Leading Zoro to the stone pillar, Rowan pointed at it and said:
"Now, take your blade. Use all your strength and pierce it!"
By now, Zoro was completely captivated by Rowan. Without a word, he obediently stepped before the stone pillar. He took a deep breath, adjusted his stance to its peak condition, and thrust his sword forward.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking stone rang out as sparks flew in every direction. Zoro's thrust had only left a tiny white dot on the surface of the pillar.
Seeing this, Zoro's brow furrowed, his eyes filling with shock. His Wado Ichimonji was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords; though its appearance was plain, its edge was incredibly sharp. While it might not slice through solid iron like butter, it shouldn't have been unable to even chip a piece of stone.
"That pillar is 'Refined Iron Stone' that the previous Colonel spent a fortune to salvage from the seabed. Its hardness is comparable to Seastone. Ordinary blades can't even leave a scratch on it," an old man in the crowd explained.
"In terms of sharpness alone, the Wado Ichimonji is not inferior even to the Supreme Grade Swords," Rowan remarked. "But your thrust was pure brute force. Before the blade even hit, half of that power had already dissipated. Not to mention, you failed to condense your strength into a single point."
"Remember, the ultimate goal of the 'Thrust' is to condense the strength of your entire body into the very tip of the blade, dealing all your damage to a single 'point.' Like this."
As the words fell, Rowan drew the Ryo Wazamono blade from his waist and thrust it out. Under Rowan's hand, the incredibly hard stone pillar seemed as fragile as tofu. With a light thrust, the blade sank halfway into the stone.
The surrounding crowd erupted in gasps, unable to believe their eyes. What grade was the Wado Ichimonji? It was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. The blade Rowan was using, while decent, was mottled and rusty, with several notches along the edge. If the Wado Ichimonji could only leave a white dot, how could Rowan's rusty sword pierce so deep?
Zoro's eyes blazed. Though the motion was the same, Rowan's thrust and his own were worlds apart.
In the distance, even Hawkeye Mihawk was finding it hard to remain still. Though he maintained his cold, aloof posture, standing with arms crossed, his ears were pricked high and his hawk-like eyes didn't blink once. Rowan's explanation was opening a door to a new world for him as well. He felt as though he, too, was gaining enlightenment.
Rowan didn't pull the sword out; he let it remain embedded in the stone. He turned back to Zoro. "Now, use your heart to feel the sword in your hand. Treat it as a part of your body, an extension of your arm. Forget that it is a weapon. Then, toward your target... thrust!"
Zoro nodded. He stepped before the pillar once more, adjusted his breathing, and closed his eyes. He meticulously replayed Rowan's words in his mind, and then...
With a textbook-perfect motion, he thrust forward.
His eyes snapped open, but no fierce light exploded from them. At this moment, Zoro had completely emptied his mind. Following Rowan's instructions, he viewed the Wado Ichimonji as part of his own flesh and blood. In that instant, he felt his strength surging into the blade, flowing toward that singular tip.
Chime—!
The tip of the Wado Ichimonji sliced through the air, rushing toward the pillar with peerless momentum. The piercing whistle of the wind made it seem as though it would shred anything in its path.
Thud!
The two met. The blade sank directly into the stone.
Staring blankly at the scene, a look of profound joy appeared in Zoro's eyes. He looked at his hands in disbelief. In that state, the power of his thrust was several times stronger than his normal output! Though he hadn't fully mastered it, this one strike made him realize the true essence of a sword technique.
Treat the weapon as part of the body? An extension of the arm? Mihawk repeated Rowan's words internally. He didn't draw his own blade, but he began to silently simulate this state in his mind. After all, as the World's Greatest Swordsman, he had to maintain his image.
Seeing Zoro's effective strike, Rowan shook his head. "Not enough. You haven't truly transferred your power into the blade. Try to convert your strength into 'Sword Momentum' (剑势). Use that momentum to drive the thrust!"
Hearing this, Zoro hurriedly digested the advice and tried again. This time, the whistling sound was even sharper.
Whish!
The Wado Ichimonji sank three inches deeper into the stone!
"Still not enough! If your momentum treats the weapon as part of your body, why are you keeping so much strength back in your torso? Send all of it out!" Rowan shouted.
Zoro's expression grew solemn. He thrust again!
"Still not enough! Strength doesn't just need to be transferred to the blade; more importantly, it must be condensed at the tip! That is a true thrust!"
Zoro gritted his teeth and struck once more. This time, the blade was halfway in.
"Not enough! Your concentration is lacking! Do not be distracted by external things. When you thrust, I want your eyes to see only the sword and the target!"
"Still not enough! Where is your Sword Intent? Pour your entire consciousness into it!"
"The power from your legs, the focus of your eyes—when you strike, you must be utterly single-minded. Even my voice shouldn't be able to reach you!"
"Not enough! Still not enough..."
Rowan's powerful voice echoed across the plaza again and again. The crowd had fallen into a deathly silence, shocked by the scene before them. The man who had boasted earlier about his son knowing the thrust didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Zoro struck time after time. The hard stone pillar was already riddled with holes. Yet, with every single strike, Zoro showed significant progress over the last.
Not far away, cold sweat began to bead on Mihawk's forehead. This was the first time he realized that the simplest move—a thrust—contained so much depth. In his eyes, the techniques he had practiced to "perfection" were, in this senior's mouth, barely past the entry level.
He had naively believed he had reached the peak of the sword, that there was nowhere left to go. Thinking back now, he felt like a frog in a well, looking up at a tiny circle of sky. It was truly laughable.
Zing!
Finally, Zoro delivered a thrust that completely transfixed the stone pillar. As the blade hummed, Zoro finally snapped out of his trance. He looked at the Wado Ichimonji, buried deep in the iron stone, and felt an indescribable surge of emotion.
He had succeeded.
He turned back to see that the old man had already pulled out his tobacco pipe. Rowan took a light puff, exhaled a cloud of smoke toward him, and nodded with a gentle smile.
.............BONUS CHAPTER IS COMING..........
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