Kuina knelt on the ground, the bamboo sword in her hand shattered into fragments.
She looked up at the tall, silver-haired man before her. Tears streamed down her face, yet the stubborn light in her eyes was like wild grass—no matter how many times it was burned away, it always grew back.
Do you hate it?
Do you refuse to accept it?
Tobirama's words echoed in her ears like a lingering spell.
He gave a slight nod and withdrew the pale light from his palm.
"Do you really think you lost because of your gender?"
"Do you believe it's a woman's body that limits you?"
Tobirama let out a soft chuckle, his tone carrying faint disdain for mortal thinking.
He turned slowly and walked to the edge of the training ground, facing the distant sea.
"Little girl, don't make excuses for your weakness."
"In this world, the truly strong can ignore all rules."
"Gender, physique—those are nothing more than dust before absolute power."
"You said you want to become a great swordsman?"
His hand rested on the sword at his waist—a blade that had never been fully drawn.
"Then open your eyes and look carefully."
"What truly defines… the Way of the Sword."
Clang!
A clear, resonant sword cry rang out, like a dragon's roar tearing across the heavens.
The blade was drawn only an inch.
Just one inch.
Yet an indescribable sharpness instantly split the surrounding space apart. The wooden floor beneath their feet cracked soundlessly, fissures spreading in every direction.
"Watch closely," Tobirama said calmly.
"This strike."
He did not use chakra.
He did not use Flying Thunder God.
He did not even use Haki.
He simply raised his sword—and swung it casually toward a deserted island several kilometers away.
Slash!
A jet-black arc of sword energy burst forth like a crescent moon.
At first it was only a meter long, but the instant it flew over the sea, it expanded violently.
Ten meters.
One hundred meters.
One thousand meters.
Ten thousand meters.
Between heaven and earth, it seemed as though only that single black line remained.
The ocean was silently cleaved apart, revealing the endless seabed below. The seawater on both sides didn't even have time to surge back before it was held apart by the vacuum wall created by the sword qi.
And at the very edge of vision—
That deserted island, several kilometers in circumference.
There was no explosion.
No smoke.
No debris.
Only… separation.
The entire island—along with the clouds above it—slid downward in perfect alignment, clean and orderly, before everyone's eyes.
It was cut in half.
The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror.
Rumble!!!
Only after the island collapsed into the sea did the delayed roar arrive, carried by the wind. Towering waves surged upward, forming a terrifying tsunami.
One sword.
The sea was divided.
An island was severed.
Inside the dojo, deathly silence fell.
Even breathing seemed to stop.
The apprentices who had just regained consciousness stared in utter disbelief, mouths agape, eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
Kuina knelt there, staring blankly at the ocean that had been split apart. Her mind was completely empty.
Her swordsmanship.
Her pride.
Her dream of becoming a great swordsman.
Before that single strike, everything felt laughably insignificant.
"Is… is this…"
"The pinnacle of the world?"
Kuina murmured softly. Her tears had dried, replaced by a near-fanatical shock.
"The gap… it's too big."
"Can I really… reach such a realm?"
Her pride shattered completely. She no longer had the courage to even raise a sword.
Koushirou was drenched in cold sweat, his hand trembling as he held Wado Ichimonji.
As a swordsman, he understood better than anyone what that strike represented.
Even the world's greatest swordsman… might not be able to unleash something like that.
"Hah…"
Koushirou let out a long breath, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
He glanced at his daughter, who had lost all will to fight. Bitterness filled his heart—yet there was also a faint sense of relief.
At least… this calamity had no intention of killing them.
"Kuina, come back," he said hoarsely.
"Give the sword to His Majesty. I apologize—this farce should end here."
He wanted to pull her away.
The farther from this monster, the better.
"End?"
Tobirama sheathed his sword with a crisp click.
He turned around, his eyes passing over Koushirou and locking directly onto Kuina.
"Did I tell you to leave?"
