"Mist Breathing: Stream Cut!"
This strike from Yoriichi Tsugikuni could effortlessly take the head of any Upper Rank Demon. Even the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji would have had no choice but to offer his neck to the blade.
The bamboo sword carried a terrifying momentum, slashing towards Zephyr.
"Snap!"
The two bamboo swords collided, producing a crisp sound.
Zephyr held his bamboo sword vertically, and surprisingly, he easily blocked Yoriichi Tsugikuni's horizontal slash.
"Heh!"
"Kid, that was a very interesting attack!"
Zephyr, who had easily parried Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strike, curved his lips into a bright smile.
Although Yoriichi Tsugikuni used the sword technique of Mist Breathing, his slash was one that could traverse the Demon Slayer World, yet it was easily blocked by Zephyr. Observing Zephyr's relaxed manner, Yoriichi Tsugikuni knew there was a huge gap in strength between them.
"It seems that probing attacks are meaningless against a powerhouse of this level."
"I have to go all out from the start!"
"Hoo~"
Blade edges touching, Yoriichi Tsugikuni maintained his posture, took a deep breath, and his whole body's muscles suddenly tensed. He angled the bamboo sword, dissipating Zephyr's force, then pushed off the floor with both legs, rapidly closing the distance.
Sun Breathing: Third Form - Blazing Crimson Mirror (日之呼吸——三之型——烈日红镜)!
The moment he closed in on Zephyr, Yoriichi Tsugikuni reversed his grip and swung the sword again. Despite being a bamboo sword, it seemed to be momentarily enveloped in a layer of fierce flame.
"What a murderous sword technique!"
Zephyr watched the bamboo sword slashing towards his neck, complimenting it. He surprisingly extended his left hand and grabbed Yoriichi Tsugikuni's bamboo sword.
"Huh?!!!"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was stunned. He had expected Zephyr might evade or parry with his sword, but he never anticipated that the other party would suddenly reach out and grab the bamboo sword.
Moreover, the opponent's speed was so fast that he couldn't dodge at all.
Although it was a bamboo sword, with the enhancement of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's swordsmanship, its attack power was terrifying. Flesh and blood should not be able to withstand it, yet Zephyr grabbed it with his hand?!
Through the See-Through World (通透世界), Yoriichi Tsugikuni could see a mass of "Aura" gathering in Zephyr's hand. If he wasn't mistaken, that aura should be Haki.
"Kid, you're distracted!"
Just then, Zephyr roared. His right hand, which was holding the sword, directly struck at Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Although he held the bamboo sword in his hand, Zephyr used his fist to attack Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
A fist the size of a sandbag flew towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni's face. Helpless, Yoriichi Tsugikuni could only leap slightly, evading Zephyr's punch while using the force of the opponent gripping his sword to execute a mid-air kick towards Zephyr's face.
"Hehehehe!"
Zephyr suddenly chuckled, neither dodging nor flinching, and took Yoriichi's kick directly to the face. Yoriichi quickly released the sword, using the recoil force to retreat several meters.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who landed, braced his right hand on the floor and looked at Zephyr, who was holding his bamboo sword, remaining silent for a long time.
In a single exchange, he had been disarmed.
Although Zephyr was arguably playing unfairly, it must be said that Zephyr's capabilities were vastly superior to all the swordsmen and demons he had ever encountered.
It was completely a difference of... two dimensions of strength!
"Yoriichi, how much power did you put into your slash just now?"
Zephyr said, casually tossing the bamboo sword back to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, then beckoned with his hand, signaling him to continue.
"Full power."
Yoriichi caught the sword and replied. He immediately raised his sword and charged rapidly towards Zephyr. This time, Yoriichi Tsugikuni did not use any special sword techniques, instead just rapidly swinging the bamboo sword—slashing and thrusting, maximizing the body's functions for quick strikes.
In an instant, the area in front of Zephyr was filled with sword shadows.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strikes were not chaotic. Each cut was made by observing Zephyr's "weak points" through the See-Through World and aiming for them.
However, the spot that was a weak point one moment before would be precisely parried by Zephyr's bamboo sword the moment Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strike arrived, eliminating the weakness in Yoriichi's eyes.
For a moment, the dense sound of "da da da" echoed throughout the empty kendo hall.
