The pair of swords moved with surprising speed, fluid and graceful, each strike aimed at Ryuma's vitals. Tashigi was using many of the swordsmanship principles she had learned from Koshiro, and applying them to two swords was proving to be incredibly effective.
While Ryuma's own sword was fast, he was forced to go on the defensive against the relentless, two-pronged assault.
Tashigi seized this momentum, continuously pushing Ryuma back. "Two Swords Style: Soaring Eagle Waves!" she shouted, unleashing a cross-shaped slash that sent Ryuma flying backward.
Even Zoro was taken aback. "That imposter actually learned my moves!" he muttered.
With a burst of power, Tashigi used Geppo to leap high into the air. From above, she launched two downward slashes straight at Ryuma's forehead.
"Two Swords Style: Two Cut Slashes!" There was no mistaking it; this was another one of Zoro's moves.
But Tashigi executed it perfectly, with power that was undeniably strong. Zoro couldn't find any fault with her technique. The only thing that felt off was seeing his own moves used by someone else.
Ryuma reacted quickly, flipping his body to dodge the attack. He then lunged forward with Shusui, aiming a powerful thrust straight for Tashigi's face.
Fortunately, Tashigi's Geppo was very proficient. She shifted her position mid-air, spinning 720 degrees before bringing both swords down on Ryuma.
With no other choice, Ryuma held Shusui above his head to block the attack. But Tashigi's strength was considerable, and she actually managed to force Ryuma down to one knee.
For a moment, Tashigi's mind went blank, as if she had entered a strange state. She felt a new move stirring inside her, a special power surging from her body into her swords. Subconsciously, she performed the technique.
"Two Swords Style: Flashy Cross Slash!" she yelled.
Swoosh! In the next instant, Tashigi was standing behind Ryuma, slowly sheathing her swords. Ryuma froze, an X-shaped mark appearing on his chest, and the stitches on his torso began to tear apart. But he quickly regained his composure. He sheathed Shusui and threw it directly to Tashigi.
Tashigi reached out to catch the sword, a satisfied smile on her face.
"It's a shame to taste defeat in this samurai body," Ryuma said softly.
"It's right to feel that shame," Tashigi replied, showing her respect. "A true swordsman must have both a body and mind that are one with the blade!"
Ryuma gave a faint smile. A black shadow flew out of his body and merged into Brook's. The rest of Ryuma's body fell lifelessly to the ground.
"My shadow is back!" Brook cried out in surprise.
Tashigi happily ran her hand over the black blade. She slowly pulled it from its sheath, examining it inch by inch, her eyes filled with pure admiration. "This… this is the black blade Shusui! It's so beautiful! Worthy of being one of the 21 Great Grade swords!"
Zoro watched Tashigi thoughtfully. If he was seeing things right, Tashigi had just used Armament Haki. He hadn't expected her to awaken it during the battle. It was proof that this woman's talent was on par with Kuina's.
At that moment, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky returned. They had beaten the zombie soldiers so badly that they had all fled.
"Zoro, did she win?" Franky asked.
"Yeah, she won the fight and awakened Armament Haki," Zoro replied casually.
"What?! She awakened Armament Haki?!"
The news was a huge blow to Sanji and Usopp, who felt it was incredibly unfair. Why had she awakened it and not them? It made no sense! They trained just as hard and fought just as much, but they were still lagging behind.
Zoro just smiled. "Don't be so bummed out. Tashigi has better talent than you two, so it's only natural she'd awaken it before you."
"Hey, Zoro," Franky said. "Why do you look so proud that she awakened Armament Haki?"
"Yeah," Usopp nodded. "He looks really proud."
"He's so proud he can't even hide it!" Sanji added.
"Cough! What are you guys talking about?" Zoro stammered. "I'm just stating the facts. Besides, that imposter is a student of Master Koshiro, which makes her my junior. Is there something wrong with me being happy that my junior has improved?"
Franky, Usopp, and Sanji shook their heads in unison. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just that explaining is just covering up."
The corner of Zoro's mouth twitched, and he gave up trying to explain. These guys always loved to tease him. He really was just being objective; how could he possibly be proud?
Just then, Tashigi walked up to him, holding Shusui in her arms. "Three Swords," she said proudly. "As you can see, I'm pretty strong, and I even awakened Armament Haki!"
Zoro nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah, you're the best. And you got Shusui."
"Hee hee," she giggled. "Now I have a great sword, and my strength has improved. I'll defeat you soon. And when I do, I'll take back Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu!"
"…Heh! Go ahead and try it if you think you can. I'm not going to lose to a fake like you!" The two began their usual bickering, leaving Franky, Usopp, and Sanji to just shake their heads and sigh.
Meanwhile, Luffy and the others continued their journey. After Luffy's loud shout, he started walking toward a castle he saw in the distance, and Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji had no choice but to follow. They ran into many zombie soldiers on the way, but they were all easily dealt with.
Suddenly, a ghostly figure floated down from the sky. Luffy immediately threw a punch, but his fist passed right through the ghost without a single bit of effect. Then more and more ghosts came flying toward them.
"Ghosts?! There are really ghosts here!" The timid trio—Usopp, Nami, and Chopper—cried out in fear, hugging each other for comfort.
Luffy looked at his fist, confused. He was sure he had used Armament Haki, so why was it useless? Just then, a large group of ghosts surrounded them, and one ghost passed right through Luffy's body.
Luffy immediately fell to the ground, crying and wailing. "No way! I don't want to be like this! If there's a next life, I want to be a clam!"
"Luffy?!"
Everyone was shocked. They never expected Luffy to be defeated by a ghost.
The ghosts then floated toward the others. The timid trio ran away in terror, while Sanji stood his ground and kicked at the ghosts. But his attacks also passed right through them.
"Why isn't it working? Does Armament Haki not work on them?" Sanji was stunned. Just then, a ghost passed through his chest, and he fell to the ground just like Luffy. "I'm sorry... a useless cook like me is no use to anyone… doctor, please make me a new one!"
After Luffy, Sanji had also been taken down! The timid trio was completely terrified, unsure of what to do
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