"Garp... does such a powerful swordsman exist in this world?!"
Rebecca stared at the arena and the Dressrosa Colosseum that had just been cleaved in half, completely stunned.
She didn't even realize the sword in her hand had fallen to the ground.
Her confidence was completely shattered.
That overwhelming sense of power made her feel hopeless, on the verge of a breakdown.
Just then, Sero walked up, picked up the dropped sword, and gently placed it back into her hand.
"As long as you're alive, your sword must be with you. Never let your blade fall to the ground."
After saying this, Sero leapt from the arena to the spectator stands, where Hancock and the others sat.
Yamato quickly followed behind.
The rest of the contestants had already run off in terror, screaming and crying.
Just like that, this unexpected match came to an unexpected end.
"That was boring!"
Yamato, stowing away her kanabo, grumbled as she headed toward the exit.
The contestants in Dressrosa's arena weren't even as strong as the weakest small fry from the Beasts Pirates.
"Let's go!"
Sero agreed; it had been pointless. He led everyone out of the colosseum.
But just as they stepped outside, Rebecca rushed over and blocked their path.
And without a word, she dropped to her knees before Sero.
Sero was taken aback.
He'd seen all sorts of scenes, but this? This was new even to him.
He quickly reached out to help her up,
But Rebecca spoke first:
"Please, take me as your disciple! I want to learn your powerful swordsmanship!"
Oh, so that's what it was about.
She wanted to learn the sword.
Unfortunately, Sero had zero interest in taking disciples.
"Sorry, you'll have to find another swordsman to teach you."
He turned, planning to walk around her.
But Rebecca suddenly lunged forward, grabbing onto Sero's pant leg to stop him from leaving, causing herself to fall face-first to the ground.
Hancock, furious at this clingy display, instantly lifted a leg to kick Rebecca,
But Tsunade caught it mid-air with monstrous strength.
"Sister-in-law! It's not worth it!"
Tsunade, surprised by Hancock's strength, still smiled awkwardly and tried to calm things down.
She figured Rebecca must have her reasons for this shameful public display.
After all, who would humiliate themselves like this unless they had no other choice?
"Please! Teach me your swordsmanship! I want to drive Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family out of Dressrosa and restore peace to our country!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down Rebecca's cheeks, but she refused to let go of Sero's pant leg.
This made it clear how much hatred she held for Doflamingo.
Sero could understand that.
After all, he didn't like Doflamingo either; every time he saw his smug face, he wanted to hit him with a Rasengan or two.
Still, Sero had no desire to teach swordsmanship.
But he did kindly give her a hint:
"Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family will be finished soon. Whether or not you learn swordsmanship won't matter anymore."
If that was her sole motivation, there was no need.
Once Doflamingo returned to Dressrosa, Sero planned to wipe him and his crew out completely, then casually toss them into Impel Down.
As Rebecca heard this, she fell silent in thought.
But then, Yamato exploded with rage.
"Why are there so many evil tyrants in this world?! Little one! I swear I'll help you drive those bastards out of this country!"
Rebecca's story had hit a nerve with Yamato.
Yamato had always aimed to defeat Kaido and kick the Beasts Pirates out of Wano, to open the country.
Her mission was almost identical to Rebecca's.
No wonder she was so moved.
But Rebecca was stunned.
Calling her "little one" was bad enough,
Now this woman with horns was talking big like she could overthrow Doflamingo herself?
She didn't look that strong.
So Rebecca, still on the ground, gave Yamato a skeptical side-eye.
Which made Sero burst out laughing.
Yamato might not be able to smack Doflamingo around like Kaido could,
But defeating him with a bit of effort? That was easy for her.
She was a future Yonko crew member, after all, the Straw Hat Pirates' combatant.
Who was joking here?
"B-but I want to learn powerful swordsmanship…"
Rebecca still clung to the idea. Yamato used a club, not a sword.
She still believed her best chance lay in learning from a swordsman.
And so she clung tightly to Sero's pant leg.
Truthfully, it was the first time a girl had ever clung to him so desperately.
Sero was about to give in.
Ding! New Mission: Take Rebecca as a Disciple. Reward: Erza Template!
The system's notification was the final straw.
Even though the Erza template didn't seem to suit him at all, Sero had genuinely been touched by Rebecca's persistence.
It reminded him of the days he had trained tirelessly with his sword.
"From today on… do you have the courage to always raise your sword against any enemy? If so, I'll take you as my disciple."
"I do!!!"
Without hesitation, Rebecca shouted at the top of her lungs.
If you didn't know better, you'd think someone was yelling about lost gold on the street.
Ding! Mission Complete – Rebecca Taken as Disciple. Reward: Erza Template Granted.
A nearly transparent orb floated in front of Sero.
Just like when he received the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit (Vermilion Bird form), the template was his to allocate.
He could use it himself or give it to someone else.
Last time, he gave the fruit to Little Sparrow.
This time, Sero had no intention of using the Erza template on himself.
It just didn't suit him.
After all, who was Erza?
The Titania of Fairy Tail, an S-class mage, is absurdly strong.
What made the Erza template especially mismatched with Sero was the Requip Magic.
He imagined himself wearing all of Erza's outfits… and felt sick.
This template was best used on a woman.
But Yamato, Hancock, and Tsunade didn't match Erza's profile either.
As for Koala, who was always with Sabo… technically, she could use it.
But Sero didn't know her well enough to entrust it to her.
So the most suitable choice was the new disciple, Rebecca.
That said, he planned to test her resolve first before deciding.
So he stored the template away for now.
Then he tossed a small notebook to the now-standing Rebecca.
"This handwritten copy of Water Breathing is your official initiation gift."
"Thank you, Master! Water Breathing… is it our sect's ultimate sword style?!"
Rebecca was instantly fascinated, flipping through the book with care.
It was exactly what it said: Sero's hand-copied version of Water Breathing, containing all eleven forms.
It could be called a unique, ultimate sword art.
So far, Sero had used Water Breathing to injure:
1 Yonko-level commander
2 Warlords of the Sea
3 of the Flying Six
Given a bit more time, he could probably wound every top-tier fighter in the seas with it.
"A sword style that can generate flowing water? That's amazing! Too powerful!"
Naive and inexperienced, Rebecca was awestruck.
Compared to her Backwater Sword Dance, Water Breathing was leagues above.
She felt as if she could just master these eleven forms; she could even defeat Doflamingo.
"I'll work hard, hard, to master Water Breathing! Thank you, Master!"
After safely tucking away the notebook, Rebecca bowed deeply to Sero.
It was a moment full of ritual.
"I… I'm your master's wife, so as your master's wife, I'll teach you Armament Haki!"
Seeing Sero take his first student, Hancock felt the need to assert her presence.
Swordsmanship wasn't her forte.
But after thinking it over, Armament Haki was the most appropriate contribution she could make.
"Master's wife?! Master, your wife is way too beautiful!"
Only now did Rebecca take the time to look at Sero's companions.
When she saw Hancock's goddess-like beauty, she couldn't take her eyes off her.
She genuinely envied Sero's good fortune.
And that one comment sealed the deal.
Rebecca had just gained a powerful Warlord as her backer.
Hancock now adored this new disciple who called her "Master's wife."
Anyone who dared to bully Rebecca in the future,
Hancock would kick them to death.