One Piece: Starting with Breathing Techniques

Chapter 169 Wano Country!

Feeling that somewhat familiar aura, Kiro couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Pushing open the gate, a somewhat dilapidated temple came into view.

Judging from the scale and facilities of the dojo, one can still vaguely see its former glory, but now it is deserted and only a few facilities are still in operation.

In the center of the training ground, a young man, covered in sweat and half-dampened, was intently chopping at a wooden stake in front of him with an iron sword.

"Whoosh—ha!"

He mustered all his strength and swung his sword down, but only left a shallow cut on the wooden stake, without splitting it in two.

"well----"

The boy sighed, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and was about to continue practicing with his sword when he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him.

"Don't tense your forearms, relax them —"

"Feel the blade with your heart, not with brute force; imagine your strikes are invincible!"

The boy was taken aback, then subconsciously began to think, his eyes gradually brightening.

He re-established his stance and, following Kiro's instructions, swung his sword again, this time effortlessly cleaving the wooden stake in two.

"Whoosh!"

"Very good!"

The boy was excited and was about to say something when he suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned around and saw a swordsman with a sword at his waist standing at the entrance of the dojo.

The other person was not old, and looked no older than him, but his eyes and brows exuded an indescribable aura and sharpness, like a sword that could be drawn at any moment.

"—Sorry, we're closed here. This isn't a dojo!"

Surprisingly, the boy showed some fear, waving his hands repeatedly and putting away his longsword, carrying it on his back, and bowing apologetically to Kiro.

Seeing this, Kiro was slightly taken aback, completely confused and somewhat bewildered. "Wait, why are you apologizing?"

The boy was taken aback. Seeing that Kiro seemed to have no ill intentions and that there were two conspicuous samurai swords at his waist, he examined him for a moment, then let out a long sigh and explained, "Phew."

"Excuse me, sir, I thought you were one of the general's men!"

Seeing that Kiro still looked puzzled, the boy was somewhat surprised, but still politely explained, "Ever since General Kurozumi Orochi took over, he has issued a ban on weapons."

"It is strictly forbidden for civilians to possess swords or set up dojos, and those warriors are specifically arrested."

"so----"

The boy shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, I overreacted just now."

"But, who are you—?"

Kilo frowned, hesitated for a long time, and then chose to remain silent.

Seeing that Kiro was unwilling to reveal anything, the boy stopped asking and noticed the two long swords at the other's waist, and had a vague guess in his mind.

The other person should be a swordsman, but not a native of Wano Country.

Could they be pirates from outside?

But the other person's demeanor didn't seem right. If they were really those vicious pirates, why would they offer him guidance?

Since he sensed no malice from Kiro, the boy stopped pressing for Kiro's identity and instead asked earnestly, "Sir, are you here to find someone?"

"Or perhaps—?"

Kiro shook his head, then nodded. "You call this place—the Ryoma Dojo?"

"Is he the Ryoma I imagined?"

The boy nodded without hesitation, "That's right!"

"That's the Sword God Ryoma! This is the dojo he personally established, and it's the most orthodox dojo!"

Kiro raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"but----"

"Why has it turned out like this?"

The boy's eyes dimmed, and he sighed softly, "Since Wano Country fell into continuous war, Lord Ryuma's legacy has gradually declined, coupled with the martial arts ban issued by General Kurozumi Orochi—"

"Now, there are only two people left in the entire Longma Dojo: me and my master."

"My master went out to buy something and hasn't returned yet. If you need anything—"

"Wait, I'm back."

An elderly man with a hunched back walked in through the gate, slowly closed the gate of the dojo, and looked at the imposing Kilo.

He squinted and looked Kilo up and down, his expression calm and unmoved.

Under Kilo's rather shocked gaze, the old man calmly uttered his name.

"Mr. Kiro, I've heard so much about you."

"—You're Kiro?!"

"—Do you know me?"

Kilo and the boy blurted out their words almost simultaneously, both taken aback by the old man's words.

The old man smiled slightly, "Of course, after all, we swordsmen have very sharp intuition."

"Besides—" he pointed to the two longswords at Kiro's waist, "no one wouldn't recognize these two swords!"

"Kalan, why don't you hurry up and greet Mr. Kiro?"

The boy named Karan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed to Kiro with a look of shock, saying, "Hello, Mr. Kiro!"

He looked at the legendary swordsman with some disbelief.

No swordsman would be unfamiliar with this legend. In just a few years at sea, he carved out a terrifying record with his sharp blade. He not only led the Revolutionary Army to Mary Geoise, but also single-handedly fought against two naval admirals. He is one of the world's strongest swordsmen.

More importantly, the other person was not old, only five or six years older than him!

For a moment, Karan was somewhat dazed.

The old man smiled and looked at Kiro. "Mr. Kiro, my name is Shimotsuki Soku, and I am the twelfth generation successor of the Ryoma Dojo."

"May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

"But please allow me to ask a question first: if you have come here for Lord Ryoma's legacy—"

Shimotsuki Soku sighed softly, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

"The lineage of Lord Ryoma has been broken for two generations, and the dojo has become increasingly desolate. I'm afraid there's nothing left that would interest you."

Kiro was taken aback. "You don't even have the Dragon Slayer Sword Manual?"

A look of confusion crossed Shimotsuki Soku's face. He shook his head. "Sorry—"

Seeing this, Kiro fell silent, his mind churning with thoughts.

He truly never expected that even the most orthodox dojo left behind by Ryoma would have lost the Dragon Slayer Sword Manual!

No wonder when he came in earlier, he saw that the boy named Karan practicing swordsmanship. It was almost completely haphazard, relying purely on brute force and awkward technique.

He initially thought the other person hadn't learned well, but it turned out to be purely self-taught.

Kiro sighed, feeling a pang of guilt as he recalled Ryoma's help to him.

He took the black sword Autumn Water from his waist and handed it to Shimotsuki Soku, saying, "Lord Ryoma once instructed me to return this Autumn Water to its homeland through a certain method."

Upon receiving the black sword, Autumn Water, Frost Moon Soku stood frozen in place, staring at the longsword in his hand—a sword he was both intimately familiar with and yet seeing for the first time. An expression of disbelief appeared on his wrinkled face.

"this----"

"This is?!"