Chapter 23 : Zoro's Determination

Navy Headquarters!

Garp and Sengoku exchanged glances, each with a hint of disbelief in their eyes.

Among those present, including Akainu and the others at the rear, as well as the Warlords of the Sea...

At this moment, everyone even doubted whether they had heard correctly.

Moria... Wasn't he the first Warlord of the Sea defeated by Luffy and his crew?

This can't be true, right?

Who is this Warlord of the Sea?

Each of them has been personally acknowledged by the World Government, and the pirates they select are incredibly formidable!

For so many years, no one has ever dared to challenge the authority of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

No one has ever defeated a single one of them.

And now it's even rumored that they have defeated two in a row!

Since when did the Warlords of the Sea become so weak that they could be defeated consecutively?

What about their reputation?

The admirals, the Shichibukai, they were all rendered speechless...

This grandson of Garp, what he's done is truly... unbelievably audacious!

Within the Seven Warlords of the Sea, strength varies widely. Some are of average strength, while others are on par with the Four Emperors, like Mihawk.

They could understand Moria's defeat; after all, his strength was indeed lacking, and he was considered one of the weakest Warlords of the Sea.

But the others... It seems like each of them wouldn't be an easy opponent for a rookie pirate!

Who the hell did Luffy defeat?

This became a mystery in everyone's mind.

Even the Warlords of the Sea and the others, who were shocked in their hearts, were filled with curiosity.

In any case, this incident was no less shocking than Moria's defeat!

Amidst the shock and confusion of everyone present, Moria's reaction was quite different.

Initially, Moria was defeated, lost face, and knelt in a corner, feeling miserable.

But when he saw the unfolding scene...

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he stood up as if rejuvenated.

What the?

One of the Warlords of the Sea was defeated?

And before me!?

For a moment, Moria felt slightly less humiliated.

Defeated by Luffy and his crew... Perhaps it wasn't so shameful after all!

At least he had someone to share in the disgrace, right?

Not to mention... That person was defeated before him!

[The overwhelming aura exuding from Kuma was undeniable.]

[Merely walking down the street made everyone hesitate to move.]

[With a mere wave of his hand, most of Laura's pirate crew disappeared instantly!]

[This terrifying power instantly awakened everyone, and Kuma's strength was undoubtedly many times greater than Moria's!]

"Despicable!" Zoro's face contorted; now that Luffy was unconscious, he had to protect the captain.

Despite his exhaustion, he didn't waver for a moment and attacked Kuma directly.

However... The power of Kuma far surpassed Moria, not to mention that everyone from the Straw Hat crew was already at the end of their rope.

In an instant, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and the others who had launched the attack were all knocked down, one by one!

Before anyone could react, Kuma conjured a massive bubble with his hand and hurled it violently...

**BOOM!**

With a deafening explosion, everyone present, except for Zoro, was blown unconscious.

Seeing Zoro, who was still protecting his captain despite being exhausted, Kuma cast a sidelong glance. After all, the fact that he could fend off an attack in his state proved his strength.

"I'll take the Straw Hat kid, and the rest of you can go. This is already the greatest mercy I can offer, isn't it?" Kuma spoke.

Zoro knew very well that he couldn't defeat the person before him, but he had to protect the captain.

"With my life, I'll trade for his safety. You won't be at a loss, especially since you're facing the future world's greatest swordsman," Zoro declared.

Kneeling on the ground, his posture lowered, but his determination and pride remained unshaken.

To protect his crew and their captain, he was willing to do whatever it took.

This loyalty, trust among crewmates, and unwavering dedication moved even the perennially expressionless Kuma.

In fact, it moved everyone who was watching this live broadcast!

The Whitebeard Pirates!

When Kuma appeared, everyone was as puzzled as the Navy.

Hearing that Luffy had defeated a Warlord of the Sea was even more shocking.

Now, witnessing Zoro willingly risk his life to protect Luffy, everyone was left in awe.

Zoro's performance had always been apparent to them; he was the strongest fighter among the Straw Hat crew, second only to Luffy.

The fact that he was willing to sacrifice his life for Luffy was a testament to the bond between crewmates and their loyalty to their captain—something truly extraordinary.

It was worth everyone's admiration!

Ace was deeply moved and relieved when he witnessed this scene.

"Luffy... You have reliable crewmates."

"No, you have many reliable crewmates..."

After all, before Kuma appeared, Usopp, Sanji, Robin, and the others, though frightened, had willingly attacked to protect Luffy, even though they were exhausted. Ace had seen it all.

Despite the small size of his brother's crew, it seemed to include some unique individuals.

But without exception, they were all dependable.

In this way, for his brother, who had once wandered alone, Ace was completely at ease.

Navy Headquarters...

Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, observed the scene and couldn't help but smile.

"The future world's greatest swordsman... Interesting."

"I look forward to meeting you someday."

From the beginning, he had noticed this unique swordsman who wielded three swords.

At present, his swordsmanship was far from Mihawk's level.

But his courage was commendable!

However, courage alone wouldn't be enough to face him and compete for the title of world's greatest swordsman...

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