"Clang, clang, clang…"
Before long, the urgent sound of "forging steel" rang out inside Isshin Dojo.
When sparring with Koshiro Shimotsuki, it was, of course, impossible to use wooden swords like the children did.
Yet neither of them stepped outside; instead, they began their match right there inside the dojo.
Because they were indoors, despite the lively exchange of blows, the match itself wasn't intense at all.
Forget Armament Haki—Sherwin barely even used any Spirit Blade Strikes, and Koshiro hadn't unleashed any sword techniques either.
They were simply exchanging moves, dismantling each other attacks based purely on their respective experience in swordsmanship.
Even so, Sherwin still felt something from Koshiro blade—but exactly what it was, he couldn't quite put into words.
Instinctively, he activated Observation Haki—not to sense danger or predict Koshiro next move, but to focus all of his attention on the opponent sword.
The Wado Ichimonji had already been given to Zoro, so the sword in Koshiro hand wasn't a famed blade.
Its quality could only be described as decent—nowhere near the level of a Grade Sword, and not even as sharp or sturdy as the sword Cody had once given Sherwin.
Yet this utterly ordinary katana still gave Sherwin a sense of "formidable power." Even the famed Great Grade Sword called Centaur had never given him this kind of feeling.
Sherwin knew clearly that this sensation had little to do with the weapon inherent quality. The strangeness of it all only made him concentrate even more on feeling the aura emanating from that blade.
As his attention drifted, his own swordplay naturally grew sloppy. But Koshiro didn't seize the chance to press his advantage—instead, he simply parried Sherwin flawed attacks with ease.
With Koshiro deliberate cooperation, Sherwin quickly began to notice the key to it all…
In his perception, this katana clearly felt formidable, yet even as it continuously slashed toward him, Sherwin couldn't sense the slightest trace of danger from it. That was obviously unusual.
Even when he sparred with the Felynes as their training partner, Sherwin could always sense at least a hint of threat—or "aggressiveness"—from their strikes. Even Klee Meow wasn't an exception.
Right! That it!
When Sherwin instinctively turned his focus toward Koshiro himself, he realized the man felt exactly the same as his katana—and in that instant, the answer clicked. Koshiro was infusing his will into the blade in his hand…
It was another classic, almost cliché setup—yet perfectly in line with the "power born of will" worldview of One Piece.
So, Sherwin guessed that to make his own swordsmanship stronger, he needed to find his own reason for why he wielded the sword—or, more precisely, to understand why he swung it in the first place.
In other words, he needed to walk the path of self-realization, to truly know himself.
…As expected, it all came down to philosophy.
Realizing this, Sherwin sheathed his blade, frowning in mild frustration.
Philosophy was far too abstract for him. Before crossing into this world, he'd just been a lazy homebody wasting his days away, drifting aimlessly through life.
And now they expected him to suddenly pull off some grand moment of enlightenment—like "standing on the banks of the Qiantang River and finally realizing who I am"? Wasn't that asking a bit much?
Besides, this was the kind of problem only someone as mentally tangled as Sherwin would run into.
People like Zoro—simple-minded, straightforward—didn't need to think about any of this. They could just follow their hearts, or even pure instinct, and naturally walk that path.
"Your perception is remarkable. You've managed to grasp the key so quickly," Koshiro said with a smile, sheathing his own sword.
Sherwin forced a slight grin, tugging at the corner of his mouth. He knew his situation all too well—this wasn't because his comprehension was so extraordinary.
It was simply because his Observation Haki was particularly good at sensing auras, and because he'd seen plenty of similar setups in stories before he crossed over.
Still, no matter the reason, he had at least discovered a way to keep growing stronger. As for that philosophical question of self-enlightenment—Sherwin wasn't in any rush.
That sort of thing couldn't be forced maybe, after enough experiences, the answer would come to him naturally.
Even if he couldn't figure it out, it didn't matter. It wasn't like he planned to become the world greatest swordsman.
