"BOOM!!"
"ARGH!!"
With a deafening explosion, Moria came crashing through the wall, his agonized scream echoing into the distance, immediately drawing the attention of Meiser and Oars.
"Hmm?"
Hearing Moria's familiar voice, Oars instinctively turned sideways and immediately spotted the figure flying through the air.
He muttered reflexively, "A... a flying man?"
Instinctively, Oars reached out to grab him, but the distance was too great—far beyond his grasp.
"Luffy's already engaged with that guy," Meiser remarked.
It seemed that guy had been sent flying by Luffy's punch. Defeating him would only be a matter of time for Luffy.
Thinking this, Meiser nodded and turned his attention back to Oars. Seizing the moment of distraction, he delivered a swift kick.
Enraged by the kick, Oars immediately abandoned his observation of the tiny flying figure and focused entirely on battling Meiser.
"You damn brat!!"
Moria, still airborne, seethed with fury.
Luffy's strike hadn't just interrupted Moria's words—it had shattered any hope of persuading him.
If words wouldn't get him what he wanted, then force was the only option!!!
This thought flashed through Moria's mind, and his expression twisted with malice.
"Damn you, Straw Hat Boy!"
"If that's how it is, I'll just have to take you down first," Moria shouted. "Then I'll deal with that other brat!"
If he couldn't recruit this one, then... he'd just contribute a corpse!
"WHOOSH—"
"BOOM!!"
Finally, Moria crashed into the distant forest, carving a massive crater into the ground.
However, using the power of his Shadow, he mitigated the impact, avoiding serious injury.
"Bastard, don't run!"
Luffy, gripping the window frame with both hands, launched himself after Moria with a rubber-powered leap.
"WHOOSH—"
"BOOM!!"
Propelled by his elasticity, Luffy flew even faster than Moria had, landing in the forest within moments and creating another crater.
But Luffy paid no mind to the destruction. As a Gomu-Gomu Fruit user, he had no fear of Evasion Strikes.
Scanning his surroundings, he frowned in confusion. "Huh? Where'd he go?"
That fat garlic-head had definitely flown this way—so why was there no sign of him?
Puzzled, Luffy began searching for Moria.
Just then, a figure quietly emerged from behind a tree and whispered, "Hey, are you the Straw Hat Boy?"
"Huh?"
Luffy, who had been about to shout, turned toward the voice. Seeing an unfamiliar face, he asked, "Who're you?"
"You're the Ninja guy's captain, right?"
The man gestured toward Meiser, who was locked in combat with Oars in the distance.
"You know Meiser?"
"Yeah, I'm one of Captain Lola's crew."
"Lola?"
The man blinked. Had their captain never met the Straw Hat Boy before?
Or... had he just forgotten?
At this thought, the man said, "That's the one who proposes to everyone she meets."
"Ah, her... that marriage-obsessed woman."
Luffy immediately remembered, and an image of Lola involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
"Right, it's her..." The man sighed in relief, then continued, "We're friends."
"Not sure why you stopped me, but I'm busy right now," Luffy said. "I still have to punch that bastard Moria into next week."
"Then everyone's shadows can return."
After saying this, Luffy prepared to leave, clearly not intending to chat with the man any longer.
"I know you're going to fight Moria, but before that, I want you to come with me."
"Why?"
"Because we have the power to make you stronger!" the man quickly replied. "We can use shadows to enhance your strength."
At this moment, the man understood the significance of the Ninja leader's order for them to stay here.
Perhaps... it was precisely to wait for the arrival of the Straw Hat Boy!
"Huh?"
"Whoa!!"
"Ah... today's fight was really satisfying." Meiser shook his wrist and grinned. "An indestructible punching bag is so useful."
Oars looked rather worse for wear—one of his fangs had been broken clean off, and a front tooth was knocked crooked.
His body was also covered in dirt and footprints.
Clearly, Meiser had given him quite the beating.
"Damn it, why do you always aim for my face?" Oars grumbled.
Though he couldn't feel pain, getting hit in the face repeatedly was still embarrassing.
Subconsciously, Oars touched his fangs and grew even more irritated upon realizing one was broken.
"Damn it, I'll break your teeth too!"
"If you've got the skill, go ahead and try."
Meiser crossed his arms, looking utterly arrogant.
In terms of raw strength, the two were evenly matched, but Oars couldn't keep up with Meiser's speed.
Thus, Meiser had the clear upper hand in battle.
However, since Oars was a Zombie and didn't falter from pain, the fight wasn't completely one-sided.
But for Meiser, a punching bag that wouldn't die easily was far more entertaining!
Just then, shouts rose from beneath them.
"You two bastards!!"
"Damn it, how dare you treat our General Zombie like this? We won't forgive you!!"
Hearing this, Meiser and Oars instinctively looked down and immediately spotted the figures.
They were the General Zombies who had been kicked down the stairs by Oars earlier. Now recovered, they were ready for revenge.
"Who are you guys?"
Oars tilted his head in confusion. "Do we know each other?"
Meiser, meanwhile, merely glanced at them dismissively, not even bothering to speak—as if they weren't worth his attention.
General Zombies: "..."
