# Chapter 3: I Don't Fight with Idiots
"What the hell? You want me to fight Zoro as an opponent?"
Ian felt like countless alpacas were stampeding through his heart. This wasn't how the story was supposed to go!
Although Ian knew that the current Zoro didn't know any swordsmanship at all, and the so-called "battle" was just like kids fighting—wild and chaotic—if he stepped in, with his basic swordsmanship skills, he could probably beat this guy up pretty badly. But that wasn't the point!
If he was the one to fight, how would the bond between Zoro and Kuina develop? Without Kuina, how would Zoro's stubborn determination to get stronger ever emerge?
Losing to a boy and losing to a girl—the difference between the two was completely different!
Feeling that this wasn't the time for him to step in, Ian shook his head quite decisively and said, "I'm not fighting him."
Koushirou gave Ian a strange look, wondering what he was thinking, but he didn't say anything. Since Ian had refused, calling Kuina was fine too.
Kuina was very obedient. Upon hearing Koushirou's voice, she stepped forward and said, "Yes, Father!"
But the moment Zoro saw Kuina, he bristled and shouted at Koushirou, "What!? Aren't you going to be my opponent?"
Koushirou smiled and said, "Although Kuina is a girl, she's even stronger than the adults in the dojo!"
Zoro stared at Kuina gloomily for a long time before finally saying, "Fine, come on then!"
"Then please come inside!" Koushirou said, turning and walking in. Zoro and Kuina followed behind him into the dojo.
Because they'd heard that Zoro was here to challenge the dojo, Ian and the other junior disciples, as Koushirou's students, had already sat down cross-legged in the dojo. Apart from Ian, the others looked at Zoro with a mix of curiosity and resentment.
There was no helping it. Zoro was way too cocky at this point, and Master Koushirou had actually taken him seriously, allowing his challenge. Who knew what he was thinking...
In the corner of the dojo stood a barrel filled with bamboo swords. Koushirou pointed at the barrel and said to Zoro, "Pick a weapon. Any one will do."
"Really?" Zoro spat out the leaf he was chewing, walked over, and with a clatter, pulled out a whole armful of bamboo swords.
Then, holding three in his left hand, three in his right, and three more clamped in his mouth, this guy was all set. The dojo crowd stared at him in stunned disbelief.
Following Koushirou to the altar, when they bowed to pay respects, Zoro lowered his head, and one of the bamboo swords in his mouth clattered to the ground. When he and Kuina bowed to each other, clatter, another one fell.
And yet, this guy's expression was dead serious...
"What's with him? He's like an idiot!" the junior disciples in the dojo said, looking at him like he was a fool.
Ian was speechless too. So the title of "Green Algae Head Idiot" had been around since childhood, huh...
After the bows were done, the duel between Zoro and Kuina began. But as expected, Zoro lost quickly. Kuina's first strike forced Zoro to block with two bamboo swords, and her second powerful strike sent all of Zoro's bamboo swords flying out of his hands.
"D-Damn it!" Zoro looked at Kuina's calm face, unwilling to admit defeat. He got up from the ground, picked up the two fallen bamboo swords, and assumed a stance facing Kuina.
"Oh?" Koushirou was a bit surprised to see this. He hadn't expected Zoro to be so tenacious, still having the courage to fight despite the huge gap in strength between him and Kuina.
Kuina was also a bit surprised, because the stance Zoro had just taken was a standard dual-sword style stance. She asked, "You... have you studied dual-sword style swordsmanship?"
"No way!" Zoro said fiercely. "This is my first time holding a bamboo sword!"
"Your first time?" Master Koushirou repeated with a smile still on his face.
Ian knew what Master Koushirou was thinking. To be able to instinctively assume a dual-sword style starting stance on his very first time holding a bamboo sword—this Green Algae Head Idiot's talent in swordsmanship was probably on par with Kuina's...
At that moment, Zoro had no idea what Koushirou and Ian were thinking. He was staring intently at Kuina.
"Damn it, I'm strong, and I'm going to get even stronger! How... how could I lose to a woman here!"
With a defiant mindset, Zoro let out a yell and charged at Kuina with heavy footsteps. And then...
And then he got a solid bamboo sword strike right across the face!
"That... that looks like it hurts..." the dojo disciples shuddered at the sight. "Why didn't he dodge?"
Thud! Zoro fell, shaking the ground twice.
Ian covered his face. This idiot was like a wild boar, charging straight ahead, thinking he could beat Kuina with brute force? There was no technique at all. No wonder he lost.
"One point! That's enough!"
Master Koushirou called out, ending the match. But Zoro, the Green Algae Head Idiot, couldn't hear him anymore. He lay on the ground, a red mark visible on the side of his face. Kuina stuck her bamboo sword in the ground in front of him and said, "You're clearly an amateur. Trying to use dual-sword style? You're still ten years too early!"
