The Swordsman's Oath

The next morning, the Warship slowly approached the Harbor Marineford.

On the deck, Enel crossed his arms and looked down indifferently at the Marine Base below.

Zoro, standing beside him, could no longer contain himself; his eyes burned with desire.

The instant the anchor hit the ground, he leaped off the Warship like an arrow, three knives gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and dashed towards the Training Ground, shouting—

"Kuina!! I'm sure I can beat you this time!!"

Enel watched Zoro's retreating figure, a rare smile playing on his lips, and murmured, "That Moss Head, he's really persistent..."

Marineford Training Ground

On the Training Ground, the morning sunlight shone like golden dust, Kuina had already begun her daily workout.

She was dressed in a light Swordsmanship uniform, a few strands of sweat-dampened hair on her forehead fluttering lightly with her movements. The Wado Ichimonji in her hand drew silver arcs in the air, each sword strike clean and crisp, without any hesitation.

Her figure intertwined with the morning light, like a sword-wielding sprite, serene yet deadly.

"Kuina!! I challenge you!!"

A familiar roar ripped through the air, and Kuina paused, turning around abruptly.

That was a figure she knew all too well.

Zoro has finally arrived.

He charged into the arena menacingly, his mouth gripping the Yubashiri, his left hand Sandai Kitetsu, his Right Hand the Shusui, the three swords clanging together, exuding a chilling aura.

Kuina smiled slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Oh? This time, you've finally got all three knives?"

Zoro grinned, revealing his familiar confidence and defiance. "This time, I'm going to beat you!"

"Clang!!"

They both moved at the same time.

Blades clashed, sparks flew!

Zoro unleashed three sword strikes simultaneously, the force of which was like a violent storm, stirring up dust from the ground.

His pace was faster and his attacks more ferocious than ever before, and the coordination of the three swords became increasingly harmonious.

"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!!"

Kuina's gaze sharpened, and her figure dodged like a phantom, unleashing a backhand upward strike, "Shimotsuki Style - Moonlight!" A burst of cold light erupted!

Zoro parried the attack with his sword in time, used the momentum to flip himself up, and unleashed another slash with both swords!

"Three-Sword Style: Tiger Hunt!"

--But it didn't work out!

Kuina moved with light steps, like Flowing Water around a stone, her blade Commodore dismantling his attacks layer by layer.

Zoro was shocked. "She... didn't make a single unnecessary move?!"

In the first exchange, the two figures moved so fast that they were almost invisible to the naked eye, their blades flashing and the air filled with a continuous pressure from their swords.

After a dozen or so rounds, Zoro's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, while Kuina's breathing remained steady, her eyes as calm as still water.

"Damn it... I'm already stronger! My Three-Sword Style is more refined, so why... am I still unable to keep up with her pace?!"

Zoro's heart is screaming.

But Kuina's gaze remained unchanged. "Your sword is more powerful than before."

She spoke in a low voice, then swung her sword again, shifting from defense to offense, like a sudden waterfall, forcing Zoro to retreat step by step!

In a split second, Kuina spotted a subtle opening in Zoro!

"Shimotsuki Style - Crescent Moon!"

"Bang!"

Zoro's sword was deflected, Wado Ichimonji stopped steadily an inch in front of his throat.

The air seemed to freeze. Kuina took a light breath, her eyes still sharp.

"2315 wins, 0 losses."

Zoro's face was filled with resentment, but he did not back down; his fighting spirit intensified. "Damn it...!"

He looked down at his slightly trembling hands, then looked up at Kuina's steady figure.

"Why... is her breathing completely undisturbed?"

At that moment, he understood.

Although he himself had become stronger, Kuina had also been constantly growing stronger, never stopping.

His fighting spirit reignited. He gripped his three swords tightly, his gaze burning like flames. "Kuina... next time, I will definitely win!"

A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, dappled sunlight danced on the ground, and leaves drifted down, swirling silently between the two.

Kuina felt a slight tremor in her heart as she looked into the unwilling yet burning indomitable spirit in Zoro's eyes.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around.

"Come with me."

Zoro paused slightly, raising an eyebrow, but ultimately didn't ask any further questions. He shouldered his three swords and followed closely behind her.

They walked around the edge of the Training Ground and into a quiet grove deep within the base.

Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the grass.

Kuina walked to a thick, old tree, sat down gently, and patted the spot next to her.

"Sit."

Zoro glanced at her hesitantly, then finally sat down cross-legged, his eyes still filled with the frustration of losing.

"What? You're going to comfort me after losing?" he muttered.

Kuina did not answer immediately, but simply gazed silently at the distant horizon. The wind blew through her long hair, and the silhouette reflected in the light carried an indescribable sense of loneliness.

