Demon Aura: Nine-Sword Style: Asura
Mihawk stared at Zoro, a rare glint of admiration flashing in his golden eyes.
"Roronoa Zoro..."
"Your sword intent deserves my serious attention."
Zoro's lips curled into a fanatical smile, and the fighting spirit in his chest erupted like a volcano!
"Finally, they're going to use their real skills?!"
"Then let me see just how strong the World's Strongest's greatest swordsman really is!!"
He took a deep breath, and the three swords hummed simultaneously, his fighting spirit erupting like a volcano!
"Three-Sword Style: Yasha Crow!!"
"Swish!!"
Zoro leaped into the air, flipping rapidly in mid-air. His three swords became black afterimages, unleashing countless blades of light like Crow claws, swooping down like a flock of crows!
Mihawk's eyes flickered slightly, and he swung his Black Blade "Night" with a light touch, each strike precise and composed.
"Clang! Clang! Clang--!"
Each collision was accompanied by sparks of metal, causing ancient trees in the forest to snap and fall!
However, no matter how fiercely Zoro attacked, Mihawk's defense remained as impenetrable as a fortress.
The moment Zoro landed, his fighting spirit remained undiminished, but his sword stance suddenly changed:
"Three-Sword Style: Leopard, Qin, Jade!!"
He lunged forward like a cheetah, his three knives slicing through the air in a spiral of light at his sides. Finally, he reversed his grip on the two knives and, like a viper striking, aimed straight for Mihawk's throat!
Mihawk's gaze turned cold, he shifted his feet slightly, and his Black Blade flashed out diagonally.
"Boom!!"
The two forces collided head-on, creating a violent shockwave that sent Zoro staggering back several steps, his arms going numb!
"Drink it!!"
He roared and suddenly slashed out with his sword:
"Three-Sword Style: 108 Pound Phoenix!!"
The azure slash roared forth like a raging torrent, Sky Splitter!
Mihawk slightly raised his eyes, his Black Blade sweeping horizontally, the sword energy like an invisible barrier, easily shattering the powerful slash!
Zoro's toes slipped, and he instantly closed in on Mihawk. His three swords clashed, their blades intersecting in a strange, claw-like arc.
"Three-Sword Style: Gyuki - Heroic Claw!!"
"Clang!!"
Mihawk chose to confront the attack head-on for the first time! The Black Blade "Night" struck down like a black thunderbolt!
Zoro's three swords were pressed so hard that his hands cracked and blood dripped down his wrists, yet a wild smile bloomed on his lips.
"Hahaha... that's it!!"
In this extreme blade duel, Zoro felt his swordsmanship being completely squeezed and shattered, only to be reforged and sublimated in the flames of war!
"Huff... huff..."
Zoro slowly retreated, his three swords hanging down, his breathing heavy yet intense.
Mihawk withdrew his sword half a step, not pursuing, but simply staring at the young swordsman in front of him, who was covered in blood but still laughing wildly.
The next moment--
"Buzz--!"
A dark and chilling ghostly aura suddenly erupted from Zoro's body!
The aura was like Shura awakening from hell; black flames surged, twisted, condensed, and split around him...
A three-headed, six-armed Shura's shadow emerged from the ghostly aura, six swords taking shape in the void, their cold light chilling, and killing intent permeating the entire Battlefield!
"Demon Aura - Nine-Sword Style - Shura!!"
Mihawk's golden eyes contracted violently for the first time!
A jolt went through him. "This is... an illusion created by combining sword intent and killing intent?!"
To be able to manifest the form of Shura with the very essence of swordsmanship... Unbelievable!!
Kuina stared in disbelief, her voice trembling. "Zoro, he actually has this form... This sword intent is like a true Shura from hell descending to earth..."
Chopper, his eyes brimming with tears and his voice choked with emotion, exclaimed, "Zoro is so cool!!"
Zoro pointed his nine swords at Mihawk, his voice chilling, as if from the Nine Hells hell.
"Mihawk..."
"Let me use this strike to prove my sword intent!!"
Mihawk paused for a moment, his expression no longer calm.
His lips slowly curved upwards, revealing an excited smile he hadn't shown in many years.
"Very good."
"Then let me see if your Way of Shura can even touch the edge of the World's Strongest sword!"
