Tonight, Leno felt a bit nervous because of Kuina's fateful encounter.
Ever since she heard Leno's words last night, Kuina had been distracted all day. Tonight, she went up to the second floor to get her whetstone, hoping that polishing her sword would help her calm down.
*Crack!*
The sound of the floorboards cracking echoed. A distracted Kuina, holding her sword, fell headfirst from the second floor.
*Crackle!*
"Whoa there, with a little body like yours, a fall like that would've ended you." Leno, holding Kuina, teased.
Coming back to her senses, Kuina broke out in a cold sweat, staring blankly at Leno.
"I know I'm handsome, you don't have to look at me like that," Leno said with a laugh.
Kuina quickly broke free from his embrace, her small face slightly flushed.
"Leno, thank you for saving me."
"What's going on, what's wrong?" Zoro ran in after hearing the noise, with Koushirou following close behind.
"Kuina fell from the second floor, and this sword…" As he spoke, Leno looked at the Wado Ichimonji.
"Kuina, maybe you shouldn't use this sword anymore," Leno said thoughtfully.
Koushirou's pupils contracted, and he also looked at the Wado Ichimonji in Kuina's hand.
"The situation just now was a little…"
"Kuina, you are never to use the Wado Ichimonji again." Koushirou interrupted Leno before he could finish.
"A famous sword chooses its master, but it can also be a master-killer." Koushirou took the Wado Ichimonji and walked away without looking back.
Zoro was a bit confused. He scratched his head and walked off with a yawn.
Kuina lowered her head and followed Leno to the hills behind the dojo. Then, she looked up, her expression firm and her eyes bright and spirited. "Leno, I've made up my mind. I'm going to continue training my swordsmanship. I'm going to become the world's greatest Great Swordmaster!"
Looking at Kuina's new aura, Leno took out a Devil Fruit and handed it to her.
"You have to eat the whole thing."
Looking at the snow-white fruit, Kuina bit into it without hesitation.
"Ugh~"
Then, under Leno's smiling gaze, she ate the entire fruit, one bite at a time, a fruit that most people could only dream of.
*Whoosh!*
A pair of pristine white wings suddenly unfolded from Kuina's back. Her black hair turned golden, and even her pupils became gold.
Feeling the drastic changes in her body, Kuina trembled slightly. Since she was a child, she had been constrained by her father's statement that "women are inferior to men," and her own understanding of her body's limitations.
From childhood to the present, the emotional torment and the cruelty of reality had left her feeling hopeless.
Now, she had finally broken free from her shackles and soared into the vast sky.
This was what she thought and what she did. Her wings unfurled, and she flew into the sky, feeling an indescribable sense of relief.
"Catch!" Leno took out a new sword, Sakura Veil, and threw it to Kuina.
"What a great sword!" Pulling Sakura Veil from its sheath, Kuina's eyes filled with delight as she looked at the pink blade.
*Slash!*
A pink sword slash flew out!
'The Swordmaster level!'
"Congratulations, Kuina, you finally took this step." Looking at Kuina as she landed, Leno walked over to congratulate her.
Holding her new sword, Kuina felt exhilarated. She held it high toward the sky.
"I will… I will definitely become the world's greatest Great Swordmaster!"
*Boom!*
"Incredible, just incredible! She awakened Conqueror's Haki just like that," Leno said, utterly shocked.
Suddenly, Kuina threw herself into Leno's arms and whispered softly, "Leno, thank you. Thank you for pulling me out of the abyss. Thank you for giving me such a precious gift, and thank you for letting me meet you."
"Then since you've accepted my gift, you're mine from now on, right?" Leno teased.
"Yes."
"Then we'll travel the world together until you become the world's greatest Great Swordmaster!"
"Okay."
"Then it's a promise, right?"
"Yes."
After the initial fright, she experienced the joy and excitement of breaking free from her restraints. Then, after awakening her Conqueror's Haki, she was now peacefully asleep in Leno's arms.
Not far away, Koushirou watched the scene with a complicated expression. In the end, he said nothing, simply nodded at Leno, and turned to leave.
Leno watched the departing Koushirou, his expression calm. 'No matter what he's thinking, the Kuina of today has completed her transformation and will now walk her own path.'
The next day,
"Yo, moss-head! What are you doing with three swords? You've become a third-rate swordsman now?" Seeing Zoro, Leno gave him his usual playful jab.
"You jerk, Leno! What did you say?! I challenge you!" Zoro shouted, holding two swords with his hands and one with his mouth.
"How scary, Zoro of the Three-Sword Style," Leno said, picking his nose with one finger in a dismissive manner.
"You idiot!" Zoro was furious.
"Hahahaha… Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I'm going to train. Oh, by the way, Kuina also broke through to Swordmaster," Leno said, waving his hand as he headed to the back hills.
Hearing Leno's words, Zoro froze for a moment. He then lowered his stance and quietly went back to his training spot.
He wasn't furious or yelling, as if Kuina's breakthrough was inevitable, just as his own would be.
Later that day, Leno told everyone he was leaving.
"Mhm, my swordsmanship has reached a bottleneck. To break through to Great Swordmaster, I need a truly exhilarating battle. Master Koushirou, thank you for all your guidance," Leno said, bowing in thanks to Koushirou.
Koushirou quickly waved his hand. "This is the result of your own hard work. As long as you follow your own path, you will definitely become a Great Swordmaster."
Leno nodded and turned to Kuina. "Don't forget our promise."
"Mhm, have a safe trip," Kuina said, her face full of reluctance.
"Moss-head, keep it up! I'll be waiting for you at the top, hahahaha…" After saying his goodbyes to Zoro, Leno turned and walked away.
"You jerk! You better wait for me!" Zoro shouted, unwilling to be left behind.
"Zoro, it seems you have a powerful rival for the future," Koushirou said to Zoro with a smile.
"That's exactly what I want! That's what makes it interesting!" Zoro said with a wild grin.
"He's almost a Great Swordmaster now, and you're not even a Swordmaster yet…" Kuina said wistfully from the side.
"Kuina, you damn traitor! I challenge you!" Zoro's face turned red, and he stamped his feet, shouting.
Koushirou watched them with a smile. Noticing Kuina's new sword, a glint flashed in his glasses.
'The Thunder God… an interesting young man.'