"BOOM!!"
"AAAH!!"
With a deafening crash, Moria burst through the wall and was sent flying out, his screams echoing into the distance—instantly drawing the attention of both Jin and Oars.
"Hm?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Oars subconsciously turned his head and immediately spotted the figure flying through the air.
He muttered in confusion, "F-flying man?"
Instinctively, Oars reached out to grab him, but the distance was far too great.
"Tch—so Luffy's already clashed with him," Jin said calmly.
Judging by the trajectory, that fat garlic-head had clearly been punched out by Luffy.
At this rate, Luffy defeating him was only a matter of time.
With that thought, Jin nodded, turned back toward Oars—and took advantage of his distraction to kick him squarely.
Oars instantly flew into a rage.
He stopped paying attention to the flying garlic and refocused entirely on Jin.
"Damn brat!!"
High in the air, Moria's heart burned with fury.
Luffy's punch had not only interrupted his speech—it had completely shattered his plan to persuade him.
If words won't get me what I want… then I'll take it by force!!
That thought flashed through his mind as his expression twisted into something feral.
"Damn Straw Hat brat!"
"If that's how it's going to be, I'll beat you first—then go subdue that ninja!"
If he could recruit him, all the better.
If not… then he'd contribute his corpse!
"Whoosh—!"
"BOOM!!"
Moria finally crashed into the forest, blasting a massive crater into the ground.
Using the power of his shadows, he softened the impact and avoided serious injury.
"Don't run, you bastard!"
Gripping the edge of the shattered window, Luffy launched himself after him.
"Whoosh—!"
"BOOM!!"
Luffy flew even faster than Moria, slamming into the forest within moments and carving out another crater.
But he didn't care—being a rubber man, he wasn't afraid of impact at all.
Scanning his surroundings, Luffy frowned.
"Huh? That's weird… where'd he go?"
He had clearly seen that fat garlic fly this way—so why wasn't he here?
Puzzled, Luffy began searching.
At that moment, someone quietly peeked out from behind a tree.
"Hey… are you Straw Hat?"
"Huh?"
Luffy turned toward the voice and blinked at the unfamiliar man.
"Who are you?"
"You're Ninja Big Brother's captain, right?"
As he spoke, he pointed toward the distant battlefield where Jin was still fighting Oars.
"You know Jin?"
"Yeah. I'm one of Captain Lola's crew."
"Lola?"
The man froze for a moment.
Hadn't the captain met Straw Hat before?
Or… maybe he just hadn't remembered?
He quickly added, "The one who proposes to everyone she meets."
"Oh—her!" Luffy nodded. "The proposal lady."
"Yes, that's her…" the man sighed in relief. "We're friends."
"I don't know why you called me over," Luffy said, already turning away, "but I've got stuff to do."
"I still need to go beat up Moria."
"Then everyone's shadows will come back."
With that, he started to leave.
"I know you're going to fight Moria," the man said quickly, "but before that, I need you to come with me."
"Why?"
"Because we can make you stronger!" he blurted out.
"Using shadows—we can make you much stronger!"
At that moment, he finally understood why Ninja Big Brother had asked them to wait here.
Perhaps…
It was for this very moment.
"Huh?"
"HUH?!"
...
"Whew… today's fight was really satisfying."
Jin rolled his wrist and smiled.
"An unkillable punching bag really is convenient."
Oars looked miserable.
One of his fangs had been snapped clean off, one of his front teeth bent crooked, and his body was filthy—covered in footprints.
It was obvious Jin had kicked him countless times.
"Damn it, why do you keep hitting my face?!" Oars complained.
He might not feel pain, but getting punched in the face nonstop was humiliating.
He reached up and touched his broken fang, growing even more annoyed.
"Damn it! I'm gonna knock your teeth out too!"
"If you've got the ability, feel free to try," Jin replied arrogantly, arms crossed.
In raw strength, the two were evenly matched.
But Oars was far slower.
That speed difference allowed Jin to firmly control the battle.
Still, because Oars was a zombie and didn't feel pain, the fight hadn't become completely one-sided.
But for Jin—
A punching bag that didn't die easily only made things more fun.
Just then, angry shouts rose from below.
"You bastards!!"
"How dare you treat our General Zombies like this?!"
"We'll never forgive you!!"
Both Jin and Oars looked down at the same time.
Below them were the General Zombies—those Oars had kicked off the stairs earlier.
They had recovered and were now charging up for revenge.
