Extreme Speed
Roronoa Zoro charged forward like a raging bull, his three blades gleaming coldly as he unleashed a dazzling flurry of thrusts. This was an extremely rare charging technique of Roronoa Zoro's, its speed beyond imagination; in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Moke like Inazuma.
Just as Roronoa Zoro brushed past Moke, his twin swords unleashed a relentless barrage of Zhou Yu, each carrying immense power, seemingly capable of tearing through the void. Such a swift and fierce offensive was truly breathtaking.
It must be admitted that Moke truly possesses extraordinary strength and exceptional skill. In that split second, he was able to react swiftly and, with astonishing speed, unleash thirteen consecutive sword strikes, accurately deflecting all of Roronoa Zoro's attacks. Such skill is undoubtedly a technique capable of instantly killing an enemy! If it were an ordinary opponent, they would probably have already perished under this Gale of attacks.
However, the person standing opposite Roronoa Zoro at this moment is no ordinary person, but the renowned Swordmaster Moke! Although in terms of pure swordsmanship, Moke may not be able to compare with the World's Greatest Swordsman Hawkeye, who had previously fought Roronoa Zoro, even so, his strength is far beyond what Roronoa Zoro can currently contend with.
Faced with Roronoa Zoro's fierce onslaught, Moke remained calm and composed, steadily gripping the Sandai Kitetsu and swinging it with unhurried ease. His movements were fluid and seamless, effortlessly neutralizing all thirteen of Roronoa Zoro's relentless attacks. Even more astonishing was that Moke didn't even flinch, completely withstanding all of Roronoa Zoro's attacks. This clearly demonstrated the vast difference in strength between the two.
Roronoa Zoro's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracting sharply to the point of being as small and sharp as needle tips. Recalling his duel with the man before him in Loguetown, where he had held a slight advantage in swordsmanship, an indescribable sense of defeat welled up within him.
However, time flies, and now his opponent has already surpassed him, leaving him far behind. For a long time, Roronoa Zoro has always been full of immense confidence in his talent in swordsmanship, but now, faced with such a cruel reality, that confidence is like porcelain shattered by a heavy hammer, instantly becoming fragmented.
However, Roronoa Zoro is Roronoa Zoro, the swordsman who never gives up and is unyielding. In just a moment, he quickly adjusted his mindset and regained his courage and determination to fight. Then, he once again assumed an attack stance, but surprisingly, this time he did not draw all three swords directly, but instead slowly sheathed two of them first.
Accompanied by a deep and powerful chant. "To cleave the decadent self of this world in two, Two Sword Style: Iai: Rashomon!" In an instant, Roronoa Zoro's figure flashed, transforming into a green Inazuma bolt as he sped away. This move was an "Iaijutsu Slash" executed with both swords simultaneously, its speed beyond imagination, as swift and unparalleled as a sudden Zhou Yu.
In the blink of an eye, the blade was drawn, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind. The entire movement was fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation, making it impossible to even see how he drew his sword. The invisible sword energy attacked the enemy silently like a ghost, seemingly capable of tearing through the void in an instant to deliver a fatal blow.
"Clang..." With a crisp and loud clang, Moke swiftly moved his Sandai Kitetsu forward without hesitation. His movements were fluid and perfectly timed, accurately blocking Roronoa Zoro's sudden attack. Everything seemed so effortless, as if it were nothing more than a piece of cake for Moke.
However, faced with this situation, Roronoa Zoro's pupils involuntarily contracted sharply, instantly becoming the size of pinpoints. In just these two brief exchanges, he once again deeply felt the fear and powerlessness he had felt when he was once dominated by the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye. Recalling that scene, Roronoa Zoro couldn't help but grip the hilt of his sword tightly, the veins on his hands bulging, showing his extreme tension and unwillingness.
