"Wow they finally found the One Piece huh!... By the way these newspaper editors; they sure have omitted a lot of insightful details from the news. It's all masterfully kept vague.. nothing is mentioned about Gol D. Roger's background, even his name is modified.. did the government put them up to this?.. most likely!!.. can't take anything they say at face value..."
At the moment, he truly felt like he was part of this world.. Sear may appear cold, but within that disinterested exterior, there's an ever-curious—adventurous soul. Maybe it's also because he was reborn in this world of One Piece, which in his past life had been his primary distraction from reality, a recluse of sorts.
"Sigh! Well all things considered, compared to watching it through a screen, living the experience really hits different... surreal even, I must say!.."
He adds, "Though a certain somebody may not feel the same" — his remark aimed at his marine father who stood at a distance, with a dead expression that doesn't exactly pronounce enthusiasm.
"What's the matter? Did a dog bite you or something?"
"????"
Standing before his deflated father, he questions, pretending as if he's curious.
'This kid really has no filter.' Forced out of his stupor, Jacob thought as he observed his son's audacity...
Having no spirit to argue over the sarcasm, the poor father decides not to cling to the matter.
He just retorts with annoyance. "Just shut your mouth! You sharp-tongued brat! I am not in the mood right now and moreover can't you read? I thought you learned to read and write when you were just three..."
"Oh I read the newspaper alright, heh are you scared?" Sear asked with a sly smile, further annoying the other party.
"Hmph! Who is scared! It's just that, this event will lead to more idiots going to sea, becoming pirates, committing crimes; looting, pillaging, seeking treasures and what not. Can you imagine how many lives will be destroyed?.. Though who am I even explaining this to? A brat like you wouldn't understand."
Jacob starts to go on a tantrum. "Sigh! Those pirate bastards.. sh*t—Oops!!" He accidentally cussed before an impressionable kid. Jacob promptly shuts his mouth, though safe to say, that just makes him look goofy.
'I need to be more careful around him, if his mother were still alive, she would have killed me.. ooh scary! Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it...' he reprimands himself.
The boy shakes his head, honestly amused by his father's behavior. Moving on, unlike his father who was at a loss for words, Sear starts to seriously consider what Jacob had said.
"One's freedom is another's nightmare huh?" he blurts out, unintentionally.
Like many other of his sporadic insights, he had only a surface-level understanding of this quote with no recollection as to who said it or who he learned it from, yet he felt that it perfectly resonated with the situation.
Jacob hadn't expected his son to have such a thoughtful side to him. He is genuinely impressed.
"Ooh! Sometimes even you can be soo deep and wise huh!.. One's freedom is another's nightmare.. that perfectly sums up what I wanted to say... Therefore remember son, as you get older, don't go around admiring criminal activities, become a marine like your father when you grow up, got it!?"
Being the brainwashed marine he was, Jacob inevitably had to steer the topic into a marine recruitment ad.
But Sear wasn't persuaded. "Well too bad, as if I would ever join those boring people!"
Hearing this, Jacob sighs regrettably. 'As expected my attempt failed. Well no sweat, there's always a next time...' Although disappointed, he hadn't given up. Nothing could dissuade the stubborn man.
Moreover, in spite of the rejection, being the father he still pats his son's head.
"Well it's an important decision, we can take it slow and besides, I nearly forgot why I actually came to the village in the first place. I had come to meet Koushirou, heard he returned and has inherited the dojo recently... not to mention he will be your sensei in the near future."
He goes on. "Matter of fact, it wouldn't hurt to let you meet him beforehand. We can go there, right now..."
. . .
Together the pair arrive at the gates of the dojo and without prior notice, seemingly barge inside the property. No permission, no formalities, no nothing.
The boy follows his father's lead, picking up strange habits in the process.
Unsurprisingly, dojo master Koushirou wasn't very thrilled by the unannounced entry of the two, yet surprisingly, he was relatively calm at the moment.
After listening to what Jacob had to say he readily agrees to let Sear stay in the dojo. "Well, starting today, he can join the training in advance."
"Is that really fine?" the man asks, not having expected it to go so smoothly.
"Haha! It's perfectly fine. In any case, starting today I will be guiding some new pupils, he will fit right in with them. As you know we also function as a hostel for the disciples needing a home, looking after one more child is perfectly manageable."
