"Wow, as expected of Pirate Hunter Zoro. What a powerful attack."
"That tornado was terrifying. I can't even imagine what would've happened if I'd been inside it."
"Hawk Eyes is terrifying too. Zoro's powerful barrage of attacks only made him draw his sword."
Aside from the comments from the small-fry pirates, Johnny and Joseph had also returned to the scene.
"So that's Big Brother Zoro's goal?"
"He looks strong. But Big Brother is even stronger. He'll definitely win."
Usopp, standing beside them, felt that these two had a little too much faith in Zoro.
"If you two had actually watched the fight seriously, you wouldn't be saying things that make it sound like you didn't watch at all!"
Nami frowned as well. She saw scenes like this almost every day.
It was just like when Zoro trained with Can Yue. Zoro got beaten down by Can Yue every day.
When Zoro was giving it everything he had while the other side was only getting slightly serious, it meant the gap in their strength was far too great.
"Though it's cruel to say this, Zoro basically has no chance of winning," Nami said with a sigh.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Johnny and Joseph firmly refused to believe it.
"In that last exchange, Big Brother Zoro clearly had control of the battle."
"Eh, believe what you want!" Nami said helplessly.
It was not only Nami; Luffy up above thought the same way.
He had come to that conclusion based on how he and Zoro were beaten up by Can Yue every day.
In this situation, Zoro was clearly being completely crushed.
"Can Yue, in a swordsman's duel, if the challenger loses, the other side can execute him."
Luffy spoke to Can Yue worriedly.
Can Yue kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield between Zoro and Hawk Eyes and calmly asked Luffy, "Then are you going to stop Zoro now?"
Luffy clenched his fists in frustration and gritted his teeth as he replied, "How could I? This fight is more important to Zoro than his life. We absolutely can't stop him."
"Damn it!" Restless, Luffy jumped around, unable to calm down. He leaped off the rooftop and came to stand beside Johnny and Joseph, the closest spot to Zoro's battlefield.
On the wreckage of the giant ship
Zoro and Hawk Eyes stood facing each other with swords in hand.
Zoro took a deep breath and tried his best to remain calm. The coming battle was exceptionally important to him.
An unnatural silence enveloped the area centered on the two of them, including the entire Baratie and the giant shipwreck. Only the sound of waves slapping against the wooden planks could be heard.
Nearly every spectator felt their heart leap into their throat, and even their breathing seemed to slow.
"I'm coming!" The moment Zoro finished speaking, he charged straight at Hawk Eyes.
Hawk Eyes stood where he was and casually swung his black blade, easily blocking Zoro's charge.
Before the slash from one of Zoro's swords was blocked, he nearly simultaneously swung another sword in a different direction.
The three swords seemed to each have their own distinct attack pattern—slashing, thrusting, lifting.
Though Hawk Eyes could parry every strike, he was forced into a slightly passive position.
Hawk Eyes quickly leaped backward while swinging his black blade, creating a hurricane that blew Zoro away. Smiling faintly, he commented,
"Excellent swordsmanship. You've perfectly brought out the advantages of your Three Sword Style. It seems you have a good teacher."
The corner of Zoro's mouth rose slightly when he heard that. "A teacher? I suppose so."
This fighting style, where each of the three swords had a different style, was a modification Can Yue had suggested after pointing out that Zoro's previous attacks had been too monotonous.
If I hadn't met Can Yue, I might not even have made it past the dagger.
Zoro pulled his attention back to reality and focused on dealing with Hawk Eyes's next attack.
Hawk Eyes drew his black blade to one side, then casually swung it the instant he charged toward Zoro.
A powerful blast of wind pressure struck first.
Facing the terrifying impact of this technique, Zoro immediately found it difficult to advance. Then the muscles in his arms swelled again. Clenching Wado Ichimonji between his teeth, he roared, "Three Sword Style—Tiger Hunt!"
Using the fierce power of Tiger Hunt, he dispersed the blast of wind pressure.
At the same time, Zoro's body fell into the stiffness that followed the release of the technique.
At that very moment, Hawk Eyes had already arrived before him and swung his blade down.
Damn it. Zoro's pupils widened, and every muscle in his body tensed. With the help of adrenaline, he instantly adjusted his posture and tried to use his two swords to block Hawk Eyes's slash.
But this was Hawk Eyes. How could he give an opponent who had exposed an opening the chance to react?
Too fast. I can't block it.
With Hawk Eyes's seemingly ordinary slash, Zoro was sent flying as blood gushed from his body.
