"Makino!? What does she have to do with this?"
Luffy looked completely confused. Simple-minded as he was, he couldn't pick up on the meaning behind Red's words at all.
But soon, he abruptly changed the subject.
"Forget it!"
"Red, you said there'd be a chance for us to get strong really fast later—you're not joking, right!?"
"Of course," Red replied with a calm smile, flashing his bright, gleaming white teeth—remarkably convincing.
At least, to Luffy.
"Hehehe."
Luffy leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head and said casually,"Of course I believe you."
"I'm just a little excited, you know!"
"World-class powerhouses~ If I can beat people like that, I shouldn't be far from becoming Pirate King, right?"
"Uh…" Red hesitated slightly. "If it's only to that extent, then probably… not quite."
"When Usopp can beat them too, then you'll be about ready to become Pirate King."
"Eh!? It has to be like that!?"
Luffy looked a little disheartened, but he didn't think Red's words were impossible.
After all, they were his crewmates—and Red, a Trainer, was serving as vice-captain.
Luffy believed that one day, his future companions would all grow into powerful warriors capable of standing on their own.
What mattered most was time!
Seeing Usopp being pushed out in a wheelchair, Luffy grinned broadly.
"In that case, I'll just have to make Usopp work extra hard!"
"Excellent!" Red said with a faint smile, clearly pleased to see his captain help him squeeze the crew's potential to its limits.
...
...
Not long after—
Before the cooks of the Baratie and the travelers in the surrounding seas could recover from the shock of Luffy obliterating a battleship with a single punch…
A small boat shaped like a coffin, shrouded in eerie green flames, slowly emerged from behind the wreckage.
Atop the boat stood a man with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He lifted his head, glanced at the shattered warship, then toward the direction of the Going Merry.
He suddenly spoke, his calm voice tinged with regret.
"I finally found a toy to pass the time… and it looks like someone broke it."
"Zoro-aniki… that man is—"
On the Going Merry, Johnny and Yosaku instantly stiffened when they saw the newcomer, pointing forward with visibly shaken expressions.
Zoro had already locked his gaze onto the man, his eyes fixed without wavering.
"That's right."
At that moment, Zoro swallowed hard, his heart pounding violently in his chest. His hands trembled as he answered:
"He's the man… I've been searching for!!!"
Although Red had already informed him in advance…
Having the goal he had pursued for so long suddenly appear before him still sent a shock through Zoro's soul.
The promise he had made under the moonlight with Kuina surfaced unbidden in his mind.
The Going Merry slowly approached the coffin boat. Once close enough, Zoro jumped onto the remains of the wrecked battleship.
He tied on his bandana, a sharp glint flashing across his eyes.
Slowly, he drew the long sword at his waist, the corners of his mouth lifting into a youthful, arrogant grin.
"World's Greatest Swordsman—Dracule Mihawk!!!"
"I went out to sea just to meet you!"
"You look like you've got time, right?"
"Fight me!?"
Under the blazing sun, three swords gleamed with searing brilliance.
Zoro issued his challenge in a tone that brooked no refusal.
"Hm?"
His voice successfully drew Mihawk's attention.
In that instant, the entire stretch of sea fell silent.
On the Going Merry, Sanji lit a cigarette.
Though Johnny and Yosaku had given him a rough idea of Zoro's dream, seeing Zoro challenge Mihawk without hesitation still made Sanji's pupils tremble slightly.
"Challenging me?" Mihawk asked in a deep, steady voice without lifting his head. "And what is your goal?"
"To surpass you!" Zoro replied without a second thought. "To become the strongest!!!"
The sea breeze blew softly as waves rippled across the once-quiet waters.
"Hmph~"
Mihawk let out a soft snort. "How foolish."
Even so, he stepped off his small boat and came to stand opposite Zoro.
Just like in the original timeline, he produced a small crucifix-shaped blade from his chest.
"I can sense that your swordsmanship has reached a certain level."
"But if this level alone is enough for you to think you're qualified to challenge me…"
"Then that's truly laughable."
Mihawk clearly had no interest in fighting weaklings.
