The Color of Arms and Hosu Bound
The two rest days felt completely different depending on who you asked.
For Midoriya, the bus ride home was a nightmare of social anxiety. Passengers kept pointing at his bandaged hands, whispering, "Hey, isn't that the kid who won the sports festival?" Midoriya spent the entire ride staring at his shoes, blushing furiously and muttering awkward thanks.
For Zoro, the walk to the dojo was just an annoyance. People stared, whispering about the "terrifying swordsman" who cut fire. A few even tried to ask for his autograph. Zoro just glared at them until they backed away, pulling his jacket collar up to hide his face. Fame was a massive headache.
He pushed open the sliding wooden doors of Kenji's dojo.
"There he is!" Kenji laughed, tossing a wooden sword aside to slap Zoro's shoulder. "You were incredible out there, kid. Cutting fire in a live combat situation? Your instincts are getting sharper."
"I just did what I had to do," Zoro said, dropping his bag onto the wooden floor.
"Don't be humble," Kenji grinned. "Your Observation Haki took a massive leap during that tournament. Real combat pushes you past your limits."
Zoro didn't smile. He crossed his arms and looked at his master seriously. "That's exactly what I want to talk about. The swords."
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
"This world is full of weird abilities," Zoro explained bluntly. "You saw it with your own eyes. I faced a lot of different quirks out there—ice, fire, steel, and the most dangerous one to my swords: that acid. What if I run into someone who can rust metal with a touch? Or a Pro with an even deadlier Quirk? If I hadn't dodged perfectly, my swords would have melted into liquid. I need a way to protect them."
Kenji rubbed his chin, looking at the ceiling. "You're right. Steel has its limits. But... there is a solution."
Zoro's lone eye narrowed. "What is it?"
"Haki," Kenji replied, his tone turning dead serious. "There are three types. You already awakened the first: Observation. The third is the Conqueror's Haki, which can't be taught. You either have it or you don't. But the second type... that's exactly what you need right now."
Kenji raised his hand, curling it into a fist. "Armament Haki. The Color of Arms. It allows the user to use their spiritual energy as invisible armor. And more importantly, you can channel that armor into your weapons. A blade coated in Armament Haki won't break, won't rust, and won't melt."
Zoro grinned fiercely. "Teach it to me."
Kenji sighed, dropping his hand. "I can't. I told you before, I never awakened Haki in my youth. Being born with a Quirk messes with the body's natural energy flow. I only know the theory. But you can do it. You just need the right teacher."
"Who?"
"An old friend. The master swordsmith who gave you the Wado Ichimonji," Kenji said. "Last I heard, that stubborn old man was living in Hosu City. His name is Shimotsuki Kozaburo."
Zoro crossed his arms. "So I just need to find him."
"Exactly," Kenji nodded. "When you go back to school, you're going to get a mountain of scouting offers. Ignore them all. I'll pull some strings and send a formal internship request under Shimotsuki's name. You just focus on finding him once you get to Hosu."
Two days later, Class 1-A was buzzing.
Everyone was talking about being recognized on the streets. Iida sat at his desk, his back perfectly straight, but he was completely silent. When Midoriya asked how his brother was doing, Iida forced a tight, empty smile. "He's resting. Thank you for asking," he said, before quickly turning away.
The door slid open. Aizawa walked in. The bandages were finally gone, leaving a fresh scar under his eye.
"Quiet down," Aizawa grunted, stepping up to the podium. "Today, you will choose your Hero Names. But first, we need to talk about the Pro Hero draft picks."
Aizawa clicked a remote. The digital blackboard lit up, displaying a bar graph of the students' names and their offers.
Zoro - 4,123
Bakugo - 3,556
Todoroki - 3,123
Iida - 301
...and so on.
The class gasped.
"Whoa! Zoro got over four thousand?!" Kaminari shouted.
"They probably want to figure out how he fights without a Quirk," Yaoyorozu noted.
Midoriya scanned the board nervously. He looked at the bottom.
Midoriya - 0.
The room went dead quiet.
"Wait... Midoriya got zero?!" Mineta blurted out. "But he won first place!"
"Pros want heroes who can handle long patrols," Asui pointed out bluntly. "No agency wants a sidekick who breaks his own bones every time he throws a punch. It's a massive liability."
In the back row, Zoro was fast asleep on his desk.
Bakugo, vibrating with absolute anger at being second, grabbed a heavy textbook and chucked it straight at Zoro's head. "WAKE UP, YOU DAMN MOSS-HEAD!"
Without opening his eyes, Zoro slightly tilted his head. The textbook sailed right past his ear and smashed loudly against the back wall.
Zoro slowly opened his eye, annoyed. "What's your problem, explosion brat?"
"Congratulations on getting the most offers, Zoro," Yaoyorozu smiled.
Zoro didn't care. He glanced lazily at the board. His eye drifted down to the bottom, seeing the zero next to Midoriya's name. A smug grin crossed his face.
"Heh," Zoro chuckled, looking over at Midoriya. "I handed you first place on a silver platter, and you still got zero offers. I told you that suicidal mindset was stupid. The real world doesn't reward idiots who destroy themselves."
Midoriya flinched, looking down at his desk in silence. He knew Zoro was right.
The rest of the morning flew by. Midnight arrived to help the class choose their official Hero Names. Midoriya stuck with "Deku," owning the insult. Zoro, having zero interest in flashy code names, just submitted "Roronoa Zoro."
By the end of the day, Aizawa handed out the internship forms. Surprisingly, Midoriya received a last-minute, direct offer from an obscure hero named Gran Torino. Zoro, exactly as Kenji promised, received a singular, specific request from a retired agency under the name "Shimotsuki."
In the staff room, All Might looked over the finalized internship lists with a confused frown. "Shimotsuki? That old blade master hasn't taken a sidekick in decades. Why did he specifically request Zoro?" All Might rubbed his chin, his frown deepening. "Is that old man even still alive? He disappeared without a trace a long time ago..."
Nearby, Aizawa was reviewing the locations. He narrowed his eyes at two specific files. Iida had received offers from great agencies in Tokyo, but he chose a low-tier, no-name agency in Hosu City. Zoro had rejected over four thousand top-tier offers... also to go to Hosu City.
Why are they both heading to Hosu? Aizawa thought, unease settling in his gut.
The day of the internships arrived. The students gathered at the train station, holding the heavy briefcases containing their hero costumes.
Zoro stood near the edge of the group. Since he didn't have a hero license yet, the law strictly forbade him from carrying his weapons openly in public. His three swords were securely locked inside a long, black carrying case strapped to his back.
"Alright, everyone has their tickets," Aizawa told the class. "Mind your manners with the Pros. Dismissed."
The students scattered toward their respective train platforms. Zoro turned around and started walking confidently toward the station's exit doors.
"Zoro-kun! Wait, where are you going?!" Uraraka shouted. "The trains are this way!"
Zoro stopped, glaring back in confusion. "I'm looking for the train to Hosu."
"You're walking out into the street!" Midoriya sweatdropped. He quickly pointed toward the platforms. "Look, Iida-kun is heading to Hosu too! Just follow him, okay? If you get lost, just call us!"
Zoro grunted, turning around and trailing a few paces behind Iida. Iida didn't look back. He just clutched his ticket, his eyes dark and completely focused.
The train doors closed, and the vehicle sped off toward Hosu City.
.
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For Advanced Chapters:
Chapter 65 is Available now
A New Blade and the Hidden Legacy
Nezu's secret win condition creates an amazing twist! The secret of the Number 8 Hero is out. And Bakugo is watching everything unfold!
Next Arc: The Training Camp and the Vanguard Action Squad!
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