Chapter 151 — Foundations of a Blade
S.C. 1511 — Early March
Foosha Village — Clearing Behind the Shack
The morning sun rose slowly over Foosha, spreading a gentle gold across the forest clearing where Ren stood barefoot on the grass.
The practice sword—smooth hardwood, simple, balanced—rested across his palms.
Zemo sat on a flat rock nearby, watching with sharp, attentive eyes.
Kiro was stretching his shoulders behind Ren, grumbling:
"Why do we start training this early?"
Ren replied without turning, voice calm:
"Your body is slower in the morning. Training in your weakest state builds better discipline."
Kiro groaned. "I miss the days where we just carried crates."
Ren ignored him and stepped forward.
The First Attempt — Logic Meets Instinct
Ren held the wooden sword firmly.
His brain immediately started calculating:
Center of gravity
Balance shift
Distance between stance and target
Hip rotation angles
Muscle tension distribution
Everything appeared as crisp mental overlays.
But something felt off.
Ren swung—
SHF
Clean, straight…
but empty.
His foot slipped slightly on the turn.
Kiro blinked. "Was that… good?"
"No," Ren said simply.
He stood still, brows tight, thinking.
Swordsmanship wasn't math.
It wasn't just force, movement, and angle.
It required feeling.
He closed his eyes.
And let instinct slide into the calculation.
Breathing First
Ren inhaled slowly—deep, controlled, steady.
The breathing technique he'd been refining since the ApTx changes now stabilized his pulse, sharpened his senses, and tightened his core.
Every inhale drew energy inward.
Every exhale grounded his stance.
Ren opened his eyes.
Now it felt right.
Stance 1 — "Low Anchor"
He slowly lowered himself, left foot forward, right foot angled, knees bent, sword parallel to the ground.
Stable.
Firm.
Unmoving.
"Low Anchor," he murmured.
Kiro tilted his head. "Name already?"
"It helps me remember the intention."
"And the intention is…?"
"To not be moved."
Ren shifted slightly.
His body felt planted.
Zemo barked approvingly.
Stance 2 — "Rising Current"
Ren pivoted.
Feet light.
Weight forward.
Sword angled upward as if ready to cut through a rising wave.
This stance was faster.
Agile.
Built for upward momentum.
He practiced the transition:
Low Anchor → Rising Current
Slow… faster… smooth…
Kiro whistled. "Looks natural."
Ren didn't answer.
He was too focused.
Stance 3 — "Falling Arc"
Ren lifted the sword overhead.
His breathing deepened.
Then he lowered the blade in a controlled arc.
Not a strike—
a weight shift.
A stance designed to redirect force downward.
The moment his feet settled, he felt it:
A clear flow between all three stances.
Low → Rise → Fall
Firm → Agile → Redirect
His mind clicked into place.
"This is workable," Ren murmured.
Kiro Tries It (Disaster)
Kiro picked up his own wooden sword.
"Let me try."
Ren stepped aside.
Kiro attempted the Low Anchor stance—
crack
The sword slipped from his sweaty grip.
Kiro stared at his empty hand.
"…Okay that's harder than it looks."
Ren sighed.
Zemo barked like he was laughing.
Kiro glared. "Don't judge me, dog."
A More Realistic Approach
Ren stepped behind Kiro and adjusted his posture:
"Lower your hips.
Relax your shoulders.
Don't grip the sword like you're trying to choke it."
Kiro corrected everything, then asked:
"…Now what?"
"Now—breathe."
Ren demonstrated the pattern:
Inhale… hold… exhale.
Kiro followed.
Slowly, his posture stabilized.
"Oh," Kiro said quietly. "Feels… easier."
Ren nodded. "Your sword and breath must match."
Kiro exhaled. "No wonder I kept losing balance."
Ren's lips curved faintly.
Progress.
Luffy Appears (Of Course)
A loud yell echoed from behind them:
"REEEEEEEEN!!"
Ren stiffened.
Kiro groaned. "Already?"
Luffy burst into the clearing, waving a stick like it was a legendary blade.
"Teach me too!!! I want a super sword style!"
Ren stared at him.
"…That's not a sword. That's a tree branch."
"But it can be a sword if I BELIEVE!" Luffy declared proudly.
Zemo barked once as if acknowledging the insane logic.
The Three Stances Demonstrated
Ren sighed and performed the stances again—slowly—so even Luffy could understand.
Luffy mimicked every move with exaggerated enthusiasm:
Low Anchor → he sank too low and fell sideways
Rising Current → he jumped instead of shifting weight
Falling Arc → he hit his own head with the branch
Kiro facepalmed.
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose.
Zemo rolled on the ground laughing.
Progress by Noon
Despite chaos…
Kiro's posture had improved.
Luffy was still hopeless—but energetic.
Zemo was having the time of his life.
Ren practiced transitions repeatedly:
Low Anchor → Rising Current → Falling Arc
Rising Current → Falling Arc → Low Anchor
Mixed combinations, slow and fast.
His breathing synchronized with movement.
His mind mapped each angle.
His telepathy lightly sensed Zemo's excitement, Luffy's wild focus, Kiro's frustration…
And he let all of it fade into background.
Sword.
Breath.
Body.
Flow.
The foundation of his own swordsmanship was finally forming.
Evening — Recorded Progress
Later that night, Ren wrote:
Sword Style Development — Day 1
Stances created: 3
Low Anchor — Stability
Rising Current — Speed
Falling Arc — Counterflow
Notes:
— refine transitions
— increase core strength
— test cutting targets soon
— breathing helps dramatically
Zemo curled around his feet.
Kiro's muffled voice came from outside:
"Ren… my legs are shaking…"
Ren closed the notebook.
Tomorrow, they would continue.
End of Chapter 151