Chapter 6: It’s Exhausting Jogging with a Directionally Challenged Person
“Hmph, this guy sure makes himself at home,” Kuina muttered, picking up rice with her chopsticks and bringing it to her mouth without even glancing at him. “Yours is in the kitchen. Go get it yourself!”
Zoro scurried off to the back kitchen and soon returned with a large tray. On it sat a bowl of rice piled high and a big fish.
He set the tray down beside the two of them, sat cross-legged on the floor, lifted the bowl, and shouted, “I’m digging in!”
Then he wolfed it down ravenously… The way he ate, he must have been starving.
“Hmph!” Kuina couldn’t help but sneer at Zoro’s display. “A freeloader like you dares to eat so much!”
The kids who came to learn swordsmanship at the dojo paid tuition—not much, but it was still a source of income. As disciples, the only two who hadn’t paid were Ian and this newcomer, Zoro.
However, the dojo’s assets also included a field for growing grain, so Ian usually helped out with farming. He wasn’t exactly a freeloader.
Hearing Kuina’s words, Zoro froze for a moment, then stood up. With grains of rice still stuck to the corner of his mouth, he suddenly bowed deeply and said seriously, “Sorry, I’ll help out around the dojo from now on!”
After saying that, he sat back down without a care and continued eating heartily, as if Kuina’s jab hadn’t bothered him at all.
Ian watched in speechless disbelief. This green-haired idiot wasn’t just thick-skinned; he was downright oblivious…
Kuina’s sarcasm had no effect, so she could only stab at her rice in frustration, making Ian want to laugh.
After the meal, Zoro lay flat on the floor without any dignity, patting his belly and laughing, “Full, I’m full!”
Kuina got up to clear the dishes, but just then, Zoro stood up and said to her, “Since I’m full, let’s settle this once and for all!”
Kuina initially wanted to ignore him, but Ian spoke up at that moment: “I’ll take care of the dishes. You take care of him.”
Without giving Kuina a chance to respond, he picked up the three plates and headed to the back kitchen with a sly grin.
He knew exactly what was coming. If his memory served him right, this idiot Zoro would live under Kuina’s shadow, racking up a record of 2001 losses and 0 wins!
So, what followed was Zoro getting thoroughly beaten by Kuina. How could Ian let a few dishes make him miss such a good show?
Sure enough, by the time Ian came back out, Zoro and Kuina were already clashing with a loud clatter of bamboo swords!
Compared to yesterday’s fight, Zoro’s moves today weren’t just wild swings. He had fully adopted the stance Ian had taught him that morning.
But that alone wasn’t enough. His timing and strength were still off. After a flurry of attacks, Kuina spotted an opening and thrust her bamboo sword forward, hitting Zoro square in the stomach and sending him flying.
Ian could clearly see Zoro’s eyes bulge out…
“Cough, cough!” Lying on the ground, Zoro felt like he was about to throw up bile. But even as he coughed violently, his eyes still burned with defiance.
Ian had planned to enjoy the spectacle, but seeing Zoro’s gaze, he couldn’t laugh anymore.
Yes, that was the look—the look of someone who would never give up.
With that thought, Ian stood up, walked over to Kuina, and asked, “Kuina, still got some energy left?”
Kuina had just given Zoro a little lesson and was about to leave, but Ian’s sudden challenge caught her off guard. After a moment, she replied, “Of course!”
“Then, let’s spar,” Ian said seriously.
“That’s rare, Ian. You’re actually challenging me,” Kuina said with a sudden smile.
Hearing this, Ian felt a bit embarrassed. He had never actively challenged Kuina before. What could he do? Who would willingly seek out a beating they couldn’t win?
But since drawing that card, he wanted to see how much it could help him.
Seeing that a duel was about to happen, Zoro stopped coughing and quickly moved to the side to make room, sitting down to watch.
In the center, Ian and Kuina stood face to face, bamboo swords in hand, eyes locked on each other, sensing every tiny movement. When Ian saw Kuina’s shoulder twitch slightly, he thought, “Here it comes!”
The next second, Kuina charged at him. Her footwork was incredibly fast, but unfortunately, Ian’s reaction was even quicker. Without thinking, he thrust his sword directly at her.
