Wano Country, the Flower Capital—within the Shogun's residence.
After days of relentless celebration, the grand banquet was finally beginning to show signs of fatigue.
Though the rich scent of food and sake still lingered in the air, the once-deafening noise of voices had thinned considerably.
Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid had already taken their crews elsewhere to unwind. Among the Nine Red Scabbards, all but Kin'emon had returned to their respective regions.
It could be said that now, within the Shogun's residence, only the Straw Hat crew remained—preparing to depart Wano in two days' time.
After all, Luffy was the hero of this land. No matter the reason, there was nothing strange about them staying here.
...
At this very moment, the residence was steeped in quiet.
Only the gentle rhythm of the shishi-odoshi in the garden could be heard—its bamboo tube filling with water before tipping and striking the stone basin with a soft, hollow sound.
Clack… clack…
In one corner of the courtyard, beneath an ancient cherry tree—
Roronoa Zoro leaned back against the thick trunk.
His three swords—Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and the newly acquired Enma—rested at his side.
His eyes were half-closed, as if dozing, his breathing steady—his entire presence blending seamlessly into the stillness of the garden.
Not far away, on the wooden veranda, Kozuki Hiyori had hesitated several times, as though wanting to speak.
In the end, she simply hugged her knees and sat there quietly, watching the solitary figure beneath the tree without approaching.
Time passed.
No one could say how long.
Until—
The silence was broken.
Not by sound alone—
But by the instinct of a master swordsman.
Zoro's right eye slowly opened.
His gaze shifted toward the main gate of the Shogun's residence.
He didn't stand.
Didn't even change posture.
"I didn't expect…" Zoro's voice was calm, "that you'd come."
At the exact moment his words fell—
A tall figure stepped over the high wooden threshold and entered the courtyard.
His body bore the weight of exhaustion and countless wounds.
Sunlight outlined the ragged silhouette of his broken black wings… and the blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around him.
Former lead of the Beasts Pirates' All-Stars—
"Wildfire" King.
"From Udon's quarry… all the way to the Flower Capital's Shogun residence?"
Zoro's gaze swept over King, lingering for a moment on the shattered wings and the countless injuries hidden beneath the bandages. His brow furrowed—almost imperceptibly.
He remained seated.
But his right hand had already moved—naturally, instinctively—
Resting on the hilt of Enma, its dark-red scabbard lying beside him.
His thumb pressed lightly against the guard.
"You walked here… like that?" Zoro's tone carried clear doubt. His words were slow, measured—each one sharp as a needle.
"What about the daimyo of Kuri and Udon? Inuarashi? Denjiro?"
"They don't seem like the kind of people who would just sit back and let a lead performer of the Beasts Pirates stroll through their territory… all the way here…"
"…without a single disturbance."
As he spoke—
His presence began to condense inward.
The air in the courtyard seemed to grow heavier.
Even the steady clack of the bamboo tube now felt jarringly loud.
Hiyori had already run off to call for help.
King stopped at the center of the courtyard, facing Zoro from several meters away.
He didn't hesitate.
Didn't stall.
His gaze locked onto Zoro's as he spoke flatly—
"I killed them."
Zoro's pupils shrank violently.
"So… of course there was no disturbance."
King tilted his head slightly, as though recalling some trivial detail.
"Their heads…"
"…are hanging at the gates of Kuri and Udon right now."
"Roronoa."
The moment the name left his mouth—
The killing intent surged.
And in that same instant—
"Clang!!!"
A clear, resounding draw of steel rang out!
Zoro's figure vanished from beneath the tree!
Only a faint ripple of dust remained where he had been.
No words.
No hesitation.
No room for explanation—or further provocation.
The instant King said "I killed them," Zoro's killing intent and fury had already reached their peak.
Enma responded to its master's will.
The moment it left its sheath, it began greedily draining Zoro's Haki!
Jet-black Ryuo coiled around the blade like living vines, wrapping the dark-red sword in an eerie, monstrous aura!
"One Sword Style: Iai—Black Blade—Dead Man's Lion Song!!!"
This was Zoro at his current limit—
A perfect fusion of speed, power, Haki, and Enma's voracious nature.
No probing strike.
From the very first move—
A killing blow.
The slash condensed into a single, infinitesimal point of cold light—so fast it transcended vision—piercing straight toward King's throat!
The air itself was silently severed in its wake, leaving behind a thin, lingering line of destruction!
This strike—
Was enough to kill the current, heavily wounded "Wildfire" King instantly!!
But—
Clang—!!!!!
A deafening, heavy collision erupted through the courtyard—far louder than any blade clash before!
A violent shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact, sending debris scattering across the ground!
The ancient cherry tree trembled violently. Even the distant bamboo tube jolted from the force!
King—
Still stood where he was.
Unmoving.
He slowly exhaled a breath he had been holding.
Zoro's form reappeared before him, frozen at the end of his thrust.
And in his hand—
Enma, wrapped in flowing Ryuo—
Had been stopped.
Not by King.
Not by his body.
Not by a weapon of his.
But by another blade—
A single-handed sword, intercepting from the side with flawless precision, halting Enma less than an inch from King's throat.
That blade—
Was entirely black.
A double-edged weapon of ancient design, its surface etched with dark red, crack-like patterns.
Zoro's right eye locked onto the blade.
For the first time—
Shock appeared on his face.
His left eye—
The one that had remained closed—
Opened.
Not just because of the blade's sudden appearance—
But because of what stood behind it.
Reflected in both his eyes—
Was a man.
A man who had appeared without a sound, holding the blade in one hand, his expression terrifyingly calm.
Gern Reginald Sigmar.
He stood at King's side—
As if he had been there from the very beginning.
He didn't look at King, who had just narrowly escaped death.
Nor did he look at Zoro.
Instead—
His gaze rested on Enma.
Slowly, he raised his eyes and met Zoro's stunned stare.
A faint smile curled at his lips—tinged with the casual amusement of a senior watching a junior take a loss.
"This…" Gern shook his head slightly, his voice calm. "is a bad deal, you know, mosshead."
"Even if they're both among the '21 Great Grade swords'…" he tilted his head, as if evaluating something seriously,
"Shusui… is a black blade tempered through countless battles and years of history."
He paused, emphasizing his next words.
"And you traded a ready-made supreme black blade…"
"…for Oden's Enma?"
Gern let out a quiet chuckle—one devoid of warmth.
"They took you for a fool."
He raised his free left hand, gently wagging a finger.
"At the very least…" his gaze deepened slightly, as if recalling a distant figure wielding twin blades,
"…they should have added Ame no Habakiri to make it even remotely fair."
"What do you think?"
As his words fell—
Gern's wrist shifted ever so slightly.
A surge of pure force traveled along Enma's blade—straight into Zoro's arms!
Zoro let out a muffled grunt.
His arms trembled violently, numbness spreading through them as his palms burned with tearing pain.
His entire body was forced backward uncontrollably—
His feet carving shallow grooves into the stone as he slid across the courtyard—
Until his back slammed into the ancient cherry tree, halting his retreat. The impact sent a flurry of blossoms cascading down.
Dropping to one knee, Zoro drove Enma into the ground to steady himself, breathing heavily as he glared forward.
Gern had already withdrawn his blade.
With casual ease, he flipped it and returned it to his waist.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Absolute.
Oppressive.
...
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