Even after finishing dinner at the dojo, Sherwin still hadn't seen Zoro.
"That strange. Normally, Zoro should've already come back by now…" Koshiro scratched his head in puzzlement, muttering under his breath,
"Don't tell me he went chasing wild boars again and got lost?"
That one word—"again"—spoke volumes.
Although Koshiro wasn't worried about Zoro safety, there was still a guest waiting at home. So, he called over the disciple who usually brought Zoro back and asked what was going on…
And as it turned out, this matter had something to do with Sherwin.
Earlier, when Sherwin had come to visit and ask for guidance, a group of little kids mistook him for someone coming to challenge the dojo. One of them actually went and told Zoro about it.
The moment Zoro heard this, he bolted off in the opposite direction of the dojo, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The messenger didn't even have time to stop him.
If Sherwin didn't already know that Zoro was an incurable, super-level directionally challenged case, just from that description alone, he might have thought Zoro had been scared off after hearing there was an enemy in the dojo…
"Sherwin-nii," Klee Meow tugged on his sleeve, "did we scare that person away, meow?"
(=ω=)
"Of course not! Senior Brother Zoro just gets lost easily, that all!"
Zoro reputation in the dojo was still quite high, so the disciple who was called over immediately refuted Klee Meow indignantly.
Only after finishing his rebuttal did the young man have a very pirate-like, delayed reaction: "The cat can talk!!!"
After sending that disciple away, Koshiro looked at Sherwin with an apologetic expression.
"I'm really sorry. Zoro whereabouts are currently unknown, so you might have to wait a bit longer. If he still doesn't come back by tomorrow, I'll go look for him myself."
"It fine." Sherwin waved his hand casually, showing no concern.
"We're not in any rush anyway. This just gives me more time to exchange pointers with you."
However, Zoro didn't keep them waiting long. The next morning, he appeared before Sherwin—covered in weeds and morning dew, looking a little bedraggled… Who knew where he had gotten lost this time?
"Koshiro-sensei! Where the dojo challenger?!"
The moment he stepped inside, Zoro loudly demanded an answer, his head darting left and right as he scanned for the so-called "enemy."
His gaze swept past the group of adorable Felynes and finally settled on Sherwin, who stood beside his sheathed Longsword, looking about the same age as himself.
At the same time, Sherwin eyes were drawn to the three swords at Zoro waist—and quickly found the one he was looking for: Wado Ichimonji.
Hmm… should I think of a way to win that sword from him?The devious Hunter was already plotting in his heart.
Given that Wado Ichimonji was a famed, plot-heavy Great Grade blade, getting at least a summon ticket shard was practically guaranteed.
If luck was on his side, there was even a chance—like with the Mera Mera no Mi—that he could get a full ticket.
Of course, Sherwin knew how important that sword was to Zoro. His plan was simply to "borrow" it for a bit, unlock its entry in the Hunter Codex, and then return it.
The problem was… knowing Zoro personality and how much he valued the sword—plus the fact that Koshiro, who also valued it and knew Sherwin strength, was right there—getting Wado Ichimonji into his hands would be no easy task…
"So you're the one who came to challenge the dojo?!"
Just as Sherwin was about to give up on his plan to get his hands on Wado Ichimonji, Zoro finally confirmed the "enemy" identity. He drew his sword and pointed it at Sherwin, his tone sharp and accusatory.
Sherwin glanced at Koshiro and saw that he had no intention of explaining anything.
Instead, the man was calmly sipping a cup of hot tea with a pleasant smile, looking every bit like he was settling in to watch a good show.
Well now… it seemed like his plan might still have some potential after all.Sherwin rubbed his chin, then grinned at Zoro. "That right. I've already won the Isshin Dojo from Mr. Koshiro."
"W–what?!"
Zoro staggered back two steps as if struck by lightning, then looked toward Koshiro in disbelief.
Truth be told, Koshiro had been a bit bewildered when he first heard Sherwin claim, but curiosity about Sherwin intentions made him play along. He kept his calm demeanor, and when Zoro turned to him, he even gave a small nod.
"In that case, let me win the dojo back!"
Zoro quickly steeled his resolve and challenged Sherwin on the spot.
But Sherwin ignored his provocation, resting his chin on his fist with a disinterested air. "And what exactly do you plan to wager?"
Since this involved a Felyne Summon Ticket, Sherwin wasn't about to let concerns about gambling being a bad influence on Klee Meow stop him.
"…Huh?!" Zoro, who had been brimming with fighting spirit, suddenly lost momentum, staring at Sherwin in confusion. "What wager?"
"If you want to win the dojo back, there has to be a corresponding stake, right?" Sherwin said casually, spinning the tale further.
"When I gambled with Mr. Koshiro earlier, I put up one hundred million Berries. If there nothing in it for me, why should I gamble with you?"
"O–one hundred million Berries!!!"
Even though Zoro wasn't someone who normally needed much money, he still knew just how massive that amount was.
He instinctively lowered his sword and muttered awkwardly, "I don't have that kind of money…"
"No! I just have to defeat you, don't I?!"
Like Luffy, Zoro also had a certain beast-like instinct, and he quickly found the key to the problem.
But could Sherwin so easily give up a Felyne Summoning Ticket?
"The deed is in my hands, boy." Sherwin grinned like a villain, his tone dripping with malice.
"I'm not planning to open a swordsmanship dojo anyway. If you don't take the bet, then just wait and watch me tear this place down and turn it into some other kind of business!"
"Let open a restaurant! Sherwin, let open a restaurant here, meow!" Sanji Meow, who had spent the most time with Sherwin, immediately chimed in to help.
Hua Mei Meow, though not entirely sure what Sherwin was plotting, also played along.
"A restaurant wouldn't need a place this big. The extra space could be used for a bookstore or a clothing shop, meow."
The upright Seijuro Meow kept silent, while Klee Meow seemed to actually believe Sherwin nonsense. She quickly climbed onto him, excitedly suggesting,
"Sherwin-nii, then let build a playground here too, meow!"
"D-Damn it!"
By now, Zoro didn't even have time to be surprised that the cats could talk. Unable to think of any way to stop Sherwin, he was pacing in frustration.
Seeing the setup was just about complete, Sherwin finally revealed his true intention…
"Actually, if you want to win the dojo back, it not impossible," he said, pointing at the Wado Ichimonji in Zoro hand.
"If I'm not mistaken, that should be the Wado Ichimonji, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. While it might not be worth a hundred million, I can take a small loss and let you use it as your wager."
As he spoke, Sherwin also gave Koushirou a discreet wink, trying to reassure him.
Although they had only spent a short time together, Koushirou didn't think Sherwin was a bad person.
So, after receiving Sherwin signal, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to keep watching the situation unfold.
As long as nothing went wrong on Koushirou side, the key now was whether Zoro would accept the wager. On the surface, Sherwin looked calm, but inside, he was actually quite nervous…
Whether this would succeed or not all came down to this!
Sherwin reached out and scooped Klee Meow into his arms, fully drawing on the good luck radiating from her.
With Klee Meow fortune blessing him, Zoro, after a moment of inner struggle, finally gave a firm nod."Fine! I'll bet with you!"