Upon the cliffs of Kuraigana Island, the ancient castle rested like a solitary eagle, its Gothic spires piercing the sky.
Gray stone walls were covered in vigorous vines, heavy black wood was set into the pointed arches, colored stained-glass windows cast mottled light in the sun, and the columns were carved with cold, severe patterns, giving the whole structure an air of isolated solemnity, ancientness, and mystery.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Zoro had three famous swords hanging at his waist, and a resolute determination showed in his sharp eyes.
'Luffy, to support you, I... must definitely become stronger!'
Zoro pushed open the heavy and ancient main door.
Inside, a solitary, lofty figure sat in the main seat, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the newspaper in his hand.
The flying little girl beside him was glaring sullenly at Hawkeye.
Zoro looked at Hawkeye, who was ignoring him, and his stiff legs suddenly bent.
— Thud!
Zoro immediately knelt on the ground, his forehead touching the floor.
"I beg you, please... teach me swordsmanship!"
Hawkeye was startled, and a hint of disappointment appeared in his sharp eyes. "As a swordsman, you actually abandon your dignity... to ask an enemy to teach you swordsmanship?!"
Hawkeye slowly stood up. "Don't you think your current appearance is hideous?!"
"Stand up, and then get out of here!"
It was clear that Hawkeye was genuinely angry; in his opinion, a swordsman who lost his dignity could never reach the peak of the sword path.
'Roronoa, I truly misjudged you.'
However, Zoro still did not get up.
"I have never forgotten my original intention, but I also don't believe I can defeat you right now."
Zoro raised his head, his gaze resolute.
The aura surrounding Zoro rapidly intensified, and sharp sword intent surged forth.
Crackle... Black and red lightning flashed in and out of existence in the void, whipping up fierce winds that scattered the newspapers on the table.
Hawkeye's expression turned startled, and massive waves surged in his heart.
If Zoro were a wandering swordsman, Hawkeye would not have been surprised by him awakening Haoshoku.
But he is a crew member, an extremely loyal crew member, and the difficulty for such a person to awaken Haoshoku is comparable to learning Advanced Armament Haki.
"Hahahaha,"
Hawkeye, who was usually aloof, suddenly laughed. "Why do you ask me?"
Hearing this, a strong fighting spirit emerged in Zoro's eyes. "I want to surpass you and become the World's Greatest Swordsman, and then assist Luffy in becoming the... Pirate King!"
"— Heh heh!"
Hawkeye took a sip of wine, clearly astonished by Zoro's spirit. "To personally train the swordsman who intends to take my head?!"
"— It seems you have found something more important than ambition!"
Hawkeye slowly walked around Zoro and headed toward the main door, his cold voice carrying a strange warmth.
"Follow me. The upcoming training won't be the petty skirmishes you're used to... Prepare yourself for death!"
Zoro immediately followed Hawkeye, his gaze growing even more resolute.
'Luffy, before you become the Pirate King, if I cannot seize the title of World's Greatest Swordsman, you will surely be put in a difficult position!'
... In the jungle outside the ancient castle, Hawkeye suddenly stopped.
The surrounding baboons instantly showed human-like fear and fled rapidly, scrambling away.
Zoro grinned fiercely, drawing his three famous swords. "Hawkeye, I only have three months!"
Zoro took a step forward.
The fierce wind whipped up his green robes, and his figure shot towards Hawkeye like a purple streak of light, moving like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"Three Sword Style: Purgatory Onigiri!"
Sinister demonic aura spread across the blades, and dark Armament Haki lightning pulsed, instantly tearing the air.
However, facing this magnificent strike, Hawkeye merely drew his sword and chopped down, doing so with extreme casualness.
The world fell silent for an instant—
The next moment,
Whoosh!!
The roaring azure sword energy tore through the ground like a grand crescent moon, rushing towards Zoro.
Boom!!
The massive shockwave was like a missile exploding, instantly throwing up and shattering rocks and trees.
Zoro flew backward at a speed far exceeding his charge, crashing through more than a dozen towering trees, and finally slamming deep into the rock face of a distant mountain range like a cannonball, blasting open a shocking massive crater.
"— Cough, cough!"
Zoro climbed out of the rubble, wincing as he felt the sharp pain throughout his body. "The gap truly isn't just ordinary big!... However,"
Then, he took off his green greatcoat and casually tossed it on the ground.
His bare upper body was covered in hideous, terrifying scars, and his rugged muscle definition added a touch of wildness to him.
Far from being hideous, it possessed a strange kind of beauty.
Zoro stamped hard on the ground and leaped towards Hawkeye.
"I won't give up so easily!"
Hawkeye gripped the Black Blade Yoru with both hands, his sharp eyes filled with seriousness.
'That's right, surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!'
... Marineford, Marineford.
The hazy sunlight gradually spread through the slits of his opening eyes.
Akainu slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
A rotating ceiling fan, gray-white walls, an IV drip hanging beside the bed, and various life-monitoring instruments were emitting faint light.
"Where is this?!"
Akainu's voice was hoarse.
"Yo, you're awake, Sakazuki."
A familiar voice came, and Akainu turned his head; sure enough, it was that shifty monkey.
He currently had casts on his right leg and left arm, and his entire chest was wrapped in bandages, yet he was smiling widely while eating a banana.
In the corner of the ward was a large pile of fruit baskets, cigarettes, famous liquor... clearly, they were condolence gifts sent by Marine officers.
However, looking at the fruit baskets that were more than half empty, Akainu's mouth twitched. ...How much have you eaten these past few days?!
Akainu pulled a blood-stained cigar from his pocket and lit it.
However, this extremely simple movement triggered a series of chain reactions.
An unprecedented stinging pain radiated hotly from every muscle in his body, and overwhelming fatigue surged over him, instantly causing a layer of cold sweat to break out on his forehead.
He frowned tightly and briefly checked his physical condition.
Severe physical exhaustion, multiple organ failure throughout his body, at least 40% of his bones shattered, large-scale muscle tears, and excessive blood loss... If he were a normal person, he would have long been dead.
"Don't move, yo. The doctor said that in your condition, you should be able to move freely in a week, and fully recover in half a month... Your physical constitution is simply monstrous."
Kizaru looked at the battered Akainu and spoke with interest.
"Speaking of which, Sakazuki, you truly don't know when to quit. Look at Kuzan, he's practically recovered already."
Kizaru pointed to the empty bed near the window, still acting in that annoying way.
Originally, as the highest fighting forces of headquarters, they should have enjoyed luxurious private rooms.
But because headquarters had turned into ruins, they had to use temporary setups... and this was already considered a high-class ward that only Admirals could enjoy.
Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals were sharing rooms with ten or twenty people.
"Then why haven't you left yet?!"
Akainu looked at Kizaru calmly; with so many messes waiting to be cleaned up, this monkey was still idling.
It could only be said that Akainu's sense of duty was simply too high, making him a dedicated workhorse.
"Don't say that, Sakazuki. I took care of you for three days and three nights, you know. That's truly heartbreaking."
Kizaru put on a "sad" face and took a bite of his banana.
"Besides, my injuries haven't healed yet!"
Kizaru raised his hand in a cast, indicating that he was not taking paid leave.
Akainu: ????