One claimed not to know them, the other outright ignored them... How insulting, you bastards!!
"Bastards! You attacked us earlier, and now you're pretending not to know us?!"
"You two better be ready to pay for this!"
"Don't underestimate the General Zombies, you bastards!"
The General Zombies roared in anger, clearly mistaking Meiser as one of those who had just attacked them.
Well, it couldn't be helped—who told Meiser to grow so huge now?
"I didn't attack you just now."
"Bullshit! You're a Ninja! Who knows if you used the Clone Technique to confuse us and then grew bigger to ambush us?"
"Yeah, exactly!"
Meiser: "..."
What did this have to do with him? It was Oars who jumped down and smashed them!
But judging by these guys' attitude, they wouldn't listen to his explanation anyway.
"Prepare to die!"
The enraged General Zombies charged at the two, weapons in hand, attacking without hesitation.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!"
Some unleashed Flying Slashes, others fired artillery.
Unfortunately, with their current muscular defenses, ordinary attacks were completely ineffective against them.
Even Meiser couldn't be pierced—at most, he felt a slight stinging sensation.
Looking down at these ants, Meiser and Oars bellowed simultaneously, "Bastards, have you had enough yet?!"
"Rubber... no, not Rubber Gatling!"
"Ninja Fist!!"
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!"
Their attacks were terrifyingly powerful, smashing the ground beneath them into collapse. As for the so-called General Zombies?
They were pounded flat by the two.
Even if they couldn't be killed, they were in no condition to keep fighting now.
"Damn... damn Giants, I—"
"Boom!!"
Meiser punched the speaker, forcibly cutting off his words.
"Annoying."
Seeing the two of them fighting here, they still dared to come looking for death... Were these guys always this brave?
Sword Masters might be strong, but as Zombies, how much of their power could they really wield?
At the very least, their earlier attacks couldn't break through the duo's defenses.
"Such fascinating power..."
Perched atop a large tree, Moria watched Oars and Meiser with excitement.
This was the power of Giants!!
Even though those Zombies were revived ancient warriors of great strength, they couldn't leave a scratch on these two behemoths.
"Hmph, once I deal with the Straw Hat Boy, I'll personally ask him for his thoughts," Moria muttered.
He just hoped this Ninja brat would be sensible—otherwise, he'd have to be ruthless.
Just then, several explosions rang out from the top of a tall building, followed by white Flying Slashes slicing through the structure!
The next moment, an even louder explosion erupted, collapsing an entire section of the building's roof!
"Boom!!"
"Whoosh~"
"Whoosh~"
"Whoosh~"
Several figures shot out from the dust—among them, Zoro and the others.
"Oh?"
"That Three-Sword Style swordsman can actually fight Ryuma to this extent?" Moria's expression shifted. "Not bad at all..."
He knew full well the caliber of Shimotsuki Ryuma—a legendary warrior who had once slain a dragon.
Even as mere reanimated zombies, their strength was beyond what ordinary people could contend with. Yet this kid... In other words, his power wasn't just at the level of a hundred million bounty?
"It seems the Straw Hat Pirates' bounties aren't inflated after all..." Moria narrowed his eyes and said.
At this moment, Moria realized how laughable his previous assumptions had been. It was entirely possible this crew had truly turned Enies Lobby upside down.
"Still, even so, you won't be leaving here unscathed today!"
With a cold laugh, Moria swiftly leaped down from the tree and headed deeper into the forest.
Clearly, he intended to continue searching for traces of the Straw Hat Boy.
"Two-Sword Style: Rashomon!"
"Yohohoho!"
"Nocturne · Direct Pierce!!"
"Clang!!"
"Boom!!"
The two men brushed past each other, their slashes forcibly shearing off another portion of the already dilapidated rooftop.
The force was like an artillery shell exploding on the spot!
"So... so strong..."
Brook, lying in Franky's arms, stared at the two in shock—their power far surpassed his own!
At this moment, Brook understood one thing: this swordsman had never been serious when fighting him!
The realization filled Brook with a sense of defeat.
"What an evenly matched battle..." Franky remarked. "Every attack gets blocked by the other."
From the looks of it, there would be no quick resolution to this fight.
"Both are masters," Brook sighed. "They see through each other's moves, so naturally they can counter them."
Franky nodded without another word.
Glancing between the two locked in combat and the two colossal figures clashing in the distance, Franky suddenly felt the scene was truly spectacular.
From this vantage point, he could perfectly observe both battlefields!
The visual impact was absolutely overwhelming!
"What's with that giant?" Brook also noticed Meiser's side and exclaimed in shock. "I feel like he's..."
"Yep, that's Meiser!"
"Eh?!!"
Brook gasped. "This ninja guy... can actually turn into a giant?!"
He'd never seen anything like it. How had the other achieved this?
The power of a Devil Fruit?
Or... was it through ninjutsu?
"Exactly!" Franky boasted. "Take a good look—this is the strength of our pirate crew!"
Brook unconsciously swallowed hard. The Straw Hat Pirates... might be even stronger than he'd imagined.
"Yohohoho, it's quite lively tonight," Ryuma chuckled.
"Yeah, really lively."
