Comic series: Starting from Pirates to Cultivate the True Self

"I won!"

"Yes, yes, you won, but I've never heard that the navy has to fight pirates one-on-one, right?"

Mo Xingchen rolled his eyes and said perfunctorily with an unhappy look, "Who wants to pick up such a rotten peach? You have shame, but I don't! I am still the future of the navy!"

“Haha…haha…is this what you call a strong man…the spirit of swinging a sword against someone even stronger than him?!”

"I can't beat you, so you are stronger than me, so it is reasonable for me to arrest you!"

"Okay, okay! You want to play like this, too!"

At this moment, Mo Xingchen seemed to have learned the Red Earl's observation Haki. He could clearly feel Redfield's great grievance that day, and the deafening cry in his heart, "Navy! You have no moral principles!!!"

"So you're just going to let Marshal Kong just lie there?"

Lieutenant General He saw the Red Earl who had been handcuffed, turned around and looked at the three old bastards who bullied their subordinates, and was ready to give them a slap in the face, after all, Xiao Mo was such an obedient child.

The three Zhan Guo people quickly surrounded Marshal Kong, and six arms thicker than telephone poles began to bandage the wounded.

"By the way, um... Sister He, how much is the bounty for Redfield!"

Mo Xingchen asked Lieutenant General He with a shy look on his face. After all, he had already done the dirty work. If he didn't take some, he would be the one being taken advantage of!

"You evil creature! I have to support my family, too!"

Perhaps this is the power of money. Marshal Kong opened his eyes and roared, "Damn it! If I don't wake up, I've worked hard for three days, shed so much blood and sweat, and almost worked for nothing!"

But no matter what, it is considered that a legendary pirate has been captured. Thinking that only the Whitebeard Pirates are still alive, I can't help but feel happy. I, the Admiral of the Navy, have made great achievements! So he laughed and said proudly:

"Mo boy, what reward do you want this time!"

"Then will you give me a year off?"

"Cough cough~"

Ganggu's face turned the color of liver from the air, and he kept coughing violently. Mo Xingchen also hurriedly tried to make up for himself.

"It's not just a vacation. I just want to go out and find a suitable knife."

"Hey~ I'm going to Mary Joa to report on my work this time. I'll ask you for a good knife then. You still need to look for it everywhere."

Mo Xingchen touched his head awkwardly and said:

"I don't want a ready-made one. I want to make a sword that suits me. I know that Wano Country is rich in swordsmiths, but it's not convenient for me to go to the New World right now, so I want to go there and see if I can meet a powerful swordsmith and catch pirates along the way."

"Marshal Kong, my fleet doesn't have many missions right now, so why not let this kid grow wild on his own?"

Karp was also helping Mo Xingchen at the side.

"This kid is usually very lazy. It's rare that he has something he wants to do. Anyway, it won't delay the execution of justice in his heart. I think it's feasible!"

Vice Admiral Crane also said this. Gang Gukong frowned and thought for a long time before reluctantly agreeing.

"Okay, I've approved it, but you may not slack off this year. If you don't improve when I test you after you come back, you'll have to bear the consequences!"

When Mo Xingchen heard that Gang Gukong finally gave in, he immediately straightened his chest and raised his head to salute.

"Hey, make sure to complete the task!"

Chapter 25 Do you dare to say that squinty eyes are not monsters?

With Redfield being captured, Mo Xingchen heard the soldiers talking about how Marshal Kong was still strong and had captured the legendary pirate who roamed the seas again. He just didn't know how their faith would collapse if they knew the truth, that their marshal had actually lost.

Kong is an old man who loves face very much. Roger could have retired gloriously after being executed, but then the Golden Lion came and caused trouble in Marinford. After finally suppressing the Great Pirate Era, the Navy's rookies began to gradually emerge, and then the Red Earl came. It would have been fine if he had won, but he ended up losing. It is estimated that we have to wait for a while before Sengoku-san can succeed to the throne.

Of course, Mo Xingchen didn't really want to find a swordsmith after taking a year off. After all, he had the advantage of traveling through time. He knew that in the Shimotsuki Village in the East Sea, Zoro's hometown, his master Koshiro's father was a super swordsmith. It is said that Wado Ichimonji and Yama were made by him.

