After leaving Dadan's house, Luffy and the others headed back toward the Goa Kingdom, carrying the still-unconscious Zoro wrapped tightly in a thick quilt.
Along the way, Nami, Robin, and Brook kept casting strange glances at Zoro, who looked more like a sleeping corpse than a living person.
"Luffy…"
Finally, unable to hold back her curiosity, Nami leaned in and asked:
"What's up with Zoro? Why has he been like this?"
You really couldn't blame her for being curious.
Back when she first met Luffy as a child, Zoro had already been in this same comatose state, dragged around like a lifeless body.
Now, years later, even after setting sail and traveling with Luffy across the seas… Zoro still hadn't woken up.
Nami's imagination had long run wild. In her mind, she'd cooked up over three hundred dramatic, steamy, or outright bizarre scenarios involving Luffy and Zoro's "deep bond". Childhood friends turned lifelong partners… throwing themselves into danger for each other… classic romance tropes galore.
The more she thought about it, the more her lips curled up in a mischievous smile.
"Hm?"
Luffy, who was busy checking their bearings, noticed her odd look but had no idea what she was imagining. Slightly confused by the question, he paused for a second, then replied honestly:
"Oh, Zoro? He's our crew's vice-captain!"
"Unfortunately… it seems like he's gotten lost in the world of souls or something."
"Vice-captain?"
"Souls?"
"Lost?"
All three cried out in shock, turning to stare at Zoro, who was bundled in blankets with only his moss-green hair sticking out.
Suddenly… their future felt a lot more uncertain.
"Ahahahaha!"
Luffy burst out laughing, then suddenly turned serious.
"Let me give you one very important piece of advice!"
"No matter what you do, never, EVER, let Zoro handle anything related to navigation!"
"Seriously. Never!"
Despite Luffy's grave tone, none of the others seemed to take it to heart.
Some lessons, it seems, must be learned the hard (and often painful) way.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Meanwhile, deep inside Zoro's spiritual world…
BOOM!!!
A terrifying wave of aura exploded upward.
Under a blood-red moon, the light of a rising dawn pierced the desolate land below.
"Ittoryu: Soul Slash!"
The figure standing alone on the ruined earth, now looking fully grown, suddenly became a streak of silver lightning.
Like a divine flash, he burst into the sky, radiating brilliant light, swift and silent.
His gleaming silver blade reflected eerie crimson hues under the red moon, emanating a savage, bloodthirsty energy.
In that moment, Zoro himself was no longer just a man, he had become a weapon. A beast with deadly eyes, ready to cut through anything in his path.
The blade streaked forward like lightning, sharp and merciless.
Silver and blood-red light twisted together into a pale glowing red as the slash tore through the air.
Ahead stood a red-skinned, bare-chested Asura, eyes calm and unmoved by the incoming attack.
He slowly raised the dark red Wado Ichimonji in his hand and stabbed forward with eerie precision.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring echoed across the entire realm.
Shockwaves burst outward from the point of contact, carving twin ravines dozens of meters long into the cracked ground.
"Tch…"
Zoro leapt back, blade in hand, and sighed in disappointment.
"Getting better again, aren't you… Zoro."
The Asura's ancient voice seemed to come from the sky itself, ignoring Zoro's frustration completely.
Zoro remained expressionless, he'd long grown used to these cryptic exchanges.
He had spent countless years in this place. Day after day, it was nothing but rest and battle.
An extreme, inhuman form of training that had honed his skills to terrifying heights.
But even now…
There were only three beings in Zoro's world:
The mischievous yet wise Kuina,
The silent, ugly Beast,
And since last year, the one who had been training him, Asura.
If not for his unbreakable will, Zoro might've lost himself in this lonely realm long ago.
Once he'd reached the point where his sword strikes could literally kill himself, his growth began to plateau.
Since then, he has focused purely on building physical foundations, endless strength training.
By now, when it came to raw basics, there was no swordsman in the entire world who could surpass him.
But in battle, raw fundamentals weren't everything. A solid foundation only meant fewer openings, not guaranteed victory.
Tightening his grip on the Wado Ichimonji, Zoro turned to look at the massive scar left behind by Asura's single effortless counterattack.
He frowned, muttering to himself:
"Too slow…"
"Your growth rate is already among the fastest in the world…"
Kuina's voice echoed softly as she appeared beside him, clearly sensing his frustration.
Zoro said nothing, his head bowed.
But in this realm, all of them were manifestations of his own soul, his thoughts were plain to see.
"Luffy has returned," the Beast suddenly said. "He brought new crewmates."
"Luffy?"
Zoro froze.
He stared at the Wado Ichimonji in his hand, a storm of memories flashing through his mind.
Then he gritted his teeth and roared:
"Damn it!"
He had made a promise to Luffy.
To join his crew.
To follow him to the strongest heights of the world.
And yet now… he was still trapped in this strange spiritual world of swords.
Even if it wasn't his fault… Zoro, ever proud, felt as if he'd betrayed that promise.
"Too slow… too slow…"
"Luffy's been waiting long enough!"
A ferocious light flared in Zoro's eyes as he stared down the final obstacle in his path, Asura, who stood like a demon god guarding hell's gates.
Asura's power was unlike anything he'd faced from Kuina or the Beast.
This was not peer-level sparring.
This was a top-tier existence, a monster who stood at the summit of the world.
Of course, Zoro didn't know any of this.
All he knew was: if he couldn't defeat Asura, he wasn't worthy of Luffy's trust, or the power he'd been given.
"Let's keep going!!"
Wiping sweat from his brow, Zoro raised his blade, eyes burning.
"Zoro!" Kuina called out anxiously. "You've already been fighting for ten days and nights. You need rest, just a little!"
"I said, keep going!"
The mention of Luffy seemed to light a fire in him.
His eyes held no weariness, only an unyielding, burning will to fight.
Kuina opened her mouth again, but the words caught in her throat.
She said nothing.
Then, with a flash of white light, she vanished, entering directly into Zoro's Wado Ichimonji.
The Beast followed suit, turning into a black blade that merged with the sword as well.
"Let's go again!"
"Very well."
BOOM!
A thunderous sound split the realm once more.
Zoro attacked like a wild beast unleashed. Asura met him calmly with a single blade, parrying again and again.
But… for the first time, a tiny shift appeared in Asura's expressionless face.
Even just a few minutes ago… Zoro had already gotten stronger.
Truly worthy…
Of being our master.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Back in the Goa Kingdom.
In the legendary inner city where only nobles lived, Luffy and the others stood in a quiet park, looking around curiously.
"Luffy, why are we here?" Nami asked, wrinkling her nose slightly in distaste.
She clearly didn't enjoy the atmosphere.
Luffy scanned the area, seemingly looking for someone. Not finding them, he looked a little disappointed.
Then he turned to everyone and explained:
"We'll be staying here for now, at least until Zoro wakes up."
"Judging by the time, it'll probably take a year or two."
"Once he's back… we set sail."
"But Luffy…" Brook said nervously. "This area is filled with nobles, right? Will they really let us live here?"
Brook had once worked for the kingdom, he knew exactly what kind of people nobles were.
Luffy just laughed heartily.
"Don't worry," he said with a grin. "I know someone."
=============
150+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon! Patreon.com/Veltoria