"Hawke..."
Zoro lowered his voice and asked, "He's here at this branch right now?"
"Hmm...?"
Dane didn't answer directly but instead asked back,
"You need something from him?"
"Uh..."
Zoro then explained everything about his "grudge" with Hawke from start to finish.
His tone was filled with frustration and resentment.
From being a somewhat well-known "pirate hunter" in the East Blue, he'd now fallen so low he couldn't even afford a meal...
And the culprit behind it all was that bastard Rayne Hawke.
If only Hawke had let just one or two small-time pirates slip through his fingers…
He wouldn't have ended up like this today!
"Hahaha—"
Dane couldn't help but laugh and shake his head after listening.
So this was the reason...
He hadn't expected that Hawke wiping out the pirates in East Blue would lead to bounty hunters collectively losing their jobs.
But there was no helping it. Hunting down pirates and cleansing evil...
That was the Marine's duty.
"…"
Soon, the two of them finished their meal.
Burp—
Zoro let out a satisfied belch.
"Strength and energy fully restored!"
This feeling... amazing.
He never wanted to starve again...
"Alright, let's go. Time for a duel between swordsmen."
"Let's go!"
One after the other, they walked out of the cafeteria and headed to the brightly lit training grounds.
The Marines who had just finished training and were resting nearby immediately gathered around, eager to watch.
"Lieutenant Commander Dane's gonna spar with someone!"
"Who's his opponent? Doesn't look like someone from our branch."
"I know him. That's the pirate hunter—Roronoa Zoro. He's pretty famous in East Blue."
"Pretty famous? Doesn't matter! The Lieutenant Commander's definitely winning this one."
"Of course! Lieutenant Commander Dane was personally trained by Hawke-sama!"
The Marines' chatter rose and fell around them.
"…"
Zoro ignored every voice around him.
He clamped Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and gripped his two regular blades in each hand.
"Sorry…"
"I'm a three-sword-style swordsman."
Zoro's voice squeezed out from between his teeth.
"When it comes to both number and quality of blades, I've got the advantage here."
"No... Zoro."
Dane shook his head and placed his right hand on the hilt of his katana, Akubi-no-Kiba.
"Hawke once told me something."
"The strength of a swordsman comes from themselves."
"Blades… are the smallest factor influencing a swordsman's strength."
"It is the person who grants the sword its power…"
"Not the sword… that makes the person strong!"
"!!!"
Zoro's pupils shrank violently.
The strength… of a swordsman… comes from themselves…
It is the person… who grants the sword its power…
Not the sword… that makes the person strong…
This idea was like a bolt of thunder, striking directly into his heart as a swordsman.
The one who said this…
Rayne Hawke… was he actually a great swordsman?!
"Whoo—"
Zoro took a deep breath, forcefully pressing down the storm of thoughts inside him.
No matter what, he had to finish this duel first.
He steadied his mind, every muscle in his body tensing.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
The blades in his hands crossed instantly, slashing toward Dane.
The Wado Ichimonji in his mouth sealed off Dane's escape route.
But Dane neither dodged nor retreated.
"One-Sword Style!"
Akubi-no-Kiba flashed from its sheath, a single arc slicing through the air.
Clang—!!!
The sharp clash of steel exploded through the silent night.
Akubi-no-Kiba and Wado Ichimonji collided violently in mid-air, sparks scattering in every direction.
Clang—!!!
Clang—!!!
Clang—!!!
After several rapid strikes, both of them slid back a step.
"Impressive!"
Zoro felt his palms go numb.
This Marine Lieutenant Commander… his swordsmanship was strong, but his martial arts were just as formidable!
"…"
Dane's expression showed slight surprise as well. Zoro truly lived up to his reputation as a well-known bounty hunter in East Blue.
His swordsmanship far surpassed that of ordinary swordsmen there.
Dane glanced at the moon hanging in the night sky.
"Sorry, my duty shift's about to start."
"Zoro, your swordsmanship is strong."
"But…"
Before he could finish, a faint black sheen surfaced along Dane's right arm holding the blade.
That blackness spread from his hand, flowing up the hilt and coating Akubi-no-Kibai entirely.
The katana turned jet-black, radiating an oppressive, suffocating aura.
"…"
Zoro's breath stopped.
What… was that?!
That black stuff… what the hell was it?!
"But… I've already started grasping Armament Haki."
Dane's calm voice carried over.
