The Current State of Kuina and Zoro / Zoro Joins the Fight, Three Thousand Worlds

Moonlit Flowers at Dawn (Activated): 10W/100W;

Boundless Sword Intent (Activated): 10W/100W;

World Will (Unlocked): 6/10;

Peerless Sword Case (Unlocked) Divine Weapon Storage 8:/13 (Long River, Thunderclap, Shuihan, Vertical, Horizontal, Flying Immortal, Sky-Splitting, Glacier, Peach Blossom);

Special Skill: Sword Intent Domain: 500k/1000k;

World-Destroying Sea: 50W/100W;

Passive Skill: Swordsmanship Prodigy (Sword Proficient increases by 10);

Swordsmanship: (If Heaven had not given birth to Li Chungang, the Swordsmanship would have remained in eternal darkness! By gathering all methods into one and condensing the Sword Intent through a hundred refinements, one can attain the Swordsmanship and open the path to immortality!) (Sword Intent Perfection: 1/10, Shuihan)

As if struck by a sudden thought, he looked at Shi Xuan and asked softly, "Shi Xuan, do you know what will happen to me during this time?"

Shi Xuan was awakened by Dongze's call. He quickly concealed the helplessness in his eyes and replied softly, "Dongze, what did you say?"

Because of his Sword Intent and Meditation, Dongze's mental strength was already extraordinary. With just a quick glance, he had already taken in the helplessness in Shi Xuan's eyes.

Seeing Shi Xuan's appearance, he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Shi Xuan sighed softly, neither denying nor agreeing, but slowly lowered his head, looked at his toes, and drifted off into his own thoughts.

She is a user of the Time-Time Fruit, capable of traveling through the Long River of time. However, according to the rules, she can only travel to the future. The reason she is able to come to this time is due to a certain reason.

Remembering what that person had said to her before, she said softly, "There are some reasons, some things I can't say, that will change history! That's true now, and it will be true in the future. Actually, I was able to come here because of you in the future. You went to great lengths to send me back!"

"I've already said everything I could. There are some things that, if I were to speak, would attract those enormous eyes, which you can't withstand now. The only consequence would be your death and annihilation! So I can't say anything! But there is one thing I can tell you: only by opening the path of the Swordsmanship will you be qualified to pursue the truth of this world. This is what you asked me to pass on to you!"

Upon hearing this, Dongze fell silent. Shi Xuan's words seemed to be no joke, meaning that this world truly harbored a great secret, and that a terrifying being existed that could annihilate him.

As if lost in thought, Dongze murmured softly, "Imu?"

Seemingly hearing Dongze's murmur, Shi Xuan's expression turned mocking. "Him? He's not worthy! An old turtle who's lived for countless years. Even you, in your current state, could go toe-to-toe with him!"

Dongze's lips twitched. Shi Xuan was truly an unexpected surprise. Such a lovely beauty saying such things; it seemed he had really led her astray in the future.

Then Dongze stood up and looked down the stairs toward the exit, as if he could see through the vast land and see his future self, wondering what kind of existence his future would be.

Suddenly he said softly, "Is it alright for you to reveal the details of the battle in Wano Country?"

Shi Xuan hearing this, Shi Xuan chuckled and said, "It's just a minor skirmish! Although they are the Four Emperors, how many great heroes are Edward on this vast ocean? Newgate, Gol D. Roger, and even Rocks— they are but a drop in the ocean! They are merely ripples in the Long River of time, unable to affect the Long River of history!"

"Therefore, the World Will has very few restrictions on matters concerning them!"

"But you are different. You are the most special. Whether it's that brand-new Swordsmanship or that ideology, it can influence the course of the entire Long River of time. Therefore, I simply cannot speak of anything about you. The World Will has already noticed you! I suppose you have noticed it too!"

Dongze gave a soft "hmm," ending the discussion. He let out a deep breath and said to the two people behind him, "It's been so long since I've been back to East Blue! I wonder how she is. I want to go back and see her today! Are you coming?"

Chapter 164 Kuina and Zoro's Current Situation

In a restaurant in Orange Town, East Blue China Sea, two young people sat facing each other: a woman dressed as a man and a man with green hair.

The woman put her hands on her hips and yelled, "Moss Head, that guy's a Five Emperors now! How dare you get lost?!"

Zoro blushed, but of course he wouldn't admit it was his mistake. After a slight flush, he blurted out, "Baka! You got lost!"

These two are Zoro and Kuina, who set sail together. They have now become bounty hunters, honing their Swordsmanship by observing the countless pirates that roam the high seas.

They hadn't been at sea for very long, but they had already earned the title of "East Blue Twin Heroes".

However, they were both incredibly embarrassed by this title; "The East Blue Twin Heroes" was simply too shameful.

Both of them are quite powerful now. Kuina has the strength of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Zoro is not bad either, almost on par with her.

Perhaps the two wanted to follow the path that Dongze had taken before, so instead of heading directly to the New World, they wandered around the East Blue, which made things difficult for the pirates in the East Blue.

