Chapter 27: The Supreme Staircase of Great Joy

Just as expected.

Zoro charged forward with a fierce shout, radiating immense momentum, only to be sent flying with a painful cry the very next second, landing flat on his face.

He scrambled back to his feet, glaring at Kuina beside him. "Hey! Why didn't you attack?"

"Wasn't it you who said it was a one-on-one?"

Kuina retorted impatiently, though she ultimately adjusted her position to form a pincer attack with Zoro, letting out a low grunt as they struck simultaneously.

For all their bickering, they still possessed a certain unspoken coordination.

Unfortunately, in the face of overwhelming stats, all flashy techniques were meaningless.

Even though Xia Nuo had restrained his strength as much as possible, it still took only three effortless strikes to send their bamboo swords flying, followed by two more swift motions to knock them both down.

A textbook 5A-grade combo.

"Damn it!" Zoro couldn't accept reality, pulling at his hair in frustration. "How did this happen?"

"Isn't it only natural to lose to Mr. Xia Nuo?" Kuina said.

She instinctively wanted to tease him—*This kid, shouldn't he be used to it by now, having lost to me so many times?*—but seeing Zoro’s expression, she swallowed the words. She leaned over to pull him up, smiling.

"Alright, get up. At least this shows you that there is always someone better out there. It’s a good thing to have a higher goal; let’s work hard to catch up together from now on!"

"But I’m still so frustrated!"

Zoro gritted his teeth. He knew deep down that there was a gap and could accept his failure, but he never expected to lose so miserably. He hadn't even been able to track the trajectory of the opponent's blade. Was this guy, who looked only a few years older than them, really that masterful at swordsmanship?

Kuina patted his shoulder and stopped trying to persuade him. She turned to look for her bamboo sword. The backyard was dim, and it took her a long while to find it behind a pillar.

Zoro, crestfallen, went to retrieve his own, but before he could even bend down, Xia Nuo had already picked it up first.

"?" Zoro stared at Xia Nuo with wide eyes.

"Confiscating one as punishment for your poor attitude earlier. I’m quite petty, you know," Xia Nuo said with a chuckle. "Don't look at me like that. If you feel stifled, then train even harder and take it back with your own strength later."

"Of course, by then you might not even care for a bamboo sword like this. So, if one day you manage to defeat me, I wouldn't mind giving you the sword I have on my back."

"Really?!"

Zoro’s eyes lit up, and he immediately forgot all about his bamboo sword. He had been drooling over a genuine blade for a long time; he never expected the other party to propose such a wager.

*He’s actually a pretty good guy!*

"It's a deal!"

He regained his vigor, stood on his tiptoes, and extended his pinky finger.

"Pinky swear! No backing out! Just you wait—sooner or later, my swordsmanship will surpass yours, and I’ll make you hand over that sword willingly!"

"How childish."

Xia Nuo sighed, but facing the determined green-haired kid, he ultimately extended his own finger as well.

"Pinky swear, cross my heart, hope to die, never change it for a hundred years!"

After shouting the oath and sealing the deal, Zoro ran off excitedly. Judging by his impatience, it was easy to guess that he was off to continue his frantic training.

*So ill-mannered. When will he ever grow up?* Kuina sighed, watching his retreating figure.

Turning back to Xia Nuo, she bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Mr. Xia Nuo. It was an honor to spar with you, although..." She gave a bitter smile. "Your strikes were simply too fast. My eyes are dull, and I failed to learn much. I find that quite a pity."

Xia Nuo didn't know how to respond, so he laughed it off and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, it’s been a while since I sharpened my blade. Does your family have a whetstone?"

A whetstone?

Kuina nodded. "We do, but the dojo usually uses bamboo swords, so we rarely use it. It’s kept in the attic. I’ll go get it for you now."

"No need," Xia Nuo said quickly. "Just lead the way; I'll get it myself."

*Don't joke with your own life, girl! Why do you think I brought this up? Besides earning points, it’s to save your life while I’m at it. If I let you go up there alone and you fall to your death, wouldn't I feel guilty for half a lifetime?*

...

In the secluded storage room, Xia Nuo looked up at the wooden ladder, rubbing his chin, still finding it hard to believe.

*Seriously? This attic isn't even that high—three meters at most. A swordswoman who has trained since childhood and can best ordinary adults, just like that, falls to her death?*

He checked the system panel. The bamboo sword he had swindled from Zoro had already been successfully sacrificed.

[Sacrifice: Zoro’s Bamboo Sword]
[Quality: Fine]
[Value: 500 Points]
[Appraisal: One of the bamboo swords that accompanied Zoro for years, witnessing his countless sweat-stained mornings and nights. He may replace it with many famous blades in the future, but he will never forget these early companions.]
[Remaining Points: 8825]

Five hundred points—about what he expected. Xia Nuo was reasonably satisfied.

*I wonder if this counts as more or less...*

He gently touched the ladder and attempted to initiate the sacrifice.

[Sacrifice: Kuina’s Great Ladder]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 1500 Points]
[Appraisal: The mystery of Kuina's death is widely debated. The only certainty is that while going to the attic to get a whetstone for her beloved Wado Ichimonji, she fell from this ladder and passed away. From that moment, the timeline shifted. On the future seas, the world lost a remarkable female swordsman, but gained a man who swore to become the world’s greatest—"I will become strong enough for the both of us, until my name reaches the heavens!"]

Fifteen hundred points?

Xia Nuo was genuinely surprised. Logically, Kuina was just a minor supporting character, and her current power weighting should have been negligible; the sacrificed item shouldn't have been worth more than a hundred or two.

As it turned out, there was indeed a special rule beyond the three he had summarized: items that shifted the timeline or were part of iconic scenes often carried much higher value.

Xia Nuo looked at his point balance.

[Remaining Points: 10325]

The points he had spent were almost fully replenished, and the "Supreme Great Ladder" had played a major role.

*If this is the case, how many points will Luffy’s straw hat provide?*

Probably even more than he had anticipated.

Xia Nuo felt even more expectant. He had pretty much scavenged all the sacrificeable items in the surrounding waters. Once he obtained that final straw hat, he could return to Cocoyasi Village to seclude himself and cultivate in peace.

After that, he wouldn't have to worry about points for a very long time.

He pulled his thoughts back and looked toward the dojo.

A light drizzle was falling, and Kuina was still waiting in the courtyard.

After a moment of reflection, he found a brush and ink in the storage room and strode out.

As the saying goes, "He who takes from others is at their mercy." Having earned so many points for free, it was time to provide a little return—like saving Kuina's life, for instance.

Getting rid of the ladder and moving the whetstone downstairs didn't mean the risk of Kuina falling to her death had vanished entirely. Xia Nuo had a soft spot for this intelligent, polite girl with extraordinary talent, and he didn't want her to leave this world in such a ridiculous way.

Every absurdity usually has a cause. Xia Nuo had noticed earlier that when Kuina was searching for her bamboo sword, she had to grope around for a long time before finding it. The lighting was dim, but surely not that dim.

*Could it be...*

Just like Tashigi, who shared her exact appearance, was Kuina actually severely nearsighted?