"What? He's the famous Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro?"
"My God, no wonder Mr. Baru couldn't put up any resistance against him."
"They say Zoro is the strongest Pirate Hunter in our East Blue."
The surviving Krieg Pirates fodder all stared in shock after hearing Zoro introduce himself.
At the same time, they were even more shocked by what was happening before them.
"That Pirate Hunter Zoro actually wants to challenge Hawk Eyes, the World's Greatest Swordsman?"
"Who will win? They both look really strong."
"Uh, brother, that's a bit biased. Even though I'm from the East Blue too and want to support Zoro, his opponent is the world's greatest."
"But I want to see Hawk Eyes lose!"
"Tsk... now that you mention it, I want to see Hawk Eyes lose too."
Perhaps it was because Hawk Eyes had killed so many of their comrades, or perhaps it was because they were all East Blue natives, united against an outsider for the moment.
The Krieg Pirates underlings began cheering for Zoro.
"Go, Pirate Hunter! Defeat Hawk Eyes!"
Good thing Krieg had passed out. Otherwise, seeing this would probably have made him faint from rage again.
"Shut up, you pieces of trash. What does my challenge have to do with you?"
The Krieg Pirates fodder were getting on Zoro's nerves, so he cursed at them outright.
After saying that, Zoro fixed Hawk Eyes with a resolute gaze.
"You don't look busy. Accept my challenge."
Hawk Eyes finally gave the bandana-wearing young man before him a proper look, his face full of seriousness.
"Why do you wish to challenge me?"
Zoro grinned. "To become the strongest!"
Hawk Eyes looked disdainful at that answer. "A foolish act. Though you have some fame in these seas and possess decent strength, you should be able to see just how vast the gap between us is."
Zoro did not deny it. He raised one sword in one hand and pointed it at Hawk Eyes. "I can feel the difference between us, but I have to challenge you. To become the strongest, and for the promise I made to my dear friend."
Then Zoro adjusted his fighting stance and spoke his final words with unwavering force. "Since you have appeared before me, I cannot take even a single step back."
Hawk Eyes sensed Zoro's determination. Even if he did not make a move, Zoro would surely attack him directly.
At that thought, Hawk Eyes smiled faintly. "Very well. I accept your challenge."
"But first, you must defeat this dagger."
As he spoke, Hawk Eyes lifted the dagger in his hand, extending one arm straight out with its blade pointed at Zoro.
"Bastard, you're looking down on me too much."
Even though Zoro had adjusted his emotions as Can Yue had taught him, seeing Hawk Eyes confidently pull out a small knife to defeat him still enraged him.
"Three Sword Style—Onigiri!"
Onigiri was one of Zoro's finishing moves, consisting of two stages.
First came the windup. Zoro brought his three swords together as he slashed forward.
Then came the actual attack. Once the three swords crossed, he unleashed his strength in an instant, sending all three blades slashing in different directions.
No matter how quickly his opponent reacted, they could block at most one blade. The other two slashes were certain to hit.
Ever since Zoro had set out to sea, no one had been able to block this move without injury, except Can Yue...
And now, there was one more.
The instant Zoro's three swords crossed at a single point, before he could exert force and slash outward, Hawk Eyes pressed his dagger against that intersection.
Zoro immediately lost the chance to launch the second stage of his attack. His entire body was locked in place, unable to exert any strength.
The unstoppable Three Sword Style technique had been completely suppressed by a single dagger.
So fast, so strong, and such terrifying timing!
Zoro's pupils trembled slightly. Being able to seize that instant of vulnerability and counter his Onigiri meant that Hawk Eyes completely overwhelmed him in every aspect.
No wonder he arrogantly used a dagger to humiliate me.
Fortunately, that exchange completely calmed Zoro down. He recalled the time he had trained with Can Yue.
"Onigiri!"
Aboard the Merry, Zoro skillfully used the move against Can Yue. Can Yue similarly used the tip of Demon God Slayer to pin the point where the three swords crossed, suppressing Zoro until he could not move.
"Zoro, your techniques are too aggressive.
Against opponents weaker than you in strength and speed, you can naturally win with certainty.
But if those attributes are all stronger than yours, your techniques become meaningless.
Now that I have completely suppressed you, how do you plan to respond?"
Sweat dripped from Zoro's forehead, and anxiety showed in his eyes. It was a problem he had never considered.
In all his previous training, he had adhered to the principles of forcefulness and fierceness. Every sword technique he created focused on explosive power. Once unleashed, there was no room for adjustment.
"Your state of mind is to charge forward without hesitation. There is nothing wrong with that. But swordsmanship can be flexible."
Zoro furrowed his brow. How could he be flexible without compromising his state of mind?
The memory ended.
Feeling the suppressive force coming from Hawk Eyes' dagger, Zoro became even more certain that Can Yue's words had been correct.
There were only two ways to break through this obstacle.
One was to strengthen his own attributes, such as power and speed, and crush his opponent directly.
The other was to alter his technique and respond in another way.
At that thought, the shock in Zoro's eyes faded into calm, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Two methods? I'll take them both!"
"One Gorilla, Two Gorilla!"
The muscles in Zoro's arms bulged, seeming to contain explosive power.
Then, using that enhanced strength, Zoro changed the forward momentum of Onigiri, leapt lightly into the air, and spun his body midair.
Watching from afar, Can Yue nodded slightly at the sight.
The technique Zoro used was not particularly sophisticated. He was merely using momentum.
Under normal circumstances, two experts fighting each other would not make such a low-level mistake as allowing their own exerted momentum to expose a weakness.
But because Hawk Eyes had underestimated Zoro, he failed to react in time when the opposing force vanished.
As Zoro redirected his force to the side, Hawk Eyes' body shifted a tiny step forward from inertia.
Seeing this, Can Yue nodded and muttered, "If he were using a longsword, that tiny step would mean nothing. The two of them would still be far apart. But he is using a dagger. That instant of weakness is enough to place him at the most violent point of the tornado."
Sure enough, the spinning Zoro seized the opportunity. Using his temporarily enhanced strength, he exerted force with all three swords at once, stirring the surrounding airflow. "Three Sword Style—Tornado."
Even Hawk Eyes, powerful as he was, could only barely hold his ground while standing at the tornado's most violent point. He also had to use his dagger to fend off the sword energy within the tornado.
Zoro turned, raising his two hand-held swords sideways above his head, their blades passing over his head and pointing downward.
"Three Sword Style—Tiger Hunt."
Taking advantage of the moment Hawk Eyes was briefly restrained by the tornado, Zoro unleashed his most forceful sword technique.
Hawk Eyes' heart tightened. This guy... Even though I made a mistake, he actually forced me this far.
The sword energy within the tornado and the attack from Tiger Hunt surrounded Hawk Eyes, preventing him from taking the most effective stance to deal with Tiger Hunt.
If he still used his dagger to deal with Zoro, he could block Tiger Hunt, but the sword energy would cut him.
If he were injured here, the World's Greatest Swordsman would lose face.
"Good boy, I acknowledge you!"
Hawk Eyes reached one hand behind his back. With a clang, the tornado shattered, and Zoro was sent flying by a slash from the black blade, Yoru.
Hawk Eyes watched Zoro slowly climb to his feet, the corners of his mouth rising as excitement gradually entered his voice.
"Hahahaha, Roronoa Zoro, I should not have underestimated you. Come, I formally accept your challenge—with this, the world's strongest black blade, Yoru."
Zoro rose to his feet with a smile on his lips, his fighting spirit blazing.
"Couldn't ask for more!"
Before you continue