Immediately afterward, Roronoa Zoro drew the Wado Ichimonji from his waist with lightning speed and unhesitatingly placed it horizontally to his mouth. He muttered, "One lifetime, thirty-six afflictions; two lifetimes, seventy-two afflictions; three lifetimes, one hundred and eight afflictions; Three-Sword Style: One Hundred and 108 Pound Phoenix..." As his words fell, Roronoa Zoro's aura suddenly changed, and an incomparably powerful force surged from his body.
In an instant, the three longswords simultaneously erupted with dazzling blue light, and three extremely sharp "Slash Wave" surged out like Inazuma. These three Slash Wave intertwined and gradually merged in the air into a huge, lifelike phoenix-shaped sword wave. This phoenix, formed from sword energy, spread its wings and rushed straight towards Moke with a world-destroying power.
"Wow! To be able to unleash such a magnificent Flying Slash..." A hint of surprise flashed in Moke's eyes upon seeing this, but he quickly regained his composure. To be able to execute such a move was enough to prove that Roronoa Zoro had already begun to enter the ranks of Swordmaster. However, the difference in strength between Swordmaster was still quite significant. Who would ultimately emerge victorious in this fierce battle? Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Moke stood firmly in place, as Fudō as a mountain. His hand, which was tightly gripping the Sandai Kitetsu, seemed to swing casually, but in that instant, an extremely sharp slash shot out like Inazuma! This slash, carrying a heart-palpitating momentum, rushed straight toward Roronoa Zoro's special slash.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the two slashes about to collide. In the next second, with a deafening roar, the two slashes crashed together. However, unexpectedly, Roronoa Zoro's all-out slash was as fragile as paper, easily severed in two by Moke's attack, falling helplessly into the air.
Moke's slash showed no sign of stopping, continuing its relentless onslaught towards Roronoa Zoro. Upon seeing this, Roronoa Zoro's face turned deathly pale. Without a moment's hesitation, he swiftly drew his two swords from his waist, crossed them in front of his chest, and used all his strength to try and block the oncoming attack.
The instant Moke's slash clashed with Roronoa Zoro's twin swords, an unparalleled, powerful impact surged forth like a raging wave. Roronoa Zoro felt as if he were a lone leaf in Gale, on the verge of being torn apart by this terrifying force. Yet, his resolute eyes showed no sign of retreat; instead, a fierce fighting spirit ignited within him. Despite the immense pressure on his body, his legs involuntarily sinking deep into the ground, leaving two shocking gashes, he gritted his teeth and held firm to his defenses.
After that long, heart-pounding, and nerve-wracking standoff, the whole world seemed to have been put on pause, as if time had frozen in that moment.
Roronoa Zoro gripped the three gleaming blades tightly in both hands. Every muscle in his arms was as hard as steel, and every muscle fiber was taut as if it might snap at any moment. At this moment, the veins on his forehead bulged out like winding little snakes, ferocious and terrifying; large beads of sweat slid down his cheeks like a broken string of pearls raining down on the ground.
Despite reaching his physical limits, Roronoa Zoro's burning fighting spirit did not diminish in the slightest; on the contrary, it grew even more intense and dazzling with time. His gaze was like two blazing flames capable of piercing through all darkness and obstacles, shooting straight toward the enemy ahead, the power contained within enough to chill anyone who dared to meet his eyes.
Just when everyone thought the standoff would continue indefinitely, Roronoa Zoro suddenly unleashed an unparalleled power, his aura surging forth like a volcanic eruption. With a roar, he used his last ounce of strength to swing his sword fiercely, colliding violently with Moke's incredibly powerful slash.
In that instant, a deafening, earth-shattering roar erupted! The sound was like Mamaragan, or a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, causing the entire space to tremble violently, as if being torn apart by this immense force. Accompanying this roar, an unparalleled shockwave exploded forth, slamming violently into the ground. A bottomless, massive crack instantly appeared in the ground, like a ferocious dragon stretching out. Countless fragments of rock rained down, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sun.
