บท 286: Chapter 286: Learn Swordsmanship
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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The village was associated with the Shimotsuki family, one of the great families of Wanokuni.
However, Colt's visit was not driven by the desire to delve into the village's heritage, nor to uncover its mysteries.
His objective was far simpler—he wanted to learn this world's swordsmanship.
After a peaceful journey, Colt and Nami finally arrived at the Shimotsuki Village.
The morning sun greeted them warmly as they walked through the village's quiet streets.
"Excuse me, could you tell us where the Isshin Dojo is located?" Colt politely inquired of a villager passing by.
With a smile, the villager provided clear directions, and soon, they found themselves standing in front of the dojo.
The dojo was modest in appearance, yet it carried an air of deep tradition.
It was there that they met Koushirou, the master of the dojo.
"May I ask what brings you to my humble Dojo?" Koushirou asked, his tone courteous and his demeanor calm.
The students gathered around them as they looked on with curious eyes.
Despite the tranquil atmosphere Koushirou exuded, something about him was different.
Colt immediately noticed the beads of sweat on Koushirou's forehead and the tension in his body, though he concealed it well.
'What exactly is he sensing from?' Colt thought to himself. He was sure he was hiding his abilities, so he shouldn't be discovered so easily…
"Do we need to discuss our purpose out here?" Colt asked, his eyes glancing at the intrigued students.
Koushirou's polite expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly composed himself.
"Please follow me," he said, leading Colt and Nami into a secluded tea room within the dojo.
They entered the room, where two cups of tea were set in front of them.
The faint steam rising from the tea created a moment of calm between them.
Koushirou's polite voice cut through the silence, "Now, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit, Colt-san and Nami-san?"
Nami looked startled.
"You… know me?" she asked in disbelief.
Her mind raced.
Did I steal from this dojo in the past? Could he have remembered me from that? She instinctively scooted closer to Colt, feeling uneasy.
Koushirou let out a soft chuckle, though it was somewhat awkward.
From a nearby shelf, he pulled out a newspaper and grabbed a bounty from inside it and handed it to them.
The lines on it caught Nami's eyes:
Colt, Bounty: 35 Million.
'Burglar Cat' Nami, Bounty: 5 Million.
Nami shrieked in horror as her hands gripped Colt's arm tightly.
"Colt! We have bounties on our heads!"
Colt's response was a nonchalant sigh.
He barely glanced at the bounty casually handing it back to Koushirou.
"Why are you so calm about this?!" Nami's voice reached a near-panic level as her thoughts spiraled.
She had expected consequences after their confrontation with Nezumi, but she hadn't imagined their bounties would be published so quickly.
She was clearly not prepared for this kind of exposure.
A question then popped into her mind.
The date on the newspaper was last month…
If this was from last month, why haven't we run into any Marines already?
The reason was simple:
Garp, the legendary Marine hero.
Sengoku had specifically tasked Garp, who was in his hometown, with handling Colt.
However, the seasoned old Marine wasn't taking the mission seriously at all, allowing Colt and Nami to evade attention for now.
"Nami-san, there's no need to worry," Koushirou said, his tone calm yet reassuring.
"With Colt-san here, I believe this bounty will not cause you much trouble."
Colt gently patted Nami on the head, signaling her to relax.
Turning his attention back to Koushirou, he asked, "How can you tell that? What do you sense??"
At that moment, Koushirou's body tensed again, and sweat trickled down his temple.
"I… sensed nothing," Koushirou stammered, trying to maintain composure.
"Is that so?" Colt's tone was soft, but it carried an undeniable weight.
His fingers drummed lightly on the table.
Koushirou's heart raced.
As a veteran swordsman, Koushirou had honed his instincts over years of training.
If a Yonko was next to him, even they couldn't hide their power from him.
Normal people too had a certain amount of strength, and he could see it.
Yet, he felt nothing from Colt.
If he wasn't looking at him, he wouldn't have known he was there.
The unknown was far more scarier than the known.
Realizing that his fear was being noticed, Koushirou composed himself.
But it was already too late.
Colt knew.
And just as suddenly as Koushirou had noticed it, Colt's aura returned.
Though faint, it was now detectable.
"Now you feel it, don't you?" Colt said with a knowing smile.
Koushirou's lips twitched as he struggled to maintain his calm demeanor.
'As expected, he isn't just a normal person, he was hiding it before, but now he's not doing it anymore,' Koushirou thought to himself.
Colt, still smiling, placed a small wooden box on the table between them.
"I've heard of your expertise in swordsmanship, Koushirou-san. You've trained some of the most outstanding students. I'd like to learn swordsmanship from you."
Koushirou's eyes widened.
"You… want to study swordsmanship here?" he asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.
The idea seemed absurd.
Colt nodded. "I am quite honest in my request."
For a moment, Koushirou didn't know what to say.
He was a renowned swordsman, yes, but for a man like Colt, someone so clearly above his level, to ask for training? It didn't add up…
But despite his confusion, the intense aura Colt emitted made refusal feel almost… dangerous.
After a long silence, Koushirou made his decision.
"Very well. But I can only teach you for a month. After that, I ask that you leave peacefully."
Colt smiled and inclined his head.
"That's more than enough time."
Koushirou picked up the box Colt had placed on the table earlier and opened it.
Inside were a few dozen bills of 100 Berries.
The sight of such an amount made Koushirou's expression falter for a moment.
Even in something as simple as payment, Colt's sincerity was… overwhelming to say the least.
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