Under Yoriichi Tsugikuni's torrential attack, Zephyr looked completely at ease, even having time to comment:
"Hmm! Very good."
"The angles of your cuts are also very tricky. Purely in terms of swordsmanship, I'm actually not as good as you are."
"Of course, the drawbacks are also very obvious. Your strength is too small, and your speed is too slow. Dealing with small-time pirates should be fine."
"But against slightly stronger ones, you probably won't manage."
As he spoke, Zephyr, who had been purely blocking, suddenly exerted force, swinging his sword hard. It accurately struck Yoriichi Tsugikuni's blade, and a terrifying force was instantly unleashed onto the bamboo sword. Yoriichi Tsugikuni's wrist jolted, and he lost his grip; his bamboo sword was directly knocked away by Zephyr.
The bamboo sword spun rapidly in the air for several turns before smashing directly into the distant wall, flying out with a "bang" and creating a large hole.
"..." Yoriichi Tsugikuni turned his head, speechless, looking at the basin-sized hole in the wall.
He had heard Zephyr's comments, and he had heard them clearly.
He didn't know what Zephyr meant by "slow speed" and "small strength." What Yoriichi knew was that the "small strength" Zephyr spoke of could easily lift the leg of a giant tiger, and as for speed—just now, Yoriichi had executed hundreds of strikes, all within the span of a single breath.
Zephyr looked at the stunned Yoriichi Tsugikuni, his smile growing even wider. He strolled over to Yoriichi, patted his shoulder, and said with a chuckle:
"Kid, you still have a long way to go."
"Too weak, you are truly too weak."
"In the coming time, you must train well and absolutely must not slack off!"
Zephyr suddenly burst into laughter as he spoke.
Just then, the door of the dojo was slid open, and a young Marine in uniform rushed into the dojo. Seeing Zephyr inside, he hastily asked:
"Teacher Zephyr, what—what just happened?! "
"Why did a bamboo sword suddenly..."
Before the person could finish asking, Zephyr waved his hand and said with a smile:
"Oh, it's Victor!"
"It's nothing, nothing."
"Just casually sparring with my disciple."
"Let me introduce you. This kid is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, my disciple!"
"Yoriichi, that kid is Victor, one of our kendo instructors at the Marine School."
Zephyr introduced them both with a smile. Yoriichi nodded politely towards Victor.
Victor, standing at the doorway, looked stunned. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, shifting his gaze to the large hole in the wall.
Zephyr might not know, but the bamboo sword that flew out had passed right in front of Victor's eyes and happened to smash into a large bluestone slab. The slab had cracked, and the bamboo sword was shattered.
Victor was nearly "casually killed" by Zephyr!
Even now, Victor felt a sense of dread. If he had been just a tiny bit closer, his family could have been collecting his pension!
"Teacher Zephyr! Please, in the future, don't 'casually spar' anymore..." Victor couldn't help but mutter, his eyes falling on Yoriichi Tsugikuni next to Zephyr.
He didn't know Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Only the higher-ups knew about Garp bringing Yoriichi Tsugikuni back. As a kendo instructor at the Marine School, he was busy and didn't have time to concern himself with such matters.
However, the bamboo sword that flew out earlier made Victor realize that Teacher Zephyr's new disciple was not simple!
Unlike Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Victor was very clear about Zephyr's strength. If just "casually sparring" could cause such a commotion, then Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strength was probably extremely high!
"Teacher, is your disciple planning to study at the Marine School?"
Victor scrutinized Yoriichi Tsugikuni, then asked Zephyr.
"Study? Ah! No need, you don't teach... er, I mean, I will teach him myself!"
"He is still too young, and his strength is still too weak. Later, perhaps! Hahahaha!"
Zephyr laughed, patting Yoriichi's shoulder.
Victor's cheek twitched when he heard Zephyr say, "his strength is still too weak," and he looked once again at the large hole in the wall. He could actually guess what had happened in the dojo just now.
Since Zephyr said so, Victor simply nodded. After confirming Zephyr had no further instructions, he turned and left the dojo.
"Let's go, Yoriichi. I'll take you to test your Doriki."
"Once I have a general idea of your level, I can make a training plan for you!"
After Victor left, Zephyr didn't linger in the dojo and led Yoriichi Tsugikuni directly out.
(End of Chapter)