Luckily, I'm the More Skilled One

At the center of the battlefield.

Buggy stared at the green-haired young man, his gaze settling on the two swords in the other's hands and the one clenched in his mouth. He grinned, revealing an eerie smile.

"Kid, what's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro's face was cold and expressionless.

Buggy was quite surprised. "So you're the Pirate Hunter who's been making quite a name for himself lately. Did you come specifically for my head?"

"I'm not interested in your head."

Zoro pointed behind him. "But I owe that Marine a favor, so I plan to use your head to repay it. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being marked by the Grim Reaper!"

"Gahahaha, you sure are arrogant!"

Buggy threw back his head and laughed, pulling out a dagger and licking its tip with his tongue. "Perfect. I'm quite interested in you too. If I kill someone as famous as you, I'll become even more renowned."

"Don't say such stupid things. I won't be taken down by a small fry like you."

Zoro's gaze turned icy.

His goal was to become the World's Greatest Swordsman. Until he defeated that man, he would not lose to anyone.

Besides, the pirate before him did not seem to possess the aura of a true powerhouse. There was no reason he could lose to a third-rate pirate like this.

"Then let me show you what I can do. Open your eyes and watch carefully—it'll be over in an instant!"

Zoro crossed his arms, holding the Dual Swords upright before him in each hand while clamping Wado Ichimonji tightly between his teeth.

"Three-Sword Style!"

"Gahahaha, I'll slaughter you!"

The next second, his strongest technique erupted!

"Demon Slash!"

A flash of sword light—then the two passed each other!

Zoro spread his arms, maintaining the posture of his slash.

Behind him, Buggy the "Clown," who had been shouting moments before, had been struck several times. His waist and abdomen had even been completely severed, splitting his body in two.

Thud!

The two halves of his body fell to the ground.

"Tch, what a useless guy."

Zoro sheathed his swords, his face full of disdain.

He had thought a pirate with a bounty of fifteen million would have some skill, but Buggy had turned out to be all show and no substance, wasting Zoro's expectations for nothing.

Compared to that—

Zoro turned his head toward the battle between Isca and Cabaji.

That woman's swordsmanship was quite good.

Just then, the Marine Second Lieutenant's warning reached his ears. "Little brother Zoro, the battle isn't over yet."

What?

Zoro froze for a moment.

He had clearly killed his opponent. Why did he say the battle was not over? The man's body had been split in two—there was no way he could still be alive.

Wait. Before coming here, that Marine Second Lieutenant seemed to have warned him that Buggy the "Clown" was a Devil Fruit User.

Zoro sensed that something was wrong.

Thinking back, he had cut the man's body in half, but there had been no blood, nor had he heard any screams of pain.

Could it be—!

Pfft!

Intense pain swept through his entire body.

Zoro's pupils widened. Blood spurted from between his clenched teeth, and the overwhelming weakness made his knees buckle as he fell to the ground.

"Damn it, what is this?!"

Looking at the blade embedded in his waist and abdomen, as well as the strange hand gripping it, Zoro endured the pain and swung his hand, knocking it away.

The dagger was pulled out, bringing a trail of blood with it.

And the hand that had attacked him floated in midair.

"Gahahaha!"

Buggy the "Clown," who should have been dead, floated up. His severed body automatically rejoined itself, leaving behind not a single wound.

"I ate the Chop-Chop Fruit! I'm a Chop-Chop Man who can't be killed no matter how many times he's cut! With your strength, it's impossible for you to defeat me!"

"Damn it, I let my guard down!"

Zoro clutched his kidneys in agony.

If the enemy truly was a Chop-Chop Man, then he really stood no chance. No—given his current condition, he would be lucky just to escape.

"Gahahaha, time to send you on your way, Roronoa Zoro!"

Buggy aimed the tip of his blade at Zoro, then activated his ability. His wrist separated, and the hand gripping the knife shot forward!

"Chop-Chop: Clown Dagger!"

