finally caught up, honestly if you're still lusting after combat and epic battles by this point then you may as well have just skipped the last 100 chapters and ended on the yoshioka arc because... has anything sank in really?
the farming arc might be one of the best things i've come across in manga, a year of all his teachings sinking slowly into himself as he digs holes in the ground. it's like his frantic digging was driven not only by his desire to best everything, but I guess in a sense to also bury it-- himself. a lot of his character development comes during and after battles, but what about the before? the in between? it's the first time really. that's he had a chance for prolonged introspection to truly examine what he's chasing. it's not some swiftly asked, have I done enough? before he stumbles off to his next battle. his acknowledgement of otsu really made me smile too, as it did to him among many other things during that arc. I enjoy seeing him smile more than the early crazed look in his eyes during battles, don't you?
Vagabond is fantastic.