Mihawk lifted the Black Blade "Night" with all his might for the first time, and the sword energy soared into the sky. The sky suddenly changed color, dark clouds rolled, and thunder roared!
The sword pressure from the two top swordsmen clashed, an invisible storm raged across the Battlefield, and the entire dense forest fell into a devastating silence.
"Ghostly Aura - Nine-Sword Style - Shura - Piercing Might!!"
"Buzz--!"
Nine swords slashed simultaneously, their sword pressure coalescing into a gigantic Shura shadow, which crashed towards Mihawk with the power to destroy everything!
A deafening cracking sound echoed through the air, and even the dark clouds in the sky were torn open by the Shockwave!
Mihawk's golden eyes narrowed abruptly, his fighting spirit fully ignited!
The Black Blade "Night" gleamed with a chilling light, as if even the light itself was being absorbed into it.
"Whoosh!!"
The Black Blade slashed down instantly, its sword energy like a boundless black tsunami descending from the sky, colliding fiercely with Shura's nine-blade sword pressure!
"Boom!!"
The terrifying Shockwave seemed to tear the world apart, and a massive storm of sword energy swept through the entire dense forest!
Trees within a radius of hundreds of meters were snapped and uprooted at the same time, and countless bottomless ravines were cracked in the ground, with soil and gravel falling like raindrops into the sky!
The violent shockwave formed a visible Impact ring, suppressing even the distant ocean waves and creating towering waves hundreds of meters high!
Chopper was no match for the force and was thrown dozens of meters away by the sword wind. He barely managed to grab onto a broken tree trunk behind Kuina to avoid being blown away.
"What... what kind of battle is this?!" Chopper's eyes widened, his whole body trembling. "They're going to destroy the entire forest!!"
Kuina stood in front of Chopper, her eyes fixed on the Battlefield, her Observation Haki surging wildly within her.
A dreamlike scene appeared in her mind:
A giant shadowy Shura with three heads and six arms, wielding nine swords, battles a black giant eagle swooping down from the sky!
The Shura's blade intertwined with the giant eagle's black talons, unleashing a devastating light.
In reality, Zoro was at the center of the storm, suddenly roared and was engulfed by the shockwave!
"Bang--!"
He was thrown back by an irresistible force, crashing heavily onto the ground dozens of meters away, sending dust and rubble flying!
The earth was blasted into a huge crater, with debris tumbling down like the Impact of a meteorite!
In the thick smoke and dust, a blood-stained figure slowly stood up. The phantom of the nine swords gradually dissipated. Zoro knelt on one knee, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were sharper than before the battle!
"Hahaha... He's ridiculously strong!" He raised his head, facing Mihawk's towering Black Blade, his fighting spirit not diminishing in the slightest, but instead burning even more fiercely.
"Is this... the sword of the World's Strongest's greatest swordsman...?"
"But... I haven't collapsed yet!!"
Chopper and Kuina rushed forward and saw Zoro covered in blood, yet still grinning, his fighting spirit undiminished!
Mihawk adjusted his breathing slightly, sheathed his Black Blade, and a flash of admiration appeared in his golden eyes.
"For your age, to force me to use seven-tenths of my strength... that's quite impressive."
Zoro coughed up blood, but his gaze remained fixed on Mihawk: "I will become stronger... until I defeat you!!"
Mihawk nodded slightly. "I'll be waiting."
Just as Mihawk was about to turn and leave--
"Buzz--!"
A clear and sharp sword intent suddenly erupted!
Mihawk turned around and saw Kuina slowly stand up, her Wado Ichimonji pointing directly at him, her eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
"Female Swordswoman?"
Mihawk paused for a moment, then realized, "Oh right... Roy's letter mentioned 'two swordsman prospects'."
Kuina's voice was calm yet firm. "The World's Greatest Swordsman... please guide me."
Mihawk stared at her, about to respond—
"Splash--!"
The sky suddenly darkened, and a torrential downpour began!
The cold rain washed over Zoro's wounds, and he couldn't help but cough.
Kuina's fighting spirit faltered slightly, a hint of worry flashing across her eyes.
Mihawk glanced at Zoro and said calmly, "Let's rest at the Castle first, we'll fight again tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the Castle deep in the dense forest.
Kuina paused for a moment, then sheathed her sword and helped Zoro up. "Let's go."
Chopper hurriedly followed, "Wait for me! Let's stop Zoro's bleeding first!!"