Bang!!
A burst of air shook the space between Franky and Gab.
The two men pressed their palms together and strained against each other, digging their feet into the ground. Cracks spread across the earth beneath them.
Gab opened his sharp-toothed mouth, like some kind of beastman, and began gathering power for a Shattering Shockwave.
At the sight, Franky immediately leaned his head back, then slammed it forward!
"Franky's Head Crusher!!"
Bang!!
With a furious shout, Franky smashed his forehead into Gab's face, interrupting the Shattering Shockwave. But he couldn't break through the black Haki covering Gab's head.
"Franky's Purifying Flames!!"
Whoosh!!
Franky puffed out his cheeks and spewed fire from his mouth. The expanding flames swallowed Gab's entire upper body!
A wave of heat washed over them, and the burning flames lit up the whole area.
Whoosh!
To Franky's dismay, a fearsome black face, savage as a beast's, burst out of the roaring flames in front of him and smashed into his face!
Bang!!
"Guh—!"
The powerful blow made Franky arch backward and spit blood. His brain rattled, and it felt as if his soul were flying out of his body.
"Roar!!"
Bang!!
With another angry roar, Gab stomped hard on Franky's chest and kicked him flying. Franky crashed into a broken wall like a cannonball.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
Franky pushed aside the boulder covering his head and struggled to his feet amid the rubble, bloodied from head to toe. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he stared gravely at his opponent.
Bathed in flames, Gab strode out. The clothes covering half his body had been burned away, revealing muscular flesh forged like iron.
Black Haki covered his entire body. He looked like a vicious demon that had broken free from hell. He stood with his legs apart, arms at his sides.
"Martial Body: Lion Demon!!"
With a low growl, Gab's muscles suddenly swelled, bulging with veins. A single glance was enough to see the terrifying power packed inside him.
He stomped hard, shattering the floor, and lunged forward. His hair flew wildly, his face twisted with ferocity—like a black lion on the hunt!
Franky grinned, not the slightest trace of retreat in his eyes. Instead, his fighting spirit blazed. He slammed his iron fists together before his chest and charged to meet him!
"Crushing Heavy Fist!!"
Bang!!
Franky swung his arm and punched furiously, landing a solid blow on Gab's cheek. Gab's head snapped to the side, and he spat blood.
Gab clenched his teeth and grabbed Franky's arm with his other hand. He yanked him closer, then swung an uppercut toward his stomach!
"Lion Demon's Mighty Strike!!"
Bang!!
The punch unleashed a gale, and a shockwave burst through Franky's body and out his back. His body doubled over like a shrimp. Eyes bulging, mouth wide open, he vomited the sour liquid rising from his chest.
Gab followed up with a whipping kick, the wind howling as it slammed into Franky's side.
Bang!!
Fighting through the queasy churn of his internal organs, Franky seized Gab's leg. He pushed off and charged in, circling around behind him and grabbing hold, then thrust his hips forward into a backward bridge throw!
"Franky's Skull Shattering Backbreaker!!"
Bang!!
Gab hit the ground hard on the back of his head. The massive stone bricks cracked and shattered, and his heavy head went blank as he slipped into a brief daze.
Franky quickly got up and took the opportunity to straddle Gab, raining punches down on him with both fists!
"Franky's Ruthless Beating!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! The earth trembled with each muffled impact, and blood spattered everywhere.
After taking more than a dozen consecutive punches, Gab finally managed to turn his head and dodge the next blow, relying on his iron will and the last sliver of his consciousness.
He opened his mouth and bit down hard!
Bang!!
His Weapon Left Hand exploded under Gab's steel-sharp teeth. Franky stumbled forward as he lost his balance, and Gab, still lying on the ground, immediately hooked a foot around his neck.
He grabbed Franky's falling right arm and pulled it straight!
The cross-arm lock was set!
When their strength was evenly matched, an opponent could hardly escape once this move was locked in place. With Gab's terrifying strength, it was one of the deadliest submission holds of all.
Even the hardest alloy steel in the world began to warp, bit by bit, making a series of cracking sounds.
Against anyone else, the match would have been decided the moment the hold was secured. But Franky, a cyborg, was an exception!
The hand Gab had pinned opened a round cover in its palm, revealing a cannon barrel. Under Gab's alarmed gaze, the barrel rapidly expanded!
"Wind Cannon!!"
With a booming shout from Franky, a compressed shockwave of terrifying power, capable of tearing a warship to pieces, suddenly erupted!
Boom!!
The shockwave plowed a huge trench through the earth. Everything in its path was swept away, buildings collapsing like deadwood, until the blast reached beyond the ruins.
Bang!!
Finally, Gab's body fell from the sky and crashed into a crater in the ground. His eyes rolled back, and he had clearly lost consciousness.
