"Zoro… lost even more miserably than before."
"He didn't even last a heartbeat! Senior Brother one-shot him again!"
"Damn…"
"Senior Brother's swordsmanship… is insanely good!"
"Holy crap, Senior Brother is really that strong?!"
The disciples of Isshin Dojo were buzzing with shock and excitement.
They looked from the defeated, spirit-crushed Zoro…
to Ryukawa, still holding his wooden sword in a single relaxed hand—
The contrast between them was staggering.
"Zoro, do you admit defeat?"
Koushirou asked with a gentle smile, reaching out to rub Zoro's head.
"I admit it."
Zoro forced the words out through gritted teeth. He took a deep breath, then stared at Ryukawa with unwavering determination.
"But next time… next time I'll win."
On that day—
A new name appeared in Zoro's small but fiercely competitive heart.
The first person he vowed to surpass was Kuina.
The second—
Was Ryukawa.
The first person to crush him so completely… that even defeat to Kuina felt mild in comparison.
At least against Kuina, he could still fight.
Against Ryukawa?
He couldn't even react before he was instantly defeated.
"I'll be waiting," Ryukawa replied with a warm smile, sheathing his wooden sword.
As for Zoro's earlier question—
Had Senior Brother been holding back all along?
Of course not.
Half an hour ago, he was far weaker than Zoro.
But he wasn't about to explain that.
If everyone wanted to berryeve he'd been "holding back," then so be it.
Correcting them would only deepen suspicion.
No need to complicate things.
"I hereby announce the winner of this match—Ryukawa!"
Koushirou declared.
Not that anyone needed the announcement.
Zoro had lost.
Not once, but several times—
and every defeat was an instant, overwhelming one-shot.
"Senior Brother actually won…"
Disciples murmured in disbelief.
Half an hour ago, he was just the dojo's "ordinary" Senior Brother.
Now he had overturned that perception entirely—
one-shotting Zoro and standing tall as a blade none of them could ignore.
"So strong…"
"Even Zoro didn't stand a chance."
"If we fought him, the results would be even worse."
"At this point… maybe only Kuina could match Senior Brother?"
At that moment, a question spread across the dojo like wildfire—
Who is truly the strongest disciple of Isshin Dojo?
Kuina, or Ryukawa?
The debate ignited instantly.
Even Zoro found himself wondering.
His small brain worked hard. He glanced at Kuina, then at Ryukawa, and made a reluctant conclusion:
"Ugh… as much as I hate to admit it…"
"Kuina might actually be weaker than him."
After all—
Even Kuina had never given him the crushing, impossible-to-resist pressure that Ryukawa had.
From the edge of the crowd—
Kuina stepped forward, wooden sword in hand. Her youthful face was filled with fiery determination as she walked into the center of the dojo.
"Senior Brother," she said firmly, "I want to challenge you."
The dojo fell silent.
Every gaze snapped toward her.
Kuina—the undisputed prodigy of Isshin Dojo.
And Ryukawa—the newly revealed monster who had one-shot Zoro repeatedly.
Who was truly number one?
"Kuina should win, right?"
"Not necessarily. Don't forget how Zoro lost! Kuina's never one-shot him before. Senior Brother did it easily—and repeatedly!"
The disciples whispered eagerly.
Ryukawa was not surprised at all.
He expected this.
After watching him defeat Zoro so decisively, there was no way Kuina would sit still.
However—
"Three days," Ryukawa said with a smile.
Kuina blinked. "Three days? What do you mean?"
"I accept your challenge," Ryukawa replied. "But the duel will be in three days."
Kuina opened her mouth to question him—
but stopped herself.
Three days or today made no difference to her.
What she didn't realize—
Was that for Ryukawa, three days meant a monstrous leap in swordsmanship.
"Alright, the duel is over," Koushirou announced. "Return to your training."
"Three days from now—Ryukawa and Kuina will face each other in the dojo."
Excitement erupted immediately.
Disciples returned to training, but their chatter never calmed.
They were already imagining the showdown—
Three days from now.
The duel that would decide the strongest disciple of Isshin Dojo.
Kuina or Ryukawa?
The entire dojo buzzed with speculation.
Even Zoro began training harder than ever. Today's defeat ignited an obsession that drove him past his limits.
Meanwhile—
Ryukawa lifted his wooden sword and struck the training post lightly. Feeling Kuina's gaze from nearby, he looked back and smiled.
As for why he wanted three days?
Simple:
To defeat her even more convincingly.
Right now, he wasn't absolutely certain he could crush Kuina.
Her swordsmanship was far above Zoro's—no comparison.
"Junior Sister," Ryukawa murmured, eyes gleaming with anticipation,
"in three days… your Senior Brother will give you a proper lesson."
Three days was nothing to others—
But to Ryukawa?
It was enough for his swordsmanship to reach yet another terrifying level.