In the midst of the chaos, Roronoa Zoro and Moke were completely engulfed in a dazzling light, making it impossible to discern their exact location. Everyone's hearts were in their throats, their eyes glued to the light, eager to know the outcome of this fierce battle.
As time passed, the dazzling light gradually began to dissipate. When the light completely faded, people were astonished to find that the incredibly powerful slash that Moke had unleashed earlier had been forcefully blasted into the sky by Roronoa Zoro in an unbelievable way! The slash was like a meteor burning with raging flames, trailing a long tail of fire as it streaked across the sky and hurtled towards the endless heavens. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the distant horizon, vanishing without a trace.
At the same time, the tense and oppressive atmosphere that had been permeating the surroundings vanished instantly, like smoke. The air seemed to suddenly return to calm, and a gentle breeze brought coolness and freshness. People's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. However, everyone still vividly remembered the thrilling battle they had just fought, a memory that lingered for a long time.
By this time, Roronoa Zoro was drenched in sweat, his entire body soaked through, his clothes clinging tightly to his skin. He was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, each breath seeming so difficult. Large beads of sweat kept sliding down his forehead, dripping onto the ground beneath his feet. Despite this, he still forced himself to stand up and not collapse.
Moke quietly observed his exhausted yet incredibly resilient opponent, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "You've already made your way into the Swordmaster Realm. However, I must admit, compared to me, you still have a long way to go. Perhaps our duel can wait until next time we meet!"
Hearing Moke's words, Roronoa Zoro's face turned extremely ugly. He gritted his teeth, his heart filled with resentment. However, reason told him that there was indeed a huge gap between him and Moke at this moment. Although he was unwilling, he still responded in a hoarse voice, "It's a deal! One day, I will surpass you!" After saying this, Roronoa Zoro could no longer hold on, his legs went weak, and he knelt on one knee.
When Moke turned his gaze to Luffy again, a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, a secret delight in his heart. Before this, he had been racking his brains trying to figure out how to persuade Enel to join his pirate crew. Enel was no easy opponent; he was incredibly arrogant and disdainful of everyone. Recruiting someone like that into a pirate crew was no simple task. It required not only formidable strength, but more importantly, a reason that would truly captivate him and make him unable to refuse. And now... he finally had it!
"Tsk tsk..." Moke was overjoyed, his delight overflowing, almost jumping for joy. Then, in a flash, he transformed into a dazzling beam of light, speeding towards Long Long Island at an astonishing pace. The reason he chose Long Long Island was simple—once he arrived, he could fly straight up and easily reach the legendary Sky Island. After all, geographically, the Sky Island was almost directly above Long Long Island.
In that instant, time seemed to freeze, yet the beam of light that Moke had transformed into tore through the sky at an astonishing speed, like an Inazuma slicing through the night, swift and dazzling. The speed of this beam of light exceeded the limits of what people could normally imagine; in the blink of an eye, it traversed a vast distance and arrived at Long Long Island.
Without a moment's hesitation or pause, Moke shot straight into the sky like an arrow released from a bow, his momentum unstoppable, hurtling toward the dreamlike, ethereal Sky Island suspended high in the heavens.
Meanwhile, inside that mysterious and solemn Sky Island temple, Enel's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open. In an instant, two extremely sharp gazes pierced the darkness like swords, illuminating the entire hall. An unprecedentedly intense sense of crisis surged into his heart like a raging tide, causing his heart to pound uncontrollably.
This feeling wasn't entirely unfamiliar to Enel; he had experienced similar crisis warnings many times before. But this time was different. The intensity far surpassed any previous instance, as if a colossal, earth-shattering upheaval was silently brewing, ready to erupt at any moment and bring devastating catastrophe. It's important to know that Enel's Observation Haki was among the best in the entire pirate world; very few could rival him.
With his extraordinary Observation Haki, Enel could easily cover the entire Sky Island. Anyone who stepped into this airspace would be exposed as if under Light Gathering, falling completely under his close "surveillance." And at this moment, Moke had just arrived on Sky Island, was no exception.
