Shirou's clones number 30 million

"Wait a moment!"

"Oh...? Do you want to say something in your last words?" Shirou asked in a deep voice.

"Actually, I also have a dream!"

"Uh... hahaha... I like people who can see their own hearts clearly. So, tell me, what's your dream?"

"I also want to experience the new era that you two are talking about; that's my dream."

Dorag stared at him speechlessly, thinking to himself:

Where is the justice you uphold? It's weeping for your inconsistent words and actions, hey!

However, despite his thoughts, he did not hesitate at all:

"Welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Borsalino."

With the addition of a vice admiral, winning over the navy might actually be possible.

Moreover, the position of Marine Admiral is currently vacant, and given Borsalino's strength, with the Celestial Dragons' encouragement, there is a high probability that he will become a Marine Admiral.

In the future, if he can further advance to become a Fleet Admiral...

Thinking of that future, a smile involuntarily appeared on Dragon's face.

……

On the island, inside a dojo, a young girl is constantly swinging her sword.

From childhood to adulthood, she has done the same things every day, rain or shine. Over the years, even when she was sick, she never stopped.

Among the many disciples at the dojo, her strength was unparalleled; even young people around 15 years old were no match for her.

However, the youngest disciple in the dojo made rapid progress from a complete novice to a respectable swordsman, which gradually made her realize her shortcomings as a woman.

"Is it really impossible for a woman to become the world's greatest swordsman?"

Boom!!

The sudden sound of lightning and thunder outside startled her, and she quickly grabbed her bamboo knife and ran outside.

As soon as the door was opened, a sharp white light flashed, creating a narrow canyon on the island.

"What is that? A swordsman's slash?"

Realizing that the storm in the distance was caused by a fight, the girl was extremely excited.

How could such a small aftershock have such a huge impact? Could one of the people fighting be the world's greatest swordsman?

Although she was a little scared, she did not hesitate at all and immediately ran towards the direction of the storm.

Although it was just a small island, by the time she reached the shore, the storm had already subsided, and the sea had returned to calm.

Am I too late?

Chapter Sixty-Five: Leaving a Letter and Running Away

Section 66, Chapter Sixty-Five: Leaving a Letter and Running Away

"Who are you looking for?" Shirou in his Rimuru form descended from the sky and asked curiously.

"Am I... a swordsman?"

Looking at the blue-haired "beautiful girl" not far away, the girl fell into deep thought.

This person actually descended from the sky. Could it be that one of the two people who were fighting just now was her?

But she looks like a little kid, not much older than me. Can a girl be this amazing?

Shirou looked her up and down, and quickly realized what was going on:

That blue hair, that yearning for swordsmanship—it turns out to be Zoro's childhood friend, Kuina.

"I have used a sword, but I would not call myself a swordsman."

Both the Demon King and the Mizukage wield swords.

Of course, the former uses a double-edged sword, a real sword.

The latter, though also called a sword, is actually a straight katana.

However, this is a world where swords and knives are indistinguishable, so it's not a problem to lump the two together.

"Was that sword energy you just unleashed?" Kuina asked again.

Shirou looked at her, puzzled. Following her gaze, he quickly noticed the thin crack and suddenly realized what was going on.

That wasn't sword energy; it was probably just the aftershock of my fingers tracing through the air during my fight with Dorrag.

Were there any casualties?

"Probably not. That direction is forest and fields. It's so late now, no one would go that way."

"That's good."

That slash was indeed her doing! Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked if there were any casualties.

Thinking of this, Kuina raised her bamboo sword and said seriously:

"Would you like to have a match with me? I'd like to see what real swordsmanship is like."

“Your courage is commendable, but the gap between us is too great; you can’t see anything,” Shirou reminded him.

“It’s okay!” Guina shook her head slightly. “I want to know how far I am from being number one in the world.”

"I see. Now, make your move."

"drink!"

Kuina swung her bamboo sword and delivered a beautiful slash.

"No, women's physiques are naturally inferior to men's, this kind of direct attack style is not suitable for you."

Shirou extended his right index finger, placed it against the tip of the bamboo sword, and shook his head slightly.

With the middle finger added, the two fingers grip the blade, and with a slight force, the bamboo knife slips out of your hand.

Shirou gripped the hilt of the bamboo sword, faced the sea, and gently swung it.

In an instant! The sea split in two, forming two enormous waterfalls.

Kuina stared at the sea in astonishment. After a few seconds, seeing that the sea showed no signs of returning to normal, she couldn't help but ask:

"Um, how long will it take for the ocean to recover?"

"About five or six minutes at the sea."

How far are you from becoming the world's greatest swordsman?

"If I said I was the best in the world, would you believe me?"

"I believe!"

Kuina nodded very seriously.

So this is the world's number one standard: splitting the ocean open with a sword, preventing it from recovering for five minutes.

No, that's not all. Her expression remained nonchalant, perhaps indicating that she wasn't using her full strength.

"I used to doubt whether I, as a woman, could become the world's greatest swordsman."

"However, since I have a role model like you, I will definitely work hard to improve myself and catch up with you as soon as possible."

"In the future, I will definitely challenge you with equal strength!"

Uh……

Shirou was speechless, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed to admit that he was male.

"Sorry, you may have misunderstood, I am a man."

As he spoke, Shirou canceled his mimicry and reverted to his original eight-year-old appearance.

"Huh...?"

Kuina stared in disbelief, circling him once before asking in a somewhat panicked manner:

"You...you're a boy?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Judging from your appearance, you're about my age. Are all boys in the outside world this strong?"

No, there are differences between people.

"Is it really impossible for a girl to become the world's greatest swordsman?"

Kuina sighed in disappointment, staring blankly at the sea, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Shirou shook his head slightly and said very seriously:

"I don't know if a girl can become the world's greatest swordsman, but I know a way that can definitely make her the world's greatest swordsman."

"Anyone who uses my method can become the world's greatest swordsman."

Kuina's eyes lit up, and she quickly turned to look at him with expectant eyes:

"What method?"

"Before that, I have a question for you: what is a sword?" Shirou asked thoughtfully.

Kuina thought for a moment and tried to say:

"The sword is a combat technique, and also an extension of fists and feet."

"It's not exactly wrong, but it's not quite right!" Shirou smiled slightly. "A sword is a weapon, a means of killing. Constantly challenge swordsmen stronger than yourself, rack your brains for ways to defeat them, and grow stronger step by step. As long as you never give up, in a few years, you will be the world's greatest swordsman."

In that instant, Guina suddenly understood.

From childhood to adulthood, he had defeated one swordsman after another, even stronger than himself, in the dojo.

But recently, his progress has slowed down, while Zoro has been making rapid progress, and the gap between them is constantly narrowing.

Faced with this situation, she couldn't help but doubt her own determination and pondered once again the question of "whether a girl can become the world's greatest swordsman".

In reality, objectively speaking, the reason I progressed so quickly in the past was because the disciples in the dojo were all stronger than me.