Chapter 18 Observation Haki and the Realm of Cutting Steel

Chapter 18 Observation Haki and the Realm of Cutting Steel

After both of them calmed down their fighting emotions, Koshiro took Vic back to his courtyard. When passing by Kuina, Vic made a face at her, making Kuina giggle.

We came to a small house with simple furnishings. In the middle of the room there was a low coffee table with a set of tea sets on it. There was a row of small cabinets against the wall, and nothing else. This was where Koshiro usually entertained guests and meditated.

Koshiro brought Vic to the place where he usually meditated. The two sat opposite each other, and Koshiro always had a smile on his face.

"Vic, I have just seen your foundation. It is very strong, a little too strong. I don't know how you practiced, but your moves are a little simple. This is related to the fact that you have been practicing the basics of kendo without any follow-up guidance. This is easy to deal with. Next, you need to free your mind and not let yourself be trapped in the sword moves. You must turn the basics into instincts, and then recreate on this basis."

Koshiro said slowly, "Most sword masters' special moves are extended from basic sword moves. They may be a combination of several moves, or they may add some personal understanding, plus some body movements, movement, space changes, and the number of weapons... to perform. When the true sword art is perfected, it returns to its original simplicity, and every move has great power."

After listening to this, Vic had to admit that there was a huge difference between having someone to teach and having no one to teach. After all, this was a different world, and the rules of heaven, earth, and nature were different from those in his previous life. That was why he had been confused before, and had been unable to break into the new sword realm. Therefore, he did not usually practice swordplay, but mostly meditated on swordplay and exercised his body.

Vic listened carefully without saying anything, waiting for Koshiro's next words.

"There are swordsmen in this world who can cut through anything, but there is that kind of swordsman who can cut through steel and anything else with the same sword. The sword of the strongest swordsman has the power to protect what he wants to protect and to cut through what he wants to cut. A sword that hurts everything it touches, in my opinion, that is not a sword. This is also the next realm you need to comprehend." Koshiro said vaguely.

Vic thought to himself, "This is exactly the same as what Koshiro said to Zoro when they were little. It's a bit mysterious, no wonder little Zoro didn't understand. In my understanding, it means using strong faith to use the sword in your hand as you please. But when Zoro broke through the Zanwuji, he said that he felt the breathing, the breathing of stone, the breathing of tree, the breathing of sword, and the breathing of Mr. 1 steel. Isn't this the Observation Haki? And he said later, 'You won't hit me again. Now it depends on whether I have the power to cut through steel.' This is obviously the awakening of Observation Haki, but Observation Haki can't let him cut through steel. What else did he realize at the moment of life and death?"

Some people may say that Zoro had awakened his Observation Haki at that time, so why was he always injured afterwards? This should be the prototype of Observation Haki designed by Oda. There was no such concept in the comics at that time. The newly awakened Observation Haki was unstable and sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared. Zoro had never heard of Observation Haki, and had no concept of it. He did not have any targeted training and mostly relied on instinct.

In later battles, there are many places in which Zoro foresaw attacks and dodged them. Moreover, having Observation Haki does not make you invincible. There are some Devil Fruit abilities that you cannot do anything about even with Observation Haki. Also, even if you foresee an attack but your speed is not as fast as the opponent's, you cannot dodge and there is no way to avoid getting hurt.

Look at the priest Eneel on Sky Island, everyone has Observation Haki (called Shintsuga on Sky Island), but he still lost to the Straw Hat Pirates. Moreover, excessive emotional fluctuations will also affect the perception of Observation Haki. Therefore, it is understandable that Oda did not deliberately show Zoro's Observation Haki and no one noticed it. As long as he is not pretending to be cool, standing there motionless (King Luffy) and moving his body to avoid attacks, who would know it is Observation Haki? Moreover, Zoro is an offensive player. As long as he has identified his opponent, he will attack fiercely.

So Vic knew that in order to break through the current realm, he must master Observation Haki and Tetsu-zan. According to the two, Vic knew that Tetsu-zan was related to strong belief, believing in himself and believing in the sword in his hand.

Vic certainly has strong faith. With his two great talents of photographic memory and proficiency, he has the belief that he can become an unrivaled strong man. However, this belief is only in the general direction, and there is still something missing, so he has been unable to comprehend it. Therefore, Vic is going to find a way to break through the current realm and then learn more advanced things.

Koshiro went on to say, "You need to comprehend this realm on your own. I can't help you with the rest. Your foundation has been laid. You don't need to swing the sword step by step. Meditate more and gain more insights."

After saying this, Koshiro ignored Vic and sat cross-legged in meditation.

Vic knew that this was the only way for now, but he already knew the direction, so he didn't say anything else. He stood up and walked out of the house.

Vic knew that what he needed to do now was to feel the snow on his waist. Only when he fully understood his own knife could he make further progress.

Vic found Kuina, who was sitting cross-legged at the sparring arena in front, watching people sparring with great interest.

Vic walked over and touched Kuina's head, then smiled at her and said, "Kuina, come out for a moment. I have something to talk to you about."

Kuina turned around and found that it was Vic. She happily took Vic's clothes and went out with Vic. When they came to the corridor outside, Vic smiled at Kuina and said, "Kuina-chan, is there an empty room here? I want to find a place to meditate."

Hearing that Vic was not here to play with her, Kuina pouted a little: "The other rooms are full of things. Only the attic and my room are relatively empty. Come to my room."

Vic could see that Kuina was a little disappointed, and said with a smile: "How about this, I'll go to your room today, I'll tell you a story first and then practice, okay?"

"Okay, okay, let's go!" Kuina smiled instantly and pulled Vic's clothes and left.

Vic picked up Guina and said, "You show me the way, I'll carry you there." Vic laughed.

There were only so many rooms, and soon the two arrived at Kuina's room. The room was not big, about 15 square meters, and the furnishings were also very simple, with a small bed, a bookshelf, a wardrobe and a small table. Apart from the small bed, it didn't look like a place for a child to live. Koshiro had been very strict with Kuina since she was a child.

Vic came to the small table and sat cross-legged. Guina sat across the table and Vic told her an adapted story.

The story of the Ancient One fighting against alien demons to protect the world specifically emphasizes that the Ancient One was a thin little girl who was self-reliant and learned magical powers from her friends in Kamar-Taj. In the end, she became the Sorcerer Supreme and defeated the alien invader Dormammu with her strong belief.

After hearing this, Guina's face turned red with excitement and she looked longing. Vic just wanted to change some of Guina's ideas and make her stop being the little girl who was angry with her father.

In the original work, Koshiro probably saw that Kuina was a girl, and because of traditional ideas, he did not think that a girl could become a strong kendo master, so he occasionally expressed concern that no one would inherit the family's kendo skills. All of this was sensed by the sensitive Kuina, so Kuina determined to become a powerful swordsman since she was a child. She set a goal since she was a child, so she lived a very autistic life. If it weren't for Zoro's arrival, which gave her some different experiences, she would probably have remained numb.

A little change will always be effective. If it doesn't work, I will take Kuina away and teach her personally to prevent her from dying in an accident.

After finishing the story, Vic gave Guina a lollipop and let her play with it by herself, while he stayed in the house to feel the snow walking.