After returning to the dojo,
Ryukawa discovered that Koushirou was nowhere to be found.
He could only shrug helplessly.
Well, whatever.
The bandits were already dealt with smoothly, so reporting the details wasn't that important anyway.
Besides…
Ryukawa knew Koushirou well enough.
Since the old man had entrusted the job to him with full confidence, it was clear Koushirou had already judged that Ryukawa was capable.
With his thoughts settled—
Ryukawa prepared to resume his daily sword training.
That battle against the bandits hadn't given him much in terms of real combat experience, but at least his blade had finally tasted blood.
An important first step.
What surprised him the most, though—
After killing more than a hundred people in one go…
He felt absolutely nothing.
No discomfort.
No nausea.
No guilt.
"…Looks like I really was born to be a ruthless man."
Ryukawa chuckled to himself.
Then—
Swing.
He resumed his sword practice.
And, perhaps because the two little ones had been dealt a blow to the soul, Kuina and Zoro silently walked over and began copying Ryukawa's swings.
Down to the angle.
Down to the timing.
Down to the breaths.
This made Ryukawa laugh out loud.
These two stubborn little devils…
Did they truly think swinging a sword would make them strong the same way it made him strong?
That only worked for him—
the guy with a cheat system.
For normal people, sword swinging was just basic training.
No secret methods.
No hidden profundity.
"Forget it… do whatever you want."
He knew trying to dissuade them was useless.
If advice worked, the entire dojo wouldn't be copying his training like a bunch of ducklings following their mother.
The dojo was lively today.
As soon as some students noticed Ryukawa had returned, they rushed over with sparkling eyes, excitedly asking about the battle with the bandits.
Ryukawa didn't bother with them.
He directly pushed all explanations onto Kuina and Zoro and returned to training.
Talking was a waste of time.
Swinging the sword…
That was the real path to strength.
"To think Master Senior Brother took down over a hundred bandits by himself!"
"That's insane!"
"As expected of our senior brother—an idol for us! A true role model!"
When the truth spread through the dojo,
the students were ecstatic.
Ryukawa ignored all of it.
Swing.
Swing.
Swing.
To others, it looked painfully monotonous.
To him, every swing was joy—
because every swing made him feel himself getting stronger.
Then—
His sword stopped mid-motion.
His instincts flared.
Someone had arrived.
He turned his head toward the dojo entrance…
And his eyes narrowed.
A group of four stood outside.
One with an enormous face and flamboyant makeup.
One tall, lean middle-aged man with tattoos across his face.
One timid yet curious blond boy.
And one fish-man wearing a white kimono.
Four people.
Every one of them carried an aura completely unlike anyone in the dojo.
"Strong…"
Ryukawa's eyes hardened.
But his gaze naturally focused on the tall tattooed man.
That face—
that presence—
that calm, calculating air—
Of course he recognized him.
This man was no ordinary visitor.
A powerhouse hidden beneath the world's surface—
Revolutionary Army.
Monkey D. Dragon.
"Didn't think I'd see a big-name figure like him in Shimotsuki Village."
He exhaled deeply.
Beside Dragon stood…
—The huge-faced cross-dressing okama: Emporio Ivankov.
—The fish-man karate instructor: Hack.
And lastly, the blond boy—
Ryukawa paused.
That one he wasn't fully sure about…
but standing beside Dragon, the identity wasn't hard to guess.
Zoro and Kuina easily noticed Ryukawa's sudden seriousness and followed his gaze.
Immediately—
Their young hearts tightened.
These four were strong.
Overwhelmingly strong—
at least the adults among them.
"Master Senior Brother…"
Kuina swallowed and instinctively looked to Ryukawa for direction.
Even Zoro did the same.
After all, in this dojo—
Aside from Koushirou, Ryukawa's authority was absolute.
"No need to panic," Ryukawa said calmly.
"They're likely here to see the master, not to cause trouble."
"As hosts, we should behave accordingly."
Ryukawa walked directly toward the group.
When he reached them, he spoke naturally:
"Since you've come to visit, may I ask for your names?"
Dragon's eyebrow twitched.
This boy…
was interesting.
Not afraid.
Not nervous.
Not fooled by appearances.
And strangely…
Dragon felt as though the kid could see through them.
Impossible?
Or instinct?
Regardless—
This boy was not normal.
Dragon also noticed something else:
His strength wasn't simple either.
After a moment of consideration, Dragon replied:
"We're only here for one purpose—
Please inform your master that an old acquaintance has come to visit."
Of course he wouldn't introduce himself.
What was he supposed to say?
Hello, we're the Revolutionary Army. Please don't report us.
That would be suicide.
"The master? He seems to be out at the moment. You can wait here—he'll return soon."
Ryukawa answered politely, though he couldn't help examining the blond boy again.
He looked familiar, but…
Still no exact memory.
Dragon nodded.
"Then we'll wait. Sorry for the intrusion."
The four stepped inside.
Ivankov suddenly leaned in and whispered:
"Dragon, you've been staring at that boy nonstop. Did you notice something?"
Dragon narrowed his eyes.
"No. I simply think he isn't ordinary."
Then he rested a hand on the blond boy's shoulder.
"Since you're the same age, Sabo…"
A faint smile appeared on Dragon's rare, stern face.
"…Don't you want to have a little spar with him?"
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