The Greatest Swordsman's Obsession

Zoro stared hard at the golden figure in the sky.

Luffy bounced wildly through the air on golden clouds.

The massive sword in his hand whistled with every swing.

Each slash carried a terrifying pressure that tore through the clouds.

The absurd sight left Zoro stunned.

His one eye widened.

The muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably.

Luffy was strong.

Absurdly strong.

The problem was that the idiot was using a sword.

A genuine divine weapon.

A heavy one.

One sturdy enough to bear Conqueror's Haki.

Zoro was the Straw Hat Pirates' swordsman, through and through.

The man chasing the dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman.

Yet here he was, crouched behind a pile of rubble as a spectator.

His own captain was swinging a sword every which way

and beating down the god who had ruled the world for eight hundred years.

How was Zoro supposed to show his face after this?

"Tch."

Zoro spat the word under his breath.

His knuckles cracked as he gripped Shusui's hilt.

Luffy unleashed another spinning slash that defied human anatomy.

Zoro instinctively tried to trace the path of the blade.

No. That wasn't right.

There was no path to trace.

Luffy's swordsmanship was a chaotic stew.

A jumble of slingshot, meteor hammer, and drunken boxing.

Yet every spoonful was enough to kill someone.

And the worse it got,

the hotter the fire burned in Zoro's chest.

He made a silent vow.

Once this damned battle was over,

he would drag that brat Luffy away

and have a proper sparring match.

No Haki.

No Devil Fruit powers.

Just blade against blade.

A real fight with real steel.

He would show that idiot who the better swordsman was.

The fool couldn't even hold a sword properly.

(ಠ_ಠ)

The thought took root and grew