章節 182: Chapter 182
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Practice Duel in the Dojo!
Walking through the village, Abel could vividly sense the hostility of the surrounding villagers.
After all, Isshin Dojo is considered the guardian deity of the village.
Now, an enigmatic stranger challenging Master Koushirou has emerged out of nowhere, and it's impossible for the villagers to show a pleasant face.
However, due to the display of strength at the entrance of the village by Abel, no one dared to come forward and stop him.
But deep down, they fervently hoped that Master Koushirou would defeat this intruder and teach him a harsh lesson.
Meanwhile, many villagers have already rushed to inform the Isshin Dojo.
So as not to let Master Koushirou be caught off guard and suffer an upset.
Abel didn't mind and casually strolled around the village, allowing them to report to the dojo.
Although his arrival seemed very much like he was looking for trouble, only he knew that he genuinely just wanted to witness the other's swordsmanship and then work on his own shortcomings.
Thus, he made his way to the foot of the mountain and finally laid eyes on the so-called Isshin Dojo.
The scale of the dojo wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small in comparison to the village either, especially with dozens of children practicing swordsmanship in the training ground outside.
Despite the urgency of the reporting villagers, Koushirou remained unfazed and insisted on finishing the lesson.
Even Zoro and Kuina, who had run out during the lesson, stood obediently in line, repeatedly following the movements.
Upon closer inspection, one could notice a large bump on Zoro's head, presumably the work of Koushirou's discipline.
Furthermore, a smaller group of adult disciples stood alongside, eyeing Abel with unfriendly gazes.
It seemed that Koushirou did not allow them to intervene, resulting in their visibly disgruntled expressions.
Seeing that Koushirou was focused on teaching, Abel chose not to disturb him.
He found a spot outside the dojo and sat down cross-legged, holding Baby-5 in his arms all the while.
The little girl had overexerted her mental powers and probably needed a day or two of sleep.
The others, seeing that Abel didn't do anything disrespectful and was quietly waiting outside, were rather surprised.
This, in turn, eased the atmosphere somewhat.
In the end, it appeared that they hadn't done anything wrong, whereas they had initially treated him like a slave trader, ready to attack and condemn.
Of course, when it came to challenging the Isshin Dojo, they were one hundred percent on Master Koushirou's side!
This waiting lasted an entire hour.
"Everyone else can rest. Zoro and Kuina, as punishment, you two will continue to train for an extra hour."
"Yes, teacher."
Despite their reluctance, Zoro and Kuina both clenched their teeth and continued their training.
Finally, Koushirou looked towards the young man sitting cross-legged outside, still maintaining a calm demeanor, void of any signs of impatience or frustration—the supposed 'dojo challenger'.
"Young man, are you here to study swordsmanship?"
Koushirou, standing over 1.8 meters tall with a well-proportioned body, even appearing somewhat wiry, smiled gently and asked in a very mild tone.
There was not a hint of aggression in his voice.
Abel noticed the emblem on his clothes, a red cross featuring two swords—that was the symbol of the Shimotsuki family of Wano Country.
Abel stood up and walked towards the dojo, "I wish to first experience the swordsmanship of the Shimotsuki family, to see if it is as formidable as the rumors suggest."
His focus was not on the Isshin Dojo, nor on Koushirou, but specifically mentioned the Shimotsuki family. Koushirou looked down at the family emblem on his clothes and seemed to grasp the other's meaning.
"Are you from beyond the East Blue?"
"Indeed, I arrived here by a twist of fate."
Koushirou immediately thought of the streak of light that had crossed the sky not long ago, knowing that if he didn't show some real skill today, things wouldn't end well.
"It seems that the earlier incident was truly a misunderstanding."
"On behalf of everyone, and for my unworthy disciple and daughter, I apologize to you."
Abel shook his head, "No need for apologies. Shall we begin?"
"In that case, follow me inside the dojo."
Before entering, Koushirou addressed the villagers outside: "Thank you for your kindness, please disperse now."
"And you all as well, without my permission, do not come near."
After sending the villagers away, he naturally directed these words to his disciples.
For the person challenging the dojo today was completely different from usual, and the battle was not something they could spectate.
This dampened the spirits of the disciples who were initially excited to see their teacher in action once again.
Inside the dojo, Abel looked around and then set Baby-5 down in the farthest corner.
"You could have placed the child in a room inside," Koushirou suggested kindly.
"Thank you, but I won't let her out of my sight."
"I understand. Is she your sister?"
"Something like that. I promised her that I'd never abandon her."
"Not bad, having such a sense of responsibility at a young age makes you a real man."
"Let's end the small talk. Shall we begin?"
"We can start anytime. But since it's a friendly match, how about we use wooden swords?"
Abel frowned, "Are you joking? Are you taking me lightly?"
Koushirou heaved a sigh of resignation, went inside to get his own sword, and came back to face Abel.
Seeing that he wasn't being dismissed with a wooden sword, Abel's demeanor softened slightly.
"Koushirou, head of Isshin Dojo, wields the sword Wado Ichimonji. Pleased to meet you."
"Gustavus Abel, no style or affiliation, wielding the sword Onimaru. Pleased to meet you."
Abel, having removed his suit, introduced himself similarly to Koushirou, though there was no need to mention the Donquixote family now—they were in completely different circles.
Seeing that Koushirou had no intention of attacking first, Abel then said, "There is no love lost with swords; I am about to strike."
Koushirou nodded slightly, readying himself.
But Abel just stood there, motionless.
Wasn't he about to draw his sword?
Koushirou's expression suddenly turned serious. When a blade silently swept towards him from behind, he seemed to have anticipated it, stepping to the side with precision to avoid the attack.
Then, his sword Wado Ichimonji flashed out of its sheath like lightning, striking at his opponent.
Abel was surprised; ever since he had created his Dark Breath Style First Form: Shadow Strike, any foe who had not seen this move before had suffered greatly, and many had lost their lives to it.
And Koushirou was the first to dodge and counterattack immediately.
How did he manage that?
Had he sensed it from the beginning?
Or had he seen a similar technique before?
Abel quickly retreated, his face full of doubt.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票