The Black Cat Pirates

Nami was in the cabin. Lu Zhuo rubbed his chin, took a deep breath, and stood up.

He drew his sword in a flash and slashed at the sea!

A dozen-meter-long fissure silently appeared across the sea, then was instantly covered by the water rushing in.

His strength had improved by more than a little! Lu Zhuo smiled faintly.

With the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords in hand, and thanks to his previous life-or-death battle, he had already reached the level of a first-rate swordsman.

Of course, that was with the help of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords. For his swordsmanship to truly reach the first-rate level, he still needed one more thing—and, as it happened, Lu Zhuo knew what it was.

The gap between a first-rate and a second-rate swordsman was enormous. Once someone truly reached the first-rate level, they would have few rivals in these waters.

In the original story, Zoro had barely reached the threshold of a first-rate swordsman with the help of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords. Even when gravely injured, he could still cut down opponent after opponent. The protagonist's plot armor played a part, but the root cause was Zoro's own strength.

As for the key to becoming a first-rate swordsman, it was the so-called power to cut through steel!

The Twenty-One Great Grade Swords could naturally cut through steel. But only if he could still cut through steel with an ordinary iron sword could he be considered a true first-rate swordsman.

In the original story, the way to gain the power to cut through steel was to grasp the Breath of All Things.

With a direction to follow, he could naturally avoid countless detours.

Lu Zhuo gently rested the sword at his waist, closed his eyes, and breathed calmly.

After a while, he heard a noise beside him and turned around with a puzzled expression.

The next moment, he froze.

Nami was wearing a dance dress she had found somewhere. Her fair, tender skin stirred Lu Zhuo's heart.

"Boss, are you tired? Would you like me to give you a massage?" Nami smiled, as lovely and moving as a white lotus rising from the water.

Lu Zhuo seemed to nod unconsciously. A barely perceptible, sinister smile flashed across Nami's face as she moved behind him.

He felt her small hands rest on his shoulders, gently kneading them. The sensation relaxed not only his body, but also brought him pleasure.

Still, he didn't let his guard down. Nami was a mischievous girl, and she was surely up to something!

Thinking this, Lu Zhuo smiled faintly and leaned back, resting his head against Nami's chest. The softness nearly made his nose bleed.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Nami's face, followed by intense fury. She suddenly slipped her left hand beneath her loose skirt and grabbed the short sword hidden there.

The next moment, a large hand slid along her arm and grabbed her wrist. With a gentle twist, he snatched away the short sword, and casually ran his hand over her jade-like thigh.

Lu Zhuo tossed the short sword into the sea and said with a smile, "This thing's too dangerous. I don't need a haircut, either, so you can keep going!"

"You damn bastard!" Nami's pretty face instantly turned red to the roots of her hair. She shoved Lu Zhuo away, then ran to her room in embarrassment and anger, pounding the bed with her fists.

"Damn it, where did this bastard even come from? Bastard, bastard!"

Nami looked utterly aggrieved. If he hadn't known what she'd done earlier, he would have felt terribly sorry for her.

Just then, a faint voice drifted in from outside the door.

"You tampered with the food three times, tried to sneak-attack me in the middle of the night three times, and tried to seduce me once. If you like, you can keep going..."

"Bastard!"

A pillow flew out of the room, but before it could reach Lu Zhuo, it was sliced in two.

Lu Zhuo wore a smile. Nami's little tricks were too childish for him. So he never called her out—instead, he took advantage of her every time.

She brought it on herself. He not only avoided taking a loss, but even came out ahead...

Thinking of the advantage he had just taken, Lu Zhuo lifted his hand to his nose and sniffed it gently. He could still smell her youthful fragrance.

After chuckling to himself, Lu Zhuo composed himself again and sat down on the deck.

Beyond first-rate swordsmen were swordmasters, and beyond swordmasters were Great Swordsmen. Each step represented a gulf between heaven and earth.

Lu Zhuo gently stroked the Nidai Kitetsu before him. A chill seeped into his body, but he paid it no mind.

A swordsman's bond with his sword could never be broken. He scoffed at talk of curses and cursed blades.

There was indeed a sinister, cursed aura inside the Nidai Kitetsu. But Lu Zhuo didn't care. Every day, he sat quietly, stroking the Kitetsu and letting his body endure that eerie presence.

His will as a swordsman seemed to gradually seep into the Kitetsu, dispelling its sinister curse.

In the original story, Zoro had made the Sandai Kitetsu submit to him. Lu Zhuo was certain he could make this Nidai Kitetsu submit as well!

Sword flashes appeared again and again in Lu Zhuo's eyes. He seemed to become a keen blade himself, merging with the Kitetsu.

Just then, the Kitetsu suddenly shuddered on its own and rang out with a clear chime. The sinister chill vanished along with it!

A smile finally appeared on Lu Zhuo's face. Three days had finally been enough to make the Nidai Kitetsu submit completely and truly become his sword.

"From now on, I'm your master." Looking at the Kitetsu, Lu Zhuo murmured. He drew it and gave it a gentle swing.

The feeling of it being one with his flesh and blood made it feel perfectly suited to his hand.

Now this was a Great Grade Sword! The lousy sword he'd used before had been utterly inadequate. How could a powerful swordsman go without a powerful sword?

Lu Zhuo smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and gently swung the Kitetsu. He sensed everything between heaven and earth, as if it were all breathing, and his sword seemed to cut through those breaths.

At last, Lu Zhuo had gained some insight into the Breath of All Things.

Now, he could easily handle pirates with bounties under thirty million. But that level of strength was still far from his goal.

