Giraffe
"Clang--!"
Sparks from the clash of blades exploded in the night, like a burst of meteors!
Zoro unleashed all three swords simultaneously, clashing fiercely with Kaku's two swords!
As the metal clashed, Kaku's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his arms trembled slightly, and his heart pounded.
"This guy's strength... is getting stronger and stronger!"
"Every strike of his seemed to cleave the heavens and earth in two!"
Zoro's lips curled into a haughty smirk, his green hair fluttering in the wind, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"What's wrong? Is this all the swordsmen in CP9 are capable of?" he growled, his tone sharp as a knife, carrying an arrogant and domineering air.
"Don't get too cocky!!"
Kaku roared and leaped several meters away, crossing his arms in front of his chest, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Let me show you the special rewards for top-performing special agents!"
"Zoan, Ox- Ox-Ox Fruit, Giraffe Form!!"
"Puchi--!"
With a strange creaking sound, his body began to deform rapidly, his muscles swelled, and the golden spots unique to giraffes quickly appeared on his skin.
What's most striking is his wildly extended neck, several meters long, coiling and folding like a spring!
"Call--"
Kaku has completely transformed into a gigantic, upright-walking giraffe- Human-Beast Form, its head held high, its two swords still tightly gripped, exuding a terrifying aura!
Zoro's eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropped, and he froze, completely stunned. "A... a giraffe?!"
He tried to hold his breath, but finally burst out laughing, his hand on the hilt of his knife, laughing so hard he almost fell over.
"Haha! What kind of pose is that?! What kind of swordsman turns into a giraffe?! That's so stupid!!"
"Shut up!!"
Kaku's face flushed red with rage. He swung his long neck like a steel whip, his body spinning like a top. With his twin swords and the Tempest Kick technique, he unleashed a series of violent wind blades!
"Long Deer - Whirlwind Slash!!"
"Shuashua--!"
The slashing wind, whipped up like a hurricane, tore through the night with incredible force, instantly ripping open several deep ravines in the ground, and wrecked ship debris flew everywhere!
Zoro's eyes narrowed sharply, his smile vanished instantly, and his three swords swirled around him as he stomped his foot!
"Three-Sword Style: Tornado!!"
"Boom--!"
Two violent whirlwind slashes collided head-on, the air exploding and creating towering waves! The shipyard ruins at the center of the battle were instantly shredded, and wood chips rained down like a storm!
Before the thick smoke had cleared, Kaku's long neck suddenly shot out like a snake through the smoke, and his head slammed down on Zoro like Meteor Hammer!
"Whip Bamboo Grove!"
"Bang--!"
Zoro, who was trying to suppress his laughter, was caught off guard and sent flying like a cannonball, sweeping several meters before finally coming to a stop after crashing through the wall of the wrecked ship!
"Cough..." He slowly stood up, supporting himself with his arms, and when he raised his head, his eyes were filled with excitement and fervor.
"Haha... that's interesting... that's more like the kind of opponent I should have!"
Under the moonlight, Kaku raised his long neck high, his massive body stood tall, his twin blades gleaming coldly, his killing intent sharp as a blade.
"My next strike... will tear you to pieces!"
Zoro licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, wielded his sword three times, and struck a new stance, his aura sharp as a tiger breaking free of its cage.
"Come on then... you long-necked bastard, let's see who gets chopped in two!!"
On the other side,
"Bang--!"
The blade and the Iron Fist collided violently, unleashing Haki like a thunderous roar. The Shockwave swept across the ground like a hurricane, instantly cracking the ground with spiderweb-like fissures!
Dust billowed, gravel flew, and the air seemed to be torn apart.
The wreckage of the ship teetered precariously under the Impact, yet two figures stood firm and unmoved amidst the storm.
Lucci abruptly stopped, staring at the woman in front of him, his pupils contracting and his expression growing increasingly grave.
"This woman, from the moment we began fighting until now, her aura has remained perfectly steady..."
"That knife, those every move, were flawless."
Kuina stood still on the moonlit deck, her hand gripping the Wado Ichimonji as steady as a rock.
