Nidai Kitetsu

In the span of a few short breaths, Lu Zhuo had slaughtered every pirate on the ship save for the captain, demonstrating a truly formidable level of strength.

However, as Lu Zhuo looked at the Flower Blade Captain, the only one who had managed to block his blade, his brows suddenly furrowed.

This guy had actually blocked three nearly overlapping rapid draws; he was at least a second-rate swordsman.

Having rowed his boat over here, his physical exertion had been immense. The previous four draws had nearly drained his stamina, and now he was in trouble!

Behind Lu Zhuo, Nami's body, soaked through by seawater, revealed an incredibly graceful silhouette. At this point, Nami was a young girl of about fifteen, yet her body had already developed perfectly.

She watched Lu Zhuo's figure, her beautiful eyes flickering. She never expected the "idiot" she had been manipulating to be this powerful.

Lu Zhuo had no time to appreciate her figure; under any other circumstances, he would have been overjoyed. But right now, his chest heaved violently, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he stared fixedly at the Flower Blade Captain before him.

"Brat! You dare to kill all my men? You're dead, and no one can save you!"

The Flower Blade Captain's expression was ferocious as he walked forward, step by slow step. He held his broadsword horizontally, a heavy, imposing aura seemingly radiating from him.

Damn it, it's a defensive-style swordsmanship.

Lu Zhuo cursed inwardly. Under normal circumstances, he would surely win by outlasting such a defensive style. But right now, it was the perfect counter to his current state!

This time, Lu Zhuo did not use a draw-strike; instead, he gently unsheathed his blade, gripped it with both hands, performed a sword flourish, and stepped forward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of metallic clashes rang out. The Flower Blade Captain's swordsmanship was airtight, and every one of Lu Zhuo's strikes was blocked cold.

Furthermore, Lu Zhuo lacked the follow-through, and the Flower Blade Captain's force instantly traveled through the blades into Lu Zhuo's arms, making the webbing between his thumbs go numb.

With cold sweat on his brow, Lu Zhuo's body trembled slightly, his expression turning extremely grave.

The Flower Blade Captain looked at Lu Zhuo with a cold, murderous gaze. He swung his broadsword violently, his steps slow and heavy, showing no signs of fatigue.

Clang!

After a light sound, Lu Zhuo stumbled back several steps. He looked at the sword in his hand, which had developed a crack, and felt a mix of shock and rage.

"Damn it, that guy's blade is definitely one of the 50 Skillful Grade swords. I'm not Zoro, carrying a Great Grade 21 sword the moment I set sail!"

Lu Zhuo grumbled internally. The blade in his hand didn't even qualify as one of the 50 Skillful Grade swords; the power of the protagonist's halo was truly evident.

Snap!

After another collision, the sword in Lu Zhuo's hand shattered into countless fragments. His heart sank—this was bad!

However, after a quick thought, Lu Zhuo remembered Nami nearby and shouted.

"Hey, Nami, do you have a sword?"

"Uh, I think so!"

Nami responded subconsciously. Without thinking it through—knowing that if Lu Zhuo lost, she wouldn't have a good ending either—she reached out and pulled a black sword from the large pack on her back.

Fortunately, the Flower Blade Captain's swordsmanship leaned toward defense, allowing Lu Zhuo to narrowly dodge even without a weapon.

Seeing Nami produce a sword, Lu Zhuo felt a surge of joy. A burst of strength returned to his exhausted body, and he lunged toward Nami, snatching the black sword away.

Nami stared blankly at Lu Zhuo, suddenly seeming to recall something, her beautiful eyes widening.

How does this guy know my name?!

Nami's dazed expression was adorable, but Lu Zhuo had no time to look. As he gripped the black scabbard, a murderous aura seeped through, making his eyes light up.

This was actually... the Nidai Kitetsu, one of the 21 Great Grade swords! A blade even higher in rank than the Sandai Kitetsu Zoro carried!

Seeing the sword in Lu Zhuo's hand, the Flower Blade Captain's face changed instantly.

"Damn it, that's my sword!"

"Heh, it's mine now! Power-Accumulation Draw Strike!"

A wicked smile appeared on Lu Zhuo's face. He gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, his arms trembling as if gathering immense power—he was pouring every ounce of his remaining stamina into this single strike!

Victory or death!

Seeing this, the Flower Blade Captain's expression shifted violently. He had long since realized Lu Zhuo was exhausted, but this final strike felt extremely dangerous.

I can't let him execute it! With that thought, the Flower Blade Captain abandoned his defensive stance and swung his broadsword fiercely at Lu Zhuo.

At that exact moment, the sword in Lu Zhuo's hand finally left its sheath. The blade scraping against the scabbard emitted sparks, trailing a flash of sword light!

Slash!

The two blades collided. In an instant, the Flower Blade Captain's Skillful Grade sword snapped in two, and the sword light continued unabated, slicing directly into his chest.

The sound of flesh being torn was accompanied by the faint crack of breaking bone.

The Flower Blade Captain looked at his spurting chest in disbelief, his body slowly collapsing, his eyes fixed on Lu Zhuo with a look of resentment.

"Damn... the curse... of the Nidai Kitetsu. Brat... you too will die under the curse of this blade!" After saying this, his head lolled to the side, and he closed his eyes.

Finally able to relax, Lu Zhuo's body swayed slightly, and he barely managed to keep himself from collapsing.

