Luffy, eat all you want, there's plenty more here!!
Hancock gazed infatuatedly at the gorging Luffy, her eyes filled with focus and affection, as if she were tending to a beloved treasure.
If Luffy during a fight was a combination of handsomeness and dominance, then the current Luffy resembled an extremely adorable baby doll.
'Luffy-kun, he is truly too kawaii!!!'
Hancock clasped her hands together, her cheeks flushed crimson, lost in fantasy.
"Jinbe, Tra-Law, ah oh... you guys, you guys come eat too!!"
Luffy finally remembered the two of them, inviting them even with his mouth full of food.
The two men were momentarily stunned.
Jinbe then sat cross-legged, saying, "Then this old man won't be shy."
He then picked up a small yellow pear and took a bite.
"— Jinbe!!"
Hancock immediately flew into a rage. "This is lunch prepared by this concubine for Luffy! How dare you eat so much??"
"— Cough, cough!!"
Jinbe's face turned from pale to purple as he desperately clutched his throat, coughing incessantly.
A Seven Warlords of the Sea... was nearly killed by a small yellow pear!!
"It's fine, Hancock!!"
Luffy's voice came through.
"Yes, understood, Luffy-sama!!"
Hancock instantly became extremely gentle, but the moment she turned her head, she snapped, "The two of you can only eat a little bit, got it?!"
Jinbe and Law nodded vigorously... On Kuraigana Island,
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo!!"
A group of baboons wielding various weapons surrounded Zoro, letting out roars and constantly calling their companions.
Clearly, the man opposite them was an absolutely troublesome opponent.
"Tch, this is really noisy!!"
Zoro, holding two swords, frowned and leapt nimbly into the air.
In a flash, Zoro's figure appeared in mid-air.
Clang!
The dazzling sword light shone like a brilliant galaxy, erupting in mighty gusts of wind that intertwined to form a winding tornado of sword energy, roaring upwards.
[Two Sword Style: Tornado]
The hurricane-like sword energy tornado instantly spread, sweeping up countless baboons.
Innumerable sharp cutting marks covered their armor and bodies, and gradually, countless bloody gashes appeared on their surfaces.
With just one move, Zoro instantly annihilated hundreds of baboons.
— Whoosh
Suddenly, a massive black shadow violently tore through the air, instantly appearing behind Zoro.
A giant sword violently cleaved down, its immense power causing the air to momentarily solidify.
— Clang!!
Zoro turned, [kikoku] and [Shusui] desperately holding back the peerless strike.
Boom!!
As the power erupted, the ground beneath their feet seemed unable to withstand the constantly suppressed force, and visible cracks appeared.
Rolling air currents burst forth from the blade, fluttering Zoro's clothes and bending the tops of the vegetation.
Bang!!
The powerful impact forced Zoro's body to slide back several meters before he finally managed to stop.
His leather shoes plowed two deep grooves into the ground.
— Hah!!
Zoro raised his head, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
It was a massive baboon, tall and sturdy, covered in gray fur, carrying a giant sword on its back, and possessing eyes as sharp as Hawkeye's; clearly the king of this island.
However, Zoro's gaze fell upon the giant sword in the Baboon King's hand.
The blade was jet black like solidified ink, long and narrow, sharp, with a faint cold gleam; the hilt was ancient and plain, the sheath dark, and the whole weapon exuded cold severity, murderous intent, and sharp Haki.
"Supreme Grade Meito — [Yoru]?!"
Zoro exclaimed, then seemed to realize something, slowly shaking his head. "No, it's just a replica!!"
Zoro drew [Wado Ichimonji], placed it in his mouth, and his gaze became fierce.
"Hoo hoo hoo!"
The Baboon King began to roar. Then, under Zoro's astonished gaze, a black vortex covered the long sword in its hand, and in moments, the massive long sword was infused with a jet-black metallic sheen.