Behind the castle ruins, this place lay well beyond the giants' range. Lush branches intertwined overhead, forming a deep green forest suspended in the air.
Patches of soft white island clouds clung to the ancient branches. Stepping inside felt like entering a sea of trees, and the sight brought peace to the mind.
But at that moment, this forest, undisturbed by anyone, was filled with the cold glint of swords.
Clang!
Clang! Clang!
Blades clashed fiercely, sending sparks flying in all directions. Two figures were absorbed in their contest of blades.
"Two Sword Style: Second Slash - Demon Bear!!"
Dropping from above, Zoro raised both swords behind him. His powerful downward slash came crashing down like a demon bear's paw!
Hawk Eyes gripped Black Blade Night with both hands and held it over his head, the black blade angled slightly.
Clang!!
He blocked the attack while deflecting most of its force, then leaped back using what remained. A cold glint flashed in Hawk Eyes' sharp gaze as he swept his great sword through the air!
Shing!
A flash of blades filled the air. A sharp Flying Slash tore through the air, shooting toward the spot where Zoro had just been.
Faced with the massive slash and its wide reach, Zoro immediately crossed his swords to block.
Screee—!!
The earsplitting sound of blades grinding together rang out amid the flying sparks. Locked against the slash, Zoro's swords rattled with a series of sharp cracks.
Just then, Hawk Eyes' second slash followed on its heels. Two streaks of sword light merged, suddenly swelling in size!
Screee—!
Zoro gritted his teeth and resisted. His feet scraped two black marks across the thick tree branch, then slid backward more than ten meters, the soles of his feet scorching hot.
"Two-Strength Form!"
The muscles in his upper arms swelled. The surge of strength finally stopped his retreat, and Zoro snapped his arms forward. The slash in front of him burst apart.
A turbulent gust of air swept out, making countless leaves around them rustle.
He had just broken through his opponent's attack, but before Zoro could catch his breath, Hawk Eyes was already charging toward him with his long blade trailing behind. The black blade slashed upward diagonally!
Clang!!
Zoro pressed both swords down against the blade, but the tremendous force sent him flying. With a bang, his back slammed hard into a huge tree branch suspended in midair.
"What's going on? This pressure..."
Zoro gritted his teeth and struggled out of the trunk, his eyes showing a hint of apprehension and confusion.
This was even more overwhelming than during their training. It was as if he had returned to the way things were two years ago, even though he had grown stronger.
He pulled himself free, planted his feet against the trunk, and immediately leaped away.
The next moment.
Shing!
A streak of sword light flashed past. The five-meter-thick trunk, as sturdy as steel, split cleanly in two and dropped toward the underworld, its cut smooth as glass.
Tap, tap, tap—
Zoro moved at high speed, repeatedly tapping his toes against a moss-covered vine. As he dodged, his gaze stayed fixed below, where a figure stood motionless on a huge leaf, both hands gripping his sword.
Hawk Eyes was equally alert, waiting to respond to any move. Their gazes met, and a murderous aura filled the entire space.
Thump!
After running through countless possibilities in his mind and still finding no opening, Zoro had no choice but to attack and look for an opportunity. He pushed off with his feet, his body shooting forward.
Sizzle—sizzle—
Faint black lightning coiled around his blades. A red gleam flickered in Zoro's eyes as his fierce sword light flashed!
"Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Six Paths Crossing!!"
Hawk Eyes' expression remained as calm as still water. His eyes were as sharp as swords as he fixed them on the blade's exposed edge before him.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Shing! Five vertical cuts and one horizontal slash appeared in an instant, slicing the leaf and a section of the branch beneath it into strips.
As Zoro swung his swords, Black Blade Night shot out with pinpoint precision. The move seemed slow, yet moved swiftly, slipping through the slashes and stabbing toward his throat!
His move had been seen through in an instant?!
At the critical moment, Zoro hastily turned his head to the side. Everything before his eyes seemed to slow to a crawl. At almost point-blank range, he watched the black blade tear through his clothes and cut into his flesh.
Squelch—
Blood blossomed in the air behind him. A searing, burning pain shot through his shoulder, and his body, thrown off balance by the sudden shock, fell onto a branch below.
Zoro curled up and rolled several times. Still shaken, he got back up and quickly turned around, raising his swords in a defensive stance.
But Hawk Eyes didn't press the attack. Instead, he jumped onto another leaf and looked down at him. His expression was tinged with boredom.
"You've disappointed me, Roronoa. Is this all the progress you've made?"
"You think it's too early to say that, don't you?"
Zoro replied in a cold, low voice.
Hawk Eyes stared at him quietly for two seconds, then said in a chilly tone:
"Can't you see? You can't beat me as you are now."
