Zoro and Mr. 1 clashed repeatedly, with Zoro clearly at a disadvantage due to the nature of his opponent. However, unlike in the original timeline, Zoro wasn't as severely injured—his daily Observation Haki training had sharpened his reflexes enough to dodge most of Mr. 1's lethal strikes. Still, the earlier blow had left him bleeding badly, and he was growing weaker by the second.
"Tatsu Maki!" Zoro roared, launching himself at Mr. 1 in a spinning attack meant to slice through him.
"Spar Break!" Mr. 1 countered confidently, knowing full well that Zoro's blade had never cut him.
As before, the clash ended with Mr. 1 shrugging off the attack, and Zoro being injured again. Blood now dripped from several wounds as Zoro knelt, panting heavily.
"Give up. You cannot cut metal," Mr. 1 said with smug certainty.
Zoro gritted his teeth. 'This is bad... I'm losing blood too fast,' he thought, struggling to stand. But his legs buckled beneath him, and he fell to one knee.
Seeing this, Mr. 1 began turning away, assuming Zoro was finished and preparing to resume his hunt for Vivi.
'He's going for Vivi...' Zoro realized, forcing his shaking body to rise. Mr. 1 paused mid-step, surprised to see Zoro once again on his feet.
Zoro's face was calm, but deadly serious. A flood of memories surged back—moments from his time at the Isshin Dojo. One memory stood out: his master Kyoushirou attempting to cut a piece of paper—and failing.
"Listen well, Zoro," the voice echoed in his mind. "There are swordsmen who can't cut anything—but with that same sword, they can cut through iron."
Kyoushirou's words continued: "The strongest sword is one that can choose what it cuts. A blade that severs everything it touches is not truly a sword."
Back in the present, Zoro opened his eyes with a strange calm, a quiet clarity radiating from him. He had found something—not in brute strength, but in understanding.
"Hurry up and try to cut me," Mr. 1 mocked. "You're just standing there, waiting to be killed."
"It's a shame you won't live long enough to see it," Zoro replied evenly. "Because the moment I cut through steel... will be the moment you die."
Mr. 1 laughed off the threat, but Zoro had already closed his eyes and slowed his breath, tapping into the calm taught through his Observation Haki training—listening to the "breath" of everything around him.
'Everything has a presence… even steel. Feel its rhythm. Its resistance. Its will,' Zoro told himself. His senses opened—he could "see" the wounded civilians nearby, the cracks in the rubble, and finally, the subtle energy in Mr. 1's steel form.
Zoro raised his blade and gently cut down toward a piece of broken stone at his feet. It sliced cleanly, silently. No force, just intent.
From nearby, a wounded Tashigi watched in awe.
'What are you planning, Roronoa Zoro…?' she thought, seeing his new aura of stillness.
"Have you finally accepted your defeat?" Mr. 1 asked.
Zoro didn't respond. He simply assumed a stance—his most powerful yet.
The sight irritated Mr. 1, who assumed Zoro was posturing. He decided to end it with one final attack.
"Atomic Spurt!" Mr. 1 shouted, transforming his legs into blades and using them to accelerate toward Zoro with frightening speed.
Zoro didn't flinch.
"Spar Claw!" Mr. 1 slashed forward, his fingers turned into five razor-sharp blades, aiming to carve Zoro into pieces.
Tashigi gasped, convinced Zoro wouldn't survive. She had seen every exchange and knew he had never once pierced Mr. 1's steel.
But then—
"Oni Giri."
Zoro moved, fast and clean.
They passed one another in a blur. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then blood sprayed from Mr. 1's chest, a deep gash opening as he dropped to his knees.
Tashigi's eyes widened. She recognized the technique, the unmistakable mastery.
"You… You cut steel…" Mr. 1 murmured, stunned. "What's next? Gonna try cutting diamond?"
Zoro stood behind him, his breathing heavy but steady. "That's unnecessary," he replied.
Mr. 1 managed a small smile before collapsing unconscious. Zoro too fell to one knee, breathing hard. He knew the battle was over—but the war wasn't.
---------------
Meanwhile, in another corner of Rainbase, Sanji was locked in battle with Bon Clay, who had been chasing after Vivi—the key to Crocodile's plans. Their fight was fast-paced and fierce, a whirlwind of martial arts. Blow for blow, the two matched each other—kicks colliding, dodges exchanged, counters returned.
But despite Bon Clay's agility and versatility, Sanji was slowly gaining the upper hand. His precision and strength began to show.
Then Bon Clay suddenly struck a flamboyant pose, his fingers pressing against his cheek. In a flash, his appearance shifted—he now looked exactly like Luffy.
"You wouldn't hit your beloved captain, would you?" Bon Clay taunted with a smirk.
Without hesitation, Sanji's foot slammed into Luffy's face—except it wasn't Luffy, just Bon Clay in disguise. The impact sent Bon Clay crashing into a wall.
Bon Clay staggered to his feet, rubbing his jaw. "Wait a minute! Don't you even hesitate for your captain?!"
Sanji exhaled smoke, his eyes sharp with conviction. "Don't mock my crew. You may have their face, but I know their hearts. And that's the only thing that matters."
Bon Clay gritted his teeth, then morphed again—this time into Usopp.
WHAM!
Another merciless kick.
Then Chopper—WHACK.
Zoro—CRACK!
When Bon Clay turned into Zoro's face, Sanji's attacks only became more vicious. Bones cracked. Bon Clay's eyes rolled.
"Okay okay!" Bon Clay squealed, panicking, and—without thinking—transformed into Nami.
Sanji's foot froze mid-kick, inches from her face.
Bon Clay's eyes widened. He hadn't planned that. But it worked.
THUD!
A hard kick to Sanji's ribs sent him flying across the alley. He coughed and rolled, gripping his side in pain.
"HA-HAHAHA! I found your weakness!" Bon Clay cackled, pointing triumphantly. "You can't fight against the ladies!"
Sanji pushed himself back up, wincing but defiant. "Tch... You just caught me off guard," he said through gritted teeth. "Even if you wear Nami-san's face… I know her heart better than you ever could."
Bon Clay switched back to his own form, cautiously watching Sanji's stance.
But just when Sanji charged in again, Bon Clay quickly turned back into Nami—forcing Sanji to hesitate once more, his kick stopping at the last second.
That second was all Bon Clay needed.
CRACK!
Another strike slammed into Sanji's chest.
Bon Clay grinned widely. "It's checkmate, curly-brow!"