Chapter 44 (2/2)
Standing up, Azul motioned Zoro to follow him outside, wanting to see what the man could do but before he could walk outside a middle aged man with short blonde hair stepped into Azuls path, which made Azul raise a brow in curiousity.
”I heard two pirates fought each other in the middle of the town today and one of them knocked my first mate out. That wouldn't be you would it?” The man said, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth like an animal.
Azul thought back to his confrontation with Blackbeard but there had simply been too many bystanders and he didn't really care anyways.
”Wouldn't know. There were too many small fry and I'm not really all that interested in weaklings.” Azul replied while simply shoving the man out of his way, walking outside with Zoro following right behind him.
The man, stupefied by Azuls answer, grew a malicious grin on his face before turning his legs into springs and burst right through the wall of the bar, trying to take Azuls head off in surprise.
Azul though simply raised his left hand and backhanded the man straight into the concrete where he remained for the next few minutes, until his crew picked him up with fear written all over their faces.
”Alright Zoro, lets see what you've got. I'm not really proficient in swordplay but I know the basics and in the end your body is the most important factor in the whole equation when it comes to martial arts. Come on, hit me!” Azul said while looking at Zoro who pulled out his three swords, two in each hand while his most precious one ended in his mouth. Rushing towards Azul with his swords at his sides, Zoro attempted his oldest move. ”Onigiri!” only to be stopped midrush by Azuls hand holding both of Zoro arms which were crossed before his c.h.e.s.t about to carry out a double slash from both sides.
'What the-? It's just like with hawk-eye that time! Why is it that they can both stop me so easily? Without effort? Am I that weak?!' Zoro thought while gnashing his teeth on his sword in his mouth.
”No, you are not weak Zoro.” Azul answered as if he read Zoros mind, making Zoro recoil in shock.
”Hahaha, don't worry, I can't really read minds, only emotions and yours were literally written all over your face hahaha” Azul answered in a nonchalent way, with a smile on his face.
”Say Zoro, how have you been training all this time? I can feel the strength in your arms. Weight training maybe?” Azul asked, raising an eyebrow in question, stepping next to Zoro while motioning him to follow him back into the bar, at which entrance the rest of the strawhat crew stood, having watched their small confrontation, if you could call it that.
”Ye, mostly weight training...” Zoro answered as the walked back, sheathing his swords in the process.
”I see. Well, there is never really a reason not to train in that department but it becomes pretty useless when you don't train your swordplay along with it. Raw strength is very useless if you don't have any techniques or fighting style to back it up. You saw Blackbeard earlier. He was humongously strong for a human without a Zoan devilfruit but he had no technique, only experience. Of course experience is important but the technique trumps all. If that aspect is superior to that of your opponents then even if you lack in strength compared to said opponent you may still win. Speed though is another matter all together. You are very slow. If your opponent can even spot your advance towards him it becomes increasingly harder to outmatch him since his eyesight is seemingly used to higher movement speed. My point is: don't focus your training only in one single aspect but increase them all. Of course you can pick one and bring it to a higher level than the others but it is important to not forget those, which you did from what I've seen so far.” Azul told Zoro, patting him on the shoulder and marching back to his table, sitting down again to continue eating.
Zoro meanwhile was contemplating what Azul had told him about. It's true he had been focusing on weights lately but he thought that he had never let the rest of his body and art hang behind. It seems he had been wrong. Time to change his training style a little. Though it made him happy that he hadn't been completely on the wrong track so far...
The rest of the strawhats joined Azul in his feast all the while chatting about this or that. Only Robin seemed out of it, from time to time staring strangely at Azul in thought.
'No matter. When Whitebeards men come here I won't have to think about such things for a long while...' Robin thought to herself and for the first in a long time putting her permanently pondering mind to rest, simply enjoying the good food with a small smile on her face.