It is more because the Taoist practice of true heart focuses on being close to nature, entering the world and leaving the world, and can only be perfected by practicing both nature and life. It is really intended to see the world, see all living beings, and thus understand and feel the world.

Mo Xingchen originally wanted to travel alone, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was not very convenient. He couldn't rely on hitchhiking to go everywhere. Besides, the navy had detailed maps, so why not use the convenience instead of suffering on his own.

So he first went to Vice Admiral Tsuru to get a small frigate approved, and then got a detailed map of the four seas. Then he borrowed some people from Vice Admiral Karp, and after getting his approval, he went to find William. Because of his contribution to the Sabaody Archipelago, William was promoted and was now a major in the headquarters.

He told William about his general itinerary for the year, hoping that he could help find some soldiers willing to accompany him to sea. Just like last time, he didn't need too many people, but this time he needed to have a full complement of personnel in various positions, such as maintenance personnel, cooking staff, etc. He couldn't sail on the sea with an empty stomach!

.........

A few days later, in the East China Sea, a naval frigate was sailing in the sea.

“William, I didn’t expect you to follow me out.”

Mo Xingchen was still the same as usual, lying on a beach chair on the deck, drinking an iced drink, looking very comfortable.

"You should know that I'm just on vacation this time and traveling around, but I don't have any military merits to gain."

When William heard the question, his attitude was no longer as serious as when they first got along. He knew what kind of person Mo Xingchen was like, so he answered with a smile.

"Haha, Colonel, you are joking. It's mainly because Vice Admiral Garp usually doesn't have any missions right now. If he does, they are definitely not ordinary ones. With my strength, it is obvious that I can't play any role in the mission. Maybe even self-protection will become a problem.

Besides, your sailing plan this time is basically to travel around the world. With your strength, the safety of us soldiers can definitely be guaranteed. If we encounter some pirates with low bounties, we can also participate and exercise our actual combat experience."

"Hey, you're still as clear-headed as ever! Don't worry, although I won't deliberately go to hunt down pirates this time, I will definitely not turn a blind eye if I encounter them. I can't let the brothers who followed me out starve! By the way, go ask them how long it will take to get to Shimotsuki Village."

"Based on today's sailing conditions, it will take about 2-3 hours to reach Shimotsuki Village."

"Okay, I'll take a nap first, call me when you get there."

"Okay, Colonel." William watched Mo Xingchen close his eyes and begin to rest, then turned around to go back to his patrol work.

……

Following a slight vibration, Mo Xingchen opened his eyes drowsily.

"Colonel, we have arrived at Shimotsuki Village."

William's gentle reminder came to his ears. Mo Xingchen rubbed his sore eyes, stood up, and stretched his body. Turning his head, he saw that the soldiers had already gathered on the deck.

"Leave a few people to guard the warship. William, you follow me. The rest of you are free to move around. Let's land!"

Mo Xingchen took William along to ask the villagers about the location of the Shimotsuki Dojo, and also observed their living conditions. He found that the residents on this island had a high happiness index, and they did not hate the navy, nor did they feel urgent to be saved when they saw the navy. It seemed that with Shimotsuki Koshiro's strength, he should have protected this island from pirates, so these people could live so peacefully.

There is not much description about Koshiro's strength in the comics and anime, but considering that he can meet the future leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, his combat power should not be too low. Judging from the fact that he can teach Zoro to cut through the Iron Realm, he is at least a swordsman.

Judging from his attitude towards his own child Kuina, he thinks that girls cannot become great swordsmen due to their innate physical disadvantages, which means that he may even be a great swordsman. Even if he is not, he at least knows the level of a great swordsman. As a swordsman, if he meets a great swordsman and does not die or get injured, he is infinitely close. After all, not everyone can be as free as Hawkeye!

Thinking that their family could sail to here from the New World while Wano Country was in a closed-off state, Mo Xingchen was more inclined to the latter. After all, according to international convention, people with squinty eyes are monsters!