Devil Fruits. Haki.

At the thought of those two things, a yearning look appeared in Lu Zhuo's eyes. As a swordsman, he could take or leave a Devil Fruit, but powerful ones like the Glint-Glint and Tremor-Tremor still tempted him.

And Haki was a power that could let someone grasp the physical forms of Logia users. Conqueror's Haki, meanwhile, was so powerful that a single thought could wipe out ten thousand people!

But he had none of those things!

Lu Zhuo shook his head with a bitter smile. Then his eyes narrowed as he looked at a black ship that had suddenly appeared in the distance.

Was that...the Black Cat Pirates?

The ship looked vaguely familiar to Lu Zhuo. When he saw the skull flag, he was certain.

He'd finally run into someone from the original story. He was very interested in that special silent movement technique.

Well then...

"Nami, bring the ship alongside theirs!"

"Nami?"

"Nami?"

After calling several times, Lu Zhuo froze slightly and turned around. The ship was completely empty. Nami was nowhere to be seen!

Lu Zhuo raised an eyebrow and scanned the sea, his eyes shifting. At last, he spotted a petite figure carrying a large bundle, already beneath the Black Cat Pirates' ship.

Naturally, that figure was Nami, who had slipped away in secret.

As if she'd heard him calling, Nami turned back and made a face at him, then threw in a look of contempt.

Seeing this, Lu Zhuo rubbed his chin and smiled. "Mischievous as ever. It's a nice idea, but reality is cruel. Do you really think the Black Cat Pirates wouldn't come after a ship they spotted?"

With a smile, Lu Zhuo stood up, rested the sword at his waist, and stood quietly on deck.

Nami had sneaked aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship. Using her nimble movements, she quickly hid in an empty corner.

"Coming across the Black Cat Pirates, with their sixteen-million-Beli bounty, that bastard will probably run for his life. But he can't sail. Is he going to row with an oar?"

The thought of Lu Zhuo frantically paddling with an oar while the sailboat stayed completely still nearly made Nami burst out laughing. She quickly covered her mouth, afraid the pirates outside might hear her.

But that was only her imagination. Lu Zhuo could already control plenty of things now—for instance, her.

The Black Cat Pirates had someone on watch, but Lu Zhuo's ship had caught his attention. He had no idea that a little Cat Burglar had already slipped aboard.

Still, when he saw the ship approach, he immediately ran into the captain's quarters to report to Captain Kuro.

"Captain Kuro, there's a pirate ship up ahead!"

"Oh?" Kuro slowly rose from his chair, a trace of menace in his eyes.

"Is that the Flower Blade Pirates, with a bounty of seven million Beli?"

"Seven million Beli? Never mind. It'll be a bit of entertainment."

As a minor boss in the early part of the story, Kuro naturally had confidence in his own strength. After all, he was one of the pirates who had made a name for himself across the East Blue.

A hint of disappointment crossed his eyes, but he still stood up with a bloodthirsty grin.

At his command, the crew rushed out onto the deck. When they heard that the Flower Blade Pirates had come looking for a beating, they all grinned arrogantly, their faces filled with murderous intent.

Would their boss slaughter an entire ship by himself again this time?

As the two ships drew near, Kuro stood on deck with Jango the hypnotist and the Nyaban Brothers at his side.

But the people he saw weren't the pirates of the Flower Blade Pirates. Instead, there was a swordsman with a black sword at his waist, staring coldly at them.

Seeing Lu Zhuo standing at the bow of the Flower Blade Pirates' ship, Kuro furrowed his brow slightly.

Before he could speak, a cold glint flashed in Lu Zhuo's eyes. He smiled and said, "Captain Kuro, I'm very interested in your Soru. Explain how it works."

Hearing this, Captain Kuro grew even more suspicious. His expression changed slightly, and he said coldly, "How do you know about Soru? Everyone who's seen it has died!"

Standing in the sea breeze, Lu Zhuo sneered. "Stop wasting time. I can make your death painless. Otherwise..."

"What are you, talking to the captain like that? You're dead!"

Before Kuro could speak, the Nyaban Brothers flew into a rage. They leapt over with a group of pirates and surrounded Lu Zhuo.

Kuro didn't stop them. Instead, he asked with a frown, "Who exactly are you? A Marine?"

Looking at Lu Zhuo, Kuro could tell he was nothing like the Flower Blade Captain. And with his air seeming so unlike a pirate's, Kuro couldn't help feeling suspicious.

Jango the hypnotist stared at Lu Zhuo in astonishment. "Captain Kuro, it looks like this guy wiped out the entire Flower Blade Pirates."

"Oh? Interesting!"

Kuro smiled faintly, a trace of excitement in his heart. He hadn't fought in half a month. Marine or pirate, it made no difference—anyone who fell into his hands was as good as dead!

On the other side, as he watched the Nyaban Brothers and the other pirates close in, Lu Zhuo's expression suddenly turned cold.

"Boring. Draw Sword Strike!"

It was still the Draw Sword Strike he had mastered best, and the most basic move for any swordsman.

Without a sound, the heads of everyone surrounding him flew into the air, blood gushing from their necks. A flash of light cut through the Nyaban Brothers' claws, and they recoiled in shock.

Lu Zhuo stepped forward and slashed again.

Flesh burst apart. Every finger on the Nyaban Brothers' hands had been severed, and a line of blood appeared on each of their necks. Terror filled their eyes. Unable to utter a word, they clutched desperately at their throats.

It all happened in an instant. Even Kuro hadn't had time to react!