A boy with green hair said, "Hey, are you here to challenge the dojo?" The girl beside him didn't speak, but looked at Garp and Hera curiously.
Genzo said, "These are distinguished guests, Zoro, don't be so rude." He then introduced them to Garp and Hera, "This rude brat is Zoro, and the girl next to him is my daughter, Kuina."
Garp also pulled Hera forward to introduce her, "This is my granddaughter, her name is Hera. I brought her here because I want her to study with you for a while."
Seeing that Garp was introducing his granddaughter to learn swordsmanship, Genzo frowned and asked Garp, "Girls are naturally weaker than boys in terms of physical fitness. Mr. Garp, if I may be blunt, if the goal is self-defense, then it's fine, but if she has grand ambitions, practicing the sword is not a good choice."
Kuina's eyes had brightened when she heard Garp was sending Hera to learn the sword, but hearing her father say this, the light in her eyes dimmed.
Garp was stunned to hear Genzo say such a thing. It wasn't that he agreed with the statement, but rather he found it hard to believe. He couldn't imagine such a strong person would get hung up on the issue of gender.
Garp looked at Genzo and said, "I do not agree with your view. The difference in basic physical fitness caused by gender is only a small part of becoming stronger. Training your techniques and having a firm will are the keys to becoming a powerhouse."
Garp sensed Kuina's sadness upon hearing those words. He noticed her hands covered in scars and the sword at her waist, and understanding dawned on him. He continued, "You shouldn't deny a child's dreams because of their gender. I have seen many swordsmen on the sea, including female master swordsmen in the Marine, whose strength is so great they've earned the title 'Momousagi'."
"I have also seen Hawkeye, the world's greatest swordsman, on the sea. He achieved that position through his own Haki cultivation and constant refinement of his swordsmanship, definitely not because he is a man."
"Furthermore, the strongest body in the New World belongs to Big Mom, who is also female. Besides, any slight gap in physical fitness can be compensated for with an Zoan Devil Fruit."
"I thought you were a powerful Master Swordsman, but if your insight is only at this level, then there's no need for Hera to take you as her master."
Garp's recognition of Genzo's strength mostly dissipated with those words. For such a powerhouse to be fixated on the impact of gender on strength was truly ridiculous to someone like Garp, who had fought against Big Mom.
Hera also hadn't expected Genzo's views to be so stubborn. Garp had to step in and say a few words. She was currently worrying about what would happen to Kuina if Garp really took her away—could she persuade Kuina to join the Marine with them?
Beside them, Kuina's eyes were already brimming with tears. Her years of hard work were finally recognized by this Marine powerhouse she was meeting for the first time. Since she was a child, her father had always told her she couldn't be the world's greatest swordsman because she was a girl; this was the first time she had heard a different opinion.
Kuina said to her father, "I am clearly the strongest one in the dojo, yet you always say I'm a girl and will definitely lose to boys in the future. You don't recognize my dream. Now this Marine has said that being strong has little to do with gender. What else do you have to say? Why do you refuse to acknowledge my dream?"
With that, Kuina stood by Garp's side and said, "I don't want to stay in the dojo anymore. I want to follow Garp and join the Marine. I won't stay with someone who doesn't respect my dream."
Genzo was stunned by what Garp and Kuina said, and he began to reflect on himself.
Ever since his father brought him out of Wano Country, he had been running this dojo here, never seeking to understand the vastness of the world. Looking at it this way, he had simply moved from a closed-off country and then locked himself inside this dojo.
Genzo murmured to himself, "That's right, I actually forgot such a simple truth for all these years. I only cared about protecting Kuina within this dojo, using the lame excuse that she's a girl to persuade her. In fact, I was probably trying to persuade myself."
Back in Wano Country, Genzo was used to the slaughter between swordsmen. His father had left that place to protect their family. When he found out his child was a girl, he had breathed a sigh of relief, thinking a girl could live a stable life.
However, the love and talent Kuina showed for the sword made him panic. He knew that a powerful swordsman must constantly challenge strong enemies. He didn't want his child to live such a dangerous life, which is why he used that excuse to convince himself.
Now Garp's arrival had ruthlessly pierced through the excuses he had woven for himself with facts, allowing him to face his own thoughts.
Genzo continued, "It turns out I thought I was protecting Kuina, but it was actually my own selfishness and fear that imprisoned her here."
After saying this, two lines of clear tears flowed from Genzo's eyes. He solemnly apologized to Garp and Kuina, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that a girl can't become a Great Master Swordsman. I was wrong."
As Genzo spoke, his aura began to climb, and his swordsmanship realm, which had been stagnant for a long time, began to soar frantically. "So true protection isn't blindly shielding someone, but respecting their dream so they can fly without worries."
In an instant, he actually reached a new realm.