Chapter 57: The Stubborn Old Master
The train doors slid open, releasing a flood of passengers into the gloomy, overcast streets of Hosu City.
Iida didn't waste a single second. He gripped the handle of his briefcase so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes were shadowed and cold. Without a word of goodbye or a glance back at his classmate, he marched straight into the crowd, heading directly for the Manual Hero Agency.
Zoro watched him disappear into the sea of people. He adjusted the strap of his long, black sword case on his shoulder and turned the opposite way. He had his own mission.
After an hour of wandering the unfamiliar streets—and getting completely lost twice—Zoro found himself standing in front of a rotting wooden gate on the outskirts of the city. The sign above the gate was faded to the point of being unreadable, and the small courtyard was completely overgrown with tall weeds. The place looked dead.
Zoro frowned. He stepped up to the sliding wooden door and knocked.
Nothing.
He knocked harder, his fist rattling the wood. Still no answer.
"Great. I walked in circles for nothing," Zoro grunted, turning around to leave.
Screeech.
Zoro paused, glancing over his shoulder. The sliding door was open.
An old, short man stood in the doorway. He had long, unkempt white hair tied back loosely, a deeply wrinkled face locked in a grumpy scowl, and a wooden pipe clamped firmly between his teeth.
"What do you want, brat?" the old man grunted, a puff of smoke escaping his lips. "There's no training here. The dojo has been closed for years. Go bother someone else."
The old man started to slide the door shut, but Zoro turned fully, resting a hand on his sword case.
"Are you Shimotsuki Kozaburo?" Zoro asked bluntly. "The master swordsmith, former Pro Hero... and Kenji's old master?"
The sliding door stopped. The old man's eye twitched. He took a slow drag from his pipe, his grumpy expression turning into a sharp, dangerous glare. "How do you know that name? Who sent you?"
"Kenji sent me," Zoro replied. "He told me you can teach me how to master Haki."
The pipe nearly fell from the old man's mouth. His eyes went wide. In a flash of surprising speed for his age, Shimotsuki reached out, grabbed Zoro by the collar of his jacket, and violently yanked him inside.
SLAM. The door was shut behind them.
Zoro immediately coughed, waving a hand in front of his face. The air inside was thick, suffocating dust. The wooden floors were filthy, covered in cobwebs, debris, and years of neglect. The place was a total dump.
"You actually live in this mess alone?" Zoro muttered, brushing a cobweb off his shoulder.
"Shut up," Shimotsuki snapped, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. "Skip the small talk. Where do you know Kenji from? And what the hell do you know about Haki? Haki isn't a toy for the weak, or for these modern brats running around with their cursed Quirks."
Zoro crossed his arms. "He raised me. Taught me how to use swords since I was a kid."
Before Shimotsuki could interrogate him further, Zoro's phone buzzed in his pocket. Zoro pulled it out and looked at the screen. Kenji. He answered it and put it to his ear.
"Did you find the stubborn old mule yet?" Kenji's voice crackled loudly through the speaker.
Shimotsuki froze. He recognized that voice instantly.
"Kenji...?" Shimotsuki muttered, his tough exterior slipping for a split second.
Kenji went dead silent on the other end of the line. "Is that... Kozaburo-sensei? Zoro, you actually found him!"
Zoro nodded, holding the phone out toward the old man. "Yeah. He's right here."
Shimotsuki snatched the phone from Zoro's hand. "Stay right here, brat," he ordered, sliding the back paper door open and stepping out into the weed-filled backyard to get some privacy.
Zoro raised an eyebrow but stayed put, looking around the filthy dojo.
Outside, Shimotsuki put the phone to his ear. "Kenji. It's been a long time," he said gruffly. "How is that bad right leg of yours?"
"Still aches when it rains," Kenji laughed warmly. "But I'm alive."
Shimotsuki's tone instantly darkened. "What game are you playing, Kenji? Sending some random kid to my doorstep? Babbling about our ancient secrets to anyone who asks? Have you lost your mind?"
"He's not just anyone," Kenji said, his voice turning dead serious. "He's our hope, Sensei. Our future. He can do what you and I failed to do."
Shimotsuki scoffed, taking a drag from his pipe. "Explain yourself."
"Didn't you watch the U.A. Sports Festival?"
"Do I look like I have time for that nonsense? Are you making fun of me?" Shimotsuki grunted.
"You missed a lot," Kenji sighed. "I'll give it to you straight. That boy's name is Roronoa Zoro. He's my student. He fights with three swords. And the thing you won't believe... the reason I sent him to you..."
"Spit it out already," Shimotsuki snapped impatiently.
"Zoro inherited the will and the spirit of the ancient warriors," Kenji said quietly. "He has it, Sensei. He awakened Haki."
Shimotsuki's breath hitched. His fingers suddenly went numb.
The phone slipped from his hand, hitting the grass with a soft thud. His vision blurred as his eyes stung with sudden, uninvited tears. Ha... Haki? After decades of failure, after concluding that the modern age of Quirks had erased the ancient spiritual energy forever... he was finally hearing those words.
The old man dropped to his knees in the weeds. His hands were trembling uncontrollably as he picked the phone back up.
"Now... I understand what you meant earlier," Shimotsuki whispered, a tear rolling down his wrinkled cheek. "The dream... it's finally realized."
"Yes, Sensei," Kenji smiled through the phone. "Take care of him."
Click.
Shimotsuki stayed on his knees for a moment, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He took a deep, shaky breath to compose himself, putting his grumpy scowl back into place. He stood up, slid the door open, and walked back inside.
He handed the phone back to Zoro.
Zoro took it, immediately noticing the change. The old man's gaze had completely shifted. The annoyance and hostility were gone, replaced by an intense, burning fire of expectation and respect.
What the hell did they talk about out there? Zoro thought.
Shimotsuki took the pipe out of his mouth and pointed the wooden stem directly at Zoro's chest. "Alright, brat. Put your bags in the corner. Your first task starts right now."
Zoro smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Training? Let's do it."
"Cleaning," Shimotsuki barked loudly.
Zoro blinked. "What?"
"I want this entire dojo spotless. Not a single speck of dust. Sweep, mop, and polish the wood until I can see my reflection in it!" Shimotsuki yelled.
Zoro's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! I didn't come here to be a maid!"
"When this place is clean..." Shimotsuki smiled a fierce, challenging smile. "...then, the real work begins."
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For Advanced Chapters:
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Season 2 has ended
Summer camp is coming soon. Zoro is in danger;He became a target of All For One personally
Events will soon become heated
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