Her gaze was as cold as frost, and her aura was like the solidified sword intent itself, making people's hearts tremble.
She hadn't even used her vampire powers yet; with just her Shimotsuki Style swordsmanship, she had already overwhelmed Lucci, leaving him breathless!
"Six Powers - Shigan - Yellow Lotus!!"
Lucci suddenly sprang to his feet, his hands becoming blurry as he unleashed a flurry of finger thrusts, his Shigan piercing the air like raging waves, carrying Armament Haki as they hurtled toward Kuina's front!
"Shimotsuki Style · Mirror Slash!"
Kuina swung her blade horizontally, and a sword aura as smooth as a mirror appeared in the air!
"Clang--!"
The violent Shockwave from the Shigan was split in two, flying past her and landing on the ship in the distance.
"Boom--!"
The entire abandoned warship was instantly blasted into pieces, with wood chips flying like snow rain!
"To be able to precisely dismantle 'Yellow Lotus'... your swordsmanship has reached another level."
Lucci narrowed his eyes, his killing intent rising sharply.
"Looks like... I'll have to show my true skills."
"Zoan, Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Mode!!"
"Roar--!"
Its bones cracked like drums, its muscles swelled wildly, its leopard-print fur burst from its skin, its limbs transformed into powerful leopard claws, and its tail whipped wildly like a steel whip, stirring up dust from the ground!
His body leaped to three meters, and his Beast instincts were fully Awakening!
"Oh?" Kuina raised an eyebrow, her tone flat yet laced with arrogance. "You've actually become a half-beast?"
"To force me into this form... you are enough to make most humans look down upon you." Lucci roared, his voice as hoarse as a whetstone.
"Razor King Leopard Raid!"
"Whoosh--!"
His figure vanished as if evaporated in an instant, only to reappear above Kuina, his claws slashing down with Haki!
"Shimotsuki Style · Returning Shadow!"
"Clang--!"
The blade flashed upwards in a silver arc, precisely blocking the attack! Sparks flew, and a shockwave exploded!
Immediately afterwards, Lucci unleashed a storm of attacks!
"Shigan: Leopard King Chain Stars!"
"Tempest Kick - Leopard Tail Slash!"
In leopard form, his speed, strength, and toughness all increase. He combines his Beast instincts with the essence of the Six Powers to unleash a series of deadly attacks!
But Kuina's figure was like a dream amidst the frenzied attacks; every blade strike was an extreme trajectory, and every dodge brought her close to the edge of life and death!
"Shimotsuki Style: Treading Shadow Slash!"
"Shimotsuki Style · Severing Sunset Glow!"
Her swordsmanship was flawless, precise to the millimeter, agile yet deadly, like a frost blade silently falling in a snowy night.
"Bang--!"
Finally, a leopard tail swept across her shoulder, and Kuina was knocked back several meters. She staggered slightly when she landed, and her wrist went numb.
Lucci scoffed, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "Your swordsmanship... while ridiculously strong, is ultimately just the strength of a mortal."
Kuina gently shook her numb wrist, a cold smile slowly spreading across her lips, her eyes growing even colder.
"Yeah?"
She slowly stepped forward, raising the Wado Ichimonji once more, its blade gleaming with cold light, her aura shifting dramatically!
"Then you'd better not be careless."
She whispered her vow, and in an instant, the entire room fell silent; the wind stopped and the moon grew cold.
"Shimotsuki Style - Final Move - Flash Sunset Glow!!"
"Whoosh--!"
In the next instant, Kuina's figure seemed to vanish from the spot, accompanied by a slashing afterimage that cut through the night sky!
The flash of the blade was like the falling sunset, gentle yet deadly.
"What?!" Lucci's pupils constricted sharply, too late to dodge!
"Puff--!"
A bloody gash ran across Lucci's chest, blood splattering everywhere!
He staggered backward, staring incredulously at the deep, bone-revealing diagonal laceration on his chest, his breath catching in his throat.
Kuina slowly sheathed her sword, the blade landing like frost. Under the Crescent Moon, the blade remained untouched by dust, yet it had already forced the enemy into retreat.