Chapter 257: The Water Tank is Full
Chapter 257: The Water Tank is Full
In Kuro's eyes, the affair involving Misukina and his daughter was trivial. As long as they didn't reveal the secret of the Pure Gold, there wouldn't be any problems at all.
After living two hundred additional years—though those had been spent inside the Lanternfish's belly, with no social environment to foster growth—those centuries had still been sufficient for reflection.
They had suffered two hundred years of lonely tragedy because of the Pure Gold. Now, they clearly understood what needed to be done.
He had already sent the Pure Gold to the heavens. The Lanternfish had been thoroughly terrified, so it wouldn't return. It would simply wander the deep seas with the remaining Pure Gold.
That colossal creature was exceptionally difficult to deal with. Even Kuro couldn't claim a hundred percent certainty of victory. Fortunately, he'd seen fear in the Lanternfish's eyes. He could be sure, at least for now, that it wouldn't return. Moreover, the Lanternfish sought only the Pure Gold's radiance—it wasn't bloodthirsty or vengeful. Without that glow, it wouldn't surface again.
This matter was, for all intents and purposes, resolved.
With Klah's help, Misukina and his daughter soon settled on Moe Island. Since the world had no formal registry system, Klah's assistance merely involved fabricating evidence of their presence there. After all, the Navy controlled the island now—this was a simple exercise of authority.
Once the two were settled, Kuro stopped paying attention. He had his own matters to attend to.
Several days later, at the cliffs behind the Marine Base.
Waves crashed against the rocks and cliff faces, their rhythmic roar filling the air. Countless years of ceaseless erosion had long since smoothed the cliff faces and boulders into polished surfaces.
Ordinary people couldn't climb these sheer, towering walls. No pirate would attempt an assault from this direction.
This was precisely why natural harbors were so coveted—some natural ports, like Moe Island, were inherently defensible.
At the cliff's edge, Kuro stood motionless, his body poised in the classic Iaijutsu stance.
Hua!
The crashing waves echoed their familiar sound, then a wisp of black light flashed around him at impossible speed.
The black light vanished. So did the sound of the waves.
Hua!
Swoosh!
The waves surged again, and the black light reappeared, circling Kuro once more.
"Kuro—"
Lida came running, but seeing his current posture, she immediately clamped her mouth shut.
Beside her, several others had gathered—Klah, Sazil, and a golden-haired young girl.
This was Mi Si Qi Na·Ao Er Jia, who claimed to be two hundred and six years old. Her physical form matched her stated age, but her mental age likely approximated that of a seven or eight-year-old child.
She had become quite close with Lida.
One was Lida, who—though eighteen in body—had spent most of her life scavenging for food while hiding from people, resulting in social development more appropriate to her current appearance.
The other was Ao Er Jia, a literal "Tianshan Child Crone" who had aged without growing physically. Both were misfits who had quickly become inseparable.
Ao Er Jia was particularly fond of eating. After two centuries of surviving solely on Lanternfish stomach contents, she was now obsessed with discovering authentic gourmet delights. Naturally, she and Lida formed a "foodie" alliance, spending their days wandering Moe Island in search of culinary adventures.
"Hey! What's he doing? What's that black light?" Ao Er Jia asked, startled.
With her eyesight, she could only see Kuro standing there motionless, his hand resting on his sword hilt, utterly still.
"Blade flash."
Lida's perspective was different. She could see Kuro's movements—how he'd drawn his blade at lightning speed, slashed forward, then sheathed it in an instant.
Klah could perceive this as well. Pushing his glasses up, he murmured, "It's rare to see Master Kuro cultivating. We should observe carefully."
His signature "Superspeed Shave" technique had originated from studying Kuro's swordsmanship. If he could glean anything further, it might significantly enhance his own abilities.
"Did he really swing his blade? I couldn't see a thing."
Sazil swallowed hard. Though he possessed some skill, he shared Ao Er Jia's inability to perceive Kuro's blade movements. Still, he noticed something curious.
"Is he swinging his blade in response to the waves' rhythm? What purpose would that serve?"
"Just watch quietly. This level of mastery is beyond your reach."
Klah shot him a condescending glance. Though he himself couldn't fully comprehend it either, Master Kuro's actions were surely profound. Following the sea's rhythm to wield his blade—perhaps it was some technique for harmonizing with natural auras.
"What rhythm? The waves are reacting to his blade shockwave."
Lida interjected, "Kuro swings his sword, and only then do the waves crash. Don't confuse cause and effect."
"Exactly." Klah nodded vigorously.
Good thing he hadn't spoken his misunderstanding aloud. That would have been deeply embarrassing for someone supposed to be Kuro's intelligent confidant.
Swoosh!
Hua!
Another blade flash illuminated the cliffs as waves crashed against the rocks. Kuro finally opened his eyes, exhaling slowly through his nose.
"Tch, swordsmanship's hitting a plateau again. Progressing this slowly is infuriating."
He released the sword hilt and straightened up, frustration evident in his tone.
Compared to his unarmed combat techniques, he naturally prioritized swordsmanship—it was his foundation. But at his current stage, advancement required more than simply cutting through mountains.
His swordsmanship development had two distinct phases.
The first phase involved cutting through mountains until he'd exhausted that path, reaching a plateau.
The second phase—the current one—involved harmonizing with nature itself. By merging with natural rhythms through blade techniques, he sought a higher state of enlightenment.
The first phase followed Garp's training regimen. The second emerged after entering that initial plateau, inspired by Netero's cultivation methods from the Full Moon Hunter world. But even this had now entered another bottleneck. While progress still occurred, it had slowed to a crawl—requiring years to achieve the slightest advancement.
His swordsmanship's "Water Tank" was nearly full.
Whether through Haki applications or creating new sword techniques, these were all within the confines of his current "Water Tank"—mere drainage rather than expanding the tank's capacity.
To truly expand its volume, he needed either a revolutionary new method or countless battles to gain enlightenment.
The latter he dismissed outright—he wanted nothing more than an easy life. The former required time for personal realization.
Saitama's training method?
Don't make him laugh. He'd tried that the moment he'd arrived in this world. Turns out he lacked Saitama's miraculous willpower—his body couldn't endure even a fraction of the Navy's basic training regimen.
(End of Chapter)
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