He raised the palm-sized dagger in his hand, disdain evident in his eyes.
"My apologies."
"This is the smallest blade I have on me."
Zoro frowned.
Though Red had already told him this would happen in the "future," experiencing it firsthand still stirred irritation in his heart.
But in the next instant, he relaxed and let out a chuckle.
"Is that so? Then I just hope you'll be able to hold on—make sure you…"
"Don't draw your Black Blade!!!"
Kzzzt—!!!
Dazzling arcs of lightning suddenly erupted around Zoro, like a suit of golden armor enveloping his entire body.
The next second, Zoro lifted his head.
His once-steady eyes now resembled those of a ferocious beast—greedy, brutal, devouring everything before him!
Without giving Mihawk any chance to prepare, Zoro bent low.
"Three-Sword Style · Thunder Blade · Dragon Fang!!!"
ROAR—!!!
Without any buildup!
The lightning wrapped around Zoro exploded outward, forming a roaring, savage dragon head that surged toward Mihawk.
At the same time, an almost imperceptible pressure suddenly invaded Mihawk's mind.
It was Zoro's Pressure.
"Hm!? This feeling…"
Sensing the aura unleashed from Zoro, Mihawk's eyes finally changed.
There was no mistake!
Though still faint, that pressure was undoubtedly the rare power found in only one in a million—
Conqueror's Haki!!!
"Interesting~"
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Mihawk's mouth.
Though inwardly surprised, his movements never paused.
Snap—!
With nothing more than a simple forward thrust—no flashy effects, no wasted motion—
The rampant lightning dragon instantly lost its momentum, as if its head had been forced down.
Mihawk suddenly spoke to Zoro.
"I must admit… I underestimated you."
"To find a swordsman as interesting as you in the weakest of seas…"
"It seems this trip wasn't wasted after all."
"Unfortunately—"
"You're still far too weak!!!"
SHING—!!!Mihawk slashed!
The blade light flashed, and the thunder dragon formed from swordsmanship fused with Thunderbolt was cleanly split open before dissipating entirely.
"What!?"
Zoro's expression shifted in shock.
He knew the gap between them would be immense. After all, Red had said that even Luffy—who could easily defeat Zoro—wouldn't withstand a serious strike from Mihawk.
But he never imagined that his full-powered attack would be shattered so effortlessly—with just a dagger.
"So… it's still too early, huh."
After his eyes trembled for a moment, Zoro clenched his teeth, swung his blades, and launched a storm-like barrage of attacks at Mihawk.
What followed closely mirrored the original storyline.
Zoro continuously changed techniques—
Oni Giri, Iai: Lion's Song, Dragon Blade · Lightning…
No matter what move he used, each was effortlessly dismantled by Mihawk's small blade.
Even though Zoro had already stepped into the Realm of Cutting Steel, even though he had learned to harness Pokémon energy—
Before Mihawk, he was still as fragile as a newborn infant.
Defiance flickered in Zoro's eyes, yet the outcome never changed.
SPURT—!!!
Crimson blood burst forth, staining Zoro's clothing.
Mihawk frowned as he looked at Zoro—who could have avoided the blow yet charged forward regardless—and asked,
"Are you trying to be pierced straight through the heart?"
"Heh~!" Zoro scoffed dismissively. "So what if it's a fatal wound?"
Without hesitation, he ignored the dagger mere inches from his heart and twisted his body with force.
The three swords became a raging hurricane, slashing violently toward Mihawk!
"What!?"
This time, shock appeared on Mihawk's face.
He immediately released the dagger embedded in Zoro and leapt backward.
Even so, Zoro's unexpected attack still caught up to his shadow.
Whoosh—!
A gust of sea wind passed by, and the black top hat atop Mihawk's head suddenly flew into the air.
On the brim were three smooth, clean cut marks.
They were left by Zoro's strike!
Thud!
Zoro yanked the dagger from his chest, letting streams of blood flow freely.
Ignoring the pain, he hurled the bloodstained dagger into the sea and grinned broadly.
"Now I'm qualified to make you draw your Black Blade… right!?"
(End of Chapter)