Bang—
A violent collision erupted in the courtyard.
In the next moment, Koushirou, who had been exchanging lightning-fast strikes with Xia Yu just seconds earlier, was sent flying backward.
The invisible yet powerful shockwave forced him to retreat all the way to Dragon's side before he finally managed to steady himself by planting his wooden sword against the ground for support.
"I have lost."
After stabilizing himself, Koushirou let out a long breath and bowed deeply toward Xia Yu.
The difference in strength between them had already been revealed.
Even though Koushirou's swordsmanship was extraordinary, compared to Xia Yu, he felt like a novice who had only just begun walking the path of the sword.
In Koushirou's eyes, the reason Xia Yu had prolonged the fight until now before finally pushing him back was to preserve his dignity as both a swordsman… and a dojo master.
With such incredible swordsmanship and such magnanimity, Koushirou accepted defeat wholeheartedly.
Of course, the real reason Xia Yu extended the battle was much simpler.
It had simply been a long time since he encountered such a capable swordsman, so he wanted to thoroughly test and understand his own swordsmanship.
Clearly, LV6 swordsmanship might not be the strongest, but he was more than satisfied with it.
"Haha! You're too kind, Master!"
After tossing the wooden sword back to one of the dojo students, Xia Yu walked over to Koushirou and said boldly,
"Come, come—let's keep drinking! When life is at its best, one must enjoy it fully… Don't let the golden cup face the moon empty! Tonight, we drink until we're drunk!"
"Haha! If Mr. Xia Yu is in such high spirits, Then I'll gladly accompany you!"
Amid laughter, Xia Yu, Dragon, and Koushirou returned to the table and resumed drinking.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army members in the courtyard gradually dispersed after witnessing such an incredible sparring match.
"Mr. Xia Yu is really strong!"
Kuina, who had been watching the battle intently from beginning to end, felt hope ignite once more in her eyes after seeing her father defeated.
A swordsman who had surpassed her father in swordsmanship carried far more weight with his words.
At that moment, she believed more firmly than ever—
Girls… can become the strongest too!
Zoro didn't say anything.
But the way he looked at Xia Yu was filled with admiration… and longing.
This—
This was the path of the sword he wanted to pursue.
This was the strength he dreamed of reaching.
Back at the table, Xia Yu, Koushirou, and Dragon were already drinking heartily.
Seizing the opportunity during the lively atmosphere, Dragon found a chance to speak.
"Mr. Xia Yu, since you already know who we are, you must also understand what we are trying to accomplish."
Something about this felt… unusual.
Xia Yu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he simply shifted his gaze and quietly looked at Dragon.
Seeing this, Dragon stopped hiding his intentions and bowed slightly.
"To be honest, while you were sparring with Koushirou, my intelligence agents returned from Windmill Village with a report."
"They confirmed that you promoted Confucian thought while you were there."
"I believe you are a man of great wisdom. Therefore, I would like to invite you… to join the Revolutionary Army."."
"As expected of the leader of the Revolutionary Army—even a mere traveler like me gets investigated."
Xia Yu smiled faintly before shaking his head.
"However, I appreciate your kindness, but for now… I won't join any faction."
"Besides, let me offer you a piece of advice."
"The Confucian philosophy I spread in Windmill Village… isn't suitable for you or your Revolutionary Army."
"Oh?"
Dragon paused, lowering his posture respectfully.
"Please enlighten me."
"The Revolutionary Army exists to oppose the monopoly of power by nobles and the hereditary privileges of political elites. Am I wrong?"
Xia Yu glanced at Dragon and continued,
"But achieving that goal isn't as simple as conquering a single city or nation."
"You must ultimately overthrow the rulers atop the Red Line."
"So in your case…"
"What you need… is the philosophy of military strategy."
"War… is the art of deception."
"Oh—right. Almost forgot… I still need to go fishing tomorrow. Gentlemen, I'll be taking my leave!"
With that, Xia Yu stood up and left without hesitation.
Dragon and Koushirou were both left stunned.
By the time they came back to their senses, Xia Yu had already disappeared around the corner.
The two could only smile helplessly.
Wasn't he the one who said they'd drink until they were completely drunk?
…
The next day.
Xia Yu resumed his great fishing mission.
Early in the morning, he immediately went to find Kuina. Under her guidance, he located a bamboo forest.
An hour later, Xia Yu returned to the dojo carrying dozens of golden bamboo stalks on his shoulder.
"Mr. Xia Yu… What exactly are you planning to do?"
Kuina followed behind him, looking completely confused.
"I'm making fishing rods. I need to catch one hundred fish."
"Huh?"
Kuina blinked her bright eyes, then suddenly turned and ran off.
"I'll go find fishing lines for you, Mr. Xia Yu!"
"What a thoughtful little girl."
Watching Kuina run away, Xia Yu smiled.
A cheerful, kind, and ambitious girl like her shouldn't have to leave this world during the best years of her life.
Even though this world was filled with many unpleasant things—
being alive… was better than anything.
Unfortunately, Xia Yu didn't know exactly how to save Kuina.
He wasn't a prophet.
All he could hope was that his presence might prevent Kuina from going upstairs to look for that cursed sharpening stone.
Soon, Kuina returned with a large bundle of fishing lines.
She didn't come alone either.
Several dojo students came along to help.
With their assistance, Xia Yu quickly completed all the preparations for fishing.
By noon, Xia Yu was carrying more than one hundred fishing rods toward the beach.
"Mr. Xia Yu… what exactly is he planning to do?"
In the courtyard, Ivankov happened to pass by Xia Yu. Seeing him wearing a straw hat and carrying a massive bundle of fishing rods, Ivankov blinked in confusion.
"Fishing…?"