Hiten Mitsurugi Style / Lost in the Mist

Once Zoro was aboard, he laughed in relief and thanked Noil. "Thanks, my friend."

Noil waved it off, then used the system to inspect Zoro's talents.

Name: Zoro

World's Number One Spirit: Gold quality. With the goal of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman, his killing intent and willpower rival those of any swordsman. His aptitude for swordsmanship stands at the pinnacle of the world, his ability to develop and understand sword techniques is astonishing, and he has an additional advantage against all swordsmen.

Directionally Challenged: Purple quality. His ability to get lost is extraordinary. Once he starts walking, there is a high chance he will lose his way, regardless of his speed, the distance, or whether someone is guiding him.

Three-Sword Style Master: Purple quality. An original Three-Sword Style that increases destructive power and attack range. When facing multiple enemies, its offensive and defensive power increases.

Sleep Recovery: Blue quality. He becomes prone to sleepiness, but recovers from injuries and fatigue faster while asleep, and his sleep quality is excellent.

Good grief. Four talents, and getting lost had claimed a spot among them. It was even a brilliant Purple Talent.

It was the same quality as Zoro's signature Three-Sword Style.

Noil could only stare longingly at the gold talent in Zoro's list. Unfortunately, he had run out of gold Copy Cards long ago.

Of the remaining talents, Three-Sword Style Master was the only one that interested him.

One would turn him into someone who got lost, while the other would make him sleepy. Recovering his strength did sound useful...

But when Noil remembered that Zoro spent his time aboard Straw Hat's ship either training or sleeping, he lost his nerve.

Zoro noticed Noil's expression shifting from pale to grim and asked, "What's wrong?"

Noil composed himself. "Nothing. I'll drop you off at a town soon."

Zoro nodded. His gaze passed over Noil and caught on the sword at his waist. "You're a swordsman?"

Noil smiled and nodded. "Of course."

"Oh, now that's interesting." Fire seemed to kindle in Zoro's eyes. He grinned. "Are you strong?"

Noil quickly guessed what he had in mind. "At least in the East Blue, I've never lost."

"Is that so?" Zoro stood and drew the white sword at his waist. "Then how about a match?"

Noil looked up with interest and gently drew Qingxing with his right hand. "You think you can beat me?"

Zoro clenched Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and drew the two plain swords at his sides. Brimming with fighting spirit, he said:

"I made a promise. I'm going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, and to do that, I'll defeat everyone!"

He was going straight for Three-Sword Style. Zoro was taking this seriously.

Noil raised Qingxing before his chest. Zoro settled his three blades into position, and the two were ready to fight.

Zoro lowered his head, the sword clenched in his teeth, and thrust his other two blades outward. Then he dropped low and charged, his three swords bearing down like the horns of a rampaging bull!

The sequence was so fast that an ordinary person would have struggled to react. But Noil kept his Observation Haki active at all times. This speed was nothing to him.

"Bull Needle!"

At Zoro's low shout, Noil raised Qingxing vertically. With a swift stroke, he blocked the two blades stabbing toward his chest, then put strength into his hand and shook Zoro's swords aside, easily forcing him back.

Zoro retreated several steps and stared at Noil in disbelief. This man had broken his attack with one hand?

But Zoro did not lose focus. He used his retreat to draw both swords behind his back, then pounced again like a fierce tiger. "Tiger Hunt!"

Three blades swept toward Noil once more, leaving seemingly no room to escape. This time, Noil frowned and met the pivot of Zoro's Three-Sword Style with a single stroke.

Noil flicked his blade upward. Zoro hurriedly pulled back, and the cold edge swept past his throat and chin into the air.

"Damn it!" Zoro said in frustration.

He had attacked again and again without touching so much as Noil's clothes, while one casual counterattack had left him scrambling!

"Good names. Too flashy, though." Noil shook Qingxing as he gave his assessment.

When swordsmen of equal skill fought, different techniques could greatly improve their chances of winning.

But Noil's swordsmanship was firmly above Zoro's. Those impressive-sounding moves had no effect.

Noil wanted to name his sword techniques too, but he was hopeless at naming things. He really envied Zoro for that.

As if sustained by a stubborn refusal to lose, Zoro bit down on Wado Ichimonji and crossed his other two blades for another slash. "Oni Giri!"

A gleam flashed in Noil's eyes. For the first time, he stepped forward to meet the attack. "Then I'll show you the gap between us."

Qingxing rose with the force of thunder. It was another ordinary upward slash, yet it carried enough power to cut through steel.

Clang! The clash of blades rang across the sky. Zoro still held both swords aloft, but their blades had shattered into fragments that scattered across the deck.

Noil sheathed the unscathed Qingxing. "You're not the only one who wants to become number one in the world."

Flying Heaven Imperial Sword Style

Zoro stared blankly at his shattered swords, bitterness welling up inside him.

He had lost?

He had only recently left his master's school, and already he had tasted defeat.

Zoro silently put away Wado Ichimonji and muttered, "There really are a lot of people stronger than me."

Noil smiled. It was good that Zoro could recognize the limits of his strength.

In the Original Story, Zoro had faced little pressure in his fights before meeting Hawk-Eyes. He had hardly had room to improve.

Noil bent down and patted his shoulder. "If you want to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, you can't let one defeat bring you down."

The light returned to Zoro's eyes at once. "Of course not."

Zoro sheathed Wado Ichimonji and looked at Noil. "What's your name?"

"Kielros D. Noir," Noil replied confidently. "I'm not stopping at becoming a great swordsman. I'm going to be the real number one in the world!"

"The World's Strongest?" Rather than crushing him, defeat only stoked Zoro's ambition. With equal confidence, he declared, "I'm Roronoa Zoro. I'll defeat you someday and become the greatest swordsman!"

