REINCARNATION PARADISE

After sleeping for more than ten hours, Su Xiao woke up from hunger.

If it weren't for the uncomfortable burning sensation of stomach acid, he would have preferred to sleep a bit longer.

Before stepping out of the empty personal room, Su Xiao frowned. The place was too bare, without even a bed. It seemed he'd need to spend some of his Reincarnation Paradise Coins to fix it up a bit.

Reincarnation Paradise offered the option to expand personal space, but didn't provide furniture—those would have to be purchased separately.

"So much hassle. I need to take care of all this today."

He found a restaurant run by a worker of the Paradise and had a satisfying meal for just 3 Paradise Coins. The food was good, and the shop owner was very friendly.

From the owner's attitude, Su Xiao could tell that even workers in Reincarnation Paradise struggled to survive.

After the meal, Su Xiao browsed the stalls along the street.

It wasn't difficult to buy basic furniture. A worker had invented a type of compression capsule, which could shrink all kinds of furniture down to the size of a fingertip, making it very convenient to carry.

For 200 Paradise Coins, Su Xiao purchased the essential furniture.

With food and accommodation sorted, Su Xiao headed straight for the center of Reincarnation Paradise and arrived at the Trial Field.

He could stay in Reincarnation Paradise for another two days, and in that time, he had to adapt to his suddenly enhanced body.

"Welcome, Hunter, to the Trial Field. Please select a mode."

"Assist Mode / Combat Mode"

After a moment's thought, Su Xiao chose Assist Mode.

"You have selected Assist Mode. Please choose a mirror image level."

Three options appeared before Su Xiao: Low-Level Mirror, Mid-Level Mirror, and High-Level Mirror.

Each option had a price listed: 100 Paradise Coins per hour for Low-Level, 1000 for Mid-Level, and 10,000 for High-Level.

After some hesitation, Su Xiao chose the Mid-Level Mirror.

He had observed other contractors in Reincarnation Paradise for a while. Most of the gear they were selling was white-tier equipment with very low ratings.

The only green-tier firearm he saw was priced at a staggering 4,000 Paradise Coins and was still highly sought after by many contractors.

Yet that green-tier weapon wasn't even as good as Su Xiao's sword, Dragon Flash, hanging at his waist.

There could be good items sold by contractors, but finding them relied heavily on luck.

Instead of buying equipment, Su Xiao preferred to enhance his own abilities. Inner strength is the most reliable source of power.

After paying 1000 Paradise Coins for one hour of Mid-Level Mirror training, a white light appeared before him. When the light dissipated, a middle-aged man holding a sharp blade and wearing a white training robe stood there.

The surrounding environment also changed, turning into a dojo-like training hall.

"You have summoned Koushirou's Mirror Image from the One Piece World."

Seeing the message from Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao was pleased.

He wasn't sure about Koushirou's combat ability, but in terms of teaching, Koushirou was definitely strong—Zoro was proof of that.

Though Koushirou didn't teach Zoro any specific techniques, he helped Zoro build a strong foundation to become a powerful swordsman.

"Hello, I am Koushirou. Time is short, so let's begin right away."

After Koushirou appeared, he acted naturally. He wasn't the real Koushirou, but a mirror image.

Koushirou glanced at Dragon Flash on Su Xiao's waist and nodded.

"A weapon similar to mine. That makes things easier. Attack me with all your strength."

Without wasting any time, Su Xiao slashed at Koushirou.

With Su Xiao's current stats, this slash was fast, sharp, and came from a tricky angle, aimed directly at Koushirou's head.

What surprised Su Xiao was that Koushirou didn't even draw his weapon. He merely blocked with the sheath and adjusted its angle.

Su Xiao felt his blade being deflected off course. Due to the force he had put behind the attack, he stumbled a couple of steps to the side.

His attack had been neutralized so easily. Su Xiao was frustrated but had to admit that he had no way to counter it.

The world Koushirou came from and Su Xiao's real world were on completely different levels in terms of combat ability.

The sword skills Su Xiao had trained so hard for in the real world were worthless in Koushirou's eyes.

There might have been advanced sword skills in the real world, but rapid technological advancement had rendered them obsolete, causing them to fade into obscurity.

"That's enough. Your understanding of swordsmanship is lower than I expected."

The "swordsmanship" Koushirou mentioned was actually the same as Su Xiao's blade techniques—just different terminology.

Su Xiao felt a wave of frustration. The sword skills he had painstakingly practiced were deemed worthless by Koushirou, and he had no grounds to argue against it.

It wasn't shameful to be less skilled than someone. The important thing was to catch up. It was only shameful to remain stubborn and deny it when you clearly aren't as good.

"What do I need to do? Practice the basics?"

Su Xiao casually slashed the air a few times, thin white lines trailing from the blade.

"No, your basics are excellent. Far better than most. Very few people are willing to spend years practicing a simple and tiring move like basic slashing."

"Let me ask you a question: What is your view of the weapon in your hand?"

Koushirou sat cross-legged on the floor in his white training robe, smiling at Su Xiao. With his glasses and calm demeanor, Koushirou gave off a very gentle vibe.

"My view of the weapon in my hand? Hmm… a tool for killing."

Su Xiao's answer made Koushirou shake his head repeatedly.

"If you continue to see it that way, no matter how much you train, you'll only ever be swinging a stick. It won't count as real swordsmanship."

Su Xiao glanced at Dragon Flash in his hand and said nothing.

"Feel your weapon, make it an extension of your body. If you can't even do that, then there's nothing I can teach you."

Koushirou's words darkened Su Xiao's mood.

He had just spent 1000 Paradise Coins to summon Koushirou, only to be told to "feel" his weapon on his own.

Su Xiao tried to communicate with Reincarnation Paradise, hoping to pause the training and resume once he had grasped the sensation of his weapon.

Unfortunately, Reincarnation Paradise's response was clear: training couldn't be paused. He could leave the Trial Field now, but the Paradise Coins spent wouldn't be refunded, and Koushirou would disappear.

Reluctantly, Su Xiao sat cross-legged as well, placing Dragon Flash on his knees and starting to focus.

"Don't imagine your weapon in your mind. Feel it. Sense its sharpness, weight, and unique presence."

Koushirou wasn't just there to watch. As Su Xiao focused, Koushirou began offering detailed guidance, passing on valuable insights.

These were the kinds of insights that Koushirou would only share with a disciple like Zoro, someone he truly valued. But since Koushirou was a summoned mirror image here, he imparted all this knowledge to Su Xiao without reservation.

Time ticked by. Half an hour later, Su Xiao began to faintly sense the presence of Dragon Flash resting on his legs.

He instinctively picked it up and slashed. The air hissed in response.

Koushirou nodded with satisfaction and continued guiding Su Xiao.

An hour later, Koushirou dissipated into the air, but Su Xiao remained seated, occasionally swinging his blade.

He felt as if a door was slowly opening for him. Compared to now, all his previous training had been like swinging a club. He had merely mastered the basic motions without truly understanding them.

Slashing, retracting, Su Xiao was lost in his own world. He hadn't even noticed when Koushirou had vanished.

The fact that Su Xiao could spend three years just practicing one slash spoke to his obsession with swordsmanship.

It's said that with pure focus, one can achieve enlightenment. After three years of intense dedication, and with Koushirou's guidance, Su Xiao's skills were beginning to elevate to a new level.

(End of Chapter)