To become the world's greatest swordsman.
Zoro had trained his body and skills relentlessly since childhood.
Day after day.
Every single day.
As his strength grew, so did his confidence.
Until... he suffered a crushing defeat beneath Hawk Eyes Mihawk's Black Blade.
Only then did he truly realize how vast the world was.
Yet compared to his clash of blades with Hawk Eyes Mihawk, the sight of Maud splitting such a colossal stone giant in half with Soaring Slash shocked him even more.
This was what a top swordsman could do...!
Even as Zoro was shaken, his blood continued to surge with excitement.
His eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Maud's powerful back, which radiated an astonishing aura.
Both Hawk Eyes and Maud had allowed him to personally experience what true swordsmen were capable of, as well as the vast gap between them.
Even so,
Zoro did not lose heart.
One day, he would stand among them as well.
He would do what Maud had done and split the heavens and earth apart with a single slash!
Sanji glanced sideways at Zoro, whose heart was surging with excitement.
He could vaguely sense what this "archenemy" was feeling at that moment.
"Are all the Shichibukai... monsters of this level?"
Sanji shifted his gaze toward Maud, whose entire body seemed to proclaim the word "powerful," and shakily pulled out a crumpled cigarette.
His hand was trembling...
Sanji gave a bitter laugh.
The strength of Maud and Pica was like a mountain pressing down on his heart.
From what had happened today, he realized something.
In the voyages to come, there would only be more monsters like Maud, not fewer.
If he could not become stronger as soon as possible, he would once again find himself helpless like he had been today.