"Holy crap!"
Sherwin couldn't help blurting out.
When Huamei Meow unleashed her move "One Plum Blossom Cut," several thin black lightning arcs suddenly appeared around her.
That meant she had not only awakened Armament Haki, but even managed to use Advanced Armament (Haki Flow) at the same time...
Even though Sherwin, as a half-trained Hunter, had long since grown used to being outshone by his own Felynes, he still couldn't stop himself from shouting "holy crap" at this sight.
But after carefully observing the results of Huamei Meow slash, Sherwin confidence started to return—
Its power still wasn't as strong as my Crimson Heaven End!
The Hunter ignored the fact that Huamei Meow had just learned Advanced Armament and Armament Haki, and that Felynes had innate physical limitations. He comforted himself with some good old self-delusion.
Although Huamei Meow slash didn't match Sherwin Crimson Heaven End in raw power, the effect of her Haki-infused strike was still remarkable:
over half of the zombie generals were cleaved cleanly in half, and only a few farther away managed to escape unscathed.
And those that were bisected weren't just sliced into two pieces—each of their bodies was missing about two or three finger width of flesh, completely erased.
Even if they wanted to "stitch" themselves back together like before when their heads were cut off, it was now impossible.
"Phew... I'm exhausted... I really do prefer sailing. Admiral, I'll leave the rest to you, meow."
Huamei Meow was quite satisfied with the results of her attack. She nodded with a faint smile, then fell backward onto the ground, panting heavily.
It was clear that one slash had drained every bit of her strength.
Sherwin quickly rushed forward and picked up the exhausted Lord Tiger, feeding her some food while gently massaging her limbs.
"Huamei big sis, that was amazing! That slash just now was even cooler than Getsuga Tensho, meow!"
Klee Meow, perched on Sherwin shoulder, chimed in with genuine admiration tinged with a hint of flattery.
As for the remaining zombie generals, Sherwin didn't even need to worry about them.
They were swiftly taken down by Seijuro Meow and Link Meow, then tossed together with the bisected zombies still crawling all over the ground—only for Klee Meow to finish them all off with a single burst of fire, reducing everything to ashes.
Once that side of the battle was settled, Sherwin and the others turned their attention toward Brook fight.
"Waaah! How did you suddenly get so strong?!"
Brook, who had only been slightly at a disadvantage but was still managing to trade blows evenly with Zombie Ryoma, suddenly realized that his opponent strength and speed had both skyrocketed.
Within just a few exchanges, Brook found himself in serious danger, clutching his afro as he stumbled backward in panic.
"Don't hurt my afro! Sherwin! Please help me!"
He cried out as he ran frantically toward Sherwin and the others, his earlier bravado about reclaiming his shadow through his own power completely gone.
"Seijuro, I'll leave it to you."
Since the opponent body belonged to a samurai from Wano, it was only fitting to leave this battle to Seijuro Meow.
"Many thanks, Lord Sherwin, meow!"
Seijuro Meow clearly found Zombie Ryoma intriguing. After giving Sherwin a polite bow, he drew his sword and charged straight at his foe.
"Flying Cat Sword Style: Plum Flash, meow!"
"Nose Song Three Verse: Arrow Tail Slash!"
Since Seijuro Meow already knew the opponent carried Brook shadow, he naturally chose to counter using the same sword style. Zombie Ryoma immediately responded in kind.
Clack.
Clack.
Seijuro Meow and Zombie Ryoma stood back to back, both sheathing their swords in unison.
A moment later, a thin slash mark appeared on Zombie Ryoma shoulder, while a few strands of fur from the tip of Seijuro Meow tail had been sliced off.
Judging by the results, Seijuro Meow had clearly gained the upper hand in this exchange.
Zombie Ryoma turned around, drawing the black blade Shusui once more, holding it in a mid-stance. His tone was low and solemn.
"Samurai of Wano—'Dragon-Slaying Swordsman' Ryoma of the Shimotsuki line. Little black cat, state your name."
"In the Flying Cat Sword Style, I am Hiko Seijuro. Please grant me your guidance, meow!"
Seijuro Meow mirrored the mid-stance posture and replied with serious courtesy.