This reminded them of the fear they felt two years ago when they were controlled by someone. Everyone who had encountered these two had been sent to the Marine Branch and replaced by Beli.

Then the two of them exchanged it for a weapon. Zoro now has a Famous Sword, a Fifty Skillful Grade Swords called Flowing Light, which cost him 500,000 Beli.

In Kuina's hand was the sword that had grown up with her, the Great Grade Sword of the Twenty-One Crafts— Wado Ichimonji.

Originally, their operation went very smoothly. They defeated a Pirate Crew called Roke, exchanged them for Beli, and received a bounty of 300,000 Beli. They agreed to meet at the Orange Castle Shop in Orange Town, which was nearby. However, Zoro's terrible sense of direction kicked in at this moment.

Well, I'm sorry, but Kuina waited for three and a half days without seeing anyone. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Zoro running past the door in a panic, saying as he ran, "Where is the Orange Castle Shop? It's so annoying, what kind of crappy place did that Female Tyrannosaur choose?"

Damn, this is absolutely outrageous. The three characters for Orange Castle Shop are almost as tall as a person, and this guy in front of him didn't even see them.

She kept jumping around in front of the store, which made her so angry she almost exploded.

"Boss, bring me food!! I'm starving!!"

Zoro slammed his fist on the table and roared.

Seeing Zoro's actions, Kuina's forehead was covered in tic-tac-toe marks, and she wished she could draw her Wado Ichimonji and tear the man in front of her to pieces.

"Moss Head, don't you have anything to say? I've been waiting here for you for three and a half days for nothing!!"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Zoro's eyes, and he said somewhat guiltily, "It's only been three days! I won't take the bounty next time, okay?!"

Hearing this, Kuina almost jumped up in anger. This guy in front of her was a glutton. The Beli he earned were barely enough to buy himself some food and alcohol, and there wasn't much left. The Skillful Grade Sword he bought earlier was even bought with her share of the money!

"You bastard!! If you're so tough, why don't you eat less?!"

Zoro scratched his head. "That won't do. If I don't eat enough, I won't have any strength. If I don't have any strength, I won't be able to wield my sword. And if I encounter pirates again, I won't be able to fight!!"

"Do I need you to fight? I can take care of those lackeys with a single strike!!"

"That won't do! I still need to hone my Swordsmanship! That bastard Dongze is now a Sword Emperor!"

"You fucking know about this?! You bastard!!"

Speaking of this, Kuina got angry. Seeing Zoro eating, Kuina punched him hard on the head.

A large bump was visibly bulging on Zoro's head, which made the surrounding diners shudder. They talked and cursed, but they didn't expect the girl dressed as a man to be so fierce and attack him directly.

Zoro was so punched that he buried himself in the food in front of him. The next moment, the sound of Zoro snoring could be heard, leaving everyone around him stunned.

Kuina was at her wit's end. To her, Zoro had always been like her younger brother. As annoying as he was, she never intended to abandon him.

She was genuinely afraid that Zoro, with his terrible sense of direction, would starve to death out there without anyone knowing why.

Seeing this, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, wondering if the person in front of them was a celestial dog in disguise, eating even though he was supposed to be asleep.

They even said things like, "Is this little girl possessed by some kind of Female Tyrannosaur? She's so violent, she'll never be able to get married when she grows up."

In this life, because of Dongze, Shimotsuki Koshiro did not deliberately hide his abilities. When Kuina and Zoro set sail, they had already achieved some success in Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Kuina heard all the whispers around them without missing a single one.

Seeing the onlookers gathered around her, she slammed her hand on the table and roared, "What are you looking at! I'll beat you all to death!!"

"Hmm! What's up? Is dinner ready?"

Then Zoro opened his eyes blankly and said something in a daze. Then, looking at the food beneath him, he began to eat and drink voraciously once again.

Kuina felt a stomachache watching this, and finally, helplessly, she sat back down, took out the Little Wooden Sword hanging around her neck, and gently stroked it.

Time ticked by, and the only sounds in the restaurant were the clinking of dishes from Zoro. He devoured one dish after another, like a starving ghost.

After a long while, when his belly was slightly bulging, he finally put down his knife, fork, bowl, and chopsticks with satisfaction, let out a burp, and took a delicious sip of water.

His abdomen deflated once more, as if his food had been digested in that instant, sending chills down the spines of the onlookers. Was he even human?

"Hey! Female Tyrannosaur, where are we going next?"

"Let's go to Loguetown! I've heard that it's adjacent to the Grand Line, and the pirates there are much stronger than those in the East Blue. If I'm not mistaken, our Swordsmanship will improve there!"

"By the way! How's your understanding of Sword Intent coming along? I always feel something's vague here, like there's a thin veil covering it. I can sense it, but I just can't seem to break through that veil!"

"I'm still a little short. Although the previous battles touched me somewhat, it wasn't very significant. I suspect that only when we face opponents strong enough can we truly gain some insight!"

