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Ayane could see that Matsurize was still puzzled, clearly wondering why her family's ancestral martial art had evolved into something so strange.
She gently patted his head, telling him not to rush and to listen carefully.
"I know what you're thinking, Ze — you're wondering why this style looks so odd, aren't you? Then tell me, when you watched me just now, what did you think?"
Matsurize recalled her movements. His special gift began to stir again — like watching a movie, he replayed every motion of Ayane's fighting form in perfect detail inside his mind.
Even before his memory loss, Matsurize might not have realized he possessed such an ability, nor could he have guessed why. In truth, when his soul from Earth descended into this body, it devoured the soul of the original Matsurize. The fusion of their spiritual power had granted him extraordinary intelligence and memory.
Back in the forest, this ability hadn't yet manifested. It only emerged after he fell into the river and lost his memories — the drawbacks of possession were erased, and new talents were awakened instead.
Analyzing Ayane's movements, Matsurize realized that her fighting style wasn't best suited for fighting humans at all — it seemed designed for battling short, crawling creatures with four limbs.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what kind of creature that might be. With his lost memories and limited experience, he simply couldn't see the deeper connection hidden within.
He shared his observations openly with Ayane.
Ayane smiled, once again patting his head. "Not bad, Ze. You're much quicker than I was when I started."
Matsurize's face lit up with happiness. Even with his high intelligence, he couldn't help but enjoy her gentle touch — the way she treated him made him feel at ease.
"Your teaching's just that good, Ayane," he said. "You're telling me the story behind this martial art today — so who taught it to you back then?"
He asked it casually, but Ayane froze. Her smile faded, and she withdrew her hand from his head without a word.
Matsurize had no idea what he'd said wrong, or why she suddenly looked so distant.
He wisely stayed silent.
Ayane's change in mood came from that one question — because the one who had taught her this martial art, and all its stories, was her father. The same irresponsible man she despised.
If he hadn't left home, if he hadn't gone to sea to chase his dreams, none of what followed would have happened. Her mother would still be alive.
Everything that had gone wrong, Ayane blamed on him.
Hearing Matsurize mention her childhood and that training brought all those painful memories flooding back — the ones she most wanted to forget.
She wasn't angry with Matsurize, only struggling to calm the storm inside her.
Fortunately, Matsurize understood. He stayed perfectly still, sitting across from her without saying a word, letting her have her silence — as if she were alone in the room.
In that calm, quiet air, Ayane's emotions gradually settled.
When she finally looked up again, she gazed at Matsurize with a strange warmth. They'd known each other for less than a day — not even two full days if you counted the time he'd spent unconscious — yet she felt an inexplicable connection to him.
It was as though they'd known each other in another life, and their souls simply fit together.
Ayane reached out once more and ruffled his hair. "Shall I continue?" she asked gently.
She worried her earlier silence might have scared him off from learning, so she wanted to make sure.
Matsurize nodded. "Yes."
He spoke only a single word, but it carried weight — enough to make her smile again.
Ayane continued.
"After our family's martial art took shape, generation after generation refined it. One of our ancestors even became known as a master fighter using this very style. That should tell you how formidable it was — and that was before it reached its current form.
But the style I practice today only took shape because of the discovery of a rare treasure.
With that treasure, a katana could be forged that rivaled even the Great Grade Blades in hardness and strength.
And that treasure — well, Ze, you might have seen it before."
Matsurize blinked in confusion. Seen it before? How could I have?
Ayane went on, "I mean before you lost your memory. I found you near the river beside the village — the upper stream of that river runs close to where that treasure is found.
It's possible you encountered danger there, fell into the river, and were washed downstream. That's how you ended up here."
Matsurize tried to recall anything, but nothing came to mind. At least this time, the attempt didn't bring him pain.
He didn't know that before losing his memory, he had never even seen a river. He'd stumbled through the thickets, fallen unconscious, and rolled into the water — the current had carried him downstream until Ayane found him and saved his life.
Ayane gave his head another gentle pat. "No more guessing, Ze. Just listen to the rest."
She straightened up a little. "Now it's time for a geography lesson. Listen carefully."
Matsurize nodded seriously.
"It's said that this place once belonged to the Land of Wano," Ayane explained.
"You don't know Wano yet, but I'll tell you about it another time. Anyway, when Wano adopted its isolation policy, they abandoned this territory.
We live on an island — you know what that is, right?"
Matsurize nodded again. Even with his memory loss, his grasp of basic knowledge was returning.
"Our island is large," Ayane continued, "but there's only one human settlement — Shipwreck Harbor. The rest belongs to wild beasts.
Long ago, when Wano still ruled here, the island was called 'Bladesmith Isle.' But after Wano withdrew, people began calling it simply Shipwreck Harbor."
She had drifted off-topic, giving him a whole lecture on the island's history and geography.
But Matsurize didn't mind — he listened with genuine interest, hanging on every word.