Remembering Nami was still nearby, Lu Zhuo forced himself to turn and look at her. The smile on his blood-soaked body looked like that of a demon.

Nami had long been stunned by the scene, and she was even more frightened by this smile, forcing a stiff laugh.

"Um... how did you know my name?"

Lu Zhuo sized her up, his gaze sweeping over her body with unbridled insolence. The disguise she had worn as a boy had been completely washed away after being soaked in seawater.

He let out a sinister chuckle, stroked his chin, and said, "Since you're my underling, of course I know your name..."

Watching Lu Zhuo's expression, Nami swallowed hard, her small mouth gulping. Even with her quick wit, she found herself unable to say a word. Looking at the blood-drenched deck, she could only conclude that this guy, Lu Zhuo, was a terrifying devil.

"Alright, since you're my underling, hurry up and get to work. Clean this place up, and while you're at it, sail the ship to the nearest Marine branch."

Lu Zhuo walked slowly to Nami's side, a wicked grin on his face, and lightly brushed her fair, delicate cheek.

Nami's body trembled, and she gritted her teeth, replying, "...Fine~~!"

Although she didn't know how this bastard had learned her name, she knew she couldn't escape from under his nose right now, so she would just have to wait for an opportunity.

Thinking this to herself, Nami forced herself to calm down and began cleaning the deck. Meanwhile, Lu Zhuo sat to the side, slowly recovering his strength.

In truth, the current Lu Zhuo probably couldn't withstand a single shove from Nami. However, his previous display must have terrified the girl; maintaining a domineering facade was enough to fool someone who liked to think they were clever.

It wasn't until the deck was cleaned that Nami realized this, inwardly cursing herself for where her usual wit had gone.

She looked at Lu Zhuo, who remained seated and motionless, and her eyes rolled as a thought struck her. Pretending it was an accident, she stumbled, and the bucket in her hand flew toward Lu Zhuo.

At that very moment, Lu Zhuo's eyes snapped open; his strength had recovered just a little.

Seeing the bucket flying toward him, Lu Zhuo curled his lips and swung his sword with a sudden, sharp motion!

With a crack, both the bucket and the water were sliced in two, landing on either side of Lu Zhuo. Lu Zhuo looked at Nami, snorted, and said, "Are you trying to murder your boss?!"

Seeing this, Nami's spirit instantly deflated. Knowing she had lost her chance, she put on a flustered expression and said, "That... that was an accident."

Whether it was an accident or not, both Lu Zhuo and Nami knew the truth. Lu Zhuo chuckled, walked over to Nami, and seeing how disheveled she looked, laughed, "Go take a bath; you smell."

Hearing this, Nami jumped, retorting angrily, "You're the one who smells!"

"That's true, I do too. So, shall we bathe together?" Lu Zhuo glanced at Nami indifferently. Shamed and furious, Nami fled in a panic.

Several hours later, Lu Zhuo, having tidied up, sat on the deck breathing in the fresh air, feeling a sense of relief and satisfaction.

Just then, Nami's reluctant voice reached his ears.

"Dinner's ready!"

Arriving in the galley, Lu Zhuo looked at the pile of bread and smiled.

Although Nami wasn't a professional chef, toasted bread was still far better than the strange fish meat he had been struggling with.

However, Lu Zhuo didn't start eating immediately. Instead, he snatched the plate in front of Nami and said, "Let's swap!"

Huh?! Nami's body froze instantly, her heart pounding in her chest.

Does this guy know there's a laxative in the bread?

Lu Zhuo ignored her, inwardly laughing at how such a small trick could ever fool him. After he wolfed down the food, Nami looked embarrassed, the food on her plate completely untouched.

Lu Zhuo chuckled and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Um, I'm not hungry..."

Seeing Nami's flustered state, Lu Zhuo grinned, "Don't starve yourself. Go make something normal. But don't let there be a next time, okay? If you accidentally use something like a love potion, heh heh!"

With that, Lu Zhuo walked out. Behind him, Nami was filled with shame and rage, grabbing her plate and throwing it at him. But there was no way that could hit Lu Zhuo; he dodged it with a laugh, not minding in the slightest.

A few days later, Nami and Lu Zhuo stood on the deck together, looking much more harmonious.

Lu Zhuo had obtained the head of the Flower Blade Captain, which seemed to be worth a few million Beli, so he had Nami take him to a nearby Marine base. The journey would take about ten days, and during this time, Lu Zhuo had been subjected to at least one of Nami's pranks every single day.

However, with the mindset of a shut-in from Earth, dealing with Nami wasn't much of a problem, and Lu Zhuo had never come out on the losing end.

Knowing Lu Zhuo was heading to a Marine base, Nami felt a sense of relief and had concocted countless escape plans. Yet, she remained furious at this bastard who loved to tease her, so she often tried to pull tricks to mess with him, only to fail every time.

Catching a glimpse of a sly smile on Nami's face from the corner of his eye, Lu Zhuo paused for a moment. Although he knew she was likely plotting something, he didn't care; he was only interested in her beauty.

Nami at this stage possessed even more charm than she did at the start of the original story four years later.

As for what she was thinking, it was nothing more than how to escape and how to steal back her belongings. Lu Zhuo didn't care; for now, he was simply forcing Nami to stay.

And this kind of coercion was not what Lu Zhuo wanted. What he wanted to obtain was not just Nami's body, but her heart.

Well, as for winning her heart, it could be simple, or it could be difficult. First and foremost, he had to possess the strength to take down Arlong.