Watching Zoro get blasted away, Hawk Eyes lowered his black blade to his side and asked, sounding both concerned and warning, "Having experienced such a gap firsthand, do you still wish to challenge me?"
Zoro braced himself and stood upright, saying resolutely, "Of course!"
Hawk Eyes sighed, seemingly wanting to persuade this swordsman who had earned even his admiration.
He said, "In that instant just now, you could have died a hundred times. If you come at me again, I won't hold back."
After saying that, Sword Intent surged around Hawk Eyes's entire body, completely unlike the casual, playful posture he had assumed before.
Zoro said nothing more and readjusted his stance.
After letting out a long breath, Zoro replied, "I can die, but I cannot retreat. If I retreat here, I'm afraid I'll never again have the courage to face you, much less face my close friend or myself!"
At those words, not only did Hawk Eyes smile, but Can Yue in the distance smiled as well.
Though they were far apart, the two spoke their evaluation of Zoro in unison.
"Such a steadfast heart is enough!"
But Can Yue added one more sentence than Hawk Eyes.
"But you should not treat death as liberation."
Watching the two combatants enter their ready stances,
Can Yue realized that the next move would determine the victor.
And after accumulating for so long, his fighting spirit had already reached its limit. He needed to go down and make arrangements.
So, Can Yue leaped down in a single step and landed beside Luffy.
When Red Leg Zephyr saw Can Yue come down, his entire body tensed. His instincts told him things were beginning to get complicated.
He looked at Can Yue and asked, "Do you have some instruction?"
Can Yue turned to look at the clever old man and said, "Move this ship farther away!"
After thinking for a moment, Zephyr roughly understood what Can Yue meant. Frowning, he asked, "Could it be that you intend to...?"
Can Yue kept his gaze on Zoro and did not answer Zephyr further.
Zephyr took a deep breath, becoming even more certain of his guess.
"Paddy, Carnage, prepare to raise anchor. Once those two finish fighting, we're leaving!"
"Ah?? Understood!"
Zoro adjusted his condition. "Thank you for giving me time to prepare."
One corner of Hawk Eyes's mouth lifted as he replied, "Consider it an apology for underestimating you with a small knife. Come, Roronoa Zoro. Let me see just how firm your resolve truly is!"
Zoro smiled. "Then take a look. Armament Haki—Coating!"
Because he had sufficient preparation time and a steadfast mindset, all three of Zoro's swords temporarily turned black.
At this sight, Hawk Eyes's sharp pupils trembled slightly for an instant.
To think that someone in the weakest East Blue could learn Haki. You possess both powerful conviction and the luck indispensable to the strong. This makes me look forward to your future even more, Zoro.
As Hawk Eyes thought this, his body had already taken on a battle stance. Both hands gripped the hilt of the black blade, with the sword held to the right side of his body.
Opposite him, Zoro brought the hilts of all three swords together. The blades began to spin with his wrists, then he suddenly charged forward.
"Three Sword Style Secret Technique—Three Thousand Worlds."
Hawk Eyes exerted force at the same time. The two clashed in an instant, then passed each other.
As their sword techniques collided, the already shattered giant shipwreck was carved into an even greater mess by the scattered sword energy.
A gust of wind swept past. Zoro slowly rose to his feet, and the instant he stood, multiple jets of blood suddenly burst from all over his body.
"So strong!" Zoro's pupils shook. That final exchange had made him deeply understand the gap between himself and Hawk Eyes. It was as vast as heaven and earth.
Hawk Eyes turned to look at Zoro. "Because the power of that technique was so great, it was difficult for me to control my attack to the most appropriate level."
Zoro gave a self-mocking smile. "Powerful? I never expected a man like you to comfort the defeated."
After saying that, Zoro withdrew his Haki, and the blades held in both of his hands immediately shattered.
Perhaps Zoro did not understand, but Can Yue in the distance had seen exactly what happened.
Hawk Eyes had not been comforting him. He was stating a fact.
When the Hawk Eyes of memory faced Zoro's Three Thousand Worlds, he had left Zoro with a deep sword wound.
But in this duel, multiple wounds had appeared on Zoro's body. This meant that when their sword techniques collided, Hawk Eyes could no longer perfectly control the range of his attack.
It also showed that Zoro's sword technique had become much more powerful, causing the Sword Intent within Hawk Eyes's attack to scatter in every direction. That was why this situation had occurred.
Thinking this, the corner of Can Yue's mouth beneath his mask lifted slightly.
Zoro, you really have grown stronger.
Before you continue