Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me

This is simply unbelievable!

He admitted that he was not 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 this little brat'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 between Isshin-ryu swordsmen.

She was intimately familiar with the Ichishin-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 Kuina's eyes.

Predicting Rocks' next move is not difficult.

Kuina explained to Lox earnestly, "Sword reading, 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 you... well, your movements are a bit haphazard, there are still patterns to follow."

“Actions that have a clear pattern can be guided.”

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

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

Are you kidding me?

Can Kuina guide his next move?

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

Could Kuina really do that?

Kuina: "..."

This is not a particularly sophisticated method.

However, it's ineffective against swordsmen of the same level; it can only be used when a strong 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 were fighting someone before, didn't you sometimes deliberately expose weaknesses 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 in this state, Kuina found it inexplicably amusing and smiled, saying, "Then let me give you a direct experience..."

'Clang! Clang clang clang!'

Kuina, who was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Rocks, spoke up: "Next, you'll slash diagonally... If you forcefully stop it, the next move might be a diagonal slash..."

Rocks swung his sword diagonally at Kuina, but Kuina, having anticipated the attack, easily dodged it...

'Clang!'

Kuina swung her sword, but Rox blocked it. She then said, "By blocking my sword, you will..."

Rocks' next move was indeed exactly as 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 moves."

Kuina swung her sword, pressing down on Rocks: "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 deflected the Seven Star Sword, forcing Rocks to reveal a weakness...

The second strike prevented Rocks from gripping the Seven Star Sword tightly...

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

Kuina, holding the sword, said with a smile, "You lost, Captain."

So easy!

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

She fought Rocks no differently than she fought an apprentice who had just started learning swordsmanship.

It's no exaggeration to say that she wasn't even taking it seriously...

Locus: "..."

He stared at the sky speechlessly, his expression ashen.

That's terrible.

He suffered a terrible defeat in this battle.

He was crushed from beginning to end.

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 Isshin-ryu swordsmanship...

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

"I've lost..."

Rocks felt as if he had been struck by a negative ghost, his resolve shattered: "Sigh, with my skill level, how can I possibly compete for the title of the world's greatest swordsman? Sigh..."

That's a huge blow!

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

Instead, it was Kuina's completely incomprehensible defeat of her years of hard-earned Isshin-ryu swordsmanship.

This was a huge blow to Rocks.

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

Rocks was exhausted.

My heart is completely broken!

I'm so negative, I wish I could turn into a paramecium...

"..."

When Kuina saw Lox in this state, she was both amused and exasperated.

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

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

"If you're not good at techniques, just focus on your wide-ranging, sweeping 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 wide-ranging, powerful moves, is the most terrifying.

Rocks was speechless with frustration: "What's most disheartening for me is that my Isshin-ryu swordsmanship, which I've practiced so diligently for so many years, hasn't improved much at all..."

Kuina couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing: "Hahaha, you...you 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 Rocks will suffer some setbacks.

But she didn't think Rocks would be unable to "cheer up".

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 had lost every single time. This was just a one-round comeback for her.

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 provocatively said, "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!"

"..."

Rocks's lips twitched.

Very well, they've all started provoking me!

Then I... will tolerate it!

What else can you do if you can't bear it?

The gap is too big. Rocks doesn't have a masochistic tendency. Let's see if he can get his revenge later...

"Hey, you two aren't planning to set me up again, are you?"

Nami walked over, staring suspiciously at the two people, her face dark: "Xiao Luo, you didn't bet on Kuina to win, did you?"

She suspected that the two of them had set her up again.

Don't say it's impossible; these two have criminal records!

However, upon closer inspection, that doesn't make sense either. Betting on Kuina only resulted in winning Pelés and Gold; there were no other "small requests" involved...

Lox scoffed, "Why would I trick you for no reason? I'm betting on myself to win; the bet is to make you clean the toilet for three days!"

Nami's eyes widened: "It really was you!"

Robin, who had walked over, said, "I bet on Kuina to win."

Another person who bet on Kuina and won was Rachi: "I also bet on Miss Kuina and won before..."

"You two have excellent taste."

Kuina nodded approvingly at the person who bet on her to win: "Betting on me to win was the right choice!"

The previous betting game was just a bit of fun, and Kuina didn't take it seriously.

She was somewhat surprised that someone had bet on her to win.

But whatever the reason for betting on her to win, it's proof that you have good judgment...