"Flying Cat Sword Style? A school I've never heard of. Then allow me to test it myself! Night Song: Direct Pierce!"
Zombie Ryoma stepped forward in a sharp lunge, thrusting his blade toward Seijuro Meow.
Originally intending to battle using Brook sword style and its variations, Seijuro Meow quickly changed his mind upon hearing that and switched back to his own true swordsmanship.
He spun gracefully in place, the Kikyo Sendongetsu in his hand striking the side of Ryoma thrusting Shusui, deflecting it off course.
In the same motion, Seijuro Meow stepped in close, his blade movements appearing erratic but each strike cunningly aimed at Ryoma joints.
Flying Cat Sword Style: Rolling Flash + Cat Claw Flash.
Because of their small size, Felynes often suffer from shorter attack range and limited reach—but every disadvantage has its advantage.
Once they close the distance, enemies like Ryoma instead find themselves restricted and unable to move freely.
After all, the structure of weapons like the longsword inherently makes them unsuitable for close-quarters combat.
Even though master swordsmen throughout history have developed techniques to compensate,
such methods can never completely overcome the limitations of the weapon itself, leaving their full skill unable to be fully unleashed.
Facing Seijuro Meow attack, Zombie Ryoma had no intention of clashing head-on.
Without hesitation, he retreated swiftly, planning to first create some distance from the black cat before regrouping.
However, as he moved backward, Seijuro Meow relentlessly pressed forward.
The Longsword in his paw continued to strike fiercely at Ryoma knees, ankles, and other critical joints, forcing him to split his attention to defend.
At times, Ryoma had no choice but to let the Longsword slash harmlessly at less vital parts of his body just to avoid worse hits.
For zombies, using their pain-numb bodies as shields was a common tactic.
But for Ryoma, who once prided himself as a samurai and swordsman of the Shimotsuki line, such a way of fighting was nothing short of disgraceful.
"Revolutionary Waltz · Reverse · Rush Strike!"
Zombie Ryoma took another slash from Seijuro Meow just to create some distance, using a charging technique as a makeshift retreat.
Then, without pause, he launched a rapid series of thrusts to keep Seijuro Meow from closing in again.
"Barrel Waltz · Chain Strike!"
"Flying Cat Sword Style · Cat Claw Flash!"
Seijuro Meow swung Kikyo Sendongetsu with composed precision, deflecting each of Ryoma thrusts one after another.
Using the recoil from his final parry, Seijuro Meow leapt high into the air.
"Dawn Sonata · Aurora Thrust!"
Ryoma thrust upward, sending a concentrated blast of sword energy like a cannon shell toward the airborne black cat.
But Seijuro Meow didn't dodge or evade—he simply swung his Longsword straight into the oncoming wave of sword energy.
"Flying Cat Sword Style · Cat Pounce Flash!"
After shattering the incoming wave of sword energy, Kikyo Sendongetsu momentum didn't slow—it sliced straight toward Ryoma.
For once, Ryoma didn't use a thrusting technique instead, he swung his own blade upward to meet the attack head-on.
"Prelude · Soldier Breaker!"
Clang—!
Two equally black katanas—one large, one small—collided with a fierce impact, the shockwave kicking up a thick cloud of dust around them.
After a brief struggle, Seijuro Meow flicked his Longsword to release the pressure, flipping backward gracefully to land on his feet, while Ryoma took a backward leap to dispel the force from his blade as well.
At first glance, their clash seemed evenly matched. But in truth, Ryoma had to use two sword techniques just to withstand Seijuro Meow Cat Pounce Flash.
"That samurai… he never even fought me seriously…"
Brook muttered in mild frustration as he watched the battle. What made him even more annoyed was—
"Seijuro also held back when we sparred before."
Fortunately, Brook wasn't just a pure swordsman. Compared to being a swordsman, he valued his identity as a musician far more.
So after a brief moment of irritation, what remained in his heart was nothing but excitement.
Because soon—his shadow would finally be returned to him!
But just then, he noticed an expression of disappointment appear on Seijuro Meow face.
"You're not the real samurai Ryoma, meow."
—