Upon seeing Senga's Sword of Susanoo, Shimotsuki Ryuma's zombie face showed not surprise but delight, and he said...
"I didn't expect you to be a swordsman as well!"
Senga shook his head. He used the sword only because he felt that Ryoma was, after all, a great swordsman who was no weaker than Hawk Eyes in his previous life, and he should give him some respect.
To put it simply, it's just something I do out of interest.
Since he had already used the Sword of Susanoo, Senga simply used the power of the Combine-Combine Fruit to summon the Susanoo Armor as well.
Deep purple energy rose from around Senga's body, solidified into the shape of armor, and finally merged tightly with Senga's body.
Senga now looked like a majestic ancient general, and the unique and powerful aura of Susanoo burst forth, causing the objects in the hall to be blown about.
Under this aura, Moria and the others, who had been affected by the Negi Negi no Mi, also recovered. When they saw Senga's current appearance, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Perona, on the other hand, was still standing there in a daze, her mind filled with the image of Senga smiling earlier.
After a while, she suddenly screamed and shouted.
"Ugh! Why are you suddenly being so gentle with me?!"
After she shouted, Perona found that no one in the hall paid any attention to her. She only saw Moria and the others staring wide-eyed at the entrance.
She looked over and was immediately captivated.
Watching Senga's retreating figure clad in the Susanoo Armor, two blushes appeared on her face, and she murmured,
"This guy is actually quite handsome..."
Ryoma also looked at Senga with an appreciative gaze. He didn't say anything more, directly assumed a sword-drawing stance, and then instantly disappeared from the spot.
The next second, Ryoma appeared behind Senga and slowly sheathed his sword.
His expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice,
"Nose Hum Three Ding - Arrow Feather Slash"
A slashing sound rang out from Senga's Susanoo Armor, and a purple ripple spread out from Susanoo Armor.
Senga remained calm. Ryoma's attack was simply a quick strike using high-speed movement. With the defensive power of the Susanoo Armor, he didn't even bother to dodge.
Ryoma turned around and saw that Senga was completely unharmed, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Terrifying defensive capabilities!"
Ryoma's praise didn't stir any ripples in Senga's heart. If Ryoma's current zombie body could really break through his Susanoo Armor's defense, then he Susanoo Armor.
Senga didn't even turn around to look at him. He casually swung the hand holding the Sword of Susanoo behind him, and a purple sword beam shot out towards Ryoma.
Ryoma dared not be careless and quickly grabbed Shusui with both hands to shield his chest, trying to block Senga's attack.
However, Susanoo shattering all things in the universe, and Ryoma's actions were tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
The purple sword light collided with Shusui, and Shusui's sword emitted a mournful cry. Then, Ryoma and his sword were swept away by the purple sword light and flew backward.
A huge gap appeared in the wall of the hall, and Ryoma's figure had disappeared.
Moria frowned, not because he was heartbroken about his house, but because he realized he had lost contact with the Zombie Ryuma!
If the zombies he controls perish, their shadows will detach from their bodies, and as Devil Fruit User, it's impossible for him not to sense it.
But this time it was strange; he not only lost contact with the Zombie Ryuma, but he couldn't even sense Brook's shadow anymore.
Senga squinted at the direction Ryoma had disappeared. He could sense that Ryoma's aura had not vanished; on the contrary, it had become even stronger.
Sure enough, a moment later, the distinctive sound of wooden clogs could be heard coming from the direction of the gap; it was Ryoma returning.
Upon seeing Ryoma, Moria's face showed disbelief, and he exclaimed in surprise.
"How is this possible!?"
Ryoma looked utterly miserable. His white kimono was tattered, and a horrific wound stretched diagonally from his shoulder to his waist. There was no blood on the wound, only the empty interior of his body was visible.
A tiny notch appeared on Shusui's sword, precisely where it had been struck by the sword's edge.
But what shocked Moria the most was not these things, but that Ryoma's previously empty eye sockets suddenly had two balls of blue energy!
He created countless zombies—this is the first time such a thing has ever happened!
Ryoma ignored Moria, his "master," his eyes fixed solely on Senga Sword of Susanoo.
Senga examined the two orbs of blue energy in Ryoma's eye sockets and thought to herself,
"That's the aura of a soul. Could it be that the old Ryoma has returned?"
Clearly, Senga's guess was correct.
Ryoma's current state is a kind of "resurrection," but it's only temporary.
He was "resurrected" because of the Black Blade Shusui in his hand.
During the process of being forged into Black Blade by Ryoma, a wisp of Ryoma's soul was infused into Shusui, which is why Ryoma was able to retain his memories of his previous life even after being turned into a zombie.
Now that Shusui has been breached by Senga, this wisp of soul has finally been released and returned to Ryoma's body, "reviving" him.
However, Ryoma's situation is different from Rocks'. The soul contained in Shusui is only a drop in the ocean compared to his original soul, which can only "revive" him for a short time. Ryoma's current state can be considered as a brief resurgence of his former glory.
When the time comes, this wisp of soul will completely dissipate, and "Sword God" Ryoma will also disappear from this world forever.
However, Ryoma didn't care about such things; his heart was already filled with fighting spirit.
He glanced at the nick in the Shusui Sword and said in a tone completely different from before,
"That Flying Slash of that caliber just now... you truly are a great swordsman!"
Senga pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "Whatever you say."
Whether it's Flying Slash or Susanoo slash, they're essentially just different ways of attacking.
Since the final result is pretty much the same, there's no point in forcibly correcting it.
Moreover, compared to these, Ryoma is clearly more likely to pique Senga's interest now.
He twirled the Sword of Susanoo and said softly.
"All you need to know is that we are now adversaries."
"Hahahaha! That's right! You are an opponent worthy of my respect!"
Ryoma burst into laughter, but his laughter was no longer Brook's "Yohohoho." He was no longer influenced by Brook's shadow; he was now the legendary "Sword God" Ryoma of Wano Country!
The flames of the soul in Ryoma's eyes suddenly magnified, burning even more intensely.
He had no regrets about encountering an opponent like Senga in his final moments, and his soul should now fulfill its greatest value.