As expected.
Zoro shouted and charged forward, looking full of momentum, but the next second he screamed and was sent flying, landing on the ground.
He rolled over and got back up, glaring at Kuina beside him: "Hey! Why didn't you do anything!"
"Didn't you say it was a solo fight?"
Kuina retorted with a hint of annoyance, but eventually adjusted her position and formed a pincer attack with Zoro, both yelling softly as they sliced forward simultaneously.
Despite the bickering, they had a good rapport.
Unfortunately.
In the face of absolute numbers, all flashy techniques are meaningless.
Even though Shano tried to hold back his strength, he still effortlessly knocked three bamboo swords away with a few strikes, and then smoothly knocked the two to the ground with two more hits.
A straightforward 5A-level combo.
"Damn it!" Zoro found it hard to accept reality, clutching his hair in frustration, "How could this happen!"
"It's only natural to lose to Mr. Shano, isn't it?" Kuina said.
She instinctively wanted to tease him, thinking, this guy has lost to me so many times, isn't he already used to it?
But seeing Zoro's demeanor, she swallowed her words and bent down to help him up, smiling:
"Come on, get up, at least you know there's always someone better, and something higher to aim for. Having a higher goal is a good thing, let's work together to catch up in the future!"
"But it's still so frustrating!"
Zoro gritted his teeth.
He knew in his heart there was a gap, he could accept defeat, but never expected to lose so miserably.
He couldn't even see the trajectory of the opponent's sword, how could this guy, who doesn't look much older, have such remarkable swordsmanship?
Kuina patted his shoulder, stopped persuading, and looked down for her bamboo blade. The light in the backyard was dim; it took her a while to find it behind a beam.
Zoro, feeling downcast, followed along to pick up his own sword. But before he could bend down, Shano picked up his bamboo blade first.
"?" Zoro stared wide-eyed at Shano.
"Confiscate one, as punishment for your previous bad attitude towards me, I'm very petty."
Shano said with a laugh, "Don't look at me like that. If it feels unbearable, just train harder and rely on your own strength to retrieve it in the future."
"Of course, by then you may not even care about this bamboo blade, so if one day you manage to defeat me, I wouldn't mind giving you the sword behind me either."
"Really?!"
Zoro's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting about his bamboo blade.
He's been drooling over the Masamune Sword for a long time, didn't expect the other party to actively propose such a promise.
This guy's pretty nice!
"It's a promise!"
He regained his momentum, stood on tiptoe, and extended his pinky finger.
"Pinky promise! No backing out. Just wait, one day, my swordsmanship will surpass yours, and you'll willingly hand over that sword!"
"Childish."
Shano sighed, but ultimately extended his finger too, facing the determined Green Algae Head.
"Pinky promise, hang it up high, never change for a hundred years!"
After finishing the promise, Zoro excitedly ran off.
The impatience in his demeanor, there's no doubt he's off to train even harder.
Such lack of manners, when will he grow up, Kuina sighed looking at his receding figure.
Turning to Shano, she bowed sincerely: "Thank you, Lord Shano, it's an honor to have sparred with you even though..."
She chuckled wryly, "You draw your sword so fast, my eyes are dull, couldn't really learn anything, it's somewhat regrettable."
Shano didn't quite know how to respond, laughed and changed the topic, "Speaking of which, I haven't sharpened my sword for a while, do you have whetstones around here?"
Whetstones?
Kuina nodded: "Yes, but in the dojo we usually use bamboo blades, so they seldom get used, they're stored in the attic, let me go get it for you now."
"No need." Shano quickly said, "Just show the way, I can get it myself."
Don't risk your life, young lady!
Why do you think I brought this up? Besides earning points, isn't it to save your life?
If I let you fetch it alone and you fall to your death early, I'll feel guilty for half a lifetime!
...
A remote warehouse.
Shano looked up at the wooden ladder in front, pinching his chin, still finding it somewhat unbelievable.
Honestly, the attic isn't that high, barely three meters, a swordsman trained since childhood, stronger than ordinary adults, just falls and dies?
He glanced at the system panel information.
The bamboo blade tricked from Zoro before had been successfully sacrificed.
[Sacrifice: Zoro's Bamboo Blade]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Value: 500 points]
[Appraisal Comments: Accompanied Zoro for years, witnessed countless sweats and struggles, he might replace it with famous swords in the future, but he won't forget these original companions]
[Remaining points: 10825]
Five hundred points, roughly within expected range, Shano was quite satisfied.
"Just don't know if this is more or less..."
He gently stroked the ladder before him, trying to initiate a sacrifice.
[Sacrifice: Kuina's Big Joy Ladder]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 1500 points]
[Appraisal Comments: Kuina's death remains a mystery, only certainty is while climbing the ladder to fetch a whetstone for her beloved Wado Ichimonji, she fell and passed away, altering the world-line. A remarkable Female Sword Master was lost from the future sea, but a man vowed to become the World's No.1 Sword Master—"I'll carry her strength, so that my name echoes in Heaven!"]
Fifteen hundred points?
Shano was really surprised this time; logically, Kuina should've been a fringe character, current strength weights are negligible, sacrificed items wouldn't exceed a hundred in value.
Indeed.
Apart from the three summarized sacrifice rules, there's a special rule.
—Items that changed world-lines, having famous scenes, often hold higher value.
Shano glanced at the points column.
[Remaining points: 12325]
Points spent just now nearly all replenished, thanks to the Grand Joy Ladder.
Luffy's straw hat could provide how many points?
Probably more than originally anticipated.
Shano looked forward to it vividly.
Around these seas, sacrifice items are almost entirely plundered.
Once the straw hat is obtained, he can calmly retreat to Cocoyashi Village to focus on cultivation.
Afterward.
A long time without worry over points.
He returned his thoughts, glancing outside at the dojo.
Light rain pattered down, Kuina still waited in the yard.
After some thought, he found brushes and ink from the warehouse and strode out.
As the saying goes, take someone's hand, be short; eat someone's, be soft.
Having profited so much from points for free, it's time to give a little back—such as saving Kuina's life.
Removing the ladder, moving the whetstone downstairs doesn't mean the threat of Kuina's falling death can vanish.
This wise courteous yet supremely gifted swordswoman left a good impression on Shano, he genuinely didn't wish her to exit the world in such a comedic manner.
All absurdity always has its reason.
Shano just noticed, when Kuina searched for her bamboo blade, she fumbled around for quite some time before finding it; while dimly lit, it wasn't that bad.
Could it be...
Like the identical-looking Tashigi, Kuina was also severely nearsighted?