11. Warrior
Rating: T
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Every dawn training began at the dojo with a little ritual. The students would face a picture that hung on the wall and bow before it. Many dojo had a picture that represented an ideal, something for the students to strive for as they honed their bodies and minds. Many dojo would portray these ideals as an abstraction of some kind, a carefully drawn kanji, or a picture of a landscape that held the attributes they would seek to achieve. Discipline, Courage, Strength, Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, each dojo had their respective ideal. One dojo, however, found a way to bind many ideals into one. In one idol, they had a symbol of everything that they should seek to achieve and more. For each ideal, they had a mantra, a phrase that each dojo student had to take to heart.
Discipline is to be able to nap anywhere, anytime, and yet be ready for battle.
Courage is to be willing to shoulder the burdens of your friends, to be willing to take their pain as your own.
Strength is the ability to fight a six-armed foe, merely a day after a near-death experience.
Respect means never striking your foe in the back. Ever.
Honesty is admitting that your rival has something to teach you, if it can help you better serve.
Honor is paying off your debts, no matter how arbitrary or cruel.
Loyalty is following a crazy dreamer and a crazy dream, all the way through to the end.
Yes, they had one idol that could embody all these points and more. The students of the Frost Moon Dojo would raise their heads from their kowtowing, many with awe in their eyes as they observed the poster.
WANTED
RORONOA ZORO
B$120,000,000
DEAD OR ALIVE
Note: Somewhat of a cop-out, but I made it more interesting by incorporating the 7 virtues of Bushido (though I replaced two of the more obscure ones). Next one will be fluffy!