The next morning, after sleeping all afternoon and night, Vir felt much more energized. The several small meals he had during this time also helped his body return to a normal state.
Sitting on the bed, he began to think about how to become stronger. Back in his previous world, Vir had always admired the swordsmen of the One Piece world, so he decided to start by learning swordsmanship, supplemented by martial arts.
The most important thing was Haki. Once he got older, he must find a way to learn Haki, especially Armament Haki. In Vir’s view, Observation Haki and Conqueror’s Haki were secondary; only a strong Armament Haki made one truly powerful. The most typical examples were Zeff and Garp, who, with their strong Armament Haki, one became an admiral and the other chased Roger around the world.
So, Armament Haki was essential, Observation Haki was secondary, and Conqueror’s Haki was left to fate, as it couldn’t be pursued deliberately.
But with his 9-year-old body and extremely poor physical strength, learning Armament Haki was a dream. Swordsmanship was more reliable and could also build up his stamina.
First, he needed to look around and see if there were any dojos in Loguetown. Finding a famous teacher was out of the question; he had to start with the basics.
Although there was no qi, energy, or chakra, as someone who had watched most of One Piece, he knew what it took to become strong and what real strength was.
After greeting Red downstairs, he went out. First, he needed to get a general understanding of Loguetown.
By late morning, Vir was holding a large meat skewer in one hand and an unknown fruit in the other, eating as he walked.
The food was delicious. Even though the meat skewer was bought from a roadside stall, it tasted much better than any meat on Earth. The fruit was also sweet and tangy.
Looking up, he realized he had walked to the edge of Loguetown. Just as he was about to turn back, he saw a not-so-large dojo by the roadside.
The yard wasn’t big, and there was a simple signboard with the three words “Sword Intent Hall” written in a flamboyant style.
He had already visited several dojos, none of which met his requirements. Some even taught performance swordsmanship, which was ridiculous. He decided to take a look.
As he entered the dojo, he saw a small courtyard with about a dozen kids sweating and practicing swordsmanship. A few older youths were instructing them.
Before he could take a few steps, a muscular young man in his twenties came up to him and said warmly, “Hey there, little friend, are you here to sign up for swordsmanship lessons? Let me show you around.”
Vir nodded, “Yes, I want to sign up for the dojo. What are the requirements?”
The young man smiled even more broadly, “Our Sword Intent Hall is quite good in Loguetown. We’ve even produced a Navy lieutenant. My name is Karn. If you sign up, you can call me senior brother. Let me take you to meet the teacher. By the way, what’s your name, little brother?”
While Karn had already upgraded his address from “little friend” to “little brother,” Vir had been observing his surroundings, feeling that this place was good for a start. But he wanted to see the head of the dojo first.
Following Karn, he replied, “My name is Vir. I work at Red’s shop.”
Karn was surprised, “Oh? You’re already working at such a young age? That’s impressive.”
Vir smiled and answered, “My family has all passed away. If I don’t work, what can I do? Luckily, I learned a craft from an uncle when I was very young.”
Karn nodded, “Yes, that’s how things are now. The sea is so chaotic, and the government doesn’t have much control over the four seas. Even here in Loguetown, the streets are full of pirates in other places.”
Vir smiled without responding, following Karn through the yard to a traditional Japanese-style house.
Karn gently knocked on the paper-and-wood sliding door and respectfully said, “Master, a new student is here to sign up.”
After a short pause, a calm voice came from inside, “Is that you, Karn? Come in.”
After removing their shoes, Karn and Vir entered the room. The room was spacious, with only about twenty cushions in the middle. The front row had just one cushion, while the rest were neatly arranged in rows.
On the front cushion sat a robust old man with his eyes closed, wearing a black kimono. His hair and beard were white. Despite his age, he exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior, like an old leopard. Although not as fierce as in his youth, he was undoubtedly a formidable beast.
The old man opened his eyes and looked at Vir, “Little friend, do you want to learn swordsmanship at my dojo?”
Vir nodded, “Yes, I want to learn swordsmanship.”
The old man didn’t ask why Vir wanted to learn swordsmanship or any other unnecessary questions. He simply said, “Alright, the tuition fee is 1,000 Berries per month. Clothing, food, and lodging are extra.”
Vir was a bit taken aback. This wasn’t the usual development in anime. Wasn’t the master supposed to ask why he wanted to learn swordsmanship and why he wanted to become stronger, followed by a passionate answer from the student, leading to the master recognizing the student’s potential and taking him in as a personal disciple for free?
Although thinking about such unrealistic scenarios, Vir quickly responded, “Alright, Master. When can I start learning? My name is Vir.”
The old man smiled, “Go with your senior brother Karn to complete the formalities. Come to class tomorrow morning at 7. My name is Adonis, but you can call me Master Adonis or just Master.”
Vir nodded, said, “See you tomorrow, Master,” and left with Karn.
In a nearby room, after paying 1,300 Berries, Vir received a set of clothes, a wooden sword, and a small wooden plaque representing his status as a student, similar to an old receipt. He then left the dojo.
Shortly after Vir left, Adonis opened the door and called Karn.
In the previous room, with his back to Karn, Adonis said, “Do you know the background of the new student? Go to town and find out. We don’t want to accept anyone we shouldn’t.”
Karn nodded respectfully, “Master, I asked him earlier. He said he works at Red’s shop, but I don’t know exactly what he does. He’s an orphan, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Adonis nodded, thinking for a moment, “Then find an opportunity to verify this at Red’s. If everything checks out, take him in. Let Bart handle his initial training; he’s been idle lately.”
Karn nodded and left the room.
In the room, Adonis picked up a sword that had been placed behind him. The scabbard and handle were entirely black, with a string of purple dots running from the bottom of the scabbard to the top of the handle. Each circle had Y-shaped black lines in the center.
Holding the sword, the old man sighed, looking at the sword in front of him as if he was talking to it, “Where are you? I have searched my whole life and never found you. Are you still in the hands of my family’s people?”
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