The speed of his thrust exceeded Kuina’s expectations. She quickly sidestepped, swinging her bamboo sword horizontally to block his attack.
Then, they exchanged blows back and forth, the sharp clacks of their bamboo swords ringing out continuously. Block, counter—they traded over a dozen strikes in an instant!
Their offense and defense weren’t flashy. The swordsmanship Koushirou taught had no special techniques. In fact, over the years, both Kuina and Ian had only learned the basics.
Yet, it was precisely these fundamental moves that made their duel so intense that Zoro, watching from the side, was dumbfounded.
A draw! Ian could feel it—for the first time, he was evenly matched with Kuina.
He noticed a huge change in himself. His speed and reaction time had increased, and every swing of his sword carried more power. Though the sudden boost in strength made it hard to control his movements, it was undeniable that it gave Kuina a lot of trouble.
However, the intense action drained their stamina quickly. After a long bout, they both stopped simultaneously, panting heavily and staring at each other, sweat pouring down.
“I-Ian, your improvement is amazing!” Kuina took the chance to ask curiously, “You lost to me yesterday. How did you do it? Were you holding back all along?”
“No,” Ian shook his head. He wouldn’t dare admit that. Knowing Kuina’s pride, if he said he’d been holding back, she might never speak to him again. So he explained, “It’s because I trained harder than before. That’s why I improved.”
“Really?” Kuina recalled Ian’s morning practice. His focus was undeniable, so she accepted his explanation.
“Let’s call it a draw, okay?” Ian wiped his sweat and said, “I’m out of stamina!”
Kuina was a bit reluctant. Like Zoro, she was a competitive kid who had never lost to anyone in the village since childhood. She wasn’t one to accept defeat easily. But since Ian said so, she had to stop.
Well, a draw wasn’t a loss… right?
Kuina left, and Ian stood there catching his breath, looking down at his sweaty palms. He thought to himself that he needed to start training his stamina and strength. Though his fight with Kuina was short, he could feel his lack of endurance. Since the card had directly boosted his strength and speed, he had to quickly adapt to these changes.
His current stats showed his strength and speed at 20, and his Doriki had risen to 14 points. That meant if he could fully utilize his attributes, he was already a bit stronger than an average Marine soldier.
But still, he was nothing special…
As he thought this, Ian suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw it was Zoro.
Ian was a ten-year-old kid, and Zoro was even younger, so Ian was a head taller. He looked down at Zoro, while Zoro looked up at him.
“What is it?” Ian asked.
“Ian, can you teach me? I want to beat that woman!” Zoro blurted out.
This was the first time Zoro had called him that. Probably because of the fight with Kuina just now, Ian felt oddly excited by the title.
And hearing Zoro’s request, Ian was tempted. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Zoro’s arrival had really spurred him on. If they trained together, with Zoro’s relentless drive, it might push Ian to improve too.
“Alright! Starting tomorrow, you’ll train with me!” Ian agreed quickly.
The master of the Isshin Dojo, Koushirou, rarely taught the disciples himself. Most of the time, his junior brother handled it. Even Ian, as a formal live-in disciple, rarely saw him demonstrate. Ian had always felt that Koushirou’s strength was a mystery. So, having Zoro follow him and learn from him didn’t seem like a big deal.
And so, the next morning, when Ian got up to train, a little tail followed behind him.
“…Let’s start with jogging,” Ian said, seeing Zoro staring at him. He had to force himself to take the lead. “Follow me. We’ll run a lap around the village.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!” Zoro nodded vigorously.
Ian turned and started running. But after just a few steps, he noticed Zoro wasn’t following.
Looking back, he saw that idiot Zoro running off in the opposite direction…
“Come back!! You big idiot!” Ian roared, veins bulging on his forehead. “You got lost that close to me?!”
Hearing the shout, Zoro quickly turned around to catch up. But as Ian watched, the guy took two steps and then, for no reason, made a sudden turn…
“…” Ian didn’t even know how to comment. From childhood to adulthood, the world’s biggest directionally challenged person—truly living up to his reputation…