Zoro stood there.
His entire body trembled slightly.
Not from fear—
But from rage.
And shock.
"…You're saying…"
He slowly raised his head, eyes bloodshot.
"…you're teaching me?"
Raifeng stood a short distance away, calm and composed.
The boy's Marine uniform was dusty from the fight, but his posture was straight—steady in a way that didn't match his age.
"Yes," Raifeng said simply.
Zoro's fingers clenched around his swords. Veins stood out along his arms.
"You're joking, right?"
"A seven-year-old brat…"
"Teaching me swordsmanship?"
His voice shook—not with weakness.
With fury.
Raifeng tilted his head.
"Is that strange?"
Zoro's breathing grew heavy.
"This is an insult!"
"I've trained since childhood!"
"I've fought countless battles!"
"I've walked over piles of corpses!"
"And now—"
He took a step forward.
"You're telling me…"
"…my swordsmanship is wrong?"
Raifeng looked at him quietly, then shook his head.
"You're misunderstanding."
Zoro froze.
"I'm not denying your effort," Raifeng continued.
"Nor your resolve."
"But effort…"
"…doesn't equal correctness."
Zoro's pupils shrank.
"What… did you say?"
Raifeng's tone remained even.
"Your sword has weight."
"Your strikes are powerful."
"But you use brute force to patch flawed fundamentals."
Zoro's chest heaved.
"You think you understand swords better than me?!"
Raifeng answered instantly.
"Yes."
Clean.
Decisive.
Without hesitation.
Behind them, the Straw Hats stiffened.
Nami's eyes widened.
Robin's expression shifted.
Sanji, half-conscious, forgot to breathe for a moment.
Chopper's mouth hung open.
Usopp swallowed hard.
Zoro's mind went blank for a heartbeat.
"…You—!"
He stepped forward—
Raifeng raised a hand.
"Stop."
Zoro froze.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up.
Even he didn't understand why.
Raifeng's gaze sharpened.
"Your stance."
"It's wrong."
Zoro gritted his teeth.
"How?!"
Raifeng pointed lightly at Zoro's feet.
"Your lower body is unstable."
"Your weight distribution is uneven."
"You rely too much on your upper body."
Zoro's eyes flicked down without thinking.
His brows furrowed.
Raifeng continued.
"And your grip."
He gestured toward Zoro's hands.
"You're gripping too tightly."
Zoro's fingers twitched.
"That's because—"
"Because you're afraid," Raifeng cut him off.
Zoro's pupils constricted.
"…Afraid?"
Raifeng met his gaze directly.
"You're afraid your strike won't land."
"You're afraid you won't cut."
"So you overcompensate."
"You force it."
"And your sword loses precision."
Silence.
Dead silence.
Zoro's breathing became erratic.
"That's impossible…" he muttered.
Raifeng didn't argue.
He simply walked past Zoro, stopped, then turned back.
"Swing."
Zoro's jaw tightened.
"…What?"
"Swing your sword," Raifeng said calmly.
"At me."
The Straw Hats' hearts jumped.
"Hey—!" Nami shouted instinctively.
But Raifeng didn't look at her.
"Go on."
Zoro hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then his eyes hardened.
He raised his sword—
And swung.
The blade whistled.
A fierce slash tore forward.
Raifeng didn't dodge.
Didn't block.
He took half a step forward—
And the slash passed harmlessly beside him.
Zoro's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Raifeng tapped Zoro's wrist with two fingers.
Tap.
Zoro's sword slipped free.
Clang!
It hit the ground.
The sound echoed sharply in the alley.
Zoro froze.
His thoughts stopped functioning.
Raifeng looked at him—calm, indifferent.
"You see?"
"You didn't miss because I'm fast."
"You missed…"
"…because you were wrong from the start."
Zoro stared at the fallen sword, pupils trembling.
Raifeng bent down, picked it up, and held it lightly.
"No wasted movement."
"No excess strength."
He raised the blade slightly—
Then lowered it.
A thin hiss split the air.
Zoro's skin prickled.
"That…"
Raifeng handed the sword back.
"Try again."
Zoro took it slowly.
His hands were shaking.
Not from fear—
But from his worldview collapsing.
"…Impossible…" he whispered.
Raifeng looked at him.
"You've been walking the wrong path."
"But it's not too late."
Zoro snapped his head up.
"…You think I'll listen to you?"
Raifeng met his gaze.
"I don't care whether you listen or not."
"I'm only stating facts."
Zoro's jaw clenched.
Then—
He laughed.
A hoarse, broken laugh.
"…Hah."
"…Hahaha…"
The Straw Hats watched, tense and confused.
Zoro stopped laughing.
His expression hardened.
"…Teach me."
Everyone froze.
"What?!" Sanji rasped, shocked.
Zoro didn't look back.
"If what you said is true…"
"…then I want to know."
Raifeng stared at him for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"Good."
"That attitude…"
"At least isn't rotten."
Zoro clenched his fists.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I won't acknowledge you."
Raifeng nodded as if that didn't matter.
"That's fine."
"But from now on—"
He raised a finger.
"Forget everything you think you know about swordsmanship."
Zoro's pupils trembled.
"…What?"
Raifeng's gaze sharpened.
"Because your sword…"
"…has never truly been alive."
The words struck like lightning.
Zoro stood frozen.
His mentality—
Collapsed on the spot.
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