Hearing this made Jacob overjoyed. "Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your help... you see, nowadays I was even starting to consider whether I should take him to Loughton with me. I am stationed there, at the marine base. Till now, the villagers looked after him by taking turns. He is obedient and knows how to look after himself, but it doesn't seem right to burden them any longer."
Like that, Sear's admission to the dojo is jointly decided by the two adults. Jacob then left the dojo, entrusting the boy to Koushirou, saying he had some unfinished business for the time being, before leaving.
Our hero doesn't pay him much mind as some time later the other pupils also arrive, thus commencing the training.
. . .
Sear and the other new students are gathered in the training hall. The floor here, like the rest of the house, was made out of wood. They stood in different lines with sufficient space separating each trainee.
Their practice katanas were aimed at the front. That's the neutral posture before a strike, a steady stance, ready for both attacking and defensive situations. Both hands tightly held their practice katana, which was made entirely out of wood due to safety concerns.
They closely followed dojo master Koushirou's instructions. At the moment, his voice was unusually commanding.
"First of all, root your legs to the land. Firm but flexible posture is one of the most necessary skills to have as a swordsman. Even a split moment of disbalance in your posture can be fatal during crucial situations."
When the normally gentle and soft-spoken dojo master talks in such a serious tone it leaves a deeper impression, especially on the young minds, who are not very used to experiencing such a drastic shift in attitude.
They keenly listened as he spoke.
"Every blade has only a finite number of ways you can swing it and using different combinations every person develops a pattern to their blade, that is what you call a style. Naturally, our Shimotsuki dojo also has a distinct style, it's a swift and effective tool for vanquishing our foes, honed and time tested through unique trials and errors."
"However, be that as it may, personal preference and habits have greater influence over each person's style. Simply put, the style is nothing more than a recipe, it can only act as a reference. So the training always has to start with the very basics."
"As there are only so many ways to swing a single blade, you will simply start off by learning how to perform each of the individual sword strikes. Those are the different diagonal, vertical and horizontal slashes as well as the various ways to thrust the blade forward to plunge it into your enemies."
Koushirou only took a few breaths while giving the speech, it's like he has already done this numerous times before.
Regarding the different sword movements, Sear wasn't alien to this concept. In his past life he too had wielded a short blade, though its use was very limited in modern combat.
In particular, Sear had trained to swing the 9 basic strokes to perfection.
Wielding a blade — a skill passed down through generations in his family — was taught to him by his own grandfather.
He had been a sickly kid during his early childhood. His parents would be out for work, leaving him in the care of his grandpa. Those were some difficult but also memorable days for his personal growth.
As a kid, he had a plethora of health issues, that included difficulty breathing, getting tired quickly etc., resulting in an overall weak physique. Therefore his grandpa would help in strengthening his young body. The traditional swordplay of his family was one of the physical exercises he did. He still clearly remembers a fair number of things...
Having said that, his knowledge wasn't extensive. Far from a skilled sword wielder, he was essentially a glorified novice, so he needed to hone his skill a lot further if he wanted to survive in the harsh open seas. Not to mention the Grand Line and the New World, even the calmer East Blue was teeming with hidden dangers. It's very well possible for him to run into a big-shot pirate or marine and casually have his life shortened on a whim.
Learning everything possible from a master like Koushirou was a must. Therefore, from this moment Sear was going to make it his utmost priority.
Meanwhile, the training goes on as the new disciples were steadily focusing their body and mind.
"Haaaaaa!!!!!!" they shout as they vertically swing their sword forward. Arms and eyes focus straight and every time they swing, their right leg takes a small step and retreats afterwards as instructed.
Being that today's their first day, Koushirou has started off the training by instructing them on how to simply get a firm hold of a sword. He was delighted seeing their dedication, a smile tugged his lips.
The practice includes just them trying to master a proper single strike. Some may think such training is redundant — as what could a predictable straight motion strike achieve in a real battle situation that is inherently unpredictable? However, know that practicality is not the goal of this specific training method.
It's discipline! In every field, repetition creates discipline, which in turn creates consistent results. Most fail right at this step. To be good at anything, mastering one's mind is essential.