"Who are you guys?" Oars asked sincerely, tilting his head.
"Do I know you?"
Jin merely glanced at them coldly—completely uninterested.
The General Zombies: …
One didn't recognize them.
The other didn't even bother acknowledging them.
That level of contempt was unbearable!
"You bastards! You attacked us earlier and now pretend nothing happened?!"
"You two—prepare yourselves!!"
"Don't underestimate the General Zombies!!"
Roaring in rage, they charged forward with weapons raised.
Slashes flew.
Cannons fired.
Clang!
Boom!
Boom!
But unfortunately—
With the defensive power of their current bodies, such attacks were utterly meaningless.
Even Jin barely felt more than a sting.
Looking down at the ants beneath them, both giants shouted at once:
"Have you had enough already?!"
"Not-Gomu-Gomu Gatling!!"
"Ninja Fist!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground collapsed under the bombardment.
The so-called General Zombies were smashed flat into the earth like pancakes.
Even if they couldn't truly die, they were no longer capable of standing up to fight.
"Y-you giants… I—"
BOOM!!
Jin slammed his fist down, crushing the rest of his words.
"So noisy."
Seeing two titans fighting above them—and still daring to rush in—
Were these guys brave, or just stupid?
A swordsman might be terrifying when alive—
But as zombies, how much of that strength could they really use?
At the very least, none of their attacks had broken his defense.
"…What mesmerizing power."
Perched atop a massive tree, Moria stared in rapture at Jin and Oars.
This—
This was the power of giants!!
Even revived ancient warriors couldn't affect them in the slightest.
"Hmph. Once I deal with Straw Hat, I'll personally ask that ninja what he thinks," Moria muttered.
He just hoped the brat would be sensible.
Otherwise—
He'd have to be ruthless.
At that moment, thunderous crashes erupted from the top of a distant building.
White flying slashes tore straight through the structure!
The next instant, a massive explosion rang out—
The rooftop collapsed inward!
"BOOM!!"
"Whoosh—!"
Figures burst from the smoke.
It was Zoro and the others.
"Oh?"
"That three-sword swordsman actually pushed Ryuma this far?" Moria muttered in surprise.
He knew Ryuma's legend well—
A legendary samurai who once slew a dragon.
Even as a zombie, his strength was no joke.
Yet that brat…
So his true strength was far beyond a mere hundred-million bounty.
"…Looks like the Straw Hat Pirates' bounties aren't exaggerated after all," Moria narrowed his eyes.
At this moment, he finally realized how foolish his earlier assumptions had been.
This crew might truly have turned Enies Lobby upside down.
"But even so—you won't be leaving this place unharmed today!"
With a cold laugh, Moria leapt from the tree and disappeared deeper into the forest.
Clearly, he was going after Straw Hat again.
"Two-Sword Style — Rashomon!!"
"Yohohoho!"
"Hum-Drum Three-Note Style — Straight Thrust!!"
CLANG!!
BOOM!!
As the two crossed paths, their slashes tore away yet another section of the ruined rooftop.
The force was like exploding cannon fire.
"So… so strong…" Brook murmured from Franky's arms.
That power was far beyond his own.
Only now did Brook realize something—
Ryuma had never fought him seriously.
The realization left him shaken.
"What an evenly matched battle…" Franky said in awe.
"Every strike gets perfectly countered."
From the looks of it, neither could win quickly.
"Both are true masters," Brook sighed.
"They can read each other's attacks—that's why they can neutralize them."
Franky nodded silently.
Looking at the two sword duels—
Then glancing toward the two giants clashing in the distance—
A shiver ran through him.
The spectacle was overwhelming.
From this angle, both battlefields were visible at once.
The visual impact was unreal.
"That giant over there…" Brook said, staring wide-eyed.
"He looks a bit like—"
"Yep. That's Jin!"
"Eh?!!"
Brook gasped.
"That ninja gentleman… can turn into a giant?!"
He had never seen anything like it.
Devil Fruit power?
Or ninjutsu?
"Yes!" Franky laughed proudly.
"Take a good look—this is the strength of our crew!"
Brook swallowed hard.
This Straw Hat crew…
Might be even stronger than he'd imagined.
"Yohohoho, it's quite lively today," Ryuma chuckled.
"It really is."
Zoro glanced at the distant battlefield, then slowly removed the bandana from his arm and tied it around his head.
He drew his swords—
Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth.
The stance of Three-Sword Style.