Zoro slowly came to, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but grab hold of Kuina's bamboo sword, still looking defiant.
Kuina frowned and asked, "What? Do you want another round?"
But unexpectedly, Zoro was surprisingly straightforward. "Damn it, a loss is a loss!"
Master Koushirou smiled and praised him, "Very straightforward. Not bad!"
"Then I'll join your dojo! Any objections?" Zoro sat up, crossed his arms, and asked Koushirou.
"None," Koushirou shook his head, accepting him as a disciple.
Kuina ignored him and turned to leave. But just then, Zoro suddenly spoke up, "I'm going to train like crazy, and one day I'll definitely beat you! Remember that!"
As he said this, the Green Algae Head Idiot still had blood dripping from his nose...
"That day will never come!" Kuina said coldly, then turned and left.
"Ian, take him down and treat his injuries," Koushirou said.
Ian nodded, stood up, walked over to Zoro, and said, "Follow me."
Zoro's nose was probably hurting badly, so he didn't act stubborn and obediently followed Ian out.
In the back room, Ian found the medicine, cleaned the blood off Zoro's face, and stuffed cotton into his nostrils.
"Who is that woman?" Zoro asked Ian.
"She's Kuina, Master Koushirou's daughter," Ian replied. "My junior sister, and your future senior sister."
"Hmph! I'm not calling her senior sister!" Zoro said angrily, crossing his arms. "I'll beat her sooner or later!"
With two cotton balls stuffed in his nose, he looked adorably clueless when he said this...
Ian smiled and didn't say anything. He just focused on applying the medicine. Honestly, he didn't know what to say to Zoro either.
But just because Ian didn't want to talk to Zoro didn't mean Zoro wouldn't talk to him. The Green Algae Head Idiot seemed to remember something and suddenly said to Ian, "Hey, and you! Why didn't you fight me earlier?"
Ian thought for a long time before replying seriously, "Because I don't fight with idiots."
"What did you say!?" Zoro immediately bristled. "Who are you calling an idiot?"
"You," Ian said. "If I'm not mistaken, you got lost and ended up here, right?"
Zoro was stunned. "H-How did you know?"
Ian sighed. How did I know? Of course I know. Zoro, your biggest impression on people is that you're directionally challenged, isn't it? Your reputation as a lost cause is even more famous than your swordsmanship...
Ian could bet his life that this guy's decision to challenge the dojo was completely spur-of-the-moment. He probably got lost, saw a dojo, and decided to come in and challenge someone. Impulsive to the extreme.
After finishing the treatment, Ian patted Zoro on the head and said, "Get some rest."
"D-Damn it! You're not that much older than me! Why are you treating me like a kid?" Zoro bristled again.
To me, you are a kid right now, Ian thought as he turned and left the room.
Zoro stared at his back, feeling that this guy named Ian was really mysterious. How did he know he was lost? He'd never seen him before!
And so, Zoro settled into the dojo, officially becoming Koushirou's disciple.
The next morning, Ian got up before dawn and went outside the dojo to start his sword-swinging practice.
To be honest, although he had always practiced swordsmanship seriously, it was only during group practice. He had never trained alone before. But seeing Zoro's defiant expression even after losing to Kuina yesterday had somehow deeply moved Ian.
A person doesn't become strong for no reason. Compared to Zoro, Ian realized he lacked a certain conviction!
He had thought about it all night while sleeping and finally realized that even without talent, he had the system to make up for it. But without conviction and perseverance, he would never become a true strong person.
Zoro's appearance had stirred Ian's competitive spirit. He felt he couldn't let a kid who had just picked up a sword outdo him.
So, for the first time, Ian started morning training!
Today's morning goal: swing the sword a thousand times!
Ian gripped his wooden sword and began swinging it rhythmically.
Every swing today was very slow, completely different from the practice in the dojo.
Swinging a sword wasn't that simple. According to what Master Koushirou said, true sword swinging wasn't just going through the motions. With every swing, you had to focus your spirit, energy, and concentration on the movement, carefully feeling the rhythm of each swing, the force of the strike. You had to turn this swinging into a muscle memory, something as instinctive as breathing!
After a full hour, Ian hadn't even reached five hundred swings. He was drenched in sweat, his muscles were trembling, and his arms felt as heavy as lead.
A voice kept telling him inside, "You can't hold on. Just stop here!"
But every time he thought of Zoro's face, Ian would muster his spirit again, enduring the pain and continuing to swing.
Hold on! Just hold on a little longer! You can do it!!
Completely focused on his sword swinging, Ian didn't notice one thing—the system prompts that kept ringing in his mind.
"You are fully focused on your sword-swinging practice. Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +5!"
"You are fully focused on your sword-swinging practice. Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +5!"
"You are fully focused on your sword-swinging practice. Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +5!"
"You are fully focused on your sword-swinging practice. Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +5!"
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