Koushirou's heart lurched. "Y-Your Majesty, my daughter is ignorant—"
"Silence."
One cold glance.
Koushirou instantly felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, his body frozen in place.
Tobirama walked up to Kuina, looking down at her like a devil tempting a mortal.
"Did you see it?"
"This is my power."
"Your pitiful self-esteem means nothing to me."
"However…"
His gaze sharpened.
"I've taken a liking to your talent."
He pointed at Kuina's calloused hands.
"You think being a woman means you can never reach the peak?"
"That's only because you've never seen a real power system."
"As long as you nod your head—"
"Become my disciple. Swear loyalty to me."
"I will give you a physique that transcends gender."
"I will teach you the true sword of slaughter."
"Becoming a great swordsman will be trivial."
"Even the sky itself—I can let you pierce it."
"How about it?"
Kuina froze.
She looked up sharply. The dullness in her eyes vanished, replaced by a blinding light.
It was the madness of someone drowning, grasping the final lifeline.
"R-Really?"
Her voice trembled. "Even if I'm a girl… even if I'm weaker than men in the future… I can still cut the sea?"
"I never speak lightly," Tobirama replied arrogantly.
"In my empire, there are only the strong and the weak—no men or women."
"As long as you're willing to pay the price, I can place you above all others."
"Kuina! No!"
Koushirou finally broke free of his fear and rushed forward.
"This is madness! He's a pirate! A wanted criminal! You'll die if you follow him!"
"And what about the dojo? What about Wado Ichimonji?!"
This was a father's final struggle.
Kuina looked at her father's anxious face.
Then she looked at the silver-haired man who stood like a god.
One path led to safety—and mediocrity.
The other led to the peak—dangerous, cruel, and limitless.
After a long silence—
Kuina took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her face.
Her eyes became firmer than ever.
"Father."
She bowed deeply to Koushirou.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want to live my whole life under the curse of weakness."
"I don't want to only watch Zoro's back in the future."
"I don't want my destiny decided for me."
"I want to see it."
"I want to climb it."
"I want to know… what the view from the top looks like."
With that, she stood up and rushed to Tobirama before Koushirou could speak again.
She dropped to one knee.
Hands clasped in salute.
The most formal disciple-taking ceremony.
"Master!"
Her voice rang out, clear and resolute.
"I am willing!"
"Killing, cultivation, even falling into hell—!"
"As long as I can become stronger, my life is yours!"
At that moment, Kuina severed ties with her former self.
Tobirama looked down at her and smiled in satisfaction.
"Very good."
"A wise choice."
He placed his hand on her head.
Yang Release — Cell Activation.
Warm power surged into Kuina's body, healing her injuries and subtly reshaping her physique.
"From this day forward, you are my disciple."
"As for that sword…"
Tobirama turned to Koushirou.
The man looked at his kneeling daughter, opened his mouth, then finally sighed deeply.
"…So be it."
He handed Wado Ichimonji over with both hands.
"Since it's your choice, take it with you."
"Don't disgrace it."
Kuina hugged the sword tightly to her chest, tears flowing once more.
"Thank you, Father!"
"I swear—I'll make this blade echo across the world!"
"Hmph! Another fox!"
Nearby, Hancock crossed her arms, jealousy thick in her voice.
She glanced at Kuina's undeveloped figure, then at herself, a victorious smile appearing.
"A washboard."
"A brat like this is only fit to wash feet."
"The Empress's position is unshakable!"
Tobirama ignored the rivalry entirely.
The objective was complete.
"Rest for one day," he ordered Robin and Makino.
"We depart tomorrow morning."
"Next stop—Xirobu Village."
…
The next morning.
Under the awed gazes of Shimotsuki Village's residents, Tobirama departed in a grand procession.
Kuina carried Wado Ichimonji on her back and did not look back.
Her eyes were fixed firmly on her master's figure.
Master…
One day, I will wield that sword too.
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