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The book Ayane had casually tossed to Matsurize had, unexpectedly, captured his full attention.
Within its pages were not only descriptions of swordmasters and their arts, but also scattered glimpses of the wider world beyond. For the first time, Matsurize felt a genuine curiosity about the world he now lived in.
The book only touched lightly upon such things — fleeting notes about distant seas and lands, mere brushstrokes in the background of the swordmaster's tale.
From what he gathered, the oceans of this world were vast — unimaginably vast — for nearly every story in the book took place either on a ship or on some far-flung island. Only once did it mention a duel between two swordmasters on the Red Earth Continent.
Through this book, Matsurize also learned the name of the region where the Island of Blades — the one he now inhabited — was located. The book itself never mentioned the island directly, nor where it might lie.
But Ayane had told him once: the Island of Blades was near Wano Country. It had once been part of Wano's territory, until Wano, in its isolationist policy, had abandoned it.
And in a book about swordmasters, how could Wano not be mentioned?
Wano — the land famed across the seas as the home of swordmasters. Nowhere in the world produced more swordsmen than that closed nation.
The book explained that because Wano kept its borders shut, the swordmaster it chronicled had never been able to cross its borders to test himself against the swordsmen of that legendary land.
One sentence in particular caught Matsurize's attention — brief, but weighty: "Wano lies within the chaotic realm of the New World."
The New World.
He didn't know exactly what that meant, but if Wano was in the New World, then perhaps the Island of Blades — once Wano's domain — was as well.
Of course, that wasn't certain. Wano had abandoned the island, which suggested some distance between them. Still, the island had once teemed with master smiths of every style and lineage, forging blades for Wano's countless swordmasters.
That much, Matsurize reasoned, meant it couldn't be too far — maybe even within the same sea.
The book described the New World as not small — an enormous stretch of ocean filled with islands and nations. Wano, though large for an island, was still but a fragment within that expanse.
Matsurize's thoughts began to drift, his guesses piling one atop another, none supported by any real evidence.
But even these musings couldn't distract him for long from the strange, flickering red dot in his mind — that mysterious light that pulsed somewhere deep within his consciousness.
He still had no idea what it was.
Perhaps, he thought, he might never find out.
Still, he tried to shrug it off. Don't think about it, he told himself. When Ayane comes back, I can ask her about this "New World." No need to waste my thoughts here alone.
Relaxing completely, Matsurize let his body go slack in the chair, sinking into an easy rest.
---
Ayane's home sat on the western edge of the village — a small settlement, sparsely populated but spread across a surprisingly wide area.
She walked along a narrow dirt path, unhurried, taking her time. It took her about twenty minutes before she finally reached the first cluster of houses.
Then began her round of house-to-house trading — picking up seasonings, oil, salt, vinegar, tea — and, most importantly, rice and dried meats.
As the village's only blacksmith, Ayane was treated with quiet respect. The villagers sold her their spare goods without hesitation.
Normally, people went to the market at Shipwreck Harbor to buy such supplies. Only someone like Ayane — who held a special position in the village — could make such trades directly, and even then, only in small amounts.
By the time her basket was filled to the brim, an hour had passed.
Heading home, her pace quickened, and she made the return journey in half the time — just thirty minutes.
When she pushed open the gate, she saw Matsurize still fast asleep in the courtyard.
It was midday now — the sun high and bright. A nap at such an hour was hardly surprising.
Ayane decided not to wake him right away. She quietly went into the kitchen, put away all the food and supplies, and then returned to the courtyard.
By her estimate, Matsurize had rested long enough.
Without warning, she brought her palm down firmly on his shoulder.
Her strength, as always, was considerable — enough to not only wake him but knock him right off the chair. Matsurize tumbled to the ground as Ayane, realizing she'd overdone it, still scolded him:
> "The sun's already high, and you're still asleep? Ze, do you even want to learn the Wolf-Catching Fist?"
Since her trip into the village, Ayane had had time to think things through. She'd realized that what Matsurize had shown earlier was only the surface of the Wolf-Catching Fist — mere imitation. The movements had been flawless, yes, but they lacked the spirit, the essence that only training could give.
Matsurize scrambled to his feet, hastily replying:
> "I want to learn! I want to learn!"
During his brief rest, he'd come to understand it himself — mimicry alone wouldn't get him far. Without Ayane's proper instruction, he'd only exhaust himself again. His body still ached from the earlier practice, every muscle sore.
Ayane examined him, pressing lightly along his arms, thighs, and chest to feel the condition of his muscles and joints.
> "You're in no shape to train the Wolf-Catching Fist today," she said. "But that doesn't mean you get to be lazy. Let's start with some stance work — horse stance."
Matsurize obediently bent his knees to begin — but Ayane immediately reached out and lifted him back upright.
> "Ze," she said, half amused, half exasperated, "you really do remember everything, don't you? But not that stance. The wolf stance you used before — that's part of the Wolf-Catching Fist. You can't do that right now. Watch me — this is how you do a proper horse stance."
She demonstrated: legs slightly bent, arms extended straight and parallel to the ground, shoulders relaxed, back steady.
Matsurize followed carefully. His form was almost perfect again — but this time, Ayane didn't let herself be fooled.