A slash wrapped in pure black, like a streak of obsidian lightning, tore through the darkness.
Zoro instinctively raised all three blades to block.
Crack—!
Crack—!
Two crisp snapping sounds rang out.
The two regular blades shattered instantly.
Zoro's body was thrown backward uncontrollably, tumbling across the ground several times before finally stopping.
Ignoring the dust on himself, he quickly looked down at his hands.
Two bare hilts…
…
The broken fragments of his blades lay scattered on the ground nearby.
This…
Zoro jerked his head up, staring at Dane with shock and disbelief.
Why?
Why did Dane's power suddenly skyrocket with that last slash?!
That black aura swirling around his blade… just what the hell was it?!
"Zoro, that was a fine duel."
Dane slowly sheathed his katana and walked up to Zoro.
"I look forward to our next match."
"I'll be stationed at this branch for the next half a month."
"If you want another fight, just give me a heads-up."
With that, Dane turned and left, heading for his shift.
This man, Roronoa Zoro…
He was the strongest swordsman Dane had encountered so far in East Blue.
But in just half a month, he'd be leaving for the G-3 branch.
The enemies there would be hundreds of times stronger than those in East Blue.
Before that, sparring more with Zoro would definitely sharpen his swordsmanship.
"…"
After a brief silence, the surrounding Marines erupted in chaos.
"Did we see that right?!"
"We saw it! That move Dane used was Armament Haki!"
"No wonder Hawke-sama's personal disciple—he's already starting to grasp Armament!"
"So… are we still resting?"
"Rest your ass! I'm gonna master Armament too!"
"Push harder! Put in a hundred times the effort!"
"A hundred? I'm putting in two hundred!"
"…"
Zoro stared at Dane's retreating figure, falling into deep thought.
In pure swordsmanship, he figured he and Dane were evenly matched.
In terms of blade quality, he even had the advantage.
But Hawke once said… blades were the smallest factor in determining a swordsman's strength.
So… what were the other factors?
Was it that black power from earlier?
According to the Marines nearby, they called it Armament Haki…?
Zoro's curiosity burned like a fire lit to dry kindling.
He had to figure this out!
Glancing at the Marines around him who had returned to training despite being exhausted, he made up his mind.
He'd join in too—then, after Dane finished his shift, he'd get answers!
With that thought, Zoro took off his shirt, revealing his muscular torso.
Then, he walked toward a massive barbell nearby.
It was an enormous contraption, both ends weighed down by thick iron plates—equipment meant specifically for testing extreme strength at the branch.
Zoro grabbed the barbell with both hands, testing it with a slight exertion of force.
Effortlessly, he lifted the heavy barbell straight above his head, movements smooth and fluid—as if he were holding a wooden stick.
"Hmm… not bad."
"…"
All around the training ground, every Marine dripping with sweat froze mid-motion.
Their eyes locked, wide and stunned, on Zoro and the barbell.
Wait… that barbell… other than Hawke-sensei and Lieutenant Commander Dane…
Even the strongest soldier in their branch could only barely bench it three times!
And this green-haired guy was tossing it around like a toy?!
"Oi… are we really gonna let some outsider show off like this on our turf?"
A burly, muscle-bound Marine gritted his teeth, veins bulging.
"Of course not!"
The comrade next to him immediately echoed, flames of fighting spirit blazing in his eyes.
They were Hawke-sensei's men!
The most elite Marines in all of East Blue!
No way were they gonna lose to some bounty hunter outsider!
"Get him! Bench-press him into the ground!"
"Get him! Deadlift the crap outta him!"
"Get him! Squat until he cries!"
An unspoken battle erupted instantly.
But against the physical monster named Roronoa Zoro…
Bench presses? Crushed.
Deadlifts? Destroyed.
Squats? Utterly dominated.
Before long, Marines lay scattered all over the training grounds.
Damn it… they were no match for this green-haired freak when it came to raw strength!
Thud—
Zoro placed the barbell back onto the rack and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Not bad at all.
This place's training equipment was top-notch—it had been a long time since he'd trained this comfortably!
Grrr—
After a duel and such intense training, his stomach growled again.
Zoro walked up to one of the Marines lying sprawled on the ground and asked, "Hey, do you guys have any late-night snacks around here?"
One Marine, already so exhausted his eyes were rolling back, weakly replied, "Of course we do…"
Then he suddenly realized—
"Wait, why the hell do you even care if we've got late-night snacks?!"