Hearing that all-too-familiar declaration of challenge, Kuina calmly drew the Wado Ichimonji from her hand.
Her cool, clear gaze settled on Zoro, and the corner of her lips curved into a faint smile.
"This time as well, my winning streak isn't going to end."
The moment Kuina assumed her opening stance, Zoro's pupils shrank sharply. His whole body tensed like a fully drawn bow, his focus reaching its absolute peak.
He bit down hard on the sword clenched in his mouth, both arms' muscles taut as steel, every ounce of his will converging at the tips of his blades.
Suddenly—Zoro moved!
His feet seemed fitted with springs. In a flurry of Soru-like bursts, dozens of meters vanished in an instant.
He leapt high into the air, murderous intent surging as all three blades whipped up violent gusts of wind, a ferocious Oni Giri crashing down from above.
Kuina reacted in a flash. The Wado Ichimonji rose horizontally before her, perfectly locking onto the exact center point where the three blades converged.
Clang!
A thunderous crash rang out as two monstrous forces collided head-on, the shockwave blasting dust and debris into the air around them.
Seeing Kuina stand perfectly unmoved, and feeling the terrifying recoil transmitted through his sword hilts, Zoro was inwardly shocked.
Her sword pressure got heavier again?!
But he didn't retreat. Instead, he let out a low roar, his strength exploding outward. With a loud bang, he broke the stalemate, and the two used the rebound force to spring backward simultaneously.
The instant their feet touched the ground, their gazes collided in midair—as if connected by an unspoken understanding.
The very next second, both activated Soru at the same time.
Their figures vanished from their original positions, transforming into two afterimages that smashed together once more.
This exchange was blisteringly fast. The earlier clash had merely been a warm-up—now they were serious.
At some point, a layer of jet-black Armament Haki had already coated the blades in their hands.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shrill tearing sounds filled the air.
Both had stepped into the realm of true swordmasters. Every strike carried terrifying sword intent, and the shockwaves from their collisions made hearts pound in fear.
Within the arena, only flashing blades could be seen—no people—so fast that eyes simply couldn't keep up.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The metallic impacts fell as densely as a torrential downpour, sparks spraying everywhere.
"I can win! This time, I really feel like I can win!"
Though he still looked like he was being suppressed, Zoro grew more and more excited as the fight dragged on. Adrenaline surged through him, his swings growing heavier and fiercer, as if he had inexhaustible strength.
"You've definitely improved a lot, Zoro—especially after comprehending the realm of a swordmaster."
Kuina casually waved her blade, swatting aside Zoro's tiger-like charge as easily as brushing away a fly, still chatting with ease.
"But unfortunately, the final victor—will still be me!"
The instant her words fell, Kuina's aura changed abruptly.
An eerie glint flashed through her eyes.
In the blink of an eye, her pupils split apart, transforming into a bizarre and unsettling pair of twin pupils.
The moment Zoro saw this, his heart sank. Every hair on his back stood on end.
After so many battles, he knew all too well just how monstrous this ability was.
Those eyes were the same as—no, perhaps even more unfathomable than—Dracule Mihawk's.
Under their gaze, it was as if all things were stripped bare. Every weakness, every flaw, was laid completely exposed.
"In my eyes, your movements right now…"
"…are still riddled with holes, just like before."
—Huff.
With a soft sound, Zoro's Oni Giri—previously brimming with unstoppable momentum—seemed to crash into an invisible wall midair, coming to a dead halt.
"This right here—"
Kuina lightly flicked her wrist, her sword intent slipping precisely into that point.
"—is the weakest node of this technique."
In an instant, Zoro's three-sword stance was dismantled cleanly and completely.
Seeing Kuina press in, Zoro broke into a cold sweat. He desperately retreated to open distance, then countered with a sweeping Dragon Twister slashing wave.
But Kuina couldn't even be bothered to dodge. Her speed never slowed.
Under the gaze of those twin pupils, this attack was nothing but flaws.
With a casual swing, she cleaved apart the terrifying-looking tornado, then followed through in one smooth motion—driving straight in and knocking all three of Zoro's raised blades flying from his hands.
"It seems… this time, I still win."
Kuina twirled her sword, sheathing the Wado Ichimonji with crisp efficiency as she spoke calmly.
"Damn it!!"
Zoro's face twisted with frustration as he slammed both fists into the ground, leaving two deep craters behind.
Yet the fire in his eyes didn't fade in the slightest—it burned even hotter. He stared at Kuina, teeth clenched.
"Next time! Next time I'll definitely knock you flat!"
Before Kuina could even reply, the ring of onlooking retainers—never ones to miss a chance for chaos—had already exploded into chatter.
"Man, I thought today might finally be a comeback. Turns out it was still a beatdown."
"Classic loser lines again. I swear I hear that speech every month—my ears are growing calluses."
"For a second there I was really sweating for Zoro, thought he might pull it off. Guess Big Sis Kuina is still more ruthless."
"This is, what, his thousandth loss now? Heh, think he'll cry under the covers again tonight?"
"Huh? Seriously? At his age? What about that tough-guy image—Zoro still cries?"
Listening to the sarcastic jabs all around him, Zoro's face instantly turned the color of pig liver—equal parts rage and embarrassment.
He whipped his head around and roared at the peanut gallery.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you idiots?! A thousand times, my ass! It's only been a few hundred, okay?!"
Still not satisfied, he redirected his fire at Law, who was standing nearby with his sword in his arms, watching the show.
"And you! You dead-fish-faced bastard! You're the one who cries like a baby under the covers whenever you lose to me, aren't you?!"
"Lose to you…?"
Law's usually calm, unruffled expression shattered instantly. This was nothing short of an insult to his very dignity.
"Don't flatter yourself. Don't make it sound like I'm weak," he snapped.
"That's called trading wins, understand? Fifty-fifty. Ever heard of that?"
With no interest in further argument, Law activated the Ope Ope no Mi, instantly swapping positions with a small stone in front of Zoro.
He raised Kikoku and brought it down straight toward Zoro's head.
Zoro, hot-tempered as ever, had already been guarding against this with Observation Haki. Armament instantly coated his blades as he charged forward with a roar.
"Hey, hey—stop watching, Shirahoshi…"
Nami dragged along the mermaid princess—whose size was already approaching Maria's—with a look of utter disdain.
"Stay away from those two idiots. You might catch it."
"Huh? Big brother didn't actually deny the crying-under-the-covers part just now, did he?"
Lami blinked her wide eyes, looking like she'd just discovered a whole new continent, instantly zeroing in on the key detail.
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