I have the Flame-Flame Fruit, I'm invincible!

Even the usually composed Kōshō couldn't help but show a hint of joy on his face.

Well, as expected of his daughter, her talent is truly remarkable.

Having awakened her Ryuo Sakura at such a young age, along with her superb swordsmanship and solid, excellent foundation, Kuina already possesses the potential to become the world's strongest swordsman.

"Amazing, Kuina," Dick sincerely congratulated her.

"Wow, amazing! No wonder she's Kuina." The others also chimed in with comments.

Feeling the power of new life, Guina smiled, her second smile of the day.

The first time was when I knew Dick was coming back.

"Kuina too..." Zoro's fighting spirit surged.

He, whose goal is also to become the world's strongest swordsman, will not admit defeat.

"Teacher, could you please explain the secret of the Flowing Cherry Blossom again?"

Koushirou nodded and calmly continued his introduction.

They even provided a thoughtful display.

Cover, wrap, cover the whole body...

Zoro closed his eyes and carefully comprehended the meaning.

Everyone, including Dick, stared intently at Zoro.

Seems to be expecting something.

Everyone knows that Kuina and Zoro have been competing for a long time, and it's a really fierce rivalry.

From the quantity and duration of training to the acquisition of new sword techniques and the level of skill.

The two were constantly competing.

Of course, because he is still young, Zoro is still in the catching-up stage.

Now that Kuina has mastered Ryuo first, can Zoro catch up?

Ten minutes passed, twenty minutes passed, half an hour passed...

Nothing happened.

Zoro: o(一︿一+)o

"what happened?"

Zoro opened his eyes and was startled to see everyone staring at him.

"It's nothing." Koushirou didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

If Zoro were to instantly learn Ryuo, Koushirou would probably have his worldview shattered.

"It's alright, Zoro. I believe Ryuo won't be too difficult for you, and the others shouldn't be disappointed either. One day, you'll all be able to reach the threshold of learning Ryuo." Dick waved his arm.

"Believe in yourselves, you can do it, you are the best."

"Yes."

"Shout with me, believe in yourself, I can do it."

"Believe in yourself, I can do it!" the crowd roared.

Koushirou's face twitched at the sight.

However, Dick had his own reasons for this.

A domineering spirit is the power of will, so self-confidence and self-encouragement are always a good thing.

To boost morale, Dick coughed a few times.

Meeting Dick's gaze, Koushirou seemed to understand what Dick meant.

"Could you teach me something I don't know?"

Koushirou looked somewhat embarrassed.

I thought to myself, I've practiced swordsmanship for decades, surely I can teach you something?

"The highest level of swordsmanship is not just about cutting steel with a wooden sword; that's a low-level skill that any swordsman could do," Koushirou said calmly.

"A true swordsman is one who can wield the Supreme Grade Sword without damaging a single sheet of paper."

Do you understand?

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 43 What defines a grandmaster?

Of course I understand. It means having complete control over power and not wasting even a single bit of it.

Coincidentally, the ultimate technique of the Navy's Six Styles, Life Return, is the culmination of control over the body's strength.

Dick certainly hasn't learned how to return life yet, but practicing the Six Styles is also a way to control power.

Dick has been practicing all along.

Furthermore, returning lives is also Dick's constant goal.

Watching Dick wield the sharp knife, chopping with a force that didn't damage the paper.

Koushirou fell silent again.

Although still a bit inexperienced, it's clear that Dick has already gotten the hang of it and all that's left is practice.

So Dick, where have you been all this time?

How come you know everything?

Did you figure it all out on your own?

Thinking back to Shanks' letter, Koushirou understood.

"Impressive, as expected of a teacher, your skill is truly superb. I have benefited immensely," Dick said, looking at the somewhat torn paper. "Teacher, that concludes today's instruction. I will carefully study the techniques you taught."

Dick offered Koushirou a way out.

Moreover, it's a step that only Koushirou could see.

"I have one more real secret technique to pass on," Koushirou said, his temper rising.

It was precisely because he saw it that Koushirou was determined to show it.

This is the dignity of a teacher.

Especially when compared to red hair.

"This unique skill is called Flying Slash."

The ability to unleash sword energy in mid-air is a hallmark of a great swordsman.

This also proves that Koushirou has taken another step forward.

Dick certainly doesn't know that trick, and it's impossible for him to learn it right now.

Dick found it somewhat amusing.

It seems that Koushirou was really pushed to the limit, otherwise he wouldn't have resorted to cheating and directly imparting the skills of a great swordsman.

"Yes, your strength is still weak, and you can't master this ultimate technique yet. Work hard to cultivate, and remember that there is always someone better," Koushirou said earnestly.

Dick quickly agreed.

Kuina, Zoro, and the other disciples were extremely surprised.

They never imagined that Koushirou, who usually kept a low profile, actually possessed the strength of a great swordsman.

"Teacher, you are amazing."

"A great swordsman, one of the strongest in the world."

Everyone was talking about it.

"It's alright. Compared to the legendary strongest swordsman, Hawkeye, I'm still far behind," Koushirou said calmly.

The others were even more surprised; even if there was a gap, it was still compared to the strongest swordsman.

Was Koushirou-sensei really that strong?

This made them even more excited.

Koushirou appeared calm, but he was actually quite pleased with himself.

Especially when Kuina, Zoro, and the others' faces turned red with excitement and their eyes were filled with admiration.

See? This is Koushirou's true strength.

Even a grandmaster of a school of thought would enjoy showing off his abilities in front of others.

However, shallow people show their joy on their faces, while a true master might be happy in his heart but would never show it.

Instead, they would humbly say that it was nothing, just a trivial skill not worth mentioning.

Koushirou glanced at Dick out of the corner of his eye, and Dick clapped and cheered, then nothing more.