After asking for directions, Mo Xingchen and the others finally arrived at the Shimotsuki Kendo Hall. A courtyard with a distinct Wano Country style, through the gate, there were a dozen straw men and wooden stakes standing in the open space of the courtyard, and three or two young men were practicing swinging with real swords.

"What's wrong with you?"

A young man in a dojo training uniform looked at the two people at the door, walked over and asked,

"Looking for your owner, Shimotsuki Koshiro." Mo Xingchen replied with a polite smile.

"Then come with me. The master should be in the dojo now."

The young man first examined the two men and saw that they seemed to be navy men because of their attire and their attitude did not suggest that they were looking for trouble, so he spoke and then turned and walked inside.

"Good work."

Mo Xingchen and the other man followed the young man and were brought to the entrance of a large indoor training ground.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll go in and inform the master."

Seeing Mo Xingchen nod slightly, the young man walked towards the dojo. After a while, a squinty-eyed man wearing glasses came out, looked at Mo Xingchen and the other man with a little bit of caution and asked:

"Excuse me, gentlemen of the navy, what can I do for you?"

"Hello, Mr. Koshiro. We have no ill intentions in coming here. We just want to ask your father to forge a sword for me."

"This is not the place to talk. Please follow me."

Gengshiro slightly bent over, raised one arm, made a gesture of invitation, and brought Mo Xingchen to the study. The two sat opposite each other across the coffee table. Gengshiro began to make tea and asked:

"I have read about you in the newspaper. I didn't expect you to be a swordsman. But there is one thing I don't understand. How did you know about my relationship with my father?"

Chapter 26 I once dreamed of traveling to the end of the world with my sword

“Although the Navy’s intelligence system doesn’t have that much detail, it’s actually not hard to detect if you analyze it carefully.

First, the surname Shimotsuki is very famous in the history of Wano Country. First, there was the dragon-slaying swordsman Ryuma Shimotsuki's feat of slaying a dragon, which was passed down from generation to generation by swordsmen on the sea.

The second is Kozuki Oden, the former captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates and the general of Wano Country. Later, for some unknown reason, he boarded the ship of Pirate King Roger. He is a great swordsman with two swords, Ame-no-Hazan and Yama. It is said that Yama was forged by the current head of the Shimotsuki family.

Third, there has been no pirate invasion on this island, and the nearest naval branch has not received any distress signals from the island. This place is called Shimotsuki Village, and you are running a kendo gym. Maybe before I came here, there was still a possibility of suspicion that we were of the same surname, but the moment I saw the gym owner, I was sure of it. "

As the saying goes, flattery never wears out. Hearing a strong man praising his family and affirming his own strength, Koshiro was overjoyed. He quickly poured tea for Mo Xingchen and William and said:

"Thank you, thank you! Mr. Mo, since you want my father to make a sword for you, and considering your achievements in the newspaper, I think you are also a powerful swordsman. Can you exchange ideas with me?"

Mo Xingchen saw the change in Koshiro's tone and attitude, and he should have let down his guard a little. So if he could exchange some sword skills, the matter would probably be settled. So he took a sip of hot tea, smiled and said:

"It's your first visit, and you're showing off your weapons and sticks to the host. You're a bad guest! Mr. Shimotsuki, why don't we drink tea and talk about it?"

Although Mo Xingchen did not agree to the actual combat request, this polite answer made Koshiro even happier, so he raised his teacup to salute from a distance and began to explain his swordsmanship.

"I practiced my family's sword art in Wano Country, and reached the level of a swordsman when I was young. Later, I encountered a bottleneck, so I went out to sea to seek a breakthrough. I fought with pirates in the New World for several years, and finally came here unintentionally. I met my wife, and then my state of mind became perfect and I broke through.

Mr. Mo, you have also seen that my dojo is called Yixin Dojo. What I pursue is the power of the heart, because human power is limited, but the human heart can be infinite. Don't stick to one move or one form, hone the heart, body, and sword to the extreme, and then condense them into one, swing a sword full of your own beliefs, and you can cut everything. What do you think, sir?"

Mo Xingchen drank the hot tea in his cup in one gulp, slowly stood up, waved his coat of justice, and spoke eloquently.

"In my humble opinion, Kendo is divided into five stages.

