Just as expected.
Zoro charged in with a loud yell, looking fierce—but the very next second, he was sent flying with a scream, crashing face-first into the ground.
He rolled over, scrambled back to his feet, and glared at Kuina.
"Hey! Why didn't you attack?!"
"Weren't you the one who said it was a duel?"
Kuina snapped back, though she still adjusted her stance, moving into a flanking position with Zoro. With a sharp shout, the two of them struck together.
Quarreling aside, their teamwork wasn't bad.
Unfortunately—
Against absolute power, no fancy tricks meant anything.
Even though Shanu deliberately held back, three clean strikes were all it took to knock away their bamboo swords, followed by two swift counters that dropped them both.
Plain and simple—an effortless S-rank combo.
"Damn it!" Zoro clutched his head in frustration, unable to accept reality. "How could it end like this?!"
"Losing to Lord Shanu is only natural, isn't it?" Kuina said.
She almost added another jab—about how Zoro had lost to her nearly two thousand times already and should be used to it—but seeing the look on his face, she swallowed the words. Instead, she reached out to pull him up and smiled.
"Come on, it's fine. At least this proves there are always greater heights beyond what we know. Having a higher goal is a good thing—let's work hard to catch up together."
"But it's still so frustrating!"
Zoro gritted his teeth.
Deep down, he knew there was a gap. He could accept losing—but not losing this badly.
He hadn't even seen the path of the strike. Was this boy, who looked only a few years older, really that far ahead in swordsmanship?
Kuina patted his shoulder, chose not to push further, and went to retrieve her bamboo sword. The dim light made her search difficult, and it took her a while to find it behind a pillar.
Zoro sulked, dragging his feet to pick up his own sword—but before he could, Shanu stooped and picked it up first.
"?" Zoro stared wide-eyed.
"I'm confiscating this one," Shanu said cheerfully. "Consider it punishment for your rude attitude earlier. I'm a very petty person, you know."
"Don't look at me like that. If you think it's unfair, then train harder. One day, when you beat me with your own strength, you can take it back."
"Of course, by then, you might not even care about a bamboo sword anymore. And if that day comes—if you can defeat me—I'll even give you the sword on my back."
"Really?!"
Zoro's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting about his bamboo sword.
He had been drooling over Shanu's blade for a long time. To think the man would offer such a promise—!
How generous!
"It's a deal!"
Zoro puffed up again, stretching on his toes to reach Shanu's hand with his little finger.
"Pinky swear! No backing out! Just wait—someday, I'll surpass you and make you hand that sword over willingly!"
"How childish…"
Shanu sighed, but when faced with that stubborn green-haired boy, he finally extended his own finger.
"Pinky swear. Break it and you hang. A hundred years without change."
The vow sealed, Zoro dashed off in high spirits.
Judging by his eagerness, there was no doubt—he was heading straight back to training like a maniac.
"So rude… when will that idiot ever grow up?" Kuina muttered, watching him vanish into the distance with a sigh.
Then she turned back toward Shanu, bowed deeply, and said earnestly,
"Thank you, Lord Shanu. It's been an honor to spar with you, though…"
She gave a wry smile.
"…your sword was so fast, I couldn't even see it. I couldn't learn a thing—that part feels like a real pity."
Shanu wasn't sure how to respond, so he just laughed it off and quickly changed the subject.
"Speaking of swords, I haven't sharpened mine in a while. Do you happen to have a whetstone here?"
"A whetstone?"
Kuina nodded. "Yes, but since we usually use bamboo swords, it's rarely needed. It should be stored in the attic. I'll fetch it for you."
"No need," Shanu interrupted quickly. "Just show me the way—I'll get it myself."
(As if I'd let you risk your life for this, girl!)
Why else would he bring it up? Not just to farm points—but also to save her.
If he let her climb up there alone, only to fall to her death early… he'd feel guilty for life.
…
In a secluded storage house, Shanu stood before an old wooden ladder, rubbing his chin.
Really? The attic wasn't even that high—barely three meters at most. How could a trained swordswoman, stronger than most grown men, die from falling off this thing?
He checked his system panel.
The bamboo sword he tricked from Zoro had already been offered up.
[Offering: Zoro's Bamboo Sword]
[Quality: Fine]
[Value: 500 points]
[Appraisal: One of the bamboo swords that accompanied Zoro through years of sweat and struggle. Though he may one day wield legendary blades, he will never forget his earliest partners.]
[Remaining Points: 10,825]
Five hundred points—about what he expected.
"Not bad… but this one—will it be more, or less?"
He placed a hand on the ladder, initiating the sacrifice.
[Offering: Kuina's Great Ladder of Doom]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 1,500 points]
[Appraisal: The mystery of Kuina's death has many versions, but one truth stands: she fell from this very ladder while fetching a whetstone for her beloved Wado Ichimonji. That single fall changed the worldline—robbing the seas of a brilliant female swordsman, but giving birth to a boy's vow: "I'll grow strong for both of us, until my name reaches the heavens!"]
"…Fifteen hundred?!"
Now that surprised Shanu.
Kuina was just a side character, really. Her power level didn't weigh much in the grand scheme. He expected her items to be worth a hundred, maybe two hundred at most.
But this—!
It confirmed his suspicion.
Beyond the three core rules he'd deduced, there was a fourth special rule:
Objects tied to world-altering events or famous moments hold extraordinary value.
He glanced at his points.
[Remaining Points: 12,325]
Nearly all his spent points restored in one shot. The "Supreme Great Ladder" deserved its name.
Which meant—Luffy's straw hat must be worth even more.
More than he'd ever imagined.
The thought left Shanu buzzing with anticipation.
In these waters, he had already harvested nearly every valuable offering. With just that hat left, he could finally return to Cocoyashi Village and train in peace.
For a long while afterward, he'd never have to worry about points again.
His thoughts returned to the dojo outside.
The drizzle continued. Kuina was still waiting in the courtyard.
After a moment's hesitation, Shanu rummaged through the warehouse, found a brush and ink, and strode outside.
As the saying goes—if you take, you must also give.
After pocketing so many points, it was time he offered something back.
Like saving Kuina's life, for instance.
Getting rid of the ladder and moving the whetstone downstairs didn't erase the danger entirely.
He liked this clever, polite, and exceptionally talented girl. He truly didn't want her to leave the world in such a ridiculous way.
After all, even absurd events had their reasons.
He'd noticed earlier—when Kuina was searching for her bamboo sword, she had fumbled around far too long before finding it. The dim lighting wasn't enough of an excuse.
Could it be…
Just like that Marine officer, Tashigi, who looked exactly like her—Kuina was also terribly nearsighted?