I was completely at a loss for words about what had just happened to me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't feel the System's presence at all, nor was it responding in any way, meaning the System was definitely gone. If not for the changes in my body that I had felt and could still feel even now, I would have dismissed everything as some strange dream or hallucination, something born from my hidden desire to become a powerful man standing at the very top of this Naruto world.
For a few moments, I simply sat there in silence, trying to process everything. The room was quiet, yet my mind was anything but. The memories of what had happened replayed again and again in my head. Finally, I straightened my back and spoke to myself with conviction. "Well, if everything I just heard and felt was true, then there is only one way to verify it. I need to go into my mental space. Let's see whether I can enter it or not."
After reaching that conclusion, I immediately closed my eyes and focused my mind inward. I tried searching for that illusory space hidden somewhere inside me, wherever such a place actually existed. I had no idea how one was supposed to enter a mental space, so I simply followed my instincts and continued concentrating.
Time passed. A few minutes, perhaps longer, I couldn't tell. At first, there was nothing. Then, gradually, I felt a strange sensation, as though my consciousness was being pulled somewhere. The feeling was difficult to describe; it wasn't physical, yet it felt undeniably real.
The next moment, I opened my eyes. The familiar sight of my room was gone. Instead, I found myself standing inside a dojo. The wooden floor beneath my feet was spotless, multiple wooden swords rested neatly on weapon racks along the walls, and the faint scent of polished wood lingered in the air. The entire place was quiet and calm, carrying the atmosphere of a location dedicated solely to training.
Standing a short distance in front of me was a man. The moment I saw this scene, a smile immediately appeared on my face. I couldn't have suddenly teleported somewhere else because I didn't possess any Space-Time Ninjutsu, nor did I know any technique capable of accomplishing such a feat. That meant there was only one explanation: I was currently inside my mental space.
My gaze shifted toward the man standing before me. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with short green hair and a sharp, intimidating presence that naturally drew attention. He wore a simple white kimono, while a green haori hung casually over his shoulders. Even though he was merely standing there without doing anything, he gave off the feeling of a seasoned warrior. Looking at him, I had absolutely no doubts about his identity. I knew exactly who he was. This man was none other than Zoro.
As I observed him, Zoro was doing the exact same thing, carefully examining me from head to toe. His gaze was calm but sharp, as though he could see straight through me. For several moments, neither of us spoke.
Finally, after finishing his examination, Zoro crossed his arms and spoke in a blunt tone. "Looking at you, it seems you've never even held a sword in your hand."
Hearing such a straightforward assessment, I could only give a wry smile. "Well, yes," I admitted honestly. "You're absolutely right. I've never held a sword before because I never really needed to."
Zoro stared at me for a moment before casually waving his hand. "Well, whatever." His expression didn't change in the slightest. "I already figured it would be something like that. Whatever the case, my job is simple. I just need to teach you swordsmanship. Nothing more."
As he spoke, he turned slightly and pointed toward the rows of wooden swords resting on the nearby racks. "In swordsmanship, the two most basic things according to me are your stance and the way you swing your sword. Everything starts from there. However, the most important thing in swordsmanship is physical strength."
Zoro's gaze became slightly sharper. "If you don't possess powerful physical strength, then your sword won't amount to much. Without enough strength, you can't even properly cut through a tree branch with a sword strike, much less become a strong swordsman. So for today, keep things simple." He pointed directly at the rack. "Go over there, take one of the wooden swords, and start with your stance."
After saying those words, Zoro fell silent and simply stood there with his arms crossed, waiting to see what I would do next.
I nodded slightly, but I did not immediately walk toward the weapon racks to take a wooden sword. Instead, I remained where I was and looked directly at him. "Well, I have a few questions," I said. "I hope you can answer them."
Zoro didn't reply. He simply stood there with his arms crossed, his expression unchanged. However, I didn't need him to verbally give permission; his silence was answer enough.
