In the original story, Shimotsuki Genzo seemed to have some connection with the Revolutionary Army, providing them with supplies.
Blake didn't know when the two sides hooked up.
But if there was an early connection between them, as the army commander responsible for the East Blue region, Ginny might know people here.
Sure enough, as soon as Blake spoke, a hint of hesitation flashed in Ginny's eyes, but she ultimately stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard door.
There was no response from the courtyard, so Ginny knocked a few more times before footsteps were heard.
The door opened, and a gentle middle-aged man with round-rimmed glasses walked out to greet them.
The man had a smile on his face, which fit Blake's stereotype of a "teacher."
Genzo's gaze lingered on Ginny's face for a moment, then moved past her to Blake, who was wearing a white protective suit and a spherical helmet not far away.
He bowed slightly, his tone calm but with a hint of aloofness:
"Guests have come a long way; may I ask what brings you here?"
Genzo didn't seem very respectful, nor was he overly deferential, as if he truly didn't know what Blake's attire signified.
Blake smiled and didn't mind the other party's little trick.
He took a step forward and, rather impolitely, scrutinized the powerful individual, who was likely a Great Swordsman:
"Aren't you going to invite us in for a seat?"
Genzo was startled, not expecting Blake to be so direct.
Then he remembered the other party's identity and nodded in understanding:
"My apologies for the poor hospitality; please come in."
The group followed Genzo to the tea room.
It was a typical Japanese-style building, simple and serene.
Sunlight filtered through the bamboo blinds, casting a warm yellow glow on the tatami mats; the only decoration on the wall was a scroll with the character "Zen" written on it, and the air was filled with a faint scent of tea.
Genzo instructed Kuina to pour tea for everyone, and Blake finally saw his target for this trip.
The girl was about ten years old, slender yet upright.
Her dark blue short hair was neat and tidy, and she wore a white ribbon on her forehead; her dark eyes revealed a composure and sharpness unbefitting her age.
After pouring tea for everyone, Kuina bowed slightly to the group and turned to leave.
"She looks a bit like Robin when she was young, but with more heroism."
Blake raised an eyebrow, thinking:
"The Shimotsuki family's preference for sons over daughters seems very serious..."
"No wonder Kuina in the original story wanted to prove herself so badly."
Although Genzo appeared gentle and always smiling to outsiders, he was a standard patriarch internally.
This also perfectly matched Blake's stereotype of Wano Country.
He took a sip of tea; it was fresh and elegant, but not very good.
Blake only took one sip before putting down the teacup and introducing himself:
"My name is Hilbert Blake; you can call me Saint Blake."
Genzo showed a perfectly timed expression of surprise:
"Blake... Saint?"
He quickly stood up and bowed again:
"So it's a Celestial Dragon; I truly apologize for my rudeness."
Blake looked at him with a half-smile, not exposing his slightly clumsy acting, but waved his hand:
"It's alright; no harm in not knowing."
"I was traveling here and heard that Shimotsuki Village has a sword master from Wano Country, so I wanted to come and see."
"Coincidentally, my personal guard is also a swordsman; I wonder if Mr. Genzo could give her some pointers?"
Blake subtly pointed out Genzo's origin, which made the smile on the latter's face falter.
If he were a native of East Blue, it would be understandable not to know about the Celestial Dragons' attire.
After all, the weakness of East Blue was not only reflected in the bounties of pirates but also in the severe lack of knowledge about the outside world.
But Genzo was from the New World; even if he didn't know, would all his elders be like Garp and say nothing?
However, Genzo was gentle, so he wasn't too embarrassed.
He scanned the women behind Blake, his gaze falling on the rapier at Mandy's waist.
Mandy had brought her original rapier today, which naturally had nothing extraordinary about it.
Genzo saw Mandy's gender and age and was somewhat dismissive.
But since the Celestial Dragon had already spoken, he naturally couldn't refuse, so he nodded slightly, his tone still steady:
"Since Saint Blake has such an elegant interest, it's naturally no problem."
With that, he gestured, leading the group through the corridor to the spacious training ground.
Genzo turned to Mandy and bowed again:
"Please, Miss Guard, demonstrate your basic swordsmanship first."
"Mandy."
Mandy stepped forward and gave a simple self-introduction.
Blake's gaze, however, sharply caught a fleeting glimpse of a clothing corner at the corridor's bend.
He smiled and stopped Mandy, who was about to draw her sword:
"No need for such trouble!"
"Mandy is responsible for protecting my safety; just having swordsmanship isn't enough."
"Let's have a direct combat; how about Mr. Genzo personally participates?"
Although it was a question, there was no room for the other party to refuse in his words.
Upon hearing this, a trace of helplessness flashed across Genzo's face.
He neither wanted to fight the Celestial Dragon's guard nor a woman.
But since things had come to this, he could only nod and say:
"I understand."
Soon, the two stood on opposite sides of the training ground and bowed to each other.
Then, Mandy immediately launched her attack—
She quickly drew the longsword from her waist, and an ice-blue flying slash struck towards Genzo with astonishing force.
Genzo was greatly surprised, not expecting this seemingly young girl to possess such strong power, and even a bit unsportsmanlike.
For a moment, he didn't care about hiding his strength, and likewise drew his sword, a fierce sword energy whistling out.
Boom!
The two slashes collided in mid-air, creating a loud explosion.
Before Genzo could even catch his breath, Mandy's figure had already closed in on him.
Genzo rapidly swung his long blade to block, and the clash of swords produced a continuous series of crisp sounds.
In the subsequent exchanges, Mandy's offensive was like an endless tide.
Her swordsmanship, at first glance, seemed broad and open, but in reality, it was precise, tricky, incredibly fast, and full of aggression.
Genzo, on the other hand, seemed to have developed a habit from years of teaching; his swordsmanship was primarily defensive, his guard as stable as a mountain.
Every parry of his was precise and efficient, occasionally finding openings for counterattacks, his blade flashing like lightning, revealing his profound swordsmanship foundation.
Not far away, Kuina, secretly hiding around the corner and watching the battle, couldn't help but widen her eyes, her mouth slightly agape, showing an expression of disbelief.
Blake, meanwhile, curled his lips; the bait had been cast.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"