Since You Are Learning Swordsmanship, Of Course You Must Use A Real Sword!

Hiyori observed the ongoing battle quietly from the corner of the deck, contemplating the nature of this pirate conflict.

"Is this a pirate war?" she wondered, her thoughts drifting to the night when her father was defeated, tortured, and her mother burned alive. Countless Kozuki family retainers had tragically perished at the hands of Kaido.

Sister Hancock is right, she mused, these pirates deserve to die.

Several days later, Arias emerged from his studio to assess the progress of Yamato and Hiyori's training.

"Yes, both of you are showing remarkable talent!" he commended, pleased with their advancements.

Yamato, already possessing a foundation in Haki, was now on the right track in practicing Qi. On the other hand, Hiyori had developed a sense of energy.

Arias reached into his arms and pulled out two small items, handing one to each of them.

"This is your reward," he declared.

Curious, the two women examined the small, round balls with a tiny rope buckle at the top that could be hung around their waists.

"It's a capsule! You can store items inside. The ability you saw me use to pick up and place items came from this device," Arias explained.

The two women were visibly surprised. "Are you really giving us such valuable treasures?" they asked in unison.

Arias smiled and reassured them, saying, "Of course!" He proceeded to explain how to use the bite capsule. "It has ten cubic meters of space inside, which should be more than enough for your needs."

Yamato eagerly tested the capsule by placing Takeru, the mace on her back, inside it. "With this, carrying things will be much more convenient in the future!" she exclaimed happily.

The capsule, designed to be small and lightweight, even had a lanyard for easy wearing around the waist. Regardless of the number of items stored inside, there would be no additional weight.

Over the past few days, Arias had crafted two bite capsules for the women and refined nine flying knives, incorporating seastone into them. This not only increased the knives' hardness but also served as a restraint against those with abilities.

To further enhance the flying knives' strength, continuous cultivation using Haki was required. Transforming them into black knives would improve their hardness and sharpness even more. However, Arias faced limitations in both his Haki and energy, primarily dedicating his efforts to cultivating the Udo Guy within his body.

Concerned, Arias noticed a change in Hiyori's expression. "You don't seem to be in good spirits," he observed.

"Oh, I'm fine," Hiyori replied, her face suddenly turning red. These days, every night, strange sounds emanated from Arias and Hancock's room.

The voice was incredibly charming and alluring.

Hiyori, at an age where she was starting to be ignorant about matters between men and women, didn't understand what was happening inside the room. Yet, every time she heard those sounds, she blushed, her heart raced, and her imagination ran wild.

Yamato, who slept beside her, remained oblivious to it all.

To resist the enticing voice, Hiyori eventually buried her face in Yamato's majestic chest. Surprisingly, Yamato not only didn't resist but welcomed Hiyori's gesture.

"Good daughter, sleep on your father's chest! I will give you an incomparable sense of security!" Yamato declared, leaving Hiyori torn between the close relationship and occasional strangulation desires towards this woman who insisted on being her "father."

Grateful that meditation and Qi practice could replenish her energy, Hiyori avoided developing dark circles under her eyes.

Changing the subject swiftly, she turned to Arias with anticipation. "Hey, can you help me make a wooden knife?"

Arias was surprised. "Huh? Why do you want a wooden knife?"

Hiyori responded earnestly, "My father is a great swordsman, and I want to learn sword skills too! But I don't know how to use a real sword, so I'll start with a wooden one."

Arias, mainly skilled in bare-handed combat and the teachings of Tai Chi and Merciful Hands, admitted his lack of expertise in weapon use.

Hiyori persisted, "My father taught me some basic sword skills. I can practice them on my own!"