One month later, Koushirou watched Ethan's sword swings for a while and fell silent in thought.
"Adam, come to the inner room."
"Yes, Master."
The two of them sat facing each other.
"You are very good. You train seriously and diligently. You have talent, and you also know how to restrain yourself.
"In terms of discipline and temperament, you are far stronger than the others. You will become a powerful man.
"But there are a few problems.
"First, your physical condition. Even though your nutrition is good now, you started late and your body was in deficit before.
"A swordsman with a weak body cannot reach the peak.
"But this can be solved. The Shimotsuki family has a secret medicine recipe that can be used together with body training. The cost of the ingredients should not be a problem for you."
"The second problem is more serious. In your heart, you are not truly devoted to the way of the sword."
When Ethan heard that there was a way to solve his physical limitations, he was overjoyed. It was a problem that had troubled him for quite some time.
His soul was special, and mentally he was extremely resilient. But his body was far too ordinary, dragging down the pace of his training.
His will was strong, but his strength was lacking. Now that there was a solution, he finally felt he could relax a bit.
Although the secret medicine ingredients would certainly be expensive, with his current manuscript fees he should be able to afford them.
As for not being sincere toward the sword…
"You do not have to answer the second question yet," Koushirou said. "Wait until you finish the basic sword style before you answer me.
"This is the recipe. Take it. Do not show it to anyone else."
"Yes, Master. I will protect this recipe carefully. Thank you for your guidance."
Ethan took the recipe with both hands, deeply grateful for Koushirou's kindness.
Not only had he accepted a wanted man as a disciple without fuss, he had even passed down the Shimotsuki secret medicine. That favor ran very deep.
Kuina, I will protect your life. Even the World Government will not be able to take you. I swear it.
…
The next day, Koushirou taught Ethan the second form.
"Step a long stride with the main blade… second cut, turn your body…"
Basic Sword Style: Beginner 41%
Once he finished teaching, Koushirou went back to guiding the other students, and Ethan now had a new form to practice.
From that day on, Ethan spent the morning hammering his body and the afternoon practicing swordsmanship.
In the depths of the forest, he built a space dedicated to physical training. Using the exercise knowledge from his previous life, he ran along the beach around the island every morning, swam in the shallows with weights on his back, and sprinted through the forest carrying logs.
He had carefully broken down the ingredients listed in the Shimotsuki secret medicine recipe. Koushirou had not specifically warned him, but after so long as a wanted man, caution was second nature.
He bought the various ingredients through different channels. They were indeed rare and expensive, and even with Ethan's current income, it put some pressure on his finances.
He bought double the amount, because Robin would be taking it as well.
Ethan believed that even a Devil Fruit user needed a strong body to fully draw out the Fruit's power.
You could not just sit at home reading books all day. Exercise had to be scheduled too.
Even though Robin looked completely unwilling, she was still dragged out of the house every morning by Ethan to train her body.
At the dojo, Ethan learned at the pace of one sword form per month, breaking the record for slowest progress in the history of the school.
Many young men had already finished learning and left to seek their fortunes while he was still drilling the basic forms. The stares of others, the whispering among the students, none of it disturbed his training.
Time rolled forward, and the year turned to 1504.
That year, no major events took place on the seas, and Ethan devoted himself entirely to training, continuing to lie low in this quiet corner of the East Blue.
After nine full months, Ethan finally finished learning the nine forms and thirteen cuts of the basic style.
In those nine months, his body completely made up for its former deficits and became stronger and more coordinated.
Physique: 20 (10)
Strength: 18 (10)
Speed: 21 (10)
Skills:
Shave: Beginner 10% (Physical condition average, use not recommended)
Conqueror's Haki: 11% to 13%
Basic Sword Style: Proficient 1%
Yes, Ethan's basic sword style had already reached Proficient.
After reaching Proficient, he could feel his sword strokes becoming smoother, and the power behind each swing was greater.
His physical condition had caught up as well. Although he was still a little short of the level needed to use Shave safely, he estimated it would only take a few more months.
As expected of one of the five great families of Wano, the Shimotsuki secret medicine was astonishingly effective.
After Ethan reached Proficient, Koushirou watched his training for longer and with greater focus.
It left him conflicted. Why was a swordsman with such talent not truly devoted to the path of the sword?
In Koushirou's eyes, Ethan's foundation was unshakable. If he were to learn an advanced sword style and then gain real combat experience, he could quickly become a well known swordsman throughout the Four Seas.
With such a base, if he continued on this path, becoming a true sword master was well within reach.
Finally, one day, Koushirou informed Ethan that the next morning, he should come straight to the quiet inner room for a serious talk.
The next day.
"Ethan, can you answer my second question now? Why is your heart not truly devoted to the way of the sword?"
"Master, before I went to Ohara, I was originally from the East Blue.
"I lived in an ordinary village. Then one day the village was overrun, my family was slaughtered, and flames engulfed everything.
"I was taken by pirates and forced to work on their ship, living every day on the edge of death. After narrowly surviving that, I was captured by a slave ship.
"Master, have you ever seen people locked in cages?
"Dignity, life, everything you can think of… none of it belongs to you."
As he spoke, Ethan pulled back his sleeve and revealed the slave brand on his arm.
"So that is why you crave strength?" Koushirou sighed. "Swordsmanship is also a form of strength. The more sincere your devotion, the stronger you will become."
"No. After living through the Ohara incident, I realized that strength is only a tool to help me reach my goal, not my ultimate pursuit.
"So whether it is martial arts, swordsmanship or Haki, I neither reject them nor rely on them."
Koushirou could not understand. What kind of goal could make a boy say such things?
Ethan took a thin book from his chest, one with no title on the cover.
He handed it to Koushirou with great care. It was the crystallization of his thoughts over the past nine months.
"Master, my ideals and my goals are all written in this book."
Koushirou opened the first page and saw the table of contents.
Highly developed productive forces and an immense abundance of material wealth
The elimination of classes and the withering away of the state
A great elevation of spiritual and moral consciousness
The free and all round development of every person
The complete liberation of all humankind
"This…"
A storm of sword aura erupted uncontrollably in the quiet room. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls were shredded, and crisscrossing sword marks appeared on the floor.
A sword master with a proud lineage was not supposed to lose control like this. But in that moment, Koushirou's mind had been shaken to its core. His sword heart was swept up in a raging storm.
It took a long time for him to calm down. He did not even dare to turn the pages any further.
The more he understood, the more he realized just how terrifying the ideas in this book were.
This was a philosophy that could destroy the entire world. What made it even more frightening was that the book had a strange allure. Even as one feared it, part of the heart could not help imagining the world it described.
When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.
"Are you trying to destroy this world?"
"No. I want to break the old world and create a new one."
"Even if the seas run red with blood, even if countless lives are lost?"
"Yes. Even if the seas run red with blood, even if countless lives are lost."
(End of Chapter)
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