Somewhere in a remote street, there were very few pedestrians.
Under the black streetlight, two people stood a few meters apart, each drew a bamboo sword, and made a starting gesture.
"Please!"
Junichi shouted softly, breaking the silence in an instant. With a move of his body, the bamboo sword in his hand stabbed out like a spirit snake, the sword force was sharp, and there was a whistling sound.
Snap!
The next moment, Junichi looked down in a daze, looking at the bamboo sword that fell to the ground.
When?
"Do you want to try again?"
"Try again!" Junichi gritted his teeth, picked up the bamboo sword and clenched it.
He had just meant to hold back and test it. If he had used all his strength, he would definitely not...
Snap!
The bamboo sword fell from his hand again.
After a few rolls, it happened to stop at Junichi's feet. He was dazed for a long time, his knees gradually bent, and he half-knelt on the ground, looking at his bamboo sword in despair.
How, how is this possible?
In Isshin Dojo, he was the strongest of the two classes, practically holding the same status as the senior brother. He even sometimes served as an assistant instructor, helping Koshiro with the younger students.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so confident, sailing alone to Asakura Island, attempting to win the kendo tournament and restore Sakuraba's reputation.
But, the burly young man across from him was clearly two years younger than him.
Yet, his swordsmanship had reached a level he couldn't fathom, a level he couldn't fathom, like an insurmountable mountain.
One move, just one, and he was completely defeated, without even the ability to discern the blade's trajectory or mount a defense.
At that moment, he could almost hear his own confidence in kendo shattering like shattered glass.
Across from him, Shanu sheathed his bamboo sword and glanced, taking in Junichi's reactions.
Tsk, wasn't this a bit too hurtful?
However, telling him the truth now, admitting he didn't know any swordsmanship at all, seemed even more hurtful.
Let's wait until the competition is over, and then explain it to him if we have the chance.
"It's time to go."
Shanu patted his shoulder gently as a comforting gesture, then led the way towards the hotel.
On the way, Junichi was still sluggish from the shock, his head bowed in a sullen manner. Shanu, on the other hand, focused his attention on the newly opened system panel, his eyes thoughtful.
[Name: Shanu]
[Age: 13]
[Height: 176cm]
[Strength: 2.2]
[Agility: 2.0]
[Endurance: 2.1]
[Mental Power: 1.4]
This was the first time he had checked his current dashboard data since returning from his afternoon retreat. All basic attributes had significantly increased compared to before the breakthrough.
"2.0 seems to be a critical level. Those who can cross this threshold are no longer the same species as the ordinary people in this sea," Shanu deduced.
Putting aside the biggest gap in strength compared to Junichi, the muscle reaction speed and dynamic vision alone were completely different. All of Junichi's movements, from drawing the sword to thrusting it out, seemed to be in slow motion in his eyes.
Frame by frame, he could always find the perfect moment, hit pause, shift from defense to offense, and interrupt his opponent's advance.
In the manga, Zoro's battle with Hawkeye at the Barati restaurant was somewhat similar.
Before Hawkeye unsheathed his black blade, Night, as a sign of respect, his knife-based clash with Zoro couldn't even be considered a duel between swordsmen.
Zoro saw Hawkeye's swordsmanship as too superior, easily defeating him with a knife.
But Hawkeye saw it from the same perspective as Shanu's current victory over Junichi: it had nothing to do with swordsmanship; it was simply a dimensional attack by a higher-level species against ordinary humans.
It didn't matter if he swapped the knife for a toothpick or his own finger.
The gap was so great that a single force could break all obstacles.
Shanu closed the system panel and glanced at the skinny boy behind him, who looked as if he had been passed by Perona's ghost, and pondered.
"Although Junichi has been immersed in kendo since childhood and is a bit single-minded, he's not the type to lose his way."
"When he says he wants to compete for the championship, it's not just empty talk; he truly means it."
He could easily defeat his opponent with a single sword strike, relying on the vast difference in physical strength.
So, the gap between him and the other contestants must be equally vast.
The East Blue is, after all, the weakest sea.
There isn't even a true swordsman left here.
No matter what dark horse emerges in this kendo tournament, he should be able to easily deal with it without worrying about his own poor swordsmanship being exposed.
By delaying them for just one day, he could earn five million berries for free, and help Junichi in the process. It's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.
One day and two nights passed in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, it was competition day.
At seven in the morning, Junichi packed his clothes and left his room to find a figure already practicing in the empty courtyard below the hotel.
"Three hundred, three hundred and one... Hey, you're awake."
Shanu pressed his legs together, flipped back onto his feet, and wiped his sweat with a towel. He smiled and said, "I've got everything ready, shall we go?"
"Yes!" Junichi nodded vigorously.
Since the night before yesterday, his mind had gradually recovered.
Especially yesterday, when Shanu had gone to the beach to practice at dawn and returned late at night. His dedication even impressed him.
If the other person had endured this way his entire life, and possessed a natural talent for swordsmanship, then being defeated in a single blow wouldn't seem so unacceptable.
Junichi took a deep breath, his eyes piercing as he gazed at the huge banner faintly visible in the distance. He couldn't compete with Mr. Shanu for the championship, but today was the day he had longed for, and he had his own battle!
Asakura Island was high in the north and low in the south. The seven major gyms were all north of the city, arranged in a line along the terrain, converging at the vast, crescent-shaped square in the city center.
At this moment, the square was already crowded with people and extremely lively.
Nearly a hundred temporary wooden platforms were scattered around, the registration office was filled with long queues, and staff in gym uniforms were busy running around.
The huge banners hanging on the four corners, the ubiquitous light pink decorations, and the cherry blossoms falling in the wind brought a strong festive atmosphere.
On the second floor of the nearby cafe, two cups of cappuccino were steaming on the table.
"Boss, that kid is here." On the right side of the round table, a tall swordsman wearing a white fox mask looked at Junichi who was following Shanu into the square, and spoke in a low voice.
"Yeah, I saw it."
The middle-aged man sitting opposite was dressed luxuriously, and he glanced and then looked away.
He tapped the table with his index finger joint lightly, and said lightly: "The muscular man with him doesn't look very old. What is his identity? Have you found out?"