One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks

Higuma, the bandit leader, had never felt such a blow to his pride. Every swing of his sword was driven by pure anger and the intent to kill. But no matter how hard he tried, Takumi dodged every attack with ease.

Frustrated by his failure to land a hit, Higuma turned his attention to Zoro and Kuina, who were each holding jars of sake. Without wasting time, he redirected his attack toward Zoro, who was closest. Zoro instinctively stepped back, but he was still within Higuma's reach.

"Damn it," Zoro muttered, his face tight with tension. He wanted to draw his sword, but his hands were full with the jar, leaving him helpless.

"You're dead!" Higuma roared, swinging his sword with all his might.

Kuina wanted to help, but she was in the same predicament—both hands full with the jar.

Just as Higuma's blade was about to connect, Takumi appeared in front of Zoro. With one swift motion, he drew his Wado Ichimonji and sliced Higuma's sword clean in half. Takumi wasn't concerned about Zoro's safety; he was more worried about keeping the sake intact.

Zoro, however, completely misunderstood Takumi's intentions. "I knew you wouldn't let me down! You really are amazing!" Zoro exclaimed, his admiration for Takumi clear.

Takumi just sighed, saying nothing.

Higuma stared at the broken sword in disbelief, then at Takumi's Wado Ichimonji. There was something special about that sword, and he could feel it.

"Alright, kid," Higuma said, changing his approach. "Give me that sword, and I'll let you go."

"No way!" Kuina shouted. "You can't trust a bandit! Takumi, you can't give him the Wado Ichimonji!"

Higuma's eyes gleamed with greed as he eyed the sword. "So, it's the Wado Ichimonji, huh? That's too fine a blade for a kid like you. Hand it over, or you'll regret it."

With that, Higuma flung his broken sword at Sugimoto's cart, smashing several jars of sake.

At the same time, his men surrounded Takumi, Zoro, and Kuina, cutting off any escape.

Takumi frowned slightly, more annoyed at the wasted sake than at the bandits.

Meanwhile, back at the dojo, Koshiro was enjoying tea with a friend when a villager rushed in, clearly panicked.

"Koshiro-sensei, you have to come quickly! There are bandits causing trouble in the village!"

"Bandits?" Koshiro set down his tea cup calmly. "Where are they now?"

"They're at Sugimoto's place," the villager replied, out of breath.

"Sugimoto's?" Koshiro paused for a moment. "Are Takumi, Kuina, and Zoro there too?"

"Yes, but they're just kids! They can't handle these bandits," the villager insisted.

Koshiro smiled reassuringly. "If Takumi is there, there's nothing to worry about."

"Really?" The villager was confused, as was Koshiro's friend.

"Trust me, they'll be fine," Koshiro said, picking up his tea again, completely at ease.

Back with Takumi, he stood unfazed by Higuma's threats, almost bored by the situation. But the villagers around them were anything but calm.

"Takumi, just give him the sword! It's not worth risking your life!"

"You're too young to fight all these bandits! Just hand it over and stay safe!" another villager pleaded.

Zoro, frustrated by their lack of faith, shouted, "Stop underestimating Takumi! He's stronger than you think!"

The bandits burst into laughter. "So what if he dodged a few swings? That doesn't make him tough!" one sneered.

"He only cut the boss's sword because it's a famous blade. Kid, hand it over if you don't want to die," another bandit jeered.

Takumi scanned the group. There were over forty of them. It seemed he wouldn't be able to leave without a fight.

Higuma mistook Takumi's silence for fear. "You've got some skill, kid. Join us, and maybe I'll let you and your friends live."

Takumi didn't bother responding. Instead, he moved in a flash, suddenly standing behind Higuma. As he calmly sheathed his Wado Ichimonji, two deep slashes appeared across Higuma's torso, and blood began to pour out.

The villagers stared in shock, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

"You…" Higuma gasped, but before he could finish, he collapsed, unconscious.

"Boss!" his men shouted, rushing to his side.

"Damn it, he hurt the boss bad!"

"You're dead, kid!" they yelled as they charged at Takumi.

Takumi gave them a cold stare, and instantly, they all collapsed, unconscious, before they could even reach him.

"Know your limits," Takumi muttered as he picked up his sake jar. "Let's go," he called to Zoro and Kuina, who were still standing in stunned silence.

"Uh, right," Zoro mumbled, finally snapping out of it. He turned to Kuina, who was still frozen in place. "Come on, Kuina. Let's move."

"Right…," Kuina replied, shaking herself out of her daze. She couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and fear at Takumi's overwhelming strength. She wondered if she would ever be able to match him.

As Takumi walked away, the villagers parted to let him pass, their faces filled with a mix of fear and admiration.

After Takumi and the others had left, the villagers finally began to relax.

"My God, who is Takumi?" one villager whispered.

"He took down an entire bandit gang by himself! And he's just a kid?" another added in disbelief.

"He's incredible. If he keeps this up, he might surpass Koshiro-sensei soon," someone else speculated.

"Thank goodness he was here, or we would've been in real trouble," another villager said, relieved.

"What should we do with these bandits?" someone asked.

"Let's throw them out of the village," another suggested.

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