But in the next second, something even more horrifying happened.
Gern, who had been cut in two, showed no pain or surprise on his face.
Nor did any blood flow from the two halves of his body.
Instead, they dissolved into countless pure white vibration particles and reformed.
"Oh?" With his body restored without a scratch, Gern looked down at Zoro, who was almost drained of strength by his all-out strike.
Yet Zoro still stared fixedly at him, and for the first time, undisguised admiration appeared in Gern's eyes.
"You used the noise and chaos from the island's tilting and shaking as cover, pushed your swordsmanship to its limits to catch the instant my 'true body' let its guard down, and then...
"Put everything on the line for that slash... What a beautiful strike!"
He clapped his hands and praised him sincerely. "Roronoa Zoro, I'll remember you."
"So..." Before Gern's praise had even stopped echoing, before anyone had time to react, the admiration on his face turned to icy indifference.
"Next... it's my turn!"
Before his words had faded-
Hum! Gern suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving only a ring of ripples from his vibrating afterimage spreading through the air.
The next instant, Gern appeared as if he had teleported, right in front of Zoro, whose breathing was ragged and whose body was rigid from that all-out slash!
Their faces flashed within inches of each other.
Zoro could even clearly see the bone-chilling... murderous intent in Gern's eyes!
And Gern had already raised his left foot high, his entire lower leg and foot wrapped in highly compressed,
Milky white vibration particles trembling at high frequency, making the surrounding air groan under the strain!
"Just now..." Gern's voice was like a whisper from the god of death. As he spoke, his