Recruit Luffy at the start and build the strongest navy.

Chapter 39 Awakening of Insects

Kuina did not answer Zoro's question; her gaze remained fixed on the two people fighting in the distance, without moving an inch.

The two sides facing off are Kyle and Koushirou!

Kyle, wielding purple lightning, unleashed his Armament Haki, relentlessly attacking Koushirou.

Each exchange of blows would release wisps of purple lightning.

Must you try out this top-tier swordsmanship?

At Isshin Dojo, the only one who could be considered his opponent was Koushirou.

With a faint smile on his face, Koushirou easily parried Kyle's various attacks.

But that's only the surface.

The shock he felt was beyond words.

He had expected the swordsmanship to be at the level of a sword master, so he wasn't surprised.

but--

What kind of monstrous physique does this kid have?!

Every time he clashed knives with Kyle, he felt as if a mountain was crashing down on him.

The force transmitted through the blade forced him to use techniques to deflect the force, but even so, each block left his hand numb.

The slight stinging sensation in his hand made him realize that the web between his thumb and forefinger was slightly torn.

But he couldn't show it!

Why?

Men have pride!!

He is a peak sword master, just one step away from breaking through to the Great Sword Master level. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if he were to be made to look so pathetic by a six-year-old child?

So even though he was suffering terribly inside, he didn't show it.

This battle should be over soon, otherwise he won't be able to keep up the act!

With this in mind, he blocked the purple lightning again, deflecting the immense force transmitted through the blade, and immediately slashed diagonally at Kyle at an extremely tricky angle.

! !

Facing the slash from Koushirou and feeling the threat it posed, Kyle didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately retreated.

However, this retreat allowed Koushirou to completely control the rhythm of the game.

He swung his sword again, this time at a tricky angle, making it difficult to defend against.

Kyle struggled to raise his sword to defend himself, and his body retreated a distance once again.

What followed was a relentless barrage of sword strikes, like a storm.

Under Koushirou's relentless attacks, Kyle was forced to retreat repeatedly, and was eventually cleaved away by a single sword strike, his feet scraping against the ground and leaving two long tracks.

After stopping, Kyle looked up and saw that Koushirou's face had not changed at all; he still had those squinty eyes and a faint smile.

Seeing this, Kyle shook his head slightly and murmured:

"It seems there's still a significant gap in swordsmanship!"

Because it was a test of swordsmanship at the level of a master swordsman, Kyle did not use his Devil Fruit ability in his battle with Koushirou.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a pure swordsmanship contest.

The result of the contest was not surprising; he was no match for Koushirou in swordsmanship.

After a moment of silence, Kyle exhaled and looked at Koushirou, speaking softly:

"Mr. Koushirou, I have a new technique that I'd like you to teach me!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Koushirou immediately became interested and replied:

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but I am indeed quite curious about your technique!"

You'll see it soon!

Kyle smiled slightly, crouched down a little, and sheathed the Purple Lightning sword, making a drawing motion.

"Iaijutsu swordsmanship?"

Koushirou narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his left foot back to brace against his body.

Iaido, the core technique of sword drawing, is to complete an attack or defense in the instant the sword is drawn, emphasizing the instantaneous explosive power of "one-hit kill" and the continuity of the movements.

You need to be extremely careful when facing such a move.

Kyle stared intently at Koushirou, and after a long while, suddenly spoke:

"They're here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kyle drew his Purple Lightning sword with a sudden burst of speed. Before the blade was fully drawn, Kyle's figure transformed into a streak of purple lightning and swept past Koushirou.

The process was incredibly fast; anyone with slightly less skill would have no idea what was happening.

For example, Zoro and Kuina were standing at a distance, looking at Kael and Koushirou, who were as still as statues. They looked at each other, their faces full of confusion.

What happened?

Can someone explain this to them?!

A short while later, a tearing sound was heard, and a tear was suddenly made in the bathrobe on the left side of Koushirou's abdomen, revealing a thin line of blood on his abdomen. The wound was very shallow.

Suddenly, Kyle and Koushirou stood up at the same time and turned to look at each other.

Kyle's lips curled into a smile, while Koushirou's expression betrayed a hint of shock. After a long silence, he suddenly asked:

"Does this move have a name?"

"The Awakening of Insects!"

"This move is called 'Awakening of Insects'!"

"The Awakening of Insects... the ultimate sword light is like the thunder awakening the insects in spring, a very fitting name!"

Koushirou nodded.

The Awakening of Insects is the first strike of the "Seven Strikes of Purple Thunder" sword technique, which was previously awarded as a reward for recruiting Kuina.

[First Strike - Awakening of Insects: The opening stance, a lightning-fast Iaijutsu. Before the sword is fully drawn, the figure transforms into a streak of purple lightning, sweeping past the opponent. Its essence lies in the instantaneous burst after extreme compression, like the thunder of spring awakening insects; the sword light strikes after the initial attack but arrives first, aiming to kill the enemy in one blow—the embodiment of the ultimate sword-drawing technique.]

This is an introduction to the first of the Seven Thunderbolts of Purple Thunder, the Awakening of Insects.

Having acquired this sword technique in two days, Kyle has only learned the first strike so far.

He was very satisfied with the power of this move.

Previously, none of his attacks had been able to touch Koushirou's clothes, let alone injure him.

This move, "Awakening of Insects," not only touched the opponent but also cut a gash in his bathrobe, leaving him with a scar.

Although it was very shallow, it still left a wound, didn't it?

What, you don't consider minor injuries serious?

"Alright! Let's call it a day!"

Koushirou sheathed his sword, and the Armament Haki on the blade quickly faded, revealing the sword's true form: pure white, like snow on a high mountain.

The Twenty-One Great Swords - White Snow!

As a member of a famous sword-making family in Wano Country, Koushirou certainly has no shortage of swords.

Picking up the Snow White, gazing at its captivating colors, Koushirou remained silent for a moment before making a decision. He turned and shouted to Zoro beside him:

"Zoro, come here for a second!!"

"Huh? Oh!!"

Zoro was startled when he suddenly heard Koushirou call his name, but he quickly realized what was happening and ran towards Koushirou.

"Master, is there something you need from me?"

"Zoro! I remember you don't have a proper sword yet, right?"

"No!"

Zoro shook his head.

He currently uses mostly wooden swords from the dojo or ordinary iron swords; he doesn't have a real sword of his own.

"That……"

"How about you take this knife?"

Koushirou handed the snow in his hand to Zoro.

……