While Sanji was receiving thunderous applause, the "swordsmanship trial" area where Zoro was located was unusually quiet, even carrying a breathtakingly solemn atmosphere.
The challenge seems simple: perfectly slice a "crystal onion." This onion resembles a real crystal, with layers upon layers, incredibly translucent. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that any slight mistake—uneven force, angle deviation, or even the slightest hesitation or distraction of the knife-wielder—will cause a certain irritating substance inside to instantly vaporize, forming a powerful tear gas that leaves the challenger in tears, thus declaring failure.
The chefs and swordsmen who were initially full of confidence all failed miserably at the last moment before striking, covering their eyes in defeat, creating a rather "touching" scene.
Zoro crossed his arms, looking at the translucent onion on the platform, his brow furrowed slightly. He wasn't finding the challenge itself difficult, but rather the way it was being tested... a little boring.
"Hey, Moss Head, if you can't handle it, don't force yourself. Just sit back and watch this prince perform." Sanji, in high spirits after his victory, leaned against the side and made sarcastic remarks.
Zoro glanced at him, too lazy to reply, and walked straight to the counter. Unlike the others who were choosing various sophisticated kitchen knives, he simply picked up a seemingly ordinary kitchen knife with a moderately wide blade.
"Hmph, not even going to choose a decent knife?" The examiner in charge, a stern-looking old chef, shook his head.
Zoro ignored him, picked up the crystal onion, and weighed it in his palm. He closed his one eye, not examining the onion's texture as closely as the others, but instead calming his mind completely.
The surrounding noise seemed to vanish instantly. In his perception, what he held in his hand was no longer an onion, but a whole composed of countless tiny "structures" and "veins." He could "hear" the extremely fragile balance inside the onion and feel the "stimulation" hidden beneath its beautiful crystal exterior, ready to erupt at any moment.
This is not a direct application of Observation Haki, but rather a kind of insight into the essence of matter that he gained after countless life-and-death battles, elevating his swordsmanship, focus, and understanding of "slashing" to the extreme—a insight that can be called " Cutting Sense."
He moved.
There was no lightning speed, nor any dazzling knife skills. He simply and seemingly casually swung the kitchen knife down.
The flash of the blade was so subtle it was almost invisible.
Then, amidst everyone's puzzled gazes, Zoro put the kitchen knife back in its place, crossed his arms, and acted as if nothing had happened. The crystal onion remained perfectly intact on the cutting board.
"It failed?"
"Didn't you even cut it?"
Whispers arose from the crowd. Sanji raised an eyebrow, preparing to unleash his taunts.
However, a hint of admiration flashed in Allen's eyes as he stood at a distance. In his perception, Zoro just now wasn't without a strike; rather, it was a masterful control of the intent and power of the "slash" to an extremely subtle degree. The moment the blade touched the onion's skin, the power seeped in like mercury, precisely tracing the most perfect structural seams. It wasn't a physical cut, but rather a microscopic "combing" performed with the will of the "slash."
Just then, the stern old examiner seemed to sense something. He cautiously stepped forward, extended his slightly trembling fingers, and gently touched the seemingly intact crystal onion.
Whoosh--
Like toppled building blocks, or blooming flowers, the crystal onion, along countless perfectly cut surfaces indistinguishable to the naked eye, scattered evenly and silently, transforming into a pile of transparent flakes of uniform size, shape, and thickness. Under the light, they refracted a dazzling brilliance, like scattered crystal diamonds. Most importantly, not a single trace of irritating gas was released!
The entire venue was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
This isn't just knife work; this is divine skill!
The old examiner stared in disbelief at the pile of flawless onion slices, then at Zoro, who looked completely calm as if he had only done something trivial. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "You... how did you do that?"
Zoro opened his one eye, somewhat impatiently. "It's just cutting an onion, right? Just find out how it 'wants' to be cut." His philosophy was simple and pure: everything has its own "reason," and the key is to sever that reason rather than forcibly destroying its form.
"Perfect... absolutely perfect! Incomparably perfect!" the old examiner announced excitedly. "Challenge successful! 50 points reward!"
Usopp and Chopper cheered again, Nami gave them a look that said, "So you're still somewhat useful."
Sanji, a cigarette dangling from his lips, snorted, but a barely perceptible hint of approval flickered in the depths of his eyes. This Moss Head certainly had some skill when it came to "slashing."
Zoro paid no attention to the points rewards; his gaze swept across the other areas of the arena, finally settling on the entrance to the higher levels. "Hopefully, the challenges up there will be more interesting," he muttered to himself. Clearly, Balo's presence made him anticipate the "battle" far more than simply "chopping vegetables."
Allen looked at Zoro and understood. Zoro's path was the ultimate rule of "slashing." When he could apply "slashing" to such a subtle level, its destructive power would increase exponentially. This challenge, which seemed unrelated to cooking, precisely proved that Zoro had made another breakthrough on his own path.
The Straw Hat Pirates's chef and swordsman each left their mark on this Gourmet Arena in their own way.