Taking that as approval, I continued. "Well, you reside inside my mental space like a Tailed Beast. Can you also take over my body like the Tailed Beasts do and increase my strength, just like how the Tailed Beasts increase the strength of their respective Jinchurikis?"
As soon as Zoro heard my question, his face remained completely calm. His answer consisted of only a single word. "No."
The reply came so quickly and casually that I was caught off guard. "No?" I blinked before immediately asking, "Why is that?"
Zoro answered in the same indifferent tone. "You can think of me as a projection." He uncrossed one arm and pointed toward himself. "I'm here to teach you, and that's all I can do. I can train you, spar with you, improve your combat abilities, and pass on my swordsmanship. But beyond that, I can't do anything else."
After hearing his explanation, I fell silent. Honestly, my mood immediately dropped. I had definitely been hoping for a different answer. If Zoro could take over my body like a Tailed Beast and temporarily lend me his strength, then I would have gained a tremendous sense of security.
After all, this was the ninja world: a world where powerful shinobi could destroy armies, where Kage-level experts could alter battlefields, and where monsters like Madara Uchiha existed. Having someone like Zoro as a hidden trump card would have allowed me to live much more comfortably and without constant worry. But apparently, that wasn't going to happen.
Well, I guess I was expecting too much.
A sigh escaped me. Still, disappointment lingered in my heart. As I stood there dwelling on the matter, Zoro suddenly spoke.
"Enough." His voice was firm and carried a sharp edge to it, causing the atmosphere in the dojo to tighten slightly. "Enough of this chit-chat." He pointed toward the weapon rack once more. "Now you'll begin your basic sword stance training."
As soon as I heard that, I instinctively straightened my posture. The disappointment was still there, but it no longer occupied my thoughts.
Why am I acting disappointed? What I received is already an incredible opportunity.
I quickly adjusted my mindset. After all, I possessed the physique of Zoro, and that alone was an enormous advantage. As long as I ate properly, trained properly, and continued strengthening myself, my physical abilities would continue growing. And more importantly, I had Zoro himself teaching me.
The man standing before me was one of the strongest swordsmen in the world of One Piece. Every lesson he taught would be invaluable. At the very least, if I eventually reach the level of peak Zoro, then I should possess enough strength to stand toe-to-toe with someone like Madara Uchiha. Well, not Six Paths Madara (that version is simply ridiculous), but Edo Tensei Madara? I should be able to fight him.
The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous my earlier disappointment seemed. I immediately shook off those unnecessary thoughts and walked toward the nearby weapon rack.
The wooden floor creaked softly beneath my feet. Reaching the rack, I grabbed one of the wooden swords resting there and felt its weight in my hand. It was surprisingly balanced. After taking the weapon, I walked back to my original position and faced Zoro once more. Then, I attempted to assume what I believed was a proper sword stance.
I spread my legs slightly apart, stiffened my shoulders, held the wooden sword with both hands, and extended it forward with the tip aimed roughly toward Zoro. After finishing, I looked at him expectantly.
Zoro stared at me for a few seconds before simply shaking his head. Seeing that reaction, I already had a bad feeling.
Without saying anything, Zoro walked over and stood beside me to correct everything. He adjusted the position of my feet, moved my right foot slightly backward, corrected the angle of my knees, adjusted my hips, and fixed the position of my shoulders. Then, he grabbed my hands to correct my grip on the wooden sword and adjusted the angle of the blade itself. Only after making correction after correction did he finally step back and examine my posture.
This time, he gave a small nod. "Better."
I immediately felt the difference. The stance was far more uncomfortable than before, and several muscles throughout my body were already beginning to feel strained. Yet strangely enough, I also felt more stable and balanced, as if this stance was actually built for combat rather than merely looking like one.
Seeing my expression, Zoro said calmly, "Well, now you have to maintain standing like this for one hour."
The moment those words entered my ears, my face froze. One hour? Standing like this? Suddenly, the sword training I had imagined in my head didn't seem nearly as exciting anymore.
----
To read advanced chapters up to 24 chapters ahead, please consider supporting me on Patreon: [https://patreon.com/Hkj822]