Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me!

This is simply unbelievable!

He admitted that he wasn't good at technical swordsmanship, but... how could he be so bad at it?

Even if you beat Rocks to death, he wouldn't believe it!

After hearing Lox's words, Kuina fell silent: "..."

What's with that lackey's tone?

Rocks stared at Kuina and questioned, "Have you mastered Observation Haki that allows you to foresee the future? Otherwise, how could you sense my next sword strike?"

Kuina: "..."

Does this require the use of Observation Haki, which allows one to foresee the future?

This battle was a sparring match of Isshin-ryu swordsmanship.

She was intimately familiar with the Isshin-ryu sword technique, having practiced it since childhood.

Rocks' Isshin-ryu swordsmanship can be described as completely unstructured, but after years of hard training, some subtle movements are ingrained in Rocks' very being.

These subtle movements did not escape Guina's notice.

It's not difficult to predict Rocks' next move.

Kuina explained to Lox earnestly, "Reading the sword, based on your last swing, it's not difficult to predict your next move, and I'm also guiding your next move."

Lox's eyes widened: "You can control my next move?"

"It's not about control, it's about guidance. Putting aside personal habits, sword sparring within the same school tends to have relatively fixed moves."

Kuina explained, "Although your movements are... well, a bit haphazard, there are still patterns to follow."

“Actions that can be followed can be guided.”

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Lox immediately rejected the idea, saying in disbelief, "I can't even do something like that, how could you possibly do it!"

Are you kidding me?

Is Kuina able to guide his next move?

However... although I don't quite believe it, thinking back on the sparring just now, it seems to be true?

Could Kuina really do it?

Kuina: "..."

This is not a particularly sophisticated method.

However, it is ineffective against swordsmen of the same level; it can only be used when a stronger opponent is weaker...

Rocks is truly terrible at technical swordsmanship, especially in the Isshin-ryu style, which is why she was able to do something like this...

"When you fought with someone before, didn't you sometimes deliberately expose a weakness and trade blows with the enemy? That's a way of guiding the other person's next move."

Kuina explained, "Although my methods aren't as extreme as yours, the principle is the same!"

Locus: "..."

Is that really the case?

However, he couldn't do what Kuina said!

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Rocks was unwilling to admit that his technical swordsmanship was really that bad.

He had clearly practiced Isshin-ryu swordsmanship diligently for many years.

How could it be this bad?

"I don't believe you, take this!"

Enraged, Lox charged toward Kuina...

Looking at Lox's appearance, Kuina found it inexplicably amusing and smiled, saying, "Then let me let you experience it firsthand..."

Clang! Clang clang clang!

Kuina, who was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Rocks, said, "Next, you'll do a diagonal slash... If I forcefully stop you, the next move might be a diagonal cut..."

Rocks slashed diagonally at Kuina, but Kuina, having anticipated the attack, easily dodged it...

Clang!

Kuina swung her sword, which was blocked by Rocks. She then said, "If you block this sword of mine, you will..."

Rocks' next move was indeed consistent with what Kuina had said.

Even if you forcibly change your moves, Kuina will still be right...

"See? The movements of Isshin-ryu swordsmanship are relatively fixed. Even if you have no method, there are still patterns to follow, and it is easy to predict your movements."

Kuina swung her sword, pressing down on Lox: "That's why Father needs us to forge our own paths. Only by finding our own way of the sword can we be considered to have graduated..."

Clang!

Kuina unleashed three consecutive sword strikes like a tidal wave.

The first sword strike deflected the Seven Star Sword, forcing Rocks to reveal an opening...

The second strike forced Rocks to defend himself, preventing him from gripping the Seven Star Sword tightly...

The third sword was placed against Rocks' neck...

Kuina, holding the sword, smiled and said, "You lost, Captain."

That was so easy!

With equal strength and speed, and using the same Isshin-ryu swordsmanship.

She fought Rocks no differently than she fought a novice swordsman.

It's no exaggeration to say that she wasn't even serious...

Locus: "..."

He stared silently at the sky, his expression ashen.

It's too awful.

He suffered a crushing defeat in this battle.

He was completely outmatched from start to finish.

They had almost no chance to fight back.

Even if he refused to admit it, he realized one thing: in terms of technical swordsmanship, specifically the Isshin-ryu style...

It's not that I'm not good at it, it's that I simply don't have the talent!

"I've lost..."

Rocks's spirit shattered as if struck by a phantom of negativity: "Alas, with my skill level, how can I possibly contend for the title of the world's greatest swordsman? Alas..."

That's a huge blow!

It wasn't because he was devastated by losing to Kuina.

Instead, it was the fact that Kuina had completely and inexplicably overwhelmed his Isshin-ryu swordsmanship, which he had painstakingly practiced for many years.

This was a huge blow to Lox.

Although Kuina has certainly trained in Isshin-ryu swordsmanship for longer than him, the gap is so large that there's no excuse for it...

Rocks was exhausted.

My heart is completely broken!

I'm so negative, I just want to turn into a paramecium...

"..."

When Kuina saw Lox looking like this, she was both amused and exasperated.

This was the first time I'd seen Rocks look so dejected; he looked almost like he'd been hit by Perona's Negative Spectre...

She quickly said, "You're not good at technical swordsmanship to begin with, and you deliberately limited your strength and speed, so isn't it normal for you to lose to me?"

"If you're not good at technique, just focus on your wide-ranging swordsmanship..."

Don't force yourself to do things you're not good at; Rocks wasn't a skilled swordsman either.

His swordsmanship, characterized by its sweeping, powerful moves, is the most terrifying.

Rocks was speechless with frustration: "What hurts me the most is that after years of hard work practicing the Isshin-ryu swordsmanship, I haven't made much progress..."

Kuina couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing: "Hahaha, you...you look like this, hahaha...I can't take it anymore..."

Locus: "..."

No.

Where did your caring older sister demeanor go?

Rocks was even more exhausted...

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Kuina suppressed a laugh and teased, "Didn't you always tell Nami that if you're bad at something, you should practice more? Now that it's your turn, you can't handle it?"

It's inevitable that Lox will suffer some setbacks.

But she didn't think Rocks would "cradle".

How could someone so confident that he calls himself a "god" possibly lose his faith because of an "unfair" sparring match?

She had sparred with Lox countless times, and she lost every single time. This time, she had only managed to win one round.

Besides, it was Rocks who actively "provoked" her, right?

"I'll remember this debt, and I'll definitely get my revenge later!"

Rocks grunted twice: "Remember that, Miss First Mate!"

Kuina raised her head, revealing her long, fair neck, and said provocatively, "If it's a sparring match of technical swordsmanship or Isshin-ryu swordsmanship, I'm always ready. I'm just afraid you won't dare to challenge me to a duel again!"