"But…"
"I don't have time to keep dragging this out."
"If dawn comes, things will get troublesome."
In that instant—
Zoro's gaze sharpened to a razor's edge.
"Yohohoho, are you going to use that acrobatic sword style again?" Ryuma teased.
"Who knows~"
Zoro grinned.
His aura surged violently.
BOOM!!
A terrifying pressure burst from his body.
For a moment—
It felt as though a three-faced, six-armed Asura had manifested behind him!
"W-what…?!"
Franky stared in disbelief.
Had Zoro just turned into a three-headed demon?!
Was he seeing things?!
"To create hallucinations through sheer presence…" Brook whispered in awe.
"What a terrifying man."
Even he had never encountered someone like this.
"Yohohoho, what incredible spirit," Ryuma said excitedly.
"So you weren't boasting."
From that aura alone, it was clear—
This was a true swordsman.
Given enough time, he could undoubtedly become a great swordmaster.
"Show me your true strength," Ryuma said seriously.
"Otherwise, I'll be disappointed."
"Yohohoho. Rest assured," Ryuma continued solemnly.
"Though I am not the real Ryuma, I will not disgrace this body."
If Zoro wished to take that blade—
He would have to defeat him head-on.
That was the path to becoming a true great swordsman.
"ROAR!!"
At that moment, Oars suddenly bellowed and charged at Jin again, throwing a massive punch.
Jin answered with one of his own.
BOOM!!
The shockwave surged across the battlefield, hurling debris even this far away.
It was like a signal.
The two swordsmen's expressions sharpened at once.
"Demonic Aura — Nine Sword Style!"
"Asura — Hellfire Dance!!"
A strange, blazing aura seemed to ignite around Zoro.
With a powerful step, he shattered the stone beneath his feet and surged forward.
From Ryuma's perspective—
It was as if a demon wreathed in hellfire was charging straight at him!
"Yohohoho!"
"Hum-Drum Three-Note Style — Arrow Notch Slash!!"
Ryuma shouted and launched himself forward just as fiercely!
CLANG!
In a blur, Zoro passed Ryuma.
He appeared behind him and said coldly:
"Your sword… I'm taking it."
SHNK!
At that instant, a massive X-shaped wound split open across Ryuma's body.
The gash glowed—
And flames erupted, spreading across him.
Zoro slowly sheathed his blades, removed his bandana, and turned back calmly.
"…What overwhelming sharpness," Ryuma said quietly.
"I have lost."
Zoro had not only read his attacks—
He had delivered a decisive, fatal cut.
And now, flames capable of burning away his body had appeared.
The outcome was clear.
Looking up at the sky, Ryuma sighed.
"To let this warrior's body taste defeat… truly…"
"Feeling shame is enough," Zoro replied evenly.
"A swordsman must possess both body and spirit."
"Yohohoho… well said."
Ryuma looked down at Shusui in his hand, then sheathed it and tossed it toward Zoro.
Thud.
Zoro caught it securely.
"Letting you become this blade's master…" Ryuma said softly,
"…must be its destiny."
"Boy—what is your dream?"
"To become the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro answered without hesitation.
"The world's greatest swordsman…"
Ryuma suddenly burst into laughter.
"Yohohoho!"
"Yohohohoho!!"
"Yohohohohoho!!!"
Flames surged higher, engulfing his entire body.
Laughing loudly, Ryuma was consumed by fire—until nothing remained but ash.
Watching the shadow rise into the sky, Zoro murmured:
"I really wish I could've met you while you were alive…"
How powerful the true dragon-slaying samurai must have been—
He wanted to witness it himself.
But that chance would never come.
Not being born in the same era…
Was truly a pity.
"My shadow—my shadow's back!!"
Brook stared at the shadow beneath his feet, overcome with emotion.
He jumped and shouted in joy.
No one knew how much he had suffered all these years.
Without his shadow, he hadn't even had the right to return to Laboon.
But now—
With his shadow restored—
He once again had the right to face the sunlight.
After exhaling deeply, Zoro looked at them.
"Let's go. Now's not the time to celebrate."
"The fight isn't over yet."
As he spoke, he glanced toward the distant battlefield of Jin and Oars.
That clash was far more intense than his own.
"You reclaimed my shadow for me," Brook said seriously.
"I will repay this—even if it means my life!"
Seeing his expression, Zoro grinned.
"Just don't die."
"Yohoho—!"
With that, they turned and moved out together.
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