Chapter 58: The Pirates Appear

Although their main focus was always on new training methods, that did not mean abandoning the routines they had already experienced—like practicing swordsmanship in the sea. After spending some time training at the waterfall, Tang Shen would still lead Kuina back to the shore for practice. Without comparison, how could one measure progress? The daily improvements at the waterfall were slow and arduous, but returning to the sea, facing the tides and waves, everything suddenly felt easy and natural—this was progress made imperceptibly. Sometimes it was hard to notice, yet it was always happening.

On this particular day, Tang Shen and Kuina were practicing swordsmanship in the water. Thanks to their waterfall training, not a single wave could touch them now. They stood atop the rocks, relaxed and at ease, as if strolling through a garden at home.

After training, the two were about to leave when, at that moment, a massive dark shadow cut across the horizon—a ship speeding toward the shore, its course set straight for them.

“Master, there’s a ship,” Kuina said immediately, having spotted the approaching shadow.

Tang Shen turned to look, his eyes narrowing, a hint of surprise on his brow. “Pirates,” he said.

For on the ship’s flag, there was a skull—the unmistakable symbol of pirates.

This was Tang Shen’s first time encountering pirates in the entire holographic game.

Curious, Tang Shen asked, “Kuina, do pirates often come to this island?”

This island was neither rich nor significant, just a remote speck in the East Sea, far from the entrance to the Grand Line. By all rights, pirates should have no reason to visit such a place.

Of course, sometimes events drew them—like when Red-Haired Shanks’ crew once visited Windmill Village, the little island where Luffy lived.

“No, I think the only time pirates came here, I was very small. I’ve never seen them again since,” Kuina replied, shaking her head. She could barely remember the incident—if Tang Shen hadn’t asked, she wouldn’t have thought of it at all.

Her eyes, full of curiosity, watched the pirate ship approach. The flag was the first thing she saw, its grinning skull exuding a dark aura even from afar.

“Is that so?” Tang Shen’s lips curled into a cold smile. He sensed trouble from this pirate ship. “Kuina, prepare for battle!”

Though there were adventurers among pirates who simply sought freedom, the Great Age of Sail had led to such an explosion in piracy that even the world’s navy felt the pressure. Most pirates now were driven by greed, killing and looting at will.

The thrill of easy plunder, and the careless squandering of stolen wealth, had opened the door to evil for many.

Those who valued money above all and trampled on others’ lives had also become pirates.

“Battle? Yes, Master.” Kuina’s expression turned solemn.

Tang Shen’s face was calmer than ever. “This won’t be like our usual matches, where you only need to defeat your opponent. This time, it’s about killing. I don’t deny that there are good people among pirates—those who yearn for freedom—but I can tell this ship is not filled with such men. I hadn’t planned for you to shed blood so soon, but it’s inevitable. The sooner you face this, the better it will be for you.”

As Tang Shen spoke, the shouts and cheers, mixed with lewd laughter, grew clearer from the pirate ship closing in on the shore.

This island was their target for pillage.

Hearing Tang Shen’s words, Kuina’s face finally changed. Kill? She had never faced such a situation before. In the dojo, she had defeated both adults and students alike, but she had never killed anyone. She had slain many beasts in the forest, but those were not people.

These were living, breathing humans.

Her heart began to race, and nerves set in.

Tang Shen sensed her anxiety and patted her head. “Relax. Just do your best as usual. Killing these people is no different from killing beasts in the forest.”

Kuina turned to him, speechless. “Master, I was just thinking—we’re only holding iron bamboo swords right now.”

She raised the sword in her hand; it was, indeed, the iron bamboo training sword.

Tang Shen was speechless.

So I was worrying for nothing.

Casually, he tossed his iron bamboo sword to the ground, where it stuck upright.

He opened his system inventory and pulled out two iron swords.

He handed the fine steel sword he’d previously used to Kuina and kept an ordinary iron sword for himself.

This ordinary iron sword was one Tang Shen had collected after killing a level-10 beast, tossing it into his system inventory without much thought—who would have guessed it would come in handy now.

Despite this, Tang Shen still cautioned her: “Remember, strike to kill. Even a moment’s hesitation could lead to a mistake, and then to your own death. Understand?”

“Yes, Master.” Kuina tightened her grip on the steel sword.

Koshiro, who had been following the two, witnessed everything. He had intended to step in—after all, these were pirates, and in his eyes, Tang Shen and Kuina were not yet ready to face such men.

Killing a human was nothing like killing a beast in the forest.

Beasts lacked cunning, whereas humans possessed intelligence, and pirates were even more treacherous.

In the eyes of the people, pirates were never good men. Koshiro had seen too many of their atrocities—wherever they went, there was murder, arson, and chaos.

But after hearing Tang Shen’s words, Koshiro calmed down. What Tang Shen said was exactly what he would have advised.

Yes, he thought, quietly committing Tang Shen’s words to memory. Someday, he would share them with his own students. For example: Killing these people is no different from killing beasts in the forest; remember, strike to kill—even a moment’s hesitation could be fatal.

These words, though they sounded ordinary, were powerful and full of meaning.

As the pirate ship drew near, a group of bare-chested brutes appeared at the prow, machetes in hand and eyes gleaming with malice as they stared hungrily at the island.

The instant he saw them, the sea wind carrying their stench, Tang Shen nearly vomited up yesterday’s dinner. Though he had seen hideous pirates in the original anime, that was animation, softened by art. Seeing them in person now—these men were truly, disgustingly ugly.

Each face was a shock, with yellowed teeth bared and bodies filthy beyond belief, as if they hadn’t bathed in ages. The sea breeze only intensified the stench—a foul blend of sweat and foot odor, almost unbearable.