"Yes! I feel the same way!"

At this point, the two men's expressions changed slightly, and their gazes simultaneously turned towards the doorway!

"Enemy??"

Chapter 165 Zoro Joins the Battle, Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds

"Shimotsuki? Kuina! Roronoa? Zoro! I've finally found you!"

As I pushed open the door, three figures entered: two men and one woman.

All three were dressed in black and wore sunglasses.

Two of the men, one wearing a top hat and the other sporting a small mustache, were about three meters tall, which was undoubtedly very intimidating to people of average height from East Blue.

The woman, dressed in fishnet stockings and a business suit, had a stunning figure. Even with sunglasses obscuring her face, the diners in the restaurant couldn't help but swallow hard. There was no other reason than that she had a truly hot body that made them incredibly excited.

Unlike the other diners, Zoro and Kuina looked somewhat nervous, as they felt immense pressure emanating from them.

In an instant, the words "formidable enemy!!" flashed through their minds.

What do you want?

As Kuina asked the question, she stared intently at them, her right hand reaching for her weapon, the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords Wado Ichimonji.

Of course, at this moment, Zoro's muscles were tense, his eyes were sharp, and he was ready to strike at any moment.

"We are staff members of the World Government, investigating some matters, and we need your cooperation!"

Upon hearing this, Kuina and Zoro exchanged a strange glance, before Kuina continued, "We are Pirate Hunter, not pirates!"

The woman glanced at Kuina, who was dressed as a man, and said with amusement, "We know!"

Upon hearing the woman's words, Kuina and Zoro's expressions changed. In just a few words, they realized that these three people from unknown backgrounds were probably up to no good.

"So what brings you here?"

The mustachioed man who spoke first stopped talking after the woman spoke, giving her the chance to speak. Of course, the woman noticed this as well.

He continued, "There are too many people around here, and it's not convenient to say certain things here. I'm sure you two feel the same way! If it's alright, why don't we go to the eastern coast to talk?"

After speaking, he glanced around with interest. Although he didn't explicitly state his meaning, the threat in his eyes was self-evident.

This caused Kuina and Zoro to clench their fists involuntarily, and even their thoughts of running away faded.

Zoro narrowed his eyes, a flash of killing intent crossing them, and chuckled coldly, "Interesting! You're the first woman I've ever wanted to kill!!"

Without turning his head, Zoro said coldly, "Hey! Female Tyrannosaur, how about we go and chop them down?!"

Kuina chuckled, remembering the small sword hanging around her neck. Her fear subsided, and she calmly said, "Alright! Let's see just how capable these three lords really are!"

The chill in their words was no longer concealed. Since they set sail, they had always been carefree and unrestrained, drawing their swords whenever they encountered injustice. They had never faced such a threat before.

The two then followed the three to the eastern shore of Orange Town.

The battle had barely ended when Zoro coldly said, "Since we're here, let's begin! Who wants to go first?"

The three chuckled upon hearing this. The woman raised her hand, gently covering her lips, and said with a smile, "Interesting. A Pirate Hunter from the East Blue, quite the boast. Do you even know our combat strength?"

Upon hearing the other party's words, Zoro spat and then sneered, "I don't care what level you're at, let's fight first!!"

The woman laughed even harder upon hearing this, her tone full of sarcasm.

"Ge Lu! Why don't we show this kid the difference in our levels first, and let this frog in a well see just how vast this ocean really is?!"

The man in the top hat, a man of few words, took a step forward and calmly said, "Okay!"

Zoro felt a surge of anger rising within him upon hearing the other person's words; this was the first time he had ever been looked down upon like this!

"Bass!!"

Zoro drew three swords, one in each hand, and put the third in his mouth, tying it to his dark green bandana.

His eyes were filled with madness. "Then you better not die!!"

Upon seeing Zoro's actions, Ge Lu couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh?", "Three-Sword Style?"

Then a hint of mockery appeared on his face. "Fancy and frivolous! No Great Swordsman on the high seas wields more than three swords! Human strength is limited; such actions are tantamount to digging one's own grave!!"

Hearing the other party's words, Zoro remained unmoved, a smirk playing on his lips, and replied in a somewhat unclear voice, "My path is not for you, you piece of trash, to decide. Dongze can become the Sword Emperor with just a Sword Case on his back, so why can't I reach the pinnacle?!"

At this point, a surge of sword energy rose from Zoro's body, his killing intent already locked onto the person before him.

The man named Ge Lu paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I almost forgot that you and that person come from the same place. That's not entirely wrong, but I believe there can only be one Sword Emperor this world!!"

Zoro's eyes grew even colder. He still respected Dongze very much. Whether it was the guidance he received during his growth, the laughter and joking around when he was young, or the bitter smile on Dongze's face in the restaurant, these were his most precious memories. In private, he even regarded Dongze as his family.

"So, you guys came for that guy after all?"