Chapter 12 Roronoa Zoro and Isshin Dojo.
Bane donated 200 million berries to the logue Town Navy, and in return, the Navy treated him very well in Logue Town.
In the next few days, whenever Bane saw that Smoker was free, he would approach him to discuss the challenges in learning Haki and Six Styles.
Smoker might have seemed a bit awkward at times, but he was trained by a famous teacher, so his understanding was strong. He helped Bane by explaining many of his problems.
However, the Haki training notes that Smoker gave to Bane only included the basics. It did not cover more advanced topics like Ryuo and predicting the future at all.
Bane chose not to ask Smoker about these advanced topics. Whether it was because Smoker did not know or for another reason, the fact that he didn't answer spoke volumes. So, there was no point in making him feel worse.
Knowing that Koushirou likely had more information, Bane decided to stay in Logue Town for a few days before finally boarding a merchant ship to Shimotsuki Village.
At the Logue Town port, Smoker stood on the dock, chewing a cigar, as he watched Bane's merchant ship sail away.
Tashigi, who was there to see Bane off, asked curiously, "Captain Smoker, what are you thinking about? "
"Do you think that guy will really join the Navy in the future? " Smoker asked quietly.
"I think so. He seems to really like our Navy. Why do you ask? " Tashigi replied after a moment's thought.
"I believe if he joins the Navy, he will definitely have a brighter future than I do," Smoker said suddenly with a laugh.
"Why? Is it because he is stronger than you? " Tashigi asked with curiosity.
"No." Smoker opened his mouth to explain but then shook his head and said, "You can figure that out on your own. Let's head back. "
Half a month later, a merchant ship slowly arrived at the small harbor of Shimotsuki Village.
Inside the ship, a waitress, who should have been working in the restaurant, was knocking on a door.
Her eyes showed some excitement, but also a bit of regret and reluctance.
A short time later, Bane opened the door, holding a white towel around his neck, with his upper body bare, breathing heavily.
It was clear that Bane had been practicing before he opened the door. You could see some stone weights on the floor of his room through the door frame.
"Maya, good afternoon. Is it lunchtime again? I appreciate you calling me every day, but it's a bit troublesome," Bane greeted the young waitress with a smile.
Looking at Bane's strong chest and abs, along with the sweat dripping down and the smell in the air, Maya couldn't help but swallow. To get the job of delivering Bane's dinner, she almost fought with the other waitresses in the restaurant.
It's not just because Bane has a strong body, but also because he is generous and always gives big tips.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bane. I'm not here to deliver your dinner this time. Instead, we have arrived at your destination, Shimotsuki," Maya said quietly.
Ben was a bit surprised, then he smiled and said, "We're here so soon? I'm really going to miss you guys. "
Maya's eyes brightened when she heard this, and she couldn't help but say, "Bane, I admire you very much. If you are willing to join as a guard. "
"I'm sorry, I have other important things to deal with and can't continue to travel with you," Bane shook his head when he saw this.
Soon, after saying goodbye to the ship, Bane stepped onto the port of Shimotsuki Village.
He casually asked around at the port and found out where Isshin Dojo was, as it was very famous in Shimotsuki Village.
The Koushirou family is the biggest landlord in all of Shimotsuki Village. Ninety percent of the villagers rely on them for their livelihoods.
This is shown by the village's name, Shimotsuki Village, and the Koushirou family belongs to the Shimotsuki clan.
Isshin Dojo is not in the town, but outside the village, and it is also not very large. The owner of this dojo doesn't seem to be the wealthiest local person and has a very simple appearance.
Just as Bane was about to knock on the door to visit the owner of the place, the door to the kendo field opened from the inside. A man with green algae hair, three swords on his waist, and an empty wine jug in his hand walked out.
Bane recognized him immediately as Roronoa Zoro, the man who aims to become the world's strongest swordsman.
Zoro also noticed Bane right away. He looked him up and down with interest and immediately asked, "Who are you? Are you here to challenge me? "
He could tell that Bane was very strong, much stronger than his fellow students at the kendo field, and might be a good opponent. Since Kuina's accidental death, Zoro had not met a worthy opponent for a long time.
None of the other disciples in the kendo field could beat him, and his master didn't intervene. So recently, Zoro started thinking about leaving and finding a more interesting opponent at sea.
In fact, Zoro had already gone to sea before Luffy. By the time Luffy sailed out, Zoro was already a famous pirate hunter in the East Blue Sea.
"No, I'm here to visit the owner of this place, Mr. Koushiro," Bane said to Zoro with a smile.
When Zoro heard that Bane wasn't there to cause trouble, he looked bored and replied casually, " He's inside; I'll take you in."
Zoro had initially planned to step out and buy some drinks, but noticing Bane was carrying gifts, including several bottles of fancy drinks, he thought it would be good to take him in. Maybe he could try some wine later.
Once they entered the kendo field, Bane soon saw many swordsmen training. Some were swinging their swords while others were sparring. When the swordsmen noticed Bane's unfamiliar face, they looked at him with curiosity. But when they saw Zoro, they quickly turned their attention back to their training.
After walking through the courtyard, they quickly arrived at a guest house.
Bane secretly sighed, surprised that this green algae-head didn't get lost. He still had some hope! "This guest. . . uh," Zoro turned to Bane as if he wanted to say something.
Bane understood and said, "My name is Bane. "
"Okay, Bane, please wait here a moment. I'll go inform the master," Zoro said.
He didn't have to wait long. After about five or six minutes, Bane heard footsteps approaching.
Then, Koushiro, wearing glasses and having a gentle demeanor, walked in with Zoro.
Koushiro looked at Bane for a moment and asked in confusion, "Mr. Bane, do we know each other? "
"No, nice to meet you, Mr. Koushiro," Bane replied politely, then got straight to the point. "I came here to learn some skills from you and improve my strength."
Koushiro was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Oh, so you are here to learn kendo? "
"You could say that," Bane nodded, then pushed the gifts he had brought forward and said, "I hope you will give me some advice. "
Koshiro smiled and replied, "Don't be so polite. As long as you want to learn, I can teach you."
He assumed Bane was like the others who came to him to learn kendo.
After a brief pause, Koushiro continued, "Our Isshin-ryu's swordsmanship has several different skills. For example, Zoro is a three-sword swordsman. I wonder if you know anything about kendo? What skills do you want to learn? "
"To be honest, Mr. Koushiro, I am here mainly to learn about haki from you. Learning kendo is less important. " Bane coughed lightly and explained.