C5 Frost Moon Village Zoro's Request for Guidance

Inside the tea room, a man and a woman sat facing each other, savoring tea and wine in contented conversation. Yet, in the moment Lin Mo downed a cup of wine, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. A surge of sword intent filled the room, a powerful, unseen sword qi radiating from Lin Mo, rippling through the confined space before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Koshiro's smile faltered, his face momentarily stiffening under the oppressive force of the unexpected sword qi. His grip on the teacup tightened, and his gaze upon Lin Mo took on a new quality.

"You seem to have improved your swordsmanship just now..." Koshiro remarked, surprise lacing his words.

Though unsure of what had transpired, Koshiro was certain that Lin Mo had ascended to a new level of prowess. Compared to the Lin Mo who had sparred with Guina, his grasp of kendo and sword technique had undergone a transformation. The boy was, without a doubt, a prodigy in the art of the sword.

After a moment's thought, Koshiro inquired, "Who taught you your swordsmanship?"

"I'm self-taught," Lin Mo replied.

"Self-taught? So, you have no master?"

"That's right."

"With no one to guide you, how do you practice your swordplay?"

"I'd rather not say."

Koshiro, not one to pry, offered a smile and let the matter rest. "If you're not inclined to share, I won't press you. I do have a proposition, though. Why not stay at the dojo? You'll have wine to drink, and I could teach you swordsmanship."

Koshiro had felt a stir of excitement when Lin Mo mentioned he had no master. A talent like Lin Mo's was a rare find, and Koshiro was not keen on letting it slip away.

"No, thank you," Lin Mo declined. "I'm a traveler; I don't linger in one place for long."

"A traveler?" Koshiro paused, taken aback. "With your talent, being just a traveler seems like a waste. If you'd agree to stay, I'd willingly share all my knowledge with you. I'm confident that with your aptitude, you'd master it in no time, and then you could resume your travels."

"No, I'm grateful for the offer," Lin Mo maintained his stance, using the same words he had to turn down Red Hair to now decline Koshiro's invitation. "I have no interest in inheriting kendo traditions or becoming a Great Swordsman revered by all. My dream is simply to live as a free and unbound traveler. That's all I wish for."

Koshiro, undeterred, posed the question once more, "Are you truly unwilling to stay?"

Lin Mo nodded with conviction, "Yes."

Realizing persuasion was futile, Koshiro resigned himself to acceptance. "Well then, I won't try to keep you any longer. How long do you intend to stay in Frost Moon Village this time?"

Lin Mo pondered briefly. With the sign-up progress at a mere 30% and drawing from his experience in Windmill Village, he estimated it would take no less than ten days to two weeks to complete. "About half a month, I'd say."

Upon hearing this, Koshiro took a sip of tea and offered, "The village lacks an inn, so you're welcome to stay at the dojo until your departure."

"Alright," Lin Mo agreed without hesitation.

Following a brief exchange, Koshiro showed Lin Mo to a guest room and made sure the promised wine was delivered to him.

After stowing the fifteen half-person-tall wine jars in his system space and noting the early hour, Lin Mo decided to explore the village.

Stepping into the courtyard, he instantly sensed a surge of murderous intent from behind.

He sidestepped the incoming assault.

Bathed in moonlight, he recognized the attacker with the distinctive green hair. With a swift hand blade, Lin Mo effortlessly knocked Zoro, wielding two shinai, to the ground.

"Damn it!" Zoro scrambled to his feet. "Guina lost to you because you cheated. If you're a man, draw your sword. I challenge you! And if I win, you must return the Wado Ichimonji to Guina!"

Lin Mo was at a loss for words.

What was this all about?

He had no interest in engaging with Zoro.

Yet as he turned to leave...

Zoro, with shinai in hand, launched another attack, "Ha! Take this!"

As before, Lin Mo evaded Zoro's flurry of strikes with ease, once again sending him to the ground with a deft hand blade.

As he attempted to leave for the third time, Zoro rose and charged at him anew.

Lin Mo's patience was wearing thin.

Was this guy always such a nuisance?

"Defeat you with a sword and you'll stop bothering me, right?" Lin Mo unsheathed Lake Toya, effortlessly parrying several of Zoro's strikes. He noted that while Zoro's strength slightly surpassed Guina's, the disparity in skill and insight was considerably more pronounced.

It was clear why Zoro had never managed to best Guina.

Without dwelling on it, Lin Mo struck Zoro's face with a swift sword blow, much like Guina would during their sparring sessions.

