PIRATE:SEEING MY PROFICIENCY I BECAME A LEGEND

As the fierce clash of wooden swords echoed through the dojo, the spectators collectively held their breath. The sharp collision sent shockwaves through the audience, their disbelief mirrored in Kuina's widened eyes. She turned to her father, Koshiro, her voice shaking.

"Father! What the hell is going on?!"

Koshiro remained silent for a moment, his gaze locked onto the match before him. Then, in a measured tone, he addressed Zoro.

"Zoro, a swordsman's duel is never decided by luck!"

Zoro, panting slightly, processed the words. Something clicked inside him. Without hesitation, he turned, reached into his sword basket, and retrieved two more wooden swords, crossing them with the one already in his grasp. The Santoryu stance took form, and his presence shifted.

"AHHH!"

With a fierce battle cry, Zoro became a blur, surging toward Dongze with renewed fury. His strikes came down like a storm, each blow carrying the weight of his frustration and determination. The very air trembled with his relentless assault. But Dongze stood unmoved. His bamboo sword, precise and unyielding, met each of Zoro's swings with effortless grace.

"SNAP!"

A deafening crack resounded as Dongze's sword intercepted two of Zoro's, stopping them mid-air. Zoro's eyes widened. His blades—nailed in place as though pinned by an unseen force—refused to budge. His heart pounded.

"Impossible!"

His voice trembled with disbelief.

"This… this can't be happening!"

The rage surged anew, and his arms blurred, launching another ferocious assault. But every slash, every thrust, was met with the same uncanny precision. Dongze's counters fell upon the exact meeting points of Zoro's blades, halting them mid-motion. His defense was neither flashy nor forceful—just absolute.

Gasps filled the dojo.

"Am I dreaming?"

"This… this isn't real!"

"That's the kid from the bottom of the class, isn't it?"

"The weakest? Ha! Like you could last a second against him."

Kuina, standing stiffly, felt her heartbeat hammer against her chest. Her sharp eyes traced the combatants, her mind whirling. Dongze—the same boy who had been outclassed by Zoro not long ago—was now shattering their understanding of swordsmanship.

But Koshiro… Koshiro already knew.

"Father!" Kuina's voice broke through the whispers. "What's happening?!"

Koshiro's sharp gaze didn't waver. He was silent at first, then exhaled.

"I wasn't mistaken," he murmured. "This is the suppression of realms."

Kuina blinked.

"Suppression… of realms?"

The term was foreign to her, yet it rang with undeniable truth. She had only been taught the basics—a true swordsman is one who can cut steel. That had been Koshiro's lesson. But now, this?

"Swordsmanship," Koshiro continued, "exists in levels, just as swordsmen do. Entry. Proficiency. Mastery. Peak. And beyond that… the realm where the blade is an extension of the will itself."

The words felt heavy, yet they resonated.

"Among everyone here, Dongze's realm surpasses you all. You fight as though swordplay is a sequence of strikes. He fights as though he knows your every move before you do."

Yet, Koshiro kept one thought to himself. His fingers clenched slightly. His breath stilled.

"No… it's more than just mastery."

His mind reeled at the realization. The precision, the seamless movement—it was unmistakable.

"This isn't just skill… this is Observation Haki!"

A chill ran down his spine.

"But that's impossible! Haki is a power wielded by warriors in the Grand Line! The strongest sea! How could a child from the East Blue possess it? Who the hell is he?!"

Kuina swallowed. Her hands clenched into fists.

"Him…? This guy?"

Koshiro sighed, sensing her doubt.

"If you were in that arena, it wouldn't be much different."

Zoro, still recovering from the repeated failures, gritted his teeth.

"Why?!" he barked. "Why is the gap this huge?! I don't accept this!"

Dongze, still poised, met his gaze.

"Are you looking down on me?!" Zoro growled. "Why don't you attack?!"

Dongze's expression remained calm. His answer came evenly.

"If that's what you want… then I'll oblige."

The instant the words left his lips, his stance changed. A single step—silent, smooth—was all it took. And then he vanished.

Gasps erupted.

"Where is he?!"

"He disappeared?!"

Even Zoro stiffened, his eyes darting frantically. His muscles tensed.

"He's…"

Then—

"Zoro! Behind you!"

Kuina's warning came too late.

A strike, fast as lightning, struck upwards.

"CLANG!"

Zoro's grip faltered. His hands stung. His bamboo swords—his trusted weapons—flew from his grasp.

Silence.

He stared at his trembling fingers. The reality sank in like a stone.

"I… lost?"

Dongze stood before him, still composed, still unshaken.

For a long moment, Zoro was silent. His pride, his strength, his will—shattered.

Then, in a quiet but unyielding voice, he spoke.

"Dongze… I'll come again!"