Ryuga Shimotsuki lay on the ground, staring blankly at the snowy sky above.
Defeat.
Though he had prepared himself for the possibility, the weight of failure still pressed heavily on his chest. He had never lost before, never to anyone of his generation.
To Wano's youth, he was the very symbol of invincibility.
He had carried that arrogance into this battle. Even against Kozuki Oden, the monstrous prodigy of their era, Ryuga had believed himself equal. Yet here, before someone his own age, he had been cut down.
"Ryuga… lost?" The two samurai who had been watching were stunned. Their leader, the strongest of their generation, defeated so cleanly.
A hand reached down into Ryuga's vision. He blinked, then saw Teach standing over him, smiling.
"You're strong. Your swordsmanship is much sharper than mine."
"Are you mocking me?" Ryuga snapped coldly.
"How could I?" Teach shook his head. "I'm not a pure swordsman. My strength comes from other places and I've been training longer than you. My body… it's different. I haven't slept a single night since I was born. All those endless hours, I've spent on training. With your talent, you'll catch up quickly. But if you want to be the strongest swordsman, you can't have any weaknesses."
Ryuga's pupils shrank. The truth of Teach's words shocked him. For a moment, his pride eased, replaced by something like relief. Even the Sword God Ryuma Shimotsuki, his ancestor and the greatest of all, had not risen unbeaten from the start. The man's legend was built on victories, but he too had known failure along the way.
A faint smile curved Ryuga's lips. "Then I still have a long road ahead." He took Teach's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.
"Come," Ryuga said, steadying himself. "They'll be waiting at the summit."
The battle had drained them both, but their steps did not falter. Out of respect for Ryuma, the path up the mountain could only be walked, never rushed.
The mountain itself was not tall, yet breathtaking. Despite the heavy snow that blanketed Ringo, the slopes bloomed with cherry blossoms, their pale petals radiant against the white.
Only Teach and Ryuga continued upward; the two samurai stayed behind. This was sacred ground. None unrecognized could set foot further.
As they climbed, Teach broke the silence. "Ryuga, join me. I'm building the strongest pirate crew in the world. My goal is the throne of strength itself. To grow, you need real battles. Out there on the Grand Line, there are swordsmen unlike anything in Wano. Each duel will sharpen your blade."
Ryuga's steps slowed for a heartbeat before resuming. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of hesitation. "I have no intention of leaving Wano. Not yet."
Teach smiled faintly. It was the answer he expected. A youth of Ryuga's caliber, monster talent, the aura of a king faintly radiating from him, would never pledge himself so quickly.
But Teach was patient. Ryuga's swordsmanship might even surpass Oden's in raw refinement, though he lacked Oden's monstrous body and strength. One day, Teach believed, Ryuga would outgrow Wano's borders and seek the wider sea. When that time came, Teach would be waiting.
The summit drew near.
A tall shrine crowned the mountain, its eaves heavy with history.
From afar, Teach felt the oppressive weight of the auras gathered there. The weakest among them were peak-level Sword Masters; eight were true Great Sword Masters. Their sword intent saturated the air so thoroughly that the snow melted away around the shrine, replaced by eternal spring.
It was a sword domain. The pressure of countless blades honed over centuries, seeded by a single origin—Ryuma Shimotsuki, the Sword God himself. Even in death, his will lingered, nurtured by the generations who had guarded his tomb.
Teach climbed steadily, but the pressure mounted with each step. His own sword intent faltered against the invisible wall. Even Ryuga staggered, his breath heavy, knees trembling. Normally, only one who had reached the threshold of a Great Sword Master could pass this trial unaided.
Teach closed his eyes. When he opened them, another aura erupted outward, clashing with the crushing sword intent above, Conqueror's Haki. His own kingly will forced a path open where his sword could not.
The elders on the mountaintop stirred. "This boy… he already bears a king's spirit?"
At Teach's side, Ryuga grit his teeth. Defeated once, now forced to watch Teach surpass him again—his chest burned with frustration. And in that storm of emotion, something broke free. His own Conqueror's Haki burst forth, wild and unrestrained, colliding with Teach's and the mountain's pressure alike.
Teach glanced at him, smiling slightly. As expected of a monster.
Step by step, they reached the peak. The shrine of the Sword God loomed before them, and gathered outside were dozens of swordsmen, their eyes sharp as blades. Ryuga collapsed the instant he crossed the threshold, unconscious from the strain of awakening. A swordsman lifted him gently and laid him upon a stone bed.
Teach remained standing, though his heart pounded from the weight of so many titans before him. Eight Great Sword Masters. The rest, peak Sword Masters. Wano's hidden strength was staggering. No wonder Kaido had needed decades, deception, and Oden's naivety to finally bring the nation to heel.
One of the elders stepped forward, his robe bearing the Kozuki crest. His voice was calm, but the steel in it was unmistakable. "Young man. What business brings you to the Sword God's shrine?"
Teach bowed his head respectfully and produced a sealed letter, along with Shusui, Sukiyaki's entrusted blade. "By the order of the former Shogun, Kozuki Sukiyaki. This is his seal. He asked me to deliver his words directly to you."
The letter was read aloud, and silence fell. Then the air thickened, sharp with anger.
"The Kurozumi… they dare show their faces again?" one elder spat. "Mercy decades ago was wasted on them. This time, we cut the root clean."
"The country has suffered enough from their poison," another growled. "Very well. We old blades will unsheathe again."
And just like that, the decision was made.