After a long silence, she finally spoke slowly, "Zoro... I ate Devil Fruit."

"Click--"

Zoro's pupils contracted, and he seemed to freeze instantly, his back straightening, even his breathing seemingly frozen.

"You... what?"

He murmured, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Kuina, who once insisted at the Shimotsuki Dojo that "Swordsmanship must be pure";

Kuina, who refused to compromise even a step despite being physically inferior to men;

Even when faced with societal scorn and disdain from male swordsmen her own age, Kuina never relied on shortcuts...

They actually chose to eat Devil Fruit?

Memories flashed through my mind:

--That lonely yet stubborn little girl practiced with Bokken alone at night until her palms bled;

--The light burning in his eyes as he stood in the corner of the dojo, silently listening to others say, "No matter how strong a girl is, she can never be the World's Strongest swordsman";

--And then there was that moment of despair on his lips when he came to the Navy and faced Garp's Mountain Fist, the overwhelming Haki of the Three Admirals, and Roy's almost unparalleled strength...

Silence, like an undercurrent at the bottom of the sea, separated the two.

Kuina's voice rang out again, low and hoarse. "So, you also think I... am no longer a pure swordsman, right?"

There was a slight tremor in her voice, barely perceptible, yet enough to pierce the silence.

However, the next second--

"... So, you've been forced to this point?"

Zoro finally spoke, his tone devoid of anger or doubt, only filled with an indescribable sorrow and understanding.

"I see."

He slowly clenched his fist, his green hair fluttering in the wind, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

"Since joining the Navy, I've personally witnessed how Garp's fists could easily shatter an entire warship."

"I also witnessed Brother Roy withstand Luffy and Ace's powerful attacks with his own body without sustaining any damage."

"I know better than anyone... what you're thinking when you look at them."

Kuina was stunned.

He took a deep breath, his voice, lowered as if piercing through the river of time, said, "From the time of Shimotsuki Village, you've worked harder than anyone else, but you also know better than anyone else—hard work alone can't catch up with some people."

"In this world, there exist insurmountable gaps in talent that cannot be bridged through cultivation alone."

He looked up, his gaze burning like flames. "So you chose to eat the fruit, is that it?"

Kuina was startled, her eyes flickered slightly, but she did not answer.

Zoro slowly stood up, the three swords behind him vibrating softly with his movements.

A breeze stirs, and the blades of grass rustle slightly.

His shadow stretched long in the sunlight, his eyes, seemingly scorched, stared directly at her, and his voice, like a blade, pierced the silence:

"That's even better!!"

That sound was like a sword cleaving through mountains and rivers!

"Clang--!"

Yubashiri to the ground, three knives were simultaneously plunged into the grass, their blades creating a shockwave and raising dust.

His gaze was like iron, his voice deep yet burning with a chilling intensity. "Let me defeat you, the strongest of you!! -- That'll make it more interesting!!"

Kuina suddenly looked up, and a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared in her eyes.

Zoro grinned, his smile carrying his usual madness and unwavering conviction:

"I've never worried about 'how to become stronger'—I only care about 'whether I can defeat the strongest'!"

"Whether you use Devil Fruit powers or Power of God... as long as you become stronger."

He suddenly drew his Shusui, its blade flashing like a roaring black dragon, pointing directly at Kuina: "Then I'll become even crazier, even more ruthless—with an even sharper blade, I'll cleave through your 'higher realm'!!"

The wind swept in again, swirling the leaves like a silent vow.

Kuina stared blankly at the swordsman she had grown up with, her eyes swirling with emotion.

The corners of her lips finally slowly turned up.

It wasn't a restrained smile, nor a resigned compromise, but a completely unrestrained and joyful laugh.

"... Ha ha!!"

She stood up, drew her Wado Ichimonji, and the blade gleamed in the sunlight like a cold moon.

He said softly, "Then let's give it a try, Zoro."

"I'm waiting for you."

The two stood side by side, their gazes clashing, their swords burning with intensity, behind them a forest bathed in golden light.

The fallen leaves drifted down slowly, swirling and dancing among them, as if leaving an invisible mark on this destiny's promise.

Far away.

Roy leaned against the stone wall at the end of the Training Ground, watching the two figures with a slight smile on his lips, as if he were pleased, or as if he were waiting for an answer.

"Those two brats..."

A bolt of lightning crackled past him, Enel appeared out of nowhere, picking his ear with one hand and looking nonchalant. "That Moss Head brat's got some nerve, huh?"

Roy glanced at him, a serious glint in his eyes. "Because he understands 'despair' better than anyone else, and believes in 'possibility' more than anyone else."