"— In this day and age, even animals can use Armament Haki?!"
Zoro shook his head. The three famous swords in his hands turned jet black, surrounded by faint traces of black lightning.
Gradually, purple ghostly flames spread from the sword hilts to the blades. The surrounding air seemed to freeze due to the demonic and ghostly energy emitted, becoming oppressive and cold.
Zoro took a deep breath, focusing intently on the Baboon King a hundred meters away, his entire body's muscles compressing like springs.
Boom!!
The ground beneath his feet collapsed layer by layer as if a high-explosive bomb had detonated, blasting open a shocking massive pit.
Utilizing this terrifying recoil force, Zoro shot out from his spot, his speed climbing to the extreme.
A stream of light, wrapped in chilling demonic energy, tore through the air.
[Three Sword Style: Purgatory Onigiri]
Whoosh!!
The sharp, deep purple sword light suddenly whistled across the ground, flashing past at an astonishing speed.
Clang!
The three famous swords were returned to their sheaths. Zoro didn't even glance back and strode toward the ancient castle.
— Slash
The three sword cuts that pierced the body were deeply etched onto the Baboon King.
Its steel-like skin shattered;
The tough muscles beneath the skin followed suit and shattered;
Clusters of tragic blood mist burst open on its chest... It fell heavily to the ground, sending dust flying everywhere!!
— Thump thump thump thump!
Just then, a set of calm footsteps sounded.
The walking Zoro stopped. His beast-like pupils reflected a crimson light, and his entire body began to tremble.
Swish!
The fierce purple sword light once again tore through the air. Wherever it passed, all vitality seemed to be severed, falling into decay!
Zoro instantly charged toward the figure, his entire body taut to the extreme, shouting excitedly,
"I finally found you, Hawkeye! Witness the results of my two months of training!!"
"Elysian Rest: Rashomon!!"
Not far away, a figure emerged from the dense fog—it was Hawkeye, returning from Marineford.
His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, stared directly at the charging Zoro, and the corner of his mouth curled up. "This is interesting!"
He placed his hand on the hilt and, without looking, directly cleaved down with his sword.
All the pores on Zoro's body burst open instantly.
No words could adequately describe the magnificence of this strike.
Violent,
Swift,
Dominant.
Carrying an imposing aura capable of cleaving the heavens and earth... it sliced down from above.
— Clang
The sharp azure light collided with the deep purple light.
The whistling gale instantly collapsed and shattered under the fierce brilliance of the clash.
However, in the next second, the azure sword light instantly pulverized the demonic energy.
Whoosh!!
A gushing spray of blood blossomed on Zoro's chest.
Zoro's figure was sent flying backward like a cannonball, as if he had been struck by a high-speed warship, blasting open white circular air waves along his flight path.
[As expected? I am still not his match!!]
Bang!
Zoro's figure crashed heavily into the ancient castle.
Rumble!
A sound like a missile explosion echoed through the sky.
"Indeed, I am still too weak!!"
He looked down at the bone-deep slash wound on his chest and murmured.
"That's right, the current you is truly too weak!!"
A cold voice rang out.
Hawkeye's figure instantly appeared beside Zoro, his eyes filled with complexity.
Honestly speaking, Zoro's talent in swordsmanship was surprising even to him.
In just two months, going from unknown to the current Great Swordsman—he is truly excellent.
But with Luffy setting such a high bar, the light surrounding Zoro was undoubtedly much dimmer.
Hawkeye took out a newspaper, which contained a stack of wanted posters.
"Perhaps you will be able to take my position someday, but the current you... is far from being able to assist your Captain!!"
Zoro took the newspaper, and his pupils instantly widened.
[Four Emperors]!!
'Luffy, have you already reached this level?!'
Zoro tightly gripped the newspaper, the blood from his chest already soaking through his shirt.
Luffy was only one step away from becoming the Pirate King, yet he... still couldn't see the endpoint of the sword path!!!