A massive black sword arc came screaming down like the wrath of the heavens.
Koshiro sheathed Wadō Ichimonji in one smooth motion, crouching low, one hand resting on the hilt. Beneath those always-smiling eyes, his lids slowly shut.
"One Heart."
His voice was like a whisper through steel.
Fshk—!!
The moment his eyes opened again, a blinding white blade light surged forth as Koshiro drew his sword. It met Jin's black arc mid-air.
BOOOOM—!!!
The explosion ripped across the island.
Black ki and white light clashed in the sky, grinding against each other with a shrieking, metallic screech. Sparks cascaded like falling stars as their energies pushed toward detonation.
Then—
CRACK—!!
A blinding flash erupted. A massive pillar of force expanded outward, splitting earth and sea. The land below fractured into spiderwebs of cracks. The half-drained seawater reversed violently, forced back by the sheer pressure, only to come surging again in waves like a miniature tsunami.
Jin's violet eyes narrowed.
"…He deflected that?"
That wasn't just any attack. Jin had poured everything into that Tenryū Kōdan. Even Garp had been lightly wounded by it. And this man had cut through it like mist.
But Jin quickly understood. Garp had no blade—he'd tanked it with his bare body and Haki. Koshiro, on the other hand… was born for the sword.
"You're far beyond what I expected," Koshiro said calmly, lowering his blade. "At your age, to reach a level most men never touch in their lifetime… truly monstrous."
Jin exhaled.
"No need to drag this out. We've felt each other's strength."
Koshiro nodded. He rotated Wadō Ichimonji once in his hand, then spoke:
"One strike. If you can take it—Kuina's in your hands."
"Deal." Jin raised Kurofune. The tension vanished from his shoulders. He wasn't just ready—he welcomed it.
•••
Far above the cliffs, two small figures crouched low behind a boulder, peeking through the foliage.
Kuina stared wide-eyed at the battlefield.
She had followed her father out of pure curiosity—but what she saw now had frozen her to the bone.
The beach below was a battlefield scarred by titans. Sword waves that split forests. Craters that cratered the coastline. A trench carved hundreds of meters through the sea.
Even the air shimmered with residual sword pressure.
Her fists clenched. Her eyes burned.
"So… this is the height of the path I've chosen… This is what it means to walk the way of the sword…"
Zoro, beside her, had nothing to say. His teeth were clenched. Sweat beaded down his forehead—not from fear, but from pure awe.
He finally understood why Jin always refused his challenges.
"…I'm gonna catch up to you. All of you," he muttered. "One day, I'll stand at the top of the world too, you bastard Jin…"
"Why'd they stop?" Kuina whispered.
"Are they done fighting?"
Bonk—!
"Don't talk. Just watch."
"Oi! You were the one who—!"
"Shh!!"
They stared again. Down below—two men stood facing each other. The wind stilled. The sea hushed.
Koshiro took three steps forward.
Shup—!!
He vanished.
"One Heart."
No blade wave. No flashy technique. Just a blur of motion—and a single, decisive cut. A pure, clean slash slicing through space itself.
"So fast—!"
Jin's pupils shrank. He twisted his hips and leapt backward, his foot cracking the ground with the force of his retreat.
"Badaō – Kōdan no Gyokushū!"
(Overlord Blade – Shell of the Sword Realm!)
A circular sword shield spun out from Jin's left hand, a black dome of ki forming mid-air. He positioned Kurofune behind it, blade upright, bracing for impact.
SHNK—!!
Koshiro's strike hit the barrier. For a brief second, the arc held.
Then—
CRACK—!!
The shell shattered like glass.
The weakened sword light continued forward—crashing into Kurofune.
CLANG!!
Sparks flew.
Jin held his ground. The sword light dispersed.
But behind him—the cliffside had been gouged open. The trees behind him lay cleaved, the sand turned to mist.
He didn't move.
Across from him, Koshiro sheathed his sword, smiling as ever.
"…You'll do."
He turned.
"I'll entrust her to you."
With a rustle of cloth, the Sword Saint of Shimotsuki Village walked away.
The moonlight swallowed his silhouette.
CRACK—
Jin looked down.
Kurofune… had fractured.
A hairline crack ran halfway through its black edge.
"…Damn."
He shifted his stance, flexing his sore wrists. Blood pulsed dully through his arms. He could still feel the impact buzzing in his bones.
"I lost."
He wasn't bitter. No shame. No regret.
"The sword shield broke. And my blade couldn't hold. That means my power wasn't enough. Simple as that."
He looked up at the stars, then toward the cliff.
"That man's real strength… even now I haven't seen it all."
He smiled.
"Tch… still too young."
His voice was soft, filled not with frustration—but longing.
Behind the rock, Kuina and Zoro sat frozen.
Neither said a word.
They'd seen what was possible. What waited beyond training. Beyond effort.
And both their hearts burned.
"I'm coming," Kuina whispered.
"I'll surpass him," Zoro muttered.
Down on the shore, Jin turned.
"…Shimotsuki Village is almost behind me."
He stepped lightly across the sand, feet barely touching the ground as he walked upward along invisible steps in the sky.
"The next chapter starts at sea."
"And those two…"
He chuckled.
"…they'll be fine. Their hearts are stronger than steel."
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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