Master: Privateer Admiral Lisa “Black Teeth” Garnet
Hidden high within the volcanic cliffs of the Eastern Broken Ridge, overlooking storms that never quiet, sits the most feared sword school in the Western Ocean—the Twin-Sword Monastery, birthplace of legendary duelists, mad prophets, cursed-blade martyrs, and several historical Sword Gods.
The monastery was founded nearly 300 years ago by Oshiro the Two-Eyed Monk, a blind swordsman whose Yoto mastery allowed him to “see” through spiritual resonance rather than sight. Oshiro believed:
“A swordsman must split the self in two—
one half to hold the blade,
the other to hold the truth.”
Thus, dualism became the guiding principle of the monastery:
two swords
two paths
two lives
two selves
And ultimately, the fusion of contradictions.
Today the monastery remains the most spiritually demanding, psychologically hazardous, and technically lethal institution ever built for sword training.
Entry is earned in blood, not granted by coin.
Lisa “Black Teeth” Garnet is infamous for rejecting 98% of applicants—usually by throwing them off the mountain (most survive; the monastery keeps ropes ready).
Those who wish to join face three successive trials, each designed to test a different aspect of the soul:
A long ascent through narrow cliff tunnels filled with resonance traps. Whispering Yoto echoes attempt to destabilize the mind.
Weak candidates lose their sense of identity.
Strong ones hear their inner voice for the first time.
The monastery serves Dirty Rice and Twin-Salt Vegimite, the foulest food in the Western Ocean. The dish stains teeth black, corrodes pride, and forces humility.
A recruit must finish every bite while maintaining sword stance.
Those who vomit, complain, or fail posture are turned away.
Lisa calls this:
“Separating warriors from tourists.”
Candidates are handed a basic blade and told:
“Cut what holds you back.”
No instructor explains what that means.
Some cut hair.
Some cut regrets.
Some cut illusions conjured by Yoto resonance.
One cut off his fear and walked away smiling.
One cut his shadow—and died.
Only those who cut the correct thing survive.
The monastery’s culture revolves around three staples:
Dirty Rice (rice cooked in volcanic dirt & brine)
Twin-Salt Vegimite (fermented kelp & pearl ash)
Stormroot Tea (bitter, numbing, good for screaming)
These foods stain teeth black.
All monks share this aesthetic: a smile of void-black teeth.
It is considered a mark of dedication.
Disciples joke:
“If you can stomach our food, you can stomach cursed blades.”
Life at the monastery is brutal:
6 hours of sword kata
3 hours of Yoto meditation
2 hours of resonance listening
1 hour of sparring (with blunted blades that still break bones)
2 hours of silent reflection
More training at midnight if the wind is right
Cursed-blade trainees often require cocoons of resonance mesh to sleep safely, to prevent their blades from “dreaming too violently.”
Despite its name, the Twin-Sword Monastery does not require wielding two swords.
Instead, it teaches sword masters to wield:
one blade in the hand
one blade in the mind
This is the foundation of advanced Yoto techniques, such as:
Mirror Form (creating illusory attack doubles)
Soul Split Step (instant footwork teleportation-like burst)
Twin Pressure Cut (dual-wave slashes with one swing)
To the monastery, duality is internal—not physical.
Yoto, the spiritual discipline that amplifies human potential, is taught here in its purest and most dangerous form.
Students learn to:
slow or accelerate perception
ignore pain through spirit-retuning
redirect resonance waves
sharpen intent into cutting force
Advanced monks can “cut” emotions or illusions.
Masters can cut possibilities.
The monastery houses more Cursed blades than anywhere else in the world.
Every disciple must confront a Cursed blade once.
Some bond with one.
Some are scarred.
Some vanish.
Lisa’s own blade, Garnet Maw, is a Large Cursed Yoto-Kokuto hybrid forged from a shattered Medium pearl.
It whispers only one word:
“Choose.”
No one knows what choice it refers to.
A former pirate prodigy, Lisa was captured by the Shogunate and offered two choices:
execution
redemption as a privateer
She chose the latter, and in doing so rose swiftly through naval ranks through sheer ferocity and unmatched Yoto instinct.
Her reputation includes:
defeating a Kokuto wielder with only a wooden training blade
slicing a stormfront in half to save a sinking vessel
dueling an Admiral, winning, and being promoted instead of punished
Because she took the monastery by force.
Traditionally, masters are chosen through ritual contests.
Lisa showed up during a contest, challenged every participant—including the sitting master—and defeated them all with her blade sheathed.
When told she could not simply take the monastery, she said:
“Everything worth having in this world is taken.”
The monks agreed.
Lisa teaches through:
cruelty
clarity
precision
laughter
unrelenting expectations
She is beloved, feared, and hated in equal measure.
She is also an active Privateer Admiral, meaning the monastery’s loyalties are complicated:
It serves the Shogunate when called
It shelters pirates when Lisa chooses
It trains whoever survives
It bows to no nation fully
The monastery exists in political shadow.
The monastery’s involvement with the Shogunate is entirely due to Lisa.
Before her tenure, the monastery was neutral.
Under her leadership:
Privateer officers train in basic Yoto here
The Shogunate protects monastery territory
Admirals grant resources in exchange for monster-hunting services
Diplomats fear the monastery’s influence
Other factions see the monastery as:
a weapon factory
a spiritual cult
an unpredictable sovereign power
Rumors persist that the Shogunate wants to weaponize Cursed blades.
Lisa threatens to burn down their capital if they try.
Every disciple must determine:
What am I cutting?
Who am I cutting?
Why am I cutting?
What part of myself must be cut first?
Graduation is not based on time or skill, but on the moment a disciple:
understands their blade’s “question,” and
answers it without fear
Graduates receive Twin Marks, tattoos made from pearl ash that hum faintly when the swordsman is aligned spiritually.
Move between the beats of a heartbeat; appear where the opponent does not expect.
A Yoto breathing pattern that allows two streams of thought simultaneously—enabling perfect feints.
Stabilizing a Cursed blade long enough to use it safely (theoretically).
Splits your intent into two directions—one for attack, one for defense.
Lisa’s signature technique.
Cuts wind itself.
Because only here do students:
master Yoto to its limits
confront cursed blades early
stare into their soul until something breaks
survive training that kills most
live under a woman who could become Sword God at any moment
The monastery believes:
“To reach the top, break everything that keeps you at the bottom.”
Including yourself.
Carved into its entrance arch:
“Enter with one life.
Leave with two.
Lose both in battle,
and become legend.”