If Koushirou swordsmanship path didn't work for him, there were still other styles of swordsmanship that didn't require such a strong emphasis on ideals.
Besides, his "Crimson Heaven End" could already go toe-to-toe with Ryuo. Maybe in the future, he could carve out a completely different path of his own.
"Thank you for your guidance." Sherwin calmed his mind and sincerely thanked Koushirou. "However, I'll have to trouble you a bit more."
After speaking, Sherwin stepped aside to make room. Seijuro Meow took two steps forward, replacing Sherwin to stand before Koushirou…
"Flying Felyne Sword Style, Hiko Seijuro — please grant me your guidance, meow!"
"My, what restless guests we have here." Koushirou scratched the back of his head helplessly.
Still, he didn't look down on Seijuro Meow because of his appearance, nor had he shown any surprise earlier when the Felynes spoke.
Aside from Koushirou naturally steady personality, it was likely also related to his identity as a descendant of Wano Country Shimotsuki clan.
Perhaps he had even heard his elders mention the Mink Tribe before.
The spar between Koushirou and Seijuro Meow wasn't much different from Sherwin bout earlier — the clash of blades rang out in a lively "ding ding dang dang," but in truth, neither side was exerting much of their strength.
However, while the process was similar, the outcome was vastly different. As their exchanges went on, the smile that had been on Koushirou face suddenly gave way to a rare look of surprise.
At the same time, through Sherwin Observation Haki, he sensed that the Kikyo Sendougetsu in Seijuro Meow hands had suddenly become far more "formidable"…
Damn it!Even though Sherwin had known from the moment he summoned Seijuro Meow that this little black cat swordsmanship talent far surpassed his own, seeing him so easily grasp a power that Sherwin still had no clue about was a heavy blow.
And compared to Klee Meow — who was also gifted but in a different way — the blow from Seijuro Meow, being another close-combat fighter, was far more crushing for Sherwin.
While Sherwin was reeling from being outclassed by his own Felyne, Koushirou himself was also shaken.
Although the stories passed down in the Shimotsuki family spoke of the Mink Tribe exceptional combat skills…
But the ancestors never said their swordsmanship talent was this strong!
He had thought Zoro was already a rare swordsmanship prodigy, yet today he had met not only a young man (Sherwin) whose talent was on par with Zoro, but also a cat whose talent surpassed them both!
Koushirou could, of course, tell that Seijuro Meow actual strength was not on the same level as Sherwin.
However, in his philosophy, swordsmanship talent was not the same thing as combat power.
It was entirely possible that Seijuro Meow might never defeat Sherwin in battle, yet still walk much further along the path of swordsmanship.
"Let stop here for now." Koushirou took the initiative to end the sparring and said to Seijuro Meow,
"Your swordsmanship talent is the greatest I have ever seen, and you've already found your own path. You don't need further guidance from me."
"I am deeply grateful for your guidance, meow." Seijuro Meow bowed formally to Koushirou in thanks.
Koushirou waved his hand modestly. "With your talent, even without my advice, you would eventually reach this realm."
"Even so, I must thank you for your instruction."
After exchanging a few polite words with Koushirou, Sherwin did not leave right away.
For one, he still hadn't seen Zoro, a key figure in this storyline. And secondly, Koushirou himself had invited them to stay.
Just as Sherwin had sought out Koushirou to learn swordsmanship, Koushirou also wanted Sherwin and his companions to spar with Zoro to broaden the boy experience.
This was a request Sherwin certainly wouldn't refuse, and so…
They ended up waiting all the way until nightfall.
"Sorry… Zoro must have gotten lost again…" Koushirou explained with a wry smile.
"That boy sense of direction is a bit terrible. We don't need to wait any longer — let eat first."
"'A bit' terrible, huh…"
Knowing the truth, Sherwin cheek twitched twice, but he politely refrained from exposing Koushirou understatement.