Chapter 259: Sword Clash, Painful Zoro

Kuraigana Island Island,

This is a damp island shrouded in gloomy weather for long periods. It was once home to a kingdom called the Shikkearu Kingdom, but now:

The kingdom is in ruins because the island is inhabited by a group of gorillas known as "Human Imitators." These gorillas mimic human behavior: farming, cooking, dressing, and—fighting!

Thus, the war-loving Shikkearu Kingdom was destroyed by these gorillas, who acted like humans and fought back.

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"Well, actually, Zoro here..."

The White Knight, descending from the sky, looked toward a distant castle. As he flew into the gloomy island, a sharp "gaze" had already swept over him before casually pulling back. The feeling Roman got from it was:

"Having Mihawk as a teacher is enough for Zoro's training."

Plus, Zoro is fully focused on swordsmanship. Anything unrelated to that wouldn't help him and would only distract him. Roman hadn't planned to come here, but:

"Since we're here, might as well take a quick look."

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Zoro:?

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In the courtyard beside the castle, a man and a woman sat facing each other, with delicate tea utensils on the table. Of course, it was the gothic lolita Perona making the tea, while the green-haired swordsman...

"My swordsman's sixth sense is picking up some hostility."

Zoro's words couldn't be ignored by Perona.

"My woman's sixth sense is picking up disgust. Aren't you going to fight those gorillas today?"

"No, the regular gorillas are—!"

Whoosh—

In a flash, Zoro's figure shot out of the courtyard like a lightning bolt. His sword, Wadō Ichimonji, suddenly drew from its sheath, and with a sharp slash like a blade cutting through the darkness, he effortlessly split a building's ruin in two, aiming for the building ruins behind it!

Clang!!

But it was met by a long sword that steadily blocked it.

"Zoro, it's me."

In The White Knight's helpless voice, the green-haired swordsman only grinned.

"I knew it was you, Roman."

"Come and fight me!"

I knew it...

"Then—"

"Respectfully, I accept your challenge!"

With a sudden twist and a sweeping motion, The White Knight's sword deflected Zoro's blade. Meanwhile, his eyes gleamed with energy, as Roman projected his full attention from afar.

"More More-10x Shockwave Sword!"

As Roman activated his ability, a white glow covered the sword.

The White Knight's sword struck, but before it even reached Zoro, the shockwave blasted toward him first, shattering everything in its path! The dull sky above the island split open, and the air was filled with an eerie sound of tearing, carrying an intense killing aura. It was powerful enough to disorient an ordinary swordsman and kill them on the spot without understanding why.

Facing this blow, Zoro didn't hesitate. He met it head-on, crossing both Wadō Ichimonji and his other sword, the Shusui:

"Two-Sword Style: Second Slash—Sand Pattern!"

Clang—!!!

In the explosive sound of their swords clashing, the shockwave spread out, shaking the entire island. The force of the impact sent dust and debris flying into the air. Perona, watching from the side, opened her parasol and floated backward, carried away by the force.

"Geez, two barbaric monkeys!"

Looking at the chairs in the courtyard shattered by the aftermath, Perona couldn't help but wish she could deal them both a passive ghostly punishment. But...

"Such energetic young men."

A calm middle-aged man's voice suddenly came from behind, marking the appearance of the island and castle's owner. 

"Hey, you're actually here to watch them spar?" 

Facing the surprised Perona, Mihawk, dressed in a white shirt and with his hat removed to reveal his black hair, answered calmly. 

"Someone came to fight in my home. Isn't it normal for the host to watch? Besides—"

Mihawk, in his casual clothes and holding a newspaper, watched the two fighters in front of him, a hint of emotion flashing in his golden eyes.

Such potential in the younger generation!

"Zoro, you think you can take me on with just two swords? You must be underestimating my progress."

With a single swing of his sword, The White Knight cut a hundred-meter-long gash, forcing Zoro to drag his two blades through the ground, leaving scorched trails. Holding his sword with one hand, The White Knight rested it on his other arm like a spear, its edge sharp and piercing.

"Hahaha, good, Roman."

Zoro, who had been speaking with the sword in his mouth, his face serious, radiated an overwhelming killing intent.

"Looks like you've got some good abilities now. Are you finally ready to fight me properly?"

Then let's go—

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sounds of weapons clashing filled the air, shaking the entire island as if two massive dragons had rolled through or like an invisible god's sword was freely cutting everything.

As The White Knight and Zoro fought, the remains of the buildings became even more destroyed. The numerous sword and blade marks tore through everything, making the battlefield look like a beggar's ragged clothes, yet the lines were sharply defined.

Suddenly, a tall tower was cut and flew into the air. Then, in a flurry of blades, it transformed into countless floating geometric shapes, defying gravity. Among the shattered buildings, four weapons collided again with a heavy crash!

"Three-Sword Style: Black Rope Great Tornado!"

The sword lights spun upwards, like a whirlwind shooting into the sky! A massive, bone-chilling wind of sword energy swept down, aiming to crush everything into dust! Suddenly, a dry, desert-like hot whirlwind collided with it, filled with sword lights like countless pellets, crashing against the tornado of blade energy.

"More More—Tenfold Sandstorm Sword!"

Like the wild sands of a desert, the scorching golden sword energy surged higher with each wave! The endless tornado whipped through the air, with wind howling like cutting blades. The two clashed fiercely, and the earth shattered, mountains collapsing.

It was like a human-made natural disaster!

"Tch, what's the point of all this brute force~~"

Perona, under her parasol, snorted disdainfully. With all the fighting, even her beloved teacup had been shattered. She swore she would make them pay when she got back, even if it meant asking for foot bath water!

Zoro:······

After a while, the loud explosions and clanging of metal gradually faded.

The battlefield had turned unrecognizable. Within a thousand meters, trees had fallen, mountains collapsed, and rivers were rerouted... It was like a human-shaped map editor!

"Haha... that was satisfying!"

"Roman, you finally gave me a proper fight!"

With a cheerful laugh, Zoro sheathed his three swords and walked off the battlefield, while The White Knight just shook his head helplessly. Zoro's clothes were torn, with small bloodstains spreading, but he didn't care at all. The White Knight, on the other hand, though completely unharmed, sighed.

"I've lost so much... Just fighting you for a bit and I've already lost 60% of my paper."

"And not only have you mastered Armament Haki, but you've even merged your unique 'Haki' into it... In swordsmanship, I'm no match for you."

At this rate, The White Knight would definitely lose!

"If I can't even beat one of your puppets, then my dream of being the world's greatest swordsman would be meaningless."

Zoro turned back, his gaze fixed on The White Knight—the one controlling him, Roman.

"Roman, focus on practicing your swordsmanship."

"If you focus on the sword path, you'll definitely be my greatest rival on the road to becoming the world's greatest swordsman!"

"Forget it."

Roman... no, The White Knight raised his head, speechless.

"If I had focused on the sword path, the Straw Hat crew would probably have been wiped out long ago. A captain who attracts monsters, a money-hungry navigator, a perverted cook, a swordsman who can't find his way..."