"Stop joking!"
Zoro practically roared, glaring furiously at Hawk Eyes.
"I'm definitely strong enough to challenge you now!"
"A truly outstanding swordsman should be able to recognize the difference in strength between himself and his opponent at a glance. You said that yourself, didn't you?"
"Whether it's strength, speed, swordsmanship, or Haki, I'm no longer inferior to you in any of them!"
As he spoke, Zoro's expression darkened. He shook out his swords and held them at his sides. His powerful Haki surged out, making the leaves rustle around them.
"Today, I'll definitely defeat you and become the greatest!"
"Why?"
Hawk Eyes still questioned him in a cold tone.
The unexpected question left Zoro momentarily stunned.
Why?
The title of World's Greatest Swordsman was the goal every swordsman pursued.
He couldn't understand why Hawk Eyes had suddenly asked that. Besides, Hawk Eyes wasn't the kind of person to waste words in the middle of a fight.
No, even outside of battle, he was always taciturn. If he could answer in one word, he would never use two.
Zoro couldn't figure out what he meant.
Before he could think it through, he heard Hawk Eyes speak again.
"Why are you so fixated on today, on this particular battle? Is there anything special about today?"
"If you defeat me tomorrow, the title of World's Greatest Swordsman will still be yours. The same goes for the day after, or even two years from now."
"Tell me, why does it have to be today? Why are you so determined to win this fight?"
Hawk Eyes pressed him, one word at a time.
Zoro hadn't been wrong about one thing: the gap between them had become vanishingly small, whether in speed, strength, swordsmanship, or Haki.
Zoro had everything he needed, but he couldn't bring himself to use it.
The promises he had made had driven him forward, helping him grow to where he was now. But at this crucial moment, those same promises had become a burden holding him back.
His sword wasn't pure enough.
Hawk Eyes had noticed it from the moment they crossed swords. Zoro's swordsmanship had improved considerably, and he had gained better control over his Haki. He had even learned to coat his attacks with Conqueror's Haki.
But in Hawk Eyes' eyes, Zoro's state of mind in battle was even worse than when they had sparred on Kuraigana. Instead, he had regressed to how he had been when they first met in the East Blue.
It was as if he were desperate to prove something, insisting that he settle the score with Hawk Eyes right away.
Hawk Eyes hadn't seen through the previous move in an instant. Zoro had left an opening himself.
Faced with Hawk Eyes' questions, Zoro froze as if he had lost his voice, unable to utter a single word.
"Still haven't figured it out? Then let me show you."
Hawk Eyes gripped his long blade again, bent his knees slightly, then pushed off and shot downward at tremendous speed.
This was the first time he had taken the initiative to attack since the fight began.
Zoro immediately focused all his attention, staring intently at every movement Hawk Eyes made, afraid he might spot an opening.
The great blade came crashing down from above. There were no flashy movements—he had simply brought the timing, angle, and force of his swing to perfection.
Clang!!
Zoro raised both swords to block. The angle of the blades and his stance absorbed most of the force, and he swiftly sprang backward.
Mihawk's blade stopped just a hair's breadth above the ground. Without wasting a single ounce of strength, he flicked his wrist, turning the blade upward in a sweeping slash. A massive Flying Slash shot along the ground in pursuit!
"Didn't you have a chance to counter just now? Why choose to retreat?"
Mihawk tapped the ground with his toes and surged forward right behind the slash.
"Three Sword Style: 1080 Pound Phoenix!!"
Even as he retreated at full speed, Zoro gritted his teeth and swung his swords, smashing into the incoming slash.
Mihawk charged in after it, closing the distance. He leaned aside to evade Zoro's direct slash, then thrust with Black Blade Night in one hand.
"You're desperate to prove yourself, eager to fulfill your promise, so your sword is aggressive."
Clang!
Zoro blocked with one sword in front of his chest, but the tremendous force sent him flying. His feet gouged furrows in the ground as he skidded back dozens of meters.
Seeing Mihawk catch up, he immediately pushed off with both feet and leaped away. Without realizing it, his back was already soaked with sweat.
But Mihawk was faster. He anticipated Zoro's move and struck ahead of him, sending a slash across his path.
"But you're also afraid. You fear failure, so your sword still isn't aggressive enough."
Clang!!
Zoro raised his swords to block again, and was sent flying once more. His back slammed hard into a tree trunk with a thud!
Zoro gasped for breath. Though they had only been fighting for a short while, he looked utterly exhausted, drenched in sweat.
Mihawk stood on a branch, Black Blade Night pointed at Zoro. He said coldly:
"A sword whose owner suppresses its desire to attack is too dull."
Before you continue