Enel slowly raised his head and looked ahead. Although he couldn't yet see the person approaching with his naked eye, his incredibly sharp Observation Haki had already clearly sensed that the other party was rushing towards him at an astonishing speed. What was even more surprising was that the person was flying through the air! Such a situation was extremely rare, and even the well-traveled Enel was shocked.
He secretly wondered, "Could it be a powerful figure from the Blue Sea?" Just as this thought flashed through his mind, "Whoosh..." With a sudden gust of wind, a figure appeared before him like Inazuma. Enel's pupils contracted sharply.
The reason was simple: the speed displayed by this figure was in no way inferior to his own! More importantly, when he looked up, the first thing that caught his eye was a dazzling beam of light. Only when this beam of light landed steadily a few feet in front of him did it gradually solidify into a human form. "Ah, this..." Enel was speechless, a profound and indescribable shock welling up within him. Because of the extraordinary speed this person displayed...
His special ability was remarkably similar to his own. The only difference was that he wielded the power of lightning, while the mysterious figure standing before him controlled the power of light. However, shouldn't only gods be capable of wielding such wondrous powers?
But how did this person obtain such power? Could he be a deity from the Blue Sea? To be fair, Enel's strength is indeed terrifying. But at the same time, his knowledge is quite limited. To him, that Sky Island like a huge cage that imprisons him, limiting his understanding to just that one island.
The description of him as a frog in a well was perfectly apt. Just then, he involuntarily opened his mouth, asking with curiosity and doubt, "May I ask who you are? How do you possess such miraculous, godlike power?" Hearing this, the man called Moke was slightly taken aback, then quickly understood the meaning behind the other's words. He smiled faintly and said, "Oh? The godlike power you speak of must refer to your ability to freely control lightning, and the ability to wield light that I just demonstrated, right?"
Enel narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, staring intently at Moke with piercing gaze, and asked seriously, "So, you actually know that I have the ability to control lightning?" However, facing Enel's questioning, Moke did not give a direct answer, but simply smiled and continued, "Actually, this is not some so-called divine ability, but rather a special ability granted to us by a mysterious treasure called a 'Devil Fruit'."
"Devil Fruit?" Enel looked on with suspicion, clearly confused and bewildered by this unfamiliar term. Seeing this, Moke calmly took out a strangely shaped, brightly colored fruit from his pocket and showed it to Enel, explaining, "For example, the one I'm holding is Paramecia Barrier-Barrier Fruit. Of course, the one you ate is Logia Devil Fruit, so naturally it will differ from mine to some extent. However, I suspect that when you ate that Devil Fruit, you probably just thought of it as an ordinary fruit."
Upon hearing this, Enel's previously calm expression subtly changed. Indeed, as Moke had said, since consuming that mysterious fruit, he had gained unimaginable, godlike power. However, Enel was not one to be easily swayed by others' words. His eyebrows shot up sharply, his eyes revealing a hint of arrogance and confidence, as he loudly proclaimed, "So what? Whether this power belongs to a god or not, I am now the undisputed god of Sky Island!"
Faced with Enel's arrogant and domineering attitude, Moke merely clicked his tongue, his face revealing obvious disdain. Then, with a slight upturn of his lips and a hint of mockery, he slowly said, "Since you consider yourself the only god on this Sky Island, how about we make a bet?" Hearing this, Enel frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Oh? A bet? Okay, then tell me, what are we betting on?"
Moke chuckled and replied unhurriedly, "It's simple. I bet you'll lose to someone from the Blue Sea, and this person's strength is far inferior to yours." Enel's face instantly darkened upon hearing Moke's words, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. He snarled, "Hmph! That's utterly delusional! I am the Almighty God! Let alone those weaker than me, even a so-called 'god' like you... would never be my match!" Before he finished speaking, a series of crackling sounds rang out, and dazzling electric currents suddenly flickered in Enel's palms, like nimble silver snakes dancing in the air, inspiring awe.