NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Ron mused about the first-generation 12 supreme grade swords. He pondered where he could acquire one, when a sudden realization struck him—why search for famous swords when he could learn the art of crafting them himself? With his skill points, he could instantly max out his crafting skills and produce supreme grade swords any time he wished.
Elated by this revelation, Ron strolled through Logue Town, where Gol D. Roger had grew up. His eyes lit up when he spotted a dojo for kendo.
"Kendokan... This kendo dojo seems somewhat renowned in Logue Town, and its master appears to be a famous swordsman from the East Blue" Ron thought, confident that the kendo dojo would offer him valuable insights.
Inside the dojo, teenagers of about thirteen to fourteen years of age were vigorously practicing with wooden swords, sweat pouring from their brows.
"Swing!"
"Ha!"
A stern, middle-aged man, adorned with two swords at his waist, watched the young disciples attentively. His piercing gaze never wavered, even when Ron entered the dojo.
"Huh?" The middle-aged swordsman's eyes narrowed as he noticed Ron entering the hall, with a famous sword in hand. However, he remained composed and continued overseeing the his students' training.
Ron smiled subtly, refraining from speaking as he observed the young students' practice.
A year ago when he first arrived in the pirate world while enduring hardship, he had secretly watched others practice kendo, he had used a wooden stick as a makeshift sword to train in secret. Eventually, an old man who taught some village children kendo, had noticed Ron's dedication and quietly gifted him a proper wooden sword. He had turned away, not officially inviting Ron to train with them, but he had also never shooed away the persistent young observer. So after half a month of watching the village children train, it had taken Ron more than three months of effort and dedication to begin his journey into the basics of swordsmanship.
Afterward, the Evil Wolf Pirates arrived in the village, they raided but decided to spare the villagers' lives instead of killing them. So Ron made the decision to join the Evil Wolf Pirates to become stronger, but he wasn't alone, some villagers and teenagers also opted to join the pirate crew or leave to join the Navy. Ron's motivation was personal growth, while the teenagers aimed to protect their village.
Ron shook his head, letting go of these memories, and stood outside the kendo dojo, his sword in hand, and a faint smile on his face.
"Hardy, haven't you had a meal?" Suddenly, the stern middle-aged man halted his training session and took a step forward, knocking down a weak looking teenager who was panting heavily. "Is someone as feeble as you even fit to wield a sword? Do you think you can become a swordsman with such little stamina? You're just biting off more than you can chew!"
The feeble teenager winced a bit but he didn't express much pain. He knew that the instructor hadn't used his full strength. If he had, this renowned swordsman of Logue Town could have easily caused serious harm to the kid.
"Get up and continue training!" the stern man ordered.
The weak teenager rose to his feet and resumed his training.
After a while, the stern man nodded and said, "That's it for today's morning class. You all can take a break now."
"Yes, sensei!" The teenagers stepped aside, catching their breath and glancing curiously at Ron, the uninvited guest.
"Hey, why do you think this man is here?"
"I'm not sure. He seemed to be watching us just now!"
"Do you think he's came to learn kendo from our teacher?"
"Well, it's a possibility! I think he's here to learn swordsmanship!" A tall young man with a gleam in his eyes stared at the stern middle-aged man and whispered, "Our teacher is the most formidable swordsman in Logue Town, and it's not uncommon for swordsmen from other places to come here seeking his guidance!"
"Haha, that's true! Our teacher is renowned for his swordsmanship!" This guy might have journeyed here to learn from the master. That's highly probable!" The other teenagers nodded and grinned. They felt a sense of excitement thinking about the prospect of their kendo instructor being sought after by sword enthusiasts. As they eyed Ron standing there with his sword, they couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of pride and superiority.
"Excuse me, sir!"
The stoic middle-aged man walked a couple of steps in his training gi, positioning himself about three meters in front of Ron. This spot was where he wielded his greatest power when drawing his sword, and the middle-aged man naturally halted at this point.
"Have you come to our kendo dojo for a specific reason?" he asked.
Ron offered a polite smile and replied, "I've heard that Mr. Grace is a renowned member of the Logue Town Kendo society, and I, a humble student named Ron, have come seeking guidance. I hope Mr.Grace won't hesitate to provide me with your insights."
"Seeking guidance? Insights?" The indifferent man's interest was piqued. He studied Ron carefully, a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.