One morning at the Koudoukan Dojo.
After hearing Otae's decision, Shinpachi's face showed a look of shock, and he let out an incredulous shout.
"What?! You're going to recruit more students?! Sis… sister, I thought you had forgotten about that plan? I figured you were turning this place into a night-time dojo…"
"Come on," Otae laughed, scolding as she knelt before Shinpachi. "Do I look like a heartless woman? I'm just doing what I can and leaving the rest to fate. The other day when I was at TSUDATA (the video rental store), heaven told me it was time to take action…"
"You just remembered while rewatching the second DVD, didn't you!" Shinpachi immediately shouted in exasperation.
At that moment, Kawaki, who was sitting under the eaves, resting his chin on his hand with a blank expression, chimed in, "I don't know if you're heartless, but a woman who barges into someone's house early in the morning and drags them out isn't exactly a likable one."
"What are you talking about, Kawaki-san?" Otae squinted her eyes, smiling sweetly but dangerously at Kawaki. "As someone who has supported our dojo from the start, I'm sure you understand how I feel, right?"
"Excuse me, I don't recall ever supporting anything like that."
"What are you saying?" Otae chuckled. "Aren't you the one who recommended our dojo's only apprentice, Seita?"
"Seita, huh?" Kawaki sighed and rubbed his forehead, recalling, "Ah, since he hasn't appeared much lately, I almost forgot about that kid."
Pushing his glasses up, Shinpachi murmured, "For some reason, I suddenly feel bad for Seita, who's probably stuck in cram school right now."
"Well, at that time, I only sent him here because I couldn't handle his nagging anymore. As for supporting the dojo, that's a bit of an overstatement." Kawaki shrugged.
"Now I feel even more sorry for him." Shinpachi muttered before smiling, "But Seita has been working hard for a long time now! He practices every weekend and holiday, and he's become quite a qualified apprentice of the Tendo Mushin-ryu!"
"That doesn't matter," Kawaki waved dismissively without looking back. "Just keep him from bothering me, and I'll continue paying his tuition without fail every year. In fact, if possible, let him live here permanently so he never returns to Yoshiwara."
"Just how much do you dislike Seita…"
Ignoring the conversation, Otae continued, "Anyway, after 600 chapters, we've saved up quite a bit, including the tuition Kawaki-san paid for Seita. Now is the perfect time to take action."
Sitting under the eaves, Gintoki, who had been silent all along, casually remarked, "What are you dreaming about? No one is going to learn swordsmanship anymore. The era of swinging swords is over…"
He casually picked his nose with his pinky and glanced back at the others. "Now is the era of swinging young wives like Kato Cha's."
"When did we start talking about Kato Cha and Shimura Ken?!" Shinpachi yelled in frustration.
"These days, kids don't dream of becoming samurai or ninjas anymore," Kagura chimed in from between Gintoki and Kawaki, raising a finger and closing her eyes. "Now they dream of marrying Kato Cha or spying on idol bands and dancers."
"I don't remember this era being so filthy!"
"Tsk, you're all still so out of touch with the times," Kawaki scoffed, a bit disdainful. "It's no longer about that stuff. Now…"
He pulled out his newly purchased smartphone. "It's the era of cryptocurrency!"
"You're way ahead of the times!"
"Uncle, what's cryptocurrency?" Kagura asked curiously.
"Hmph, as expected, no one knows." Kawaki snickered proudly. "Forget precious metals, stocks, or funds—nothing compares to cryptocurrency!"
"I did hear that the Gorilla Fund took a huge hit recently," Shinpachi nodded. "So, is it moving to cryptocurrency now?"
"Kagura-chan, the key to cryptocurrency is in its name: 'virtual,'" Kawaki explained, raising a finger dramatically. "It means that in reality, it doesn't exist!"
"Well, that's technically true," Shinpachi muttered under his breath.
"Kagura, do you have any money?" Kawaki asked.
"No," Kagura shook her head.
"Then close your eyes and imagine it!" Kawaki said with a straight face. "Picture a room full of money in your mind—that's cryptocurrency!"
"There's no way that works! That's just wishful thinking!" Shinpachi shouted.
"Mm, I've imagined a room full of gold coins," Gintoki, eyes closed, played along. "Now what? Should I try to pull them out of the dream?"
"Even Cobb couldn't do that, you idiot DiCaprio!" Shinpachi retorted again.
"Don't touch my money, you hear me! It's all mine!" Kagura, eyes still closed, declared possessively.
Gintoki instantly got annoyed. "Huh?! It's mine! I imagined it first, and I'm using it all to buy strawberry milk!"
As Kagura and Gintoki began bickering, Kawaki nodded in approval and continued, "That's basically what cryptocurrency is—since it's imagined, there's no risk of losing money."
"None of that makes sense! It has nothing to do with cryptocurrency!"
"So, Otae," Kawaki turned to her, "if you want to keep up with the times, your dojo should evolve too. I've already come up with a name for the new plan—Virtual Dojo! It'll be so trendy that people will throw money at you just hearing the name."
Shinpachi, twitching with frustration, muttered, "That sounds more like a ripoff of some online simulation game, but… if it's in Edo, I guess it could catch on for a while."
"Huh?" Otae blinked in confusion.