"Damn it!!!"

Zoro stared at the incoming flying dagger, his eyes bloodshot. He wanted to leap aside and dodge, but his legs had no strength left. All he could do was watch helplessly as death closed in.

His dream had yet to be fulfilled!

"Smack!"

The blade stopped right before his eyes.

A man had caught Buggy's hand, preventing the flying dagger from advancing even an inch.

Zoro's pupils contracted as his vision filled with the word "Justice."

It was the cape of a Marine Second Lieutenant!

"I'm taking over, little brother Zoro."

With his back to Zoro, Luo Ya's lips curled slightly upward. "Thanks for testing out Buggy's Devil Fruit ability. If it had been me just now, I definitely would've suffered badly too."

"Heh, you can't say that for sure."

Zoro gave a soft snort, feeling much better inside.

Luo Ya had not meant to comfort Zoro; he was simply stating the facts. Even if he knew the effects of Buggy's ability, knowing about it and seeing it firsthand were two different things.

The speed at which his body split apart, the flight speed of his limbs, the strength behind them, his combat style—all of it was vital intelligence.

"Oh, right!"

Luo Ya tilted his head slightly.

"It hasn't even been a minute. You really didn't waste much time."

"..."

Zoro's face immediately darkened like the bottom of a pot.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Luo Ya laughed as he walked toward Buggy.

"Big Nose, I'll be your opponent."

"Who are you calling Big Nose?!"

Buggy instantly bristled, his hatred shifting to Luo Ya at once. What he hated most in his life was people making fun of his nose.

"Looks like you're in a hurry to die too!"

"Try it if you can."

Luo Ya stared at Buggy, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He did not underestimate him in the slightest; the Chop-Chop ability would not be easy to deal with.

Besides, Buggy had once been a member of Roger's crew.

First—

"Clang!"

His blade left its sheath and collided with a flying dagger that had come at him from behind!

"You noticed it."

Buggy sneered as his hand flew back to him.

His ability had already been exposed, so it was only natural for the Marines to be on guard. But his years of dominance in the East Blue had not relied on his ability alone.

Buggy flicked his feet, and sharp blades sprang from the soles of his shoes. Then his body twisted, and his lower half spun as it flew out.

"Chop-Chop: Pancake!"

His lower body spun at high speed, skimming along the ground like a flattened pancake. Its razor-sharp edge could easily tear an enemy's body apart.

"As expected, it's fast!"

Luo Ya's expression turned grave.

He had noticed it earlier: after Buggy's body split apart, its flying speed was extremely fast. Moreover, the smaller the separated piece, the faster it moved.

His main body, on the other hand, did not seem particularly remarkable.

"Here it comes!"

In the blink of an eye, Buggy's spinning lower half crossed dozens of meters and arrived before Luo Ya, seemingly intending to sever his legs.

And that was not all. His two arms, each clutching four flying daggers, closed in from both sides. The moment Luo Ya revealed an opening, they would surely exploit it.

"This is pretty interesting!"

Luo Ya's smile widened. Facing a Devil Fruit User for the first time had made him deeply aware of just how strange and powerful ability users were.

Swordsmanship was completely useless. He also had to guard against elusive sneak attacks; one moment of carelessness, and he could end up like Zoro.

And it was incredibly difficult to get close to the opponent's real body!

Even with Silent Step, he could barely shake off the flying knives' pursuit. Silent Step was indeed fast, but in practice, each use only moved him four or five meters—essentially an inferior version of "Soru."

Nor could he use it continuously.

"Clang!"

The blade pierced the ground.

Luo Ya abandoned his longsword, reached into his Justice Cloak, and pulled out a jet-black Wolf Fang Club. Watching Buggy's lower body spin toward him, he could not help but reveal a savage grin.

Fortunately, he was the more skilled one!

"Wolf Fang Club?!!!"

Buggy cried out in terror, the color instantly draining from his face.