's talent earlier."
---
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50 advance chapters!
[email protected]/Malphegor