"Right?" Kawaki smiled. "First, you close your eyes and imagine your dojo as the most famous in the universe, and boom, the Virtual Dojo is complete. You won't need to spend a single yen, and your dojo will be the most sought-after in the galaxy."
As Kawaki finished speaking, Otae appeared in front of him, her eyes squinting as she smiled sweetly.
Looking up at her, Kawaki asked in confusion, "Huh? Otae, are you already imagining it?"
Two seconds later, ignoring the fact that she had just punched Kawaki into the yard, Otae clapped her hands and said, "This is when swordsmanship becomes crucial."
"You're not satisfied with just a punch, are you?" Shinpachi deadpanned, glancing at Kawaki, who was sprawled in the yard. "And Kawaki-san, while you were being subtle, I get that you were trying to tell my sister to give up her silly dreams."
"As ancient Japanese traditions are about to fade away," Otae's expression softened, "I believe it's our duty to preserve these traditions and pass them on to future generations."
Having lost his imaginary fortune to Kagura, Gintoki frowned and muttered, "But have you ever smelled a kendo gauntlet? It's so bad, you might as well wrap natto in straw instead. And with those helmets, you can't even tell who's who in the anime. Kendo deserves to die out."
"Have you even practiced kendo?" Shinpachi retorted irritably.
"There are some things that are outdated," Otae continued, "so I think it's important to modernize while preserving the essence of tradition. That's why I plan to upgrade the Tendo Mushin-ryu."
"Upgrade?" Shinpachi questioned.
"Yes," Otae nodded and struck a pose. "It will become… Tendo Mushin Lightsaber Style!"
"Where's the tradition in that?!"
"But a lightsaber style would definitely appeal to kids," Kagura chimed in. "Maybe even some aliens would want to learn."
"That's not the issue here."
"Is it about the Force?" Kawaki shrugged as he stood up.
"No, not that either! Before we worry about those issues, we'll be dealing with copyright lawsuits!" Shinpachi fumed, then sighed. "And who's going to teach this lightsaber style, anyway?"
"That problem has already been solved."
"Huh?" Shinpachi blinked.
"We have someone perfect in mind." Otae smiled slyly. "Someone who understands our Tendo Mushin-ryu and can wield a lightsaber. You'll be shocked when you see him, Shin-chan."
Just as Otae finished speaking, a man dressed like a Jedi appeared at the entrance, under the watchful eyes of Kawaki, Gintoki, and Kagura.
"Yo," the man with a long scar over his right eye raised a hand in greeting. "Long time no see. You've grown, Shin-chan."
Seeing the man's bright smile, Shinpachi froze, staring blankly for several seconds before finally reacting.
His eyes filled with tears, and he sniffled as snot poured from his nose.
"B-Brother A-1!"
Rushing into the man's arms, Shinpachi sobbed, "A-1! You're alive! I'm so glad, so glad!"
…
"Huh? The former instructor?"
Sitting across from A-1, Gintoki still looked puzzled.
"Is this for real?" Kawaki scratched his chin, eyeing A-1 suspiciously. "There were actually people in this dojo?"
"Don't underestimate us, Kawaki-san," Otae smiled. "Back then, our dojo was thriving."
"I'm Obimi Ichiro," the man declared boldly, "but if that's too much of a hassle, just call me Obi-Wan."
"No, that's even more of a hassle," Gintoki replied.
"While I was away, thanks for taking care of Otae and Shin-chan. Let me thank you properly." Obimi clasped his hands together, bowing to Kawaki, Gintoki, and Kagura.
"Thank you very hamnida!"
"Thank you? Hamnida? Wait, where are you from again?" Gintoki asked in confusion.
"Brother A-1 has been traveling the universe for years," Otae explained, "so he's picked up a lot of dialects from different planets."
"Haha, sorry if I'm hard to understand," A-1 laughed. "It's a habit I picked up."
"No, why would you learn 'Sorry' in Korean from the universe?" Gintoki asked, perplexed.
"Gintoki-san, Kawaki-san," Shinpachi said excitedly. "Brother A-1 is amazing! He became the dojo's instructor when he was young, and his swordsmanship was famous throughout Edo. That's why he was selected as a swordsmanship exchange student to the universe. But then he got caught in an explosion at the central tower's teleportation device. We thought we'd never see him again."
"Hahaha," A-1 laughed again and explained, "At the moment of the explosion, I was miraculously teleported to a border planet. I figured I might as well continue my sword training there, and before I knew it, I became the strongest on that planet. With no challengers left, I traveled from planet to planet, earning the nickname 'Galactic Sword Saint.' Eventually, I got bored and came back to Edo."
"That's amazing! You became a Galactic Sword Saint!" Shinpachi exclaimed, "Brother A-1, you're incredible!"
"No, no, I'm still nothing compared to your father, Shin-chan."
"What the heck is a Galactic Sword Saint?" Gintoki, eyes half-closed, muttered to Kawaki and Kagura.
"Not only is his character annoying, but even his nickname is," Kagura commented dryly.
"This kind of personality is the last thing I want to be involved with," Kawaki muttered. "Feels like he's one of those self-absorbed types who never listens to anyone."
"Mm," both Gintoki and Kagura nodded in agreement.
"But, I didn't expect the dojo to fall into such disrepair," A-1 sighed. "Shin-chan, Otae, I'm sorry I couldn't help during your toughest times."