9. Zoro: Daddy! I want to learn how to wield a sword!

“Luffy, take your filthy paws off the piano!”
“Nami, why are you so fierce? I’m not going to make the piano pregnant by touching it.”
“How dare you talk back!”
Thud!
Luffy got his usual beating.

Usopp gazed enviously at Chu Bawang, feeling deeply impressed. “So cool! If I were a woman, I’d marry him too!”
Zoro: “...”
Listen up, everyone. Is this what people really say?!

Chu Bawang began living a leisurely life.
On the voyage, if he didn’t gather a hundred people to call him ‘Dad,’
he would instantly teleport to Xiluo Village...

“Let me see if that little darling can win a big prize?”

Soon, the village chief and his people were practically bowing to Chu Bawang.

[Instant Teleportation: Originates from the Dragon Ball world, signature skill of Kakarot. It allows instantaneous transfer from point A to point B, ignoring space and distance. P.S.: Requires marking the aura.]

Whenever Kaya felt homesick, Chu Bawang would accompany her back home to visit relatives,
then instantly teleport back to the Merry Go.

This skill was the envy of the four Straw Hat members!
Unfortunately, they couldn’t sense the ‘aura’ inside their bodies. The Dragon Ball cultivation system didn’t quite fit the pirate world.

One early morning,
Zoro hurriedly sought out Chu Bawang, who had just teleported back.

“What’s up, Zoro? Do you need something?”
“Bawang, I want to learn swordsmanship from you! That move ‘Sword Come’ is just too cool! Can you teach me?”

Chu Bawang pondered briefly. After all, he had nothing better to do.

Today’s hundred consecutive lottery draws hadn’t yielded anything good; he was in a foul mood.
And here came Zoro, the fool, knocking on his door!

Seeing Chu Bawang hesitate, Zoro grew anxious.
Though confident in his own strength, facing Dracule Mihawk, the world’s greatest swordsman, he knew the vast gap between them!

Now, having encountered a sword master whose skill rivaled Mihawk’s, even surpassing him,
and who also got along well with the Straw Hats, Zoro wanted to seize this golden opportunity.

“Bawang, I want to be the world’s greatest swordsman! If you’re willing to teach me, I’m ready to pay any price.”

Chu Bawang was moved.

Training a world-class swordsman who could wield flying swords
would indeed be an interesting endeavor!
Besides, he was just bored out of his mind...

What? You ask why he doesn’t go to the Marine Headquarters and overthrow the Celestial Dragons?
Young one, you’re still too naive.

There’s an old saying: Follow the storyline and live to ninety-nine!
It’s not that he doesn’t want to; the author just won’t allow it!

“Zoro! I understand your dream to become the greatest swordsman, but this path is arduous.
When I trained ‘Sword Come,’ I spent ten days and nights in deep meditation, neglecting food and drink.
As a result, my weight dropped below a hundred jin for the first time—skin and bones from hunger!
Despite such hardship, do you still want to learn ‘Sword Come’ and the art of sword-flying?”

Nearby, Kaya struggled to keep a straight face.
What nonsense about neglecting food and deep meditation?
Since turning fifteen, she’d never seen Chu Bawang weigh less than 130 jin!

Zoro was shocked.
He hadn’t expected practicing ‘Sword Come’ to be such a dreadful ordeal.

Yet, he shouted without hesitation, “Bawang, I’m not afraid of hardship! I want to be the world’s greatest swordsman! Because it’s a promise I made with her!”

Luffy, holding a big bone of meat, was stunned; the meat dropped to the ground. “B-Bawang, wait! ‘Sword Come’ can also let you fly on your sword? My goodness! That’s so awesome! I want to learn it too! I want to learn it!”

Chu Bawang mercilessly smacked Luffy and scolded him with a stern face:
“Your swordsmanship aptitude is lacking; better focus on developing your Rubber Fruit powers.”

Zoro showed a pleased expression.
It seemed his sword potential wasn’t so low after all!
At least, much better than Luffy!

Just imagining being able to fly on a sword in the future made Zoro a little excited!

“Zoro, the first step in learning ‘Sword Come’ is to focus your mind entirely on controlling the sword.
Next, you must hold no sword in your hand, but have a sword in your heart.
Everything in the world can be a sword...”

Thus,
Zoro began sleeping with his Three-Sword Style swords every night.

What gave Usopp goosebumps was that Chu Bawang told Zoro he had to kiss his beloved swords before sleeping,
or else he couldn’t achieve true harmony with them!

Then, Chu Bawang secretly taught Zoro’s swords the Sword Nurturing Technique...

[Sword Nurturing Technique: Everything can be ‘nurtured.’ This incredibly mystical skill can increase the affinity of any object, regardless of its species, material, or even whether it exists in the physical or spiritual realm.]

With enough affinity, Zoro’s swords could truly resonate with his heart!

You see, if you nurture a sword to the extreme,
even a kitchen knife could become a blade maiden!
Raising a sword spirit was a matter of moments!