Noil burst out laughing. "I hope you do."

Noil had no doubt about Zoro's talent for swordsmanship. But defeating someone with a system backing him, someone with such an unfair advantage?

That would be harder than reaching the heavens!

"Met important character Zoro. Rewards granted: Flying Heaven Imperial Sword Style proficiency, Red Talent Copy Card ×1, Swordsmanship +10."

The system's cold notification sounded in Noil's mind, and delight surged through him.

Another Red Talent Copy Card, plus ten points in Swordsmanship! His Swordsmanship stat had now officially passed 500. Even in the New World, he could hold his own against powerful opponents!

But the Flying Heaven Imperial Sword Style puzzled him. "System, is this the Flying Heaven Imperial Sword Style I'm thinking of? From Rurouni Kenshin?"

Could the system reward him with abilities from other anime too?

"The Flying Heaven Imperial Sword Style originates from Rurouni Kenshin. This system has adapted it for combat in this world."

Noil was thrilled. He had thought the system could only give him rewards from the world of pirates. He had never expected sword techniques from Rurouni Kenshin!

He would have to seek out more characters from the Original Story and earn more rewards.

Seeing Noil's sudden shifts in expression, Zoro asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Ahem. Nothing." Noil looked at Zoro's tattered clothes. "Are you out of money? How did you end up in this state?"

Zoro leaned against the wall, dejected. "I've spent all my travel money. I don't even know where to earn more."

Noil paused. "You haven't become a Pirate Hunter yet?"

"Pirate Hunter? What kind of job is that?" Zoro looked at him, puzzled.

Noil explained the idea, and Zoro's eyes lit up. "That's how I'll make money from now on. I'm going to become the strongest hunter in the East Blue."

Noil pointed at himself smugly. "By the way, the strongest hunter in the East Blue is me."

Zoro's face darkened beneath his moss-green hair.

Why do you have to be everywhere?

Proud Zoro simply pretended not to hear. He shut his eyes and fell fast asleep.

Noil and Zoro traveled together for a while. Zoro was about as talkative as a stone, but at least Noil finally had someone to chat with.

Zoro, who liked peace and quiet, nearly lost his mind listening to him ramble.

Fortunately, before long, a village came into sight. Zoro hurried off Noil's boat, escaping the endless chatter.

Zoro waved to Noil with a smile. "See you!"

Noil looked at him with some reluctance and waved goodbye to his short-lived companion.

With his only remaining sword at his waist, Zoro walked down the village street. Then he spotted a bustling tavern by the roadside.

His eyes brightened. He knew perfectly well he did not have a coin to his name, but his feet carried him there anyway.

Zoro stepped into the tavern and promptly ordered a drink at the counter.

The owner took one look at his shabby appearance and curled his lip. "Hey, kid, do you have money? Don't come in here expecting a free meal and drinks."

Zoro met the owner's suspicion with perfect composure. "Uh... no. I don't have any money at all."

"You..." The owner was about to lose his temper when a tremendous crash interrupted him. Someone had kicked open the tavern door.

A gang of vicious-looking men barged in. Seeing the frightened faces around them, they grinned. "Hahaha! What a bunch of weaklings! Hand over your money!"

Zoro frowned and asked the owner, "Who's that idiot?"

The owner hurriedly covered Zoro's mouth. "He's a wanted pirate with a bounty of 1.2 million Beli! His crew kills people and sets fires!"

A pirate? Hearing the bounty, Zoro remembered what Noil had told him and immediately came up with an idea.

There's my drink money.

Zoro walked over to the pirates without a word. Their leader saw him approaching and roared, "What do you think you're doing? Hand over your money!"

Zoro stepped up to him. Without wasting a word, he gripped his sword hilt and drew.

His blade flashed out in a lightning-fast draw cut. A thin red line appeared across the neck of the pirate who had been shouting just moments before.

"You..." Terror filled the pirate leader's face. Then he collapsed to the floor, dead.

The tavern fell silent. No one dared speak, and every gaze turned toward Zoro with awe.

Zoro returned to the counter. "I've got enough money now. Bring me that drink!"

"Y-yes! Right away..."

Resting his chin on one hand, Zoro sighed. Pirate Hunter really is a convenient job.

Noil, meanwhile, knew nothing of Zoro killing a pirate to pay for drinks. Sailing again, he held a sea chart and stared anxiously at the waves ahead.

Did Zoro's bad sense of direction rub off on me? How did I sail this far before noticing I was going the wrong way?

After dropping Zoro off, Noil had returned to his route and taken a nap out of boredom. When he woke, his boat had drifted off course.

Where am I, anyway?

Hm? Something's wrong with the air.

With Climate Super-Sense, Noil noticed that the air seemed to thicken as he sailed into this stretch of sea.

He soon saw why. Not far from his boat, a vast bank of strange white fog had rolled in without his noticing.

Lost in the Fog

Noil started and tried to change course, but the fog swept forward like a beast with a mind of its own and swallowed his boat in an instant.

Everything around him turned white. Noil rapped his knuckles against his head in frustration. He had been too careless.

He had thought that with Nami's extraordinary talent for navigation, he had nothing to worry about. This fog had proved him wrong in an instant.

"This fog doesn't look natural." Nami had studied navigation since childhood, so Noil had gained some knowledge of it as well.

Within the fog, the currents seemed to follow some pattern. The Compass in Noil's hand had also stopped working; its needle spun wildly.

Worse still, the white fog was almost like slime. It obscured his sight and even dulled his Climate Super-Sense.

With his greatest navigational ability rendered useless, Noil could do little but try to sense his surroundings with Observation Haki.

He sensed movement, all right. But it was not on the sea. It was beneath it.

Boom!