Zoro tumbled backward, landing with a thud, staring up at the sky.

Lin Mo sheathed Lake Toya, ready to depart.

Under the star-filled sky, Zoro's fists clenched in frustration. "Damn it! We're about the same age, so why is he so much stronger? Why?"

His initial optimism had vanished.

He had assumed Lin Mo's victory over Guina was a fluke, but he now recognized his error.

Lin Mo was truly formidable.

Zoro picked himself up off the ground once more.

Watching Lin Mo's retreating figure, Zoro was torn between speaking up and holding back. His fists clenched, he finally gave in to the urge to follow. "Hey, wait up."

"Hmm?" Lin Mo glanced back at him.

"How long have you been training in swordsmanship?" Zoro asked bluntly.

"Less than half a day."

"Half, half a day?" Zoro's disbelief was palpable. "How can you master such incredible swordsmanship in just half a day!"

His first thought was that Lin Mo was bluffing, but something about him didn't seem deceitful.

Lin Mo was indifferent to whether he was believed or not. "Believe it or not, that's up to you. I'm heading out."

As Lin Mo turned to leave, Zoro hurriedly stepped in front of him. "I didn't say I didn't believe you. I'm just astounded. Could you... share how you train with the sword? I want to become as skilled as you!"

Lin Mo hadn't anticipated Zoro's request for swordsmanship guidance.

But considering Zoro's persistent nature, Lin Mo knew that leaving without offering any advice wouldn't deter him.

Given the situation, it would be better to offer that guy some guidance and let him work it out on his own. That way, he could enjoy some peace and quiet in the days to come.

With that thought, Lin Mo spoke up, "How long have you been training at Isshin Dojo?"

"Almost a year now!"

"So, a year's worth of training has led you to charge headlong and overpower your opponents with sheer force?"

"Uh, well..." Zoro was visibly rattled.

Lin Mo pressed on, "Do you understand why you've never managed to defeat Guina?"

"I... I don't know. I've been giving it my all, but I just can't seem to get the better of her... Do you know why?"

"Your fighting lacks any semblance of technique," Lin Mo stated bluntly. "In terms of strength, you're currently on equal footing with Guina when using the Two-Sword Style. But even if you become much stronger than her, she can still outmatch you with her advanced sword skills. You've been heading in the wrong direction from the start."

"Half wrong?" Zoro asked eagerly, "Then what should I do to beat Guina?"

"Besides doubling down on your foundational training, you need to refine your sword skills. Don't just barrel forward relying on brute strength. Think about your opponent's attack patterns, counter their moves. If you're strong enough, you can spot the flaws in even the most flawless sword techniques."

No sooner had he finished speaking.

[Beep!] [Guiding Zoro in swordsmanship: Progress +20%. Total progress now 50%. Swordsmanship level +1. Current level: Lv4.]

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo instantly sensed a surge of power within him, as a more formidable and fearsome aura burst forth.

Just as he suspected...

To make progress in his sign-in, it was essential to interact with key figures. The 20% increase from instructing Zoro in swordsmanship was evidence enough.

"What was that just now?" Zoro's voice interrupted, "Was it my imagination? I felt an inexplicable sense of oppression..."

Lin Mo gave Zoro a look.

Indeed, he was destined to become the Great Swordsman at the side of the future Pirate King Luffy.

Shifting the conversation back, Lin Mo inquired, "Did you grasp everything I just explained?"

Zoro snapped back to attention, scratching his head with a hint of confusion. "So, I need to think and analyze the opponent's moves, then find the weakness to beat them, right?"

"In a real fight, the enemy won't give you much time to analyze their moves."

"Ah? Then what should I do?"

"Learn to understand it yourself." Lin Mo paused before posing a question, "Do you believe there's a sword out there that can cut through anything?"

Zoro's eyes widened in surprise. "Is there really such a sword?"

With a slight smile, Lin Mo nonchalantly grabbed a shinai from Zoro's grasp. "Watch closely."

As a breeze picked up, a leaf floated by.

Lin Mo struck at the leaf with the shinai.

After the leaf gently touched down on the ground unscathed, Zoro couldn't resist commenting, "You think you can slice a leaf with a shinai? That's impossible..."

Lin Mo just laughed softly, offering no explanation.

Suddenly, a crisp snap echoed through the air. A stone, as tall as a man, shattered into pieces not far from the leaf.

"Eh?" Zoro exclaimed, bewildered. "What just happened? How did the stone shatter?"