"Master."
Behind the Isshin Dojo,
in the clearing where Kong Tai used to train.
Though no one had trained here for a year, neither the barbells, nor the surrounding tea tables, nor the pavilion built by the stream showed any signs of decay.
Apart from the ground no longer being as smooth as before, returning to the same state as the outside, there were no other changes.
It was clear that even when Kong Tai and the others were at sea, this place was frequently visited.
"You're back."
Koshiro turned, looking at the silver-haired youth who had appeared behind him silently, his eyes moving slightly.
The youth's appearance was the same as before, except his hair had grown longer; there was no change to speak of. However, the naivete he possessed when he first set sail had completely vanished.
Moreover, his captivating eyes had become deeper, as if hiding endless secrets, making people curious and eager to explore.
"Good wine, want some?"
Having nothing else to give Koshiro, Kong Tai took the wine gourd from his waist and offered it to Koshiro. "This contains wine from sky islands ten thousand meters above sea level, and wine from Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters below the sea. It has Grand Line, and it has the New World. It can be said that it gathers all the good wine from the world that I have passed through."
Taking the wine gourd, Koshiro let out an "Oh~" and then used his thumb to pry open the stopper.
The moment the stopper was opened, an extremely potent aroma of wine rushed out from the gourd. The scent then expanded like a cannonball, instantly filling the entire training ground.
"Good wine."
Taking a deep breath of the wine aroma, Koshiro's eyes lit up. "It seems your experiences over the past year must have been quite extraordinary."
As he finished speaking, he gently held the wine gourd, not to his lips, but raised it above his head and tilted it downwards.
The moment the wine touched his mouth, it felt like a ball of fire, instantly burning his entire body, causing his face to turn red in an instant.
"Hahaha!! It is indeed good wine, but it's too strong, you can't drink too much!"
Putting down the wine gourd, Koshiro threw his head back, exhaled a puff of white mist, and then lowered his head, returning the gourd to Kong Tai.
"Hehe!!"
To Koshiro's words, Kong Tai just grinned and, taking back the wine gourd, directly tilted it up and took a large gulp, clearly not listening.
After all, he wasn't an ordinary person.
Koshiro shook his head, staring at the youth. His usually slightly narrowed eyes slowly widened, and the redness on his face vanished instantly, like a drawing erased from a canvas.
At this moment, an ultimate sharpness, belonging to a swordsman, shot up into the sky from him.
*Pfft—!*
The fallen leaves around the two were instantly shattered into powder, as if struck by a sharp blade.
"Didn't you always want to know my strength?"
Koshiro, his right hand on his sword hilt, stared intently at Kong Tai, his usual composure gone. At this moment, he was like an awakened sword, ready to cleave through all things in the world.
"I know about your strange spatial ability, which allows you to achieve theoretically invincible defense. But this world has too many special abilities. Even if no one on the sea can harm you, it doesn't mean the World Government, which has ruled the world for over eight hundred years, cannot."
As he spoke, Koshiro paused. His left hand, which was holding the sword, gently pried open the hilt with his thumb. The moment the snow-white blade emerged from the scabbard, an even more intense sharpness erupted from him.
"If you can't satisfy me, I won't let you go."
"A great swordsman, and not just any ordinary one."
Kong Tai re-hung the wine gourd at his waist, his hands in his pockets, watching Koshiro in his full imposing aura with amusement.
Although not as strong as Mihawk, and likely not as strong as Momousagi, this level of strength could still be considered that of a powerhouse in this world.
"Master, I think we should rest! You..."
Tilting his head slightly, Kong Tai looked up at the leaves shattered by Koshiro's aura behind him and said with a smile, "My current strength is something you don't need to worry about at all. I have already surpassed the limits you know."
"Limits?"
Koshiro paused slightly, but he had no intention of letting Kong Tai off the hook. He stepped back with his right leg, lowered his stance, and at the same time, his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist.
Black as ink yet shimmering with a pinkish glow, Haki gradually emerged from Koshiro's body like flowing water, enveloping him and wrapping around the exposed portion of the sword at his waist, which bore a striking resemblance to "Wado Ichimon."
*Clang—!*
The sound of the blade rubbing against the scabbard echoed through the mountain and the entire dojo, like the cicadas' chirping in June.
"This..."
Guina, who had just met up with Iku after bringing Robin and the others to greet them at the front of the dojo, saw a flash of red lightning in her eyes. She instantly transformed into a bolt of blue lightning and vanished from her spot.
Leaving Iku and the others standing at the front of the dojo, exchanging bewildered glances, unaware of what had happened.
Iku didn't use Observation Haki to sense it. He hadn't heard this familiar sword sound for many years, but with a little thought, he knew who was making it. As for who Koshiro was fighting?
If not him, then who else could it be?
"Don't mind them. You are all partners of Kong Tai and Guina, so here, you are family. Let's go!"
With that, Iku gestured inwards. "Given the Master's understanding of Kong Tai, he would have known he was returning the moment he saw the news. So, rooms have already been prepared for you."
"Of course," he added, looking up at Molo, who was over ten meters tall, and chuckled. "Of course, we didn't anticipate this young man."
"Haha!! I'll be fine. I'm used to staying outside."
Molo rubbed his head and smiled, not taking it to heart.
After all, since he set out to sea, he had mostly stayed on the deck of the Thousand Sunny. Sometimes he would go into Kong Tai's domain, as the deck was too small for him to train properly.
But Kong Tai's domain was different. Even though it was still the deck, the space there seemed boundless, allowing him to unleash and train to his heart's content.
"Glad to hear you don't mind."
Taking a deep puff of his pipe, Iku removed it from his mouth, letting the tobacco smoke drift out from the corner of his lips. He turned and led Robin and the others into the dojo.
As soon as they saw the news that morning, Koshiro had announced a few days of holiday for the dojo, so aside from a few old disciples who had always followed Koshiro, there was no one else present.
"Is this Kong Tai and Guina's home?"
Following Iku, Robin and the others looked around with curiosity.
They too wanted to know what was special about the place and the person who had nurtured such strong individuals as Kong Tai and Guina.
Unfortunately, as they followed Iku all the way to the living room, they still saw nothing special in terms of objects or people.
This couldn't help but remind them of the sharpness they had felt at the dojo entrance just now.