After scanning the distant battlefield, Zoro slowly removed the bandana from his arm and tied it around his head.
Then he drew the sword at his waist, placing Wado Ichimonji between his teeth—assuming the iconic Three-Sword Style stance.
"But... I don't have time to keep playing around with you... Dawn's coming soon."
At this moment, Zoro's gaze turned razor-sharp!
"Yohohoho, are you going to use that acrobatic swordsmanship of yours again?" Ryuma chuckled.
"Who knows~"
Zoro grinned widely as his aura instantly began to surge!
"BOOM!!"
An incredibly terrifying aura erupted from Zoro's body, creating an illusion as if he had transformed into a three-headed, six-armed Asura!!
"Wha..."
Franky's face twisted in disbelief. What was he seeing?
Had Zoro really turned into a three-headed, six-armed Asura in an instant?
Was he seeing things?
"To create illusions with just your aura..." Brook stared at Zoro in shock. "What a terrifying man."
He had never encountered such a powerful warrior before.
"Yohohoho, what an overwhelming aura." Ryuma's expression turned excited. "It seems you weren't boasting after all."
Just from this aura alone, it was clear that his opponent was a formidable Sword Master!!
Given enough time, he might even become an exceptionally powerful Great Sword Master.
"You'd better bring your A-game, or I might get careless."
"Yohohoho, don't worry." Ryuma said seriously. "Though I am not the real Ryuma, I won't disgrace this body."
Even if he recognized his opponent's potential, he wouldn't hold back in the slightest!
To take that weapon from him, one must defeat him head-on!!
And this... is the path one must walk to become a Great Sword Master!
"ROAR!!"
At that moment, Oars suddenly roared and charged toward Meiser, swinging a massive fist.
Meiser retaliated with a punch of his own.
"BOOM!!"
A terrifying shockwave erupted from the impact, sending debris flying in all directions!!
This served as the spark—the two swordsmen, who had been locked in a standoff, suddenly tensed.
"Oni Giri: Asura Style!"
"Asura · Karma Fire Chain!!"
"Whoosh~"
As if his body had ignited with eerie flames, Zoro kicked off the ground, shattering the tiles beneath him as he dashed toward Ryuma.
From Ryuma's perspective, it looked like an Asura wreathed in karma fire was charging straight at him!
"Yohohoho!"
"Humming Three-Verse Arrow-Tail Cut!!"
Ryuma bellowed, similarly crushing the tiles underfoot as he rushed toward Zoro at blinding speed!
"CLANG!"
Zoro flashed past Ryuma's body, appearing behind him as he coldly declared: "Your sword... I'll be taking it."
"SPLURT!"
The words acted like a trigger—a massive X-shaped wound instantly split open across Ryuma's body.
The next moment, the wound glowed as flames erupted, rapidly spreading across Ryuma's form.
Slowly sheathing his three swords, Zoro removed his bandana and calmly turned to face Ryuma.
"Truly... a razor-sharp blade." Ryuma admitted. "I underestimated you."
Not only had his opponent seen through his slash, but he had also inflicted a fatal wound.
And now, these flames consuming his flesh... it was over for him.
Looking up at the sky, Ryuma spoke with mixed emotions: "To have this warrior's body taste defeat is truly..."
"Feeling shame is enough," Zoro said calmly. "A true swordsman must unite both body and spirit."
"Yohohoho, well said indeed."
Glancing down at the Autumn Water in his hand, Ryuma sheathed it and turned to toss it to Zoro.
Snap
Watching Zoro catch Autumn Water steadily, Ryuma said softly, "Letting you become this sword's master must be its long-cherished wish... Boy, what is your dream?"
"The world's greatest Sword Master!" Zoro answered without hesitation.
"The world's greatest Sword Master, huh..."
For reasons unknown, Ryuma suddenly burst into laughter.
"Yohohoho!"
"YOHOHOHOHO!!"
"YOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"
Whoosh
The flames grew larger, completely engulfing Ryuma's body.
Thus, amidst the roaring flames, Ryuma was entirely consumed, gradually turning to ashes.
Watching the ascending shadow, Zoro murmured, "I truly wish I could've met you when you were alive..."
He longed to witness just how powerful the genuine Dragon-Slaying Swordsman had been.
But alas, that wish would forever remain unfulfilled.
Not being born in the same era was truly regrettable.
"Wonderful! My shadow has returned!!"
Brook, seeing the shadow reappear at his feet, was overcome with excitement, shouting joyfully.
No one knew how much suffering he'd endured these years!
After losing his shadow, he hadn't even been qualified to return to Laboon's side... But it didn't matter now. With his shadow restored, he could face the sunlight once more!
Taking a deep breath, Zoro turned to the two and said, "Let's go. This isn't the time to celebrate victory yet—the battle isn't over."
As he spoke, Zoro glanced toward the battlefield where Meiser and Oars were fighting. Their clash was far more intense than his had been.
"You helped me reclaim my shadow, so it's only natural I'd go through fire and water for you!" Brook declared earnestly. "Please let me contribute my strength too!"
Seeing Brook's determination, Zoro grinned and said, "Just don't die on me."
"Of course!"