Sword Realm: At this stage, the swordsman is pursuing a divine weapon with sharp and fierce features, which are indestructible. His moves are vigorous and his swordsmanship is full of confidence!

Soft Sword Realm: With the increase of age and the tempering of life experience, the swordsman's swordsmanship also tends to mature, and the soft sword is characterized by agility, but relatively lacks attack power. At this stage, they no longer focus on the benefits of magic weapons, but concentrate on honing their swordsmanship!

The heavy sword realm: Its characteristic is great skill without effort, that is, using one's own strength to drive the sword technique, thus reaching the realm of lifting heavy objects with ease. At this stage, it no longer relies too much on the sharpness of the weapon, but is dominated by strength, showing a new concept of swordsmanship!

Wood Sword Realm: At this stage, swordsmanship becomes more free and unrestrained, and grass, wood, bamboo, and stone can all become swords. Thus, it breaks through to the realm of lifting light as if it were heavy. At this time, swordsmanship has transcended material constraints and achieved a kind of spiritual freedom and unrestrainedness.

The realm of no sword: It means that the swordsmanship has been sublimated to a whole new level, that is, "no sword is better than a sword", that is, through the understanding of the laws of nature and philosophical principles, the swordsmanship has reached a level that cannot be predicted and cracked by the opponent. At this stage, the swordsmanship has surpassed the scope of traditional techniques and integrated into a higher level of Tao! "

Koshiro and William were fascinated by what they heard. The realm of swordsmanship was broken down in such detail by Mo Xingchen. Perhaps William's realm was a little lower and he could not understand it very well, but as a great swordsman, Koshiro was confirming his own way.

He is currently in the soft sword realm, and cannot yet achieve the level of lifting heavy objects with ease. This does not mean that without a sword, one can reach the ultimate swordless realm. That is a pursuit of Tao! If you try to fight Hawkeye without a sword, you will see if you will be chopped into a fool.

"Sir, you are so talented! You have found a way for swordsmen like me to become great swordsmen. Please accept my greetings!"

Koshiro was so excited that he stood up and bowed 90 degrees. Mo Xingchen accepted it calmly, because the swordsmanship in this world is so simple. The great swordsman is the ultimate. To be honest, it is really difficult to make further progress without excellent talent. However, this theory points directly to a higher level of swordsmanship. Maybe Koshiro's talent is limited and he can't reach the final swordless realm, but at least he has found a way to continue to improve his swordsmanship.

"May I ask what realm you are in now, sir?"

"He should have just reached the third level, the Heavy Sword Realm."

Just as Koshiro was about to say something else, a gentle and virtuous woman holding a baby pushed open the door of the study, only to find that there was a guest in the room. She was stunned for a moment and said apologetically:

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were entertaining guests, I just wanted to invite you to dinner."

Koshiro stood up and made an invitation gesture.

"These are my wife and daughter. If you don't mind, sir, would you please stay with your companions and have some simple food?"

"Then we are so disturbing!"

After having a simple dinner with Koshiro's family, the four of them came to the study again. Koshiro explained Mo Xingchen's kendo theory to his father, his words full of admiration. After listening to him, Kozaburo was also amazed.

Mo Xingchen also explained his purpose and asked the old man to forge a sword for him.

"What kind of sword do you want to forge? Do you have a sample and specific dimensions?"

Kozaburo asked enthusiastically. Originally, he had closed the furnace and stopped forging swords. However, after his son's explanation, he believed that Mo Xingchen had a bright future. Who could refuse to forge a sword for a person who could surpass the great swordsman in the future?

Mo Xingchen took out the sword-making blueprint that he had pondered for a long time while sailing, because in the five thousand years of history of the Flower-Bearing Family, there were countless famous swords. To be honest, he had a bit of difficulty making a decision.

Thinking that some legendary swords might be difficult to replicate in this world, he finally decided to forge an eight-sided Han sword for himself.

"Old sir, this is the blueprint. I hope to increase the weight of the sword as much as possible according to the size."

"What a beautiful weapon! I need some time to think about the materials for making the sword."

Kozaburo looked at the Han sword on the drawing, muttering to himself as if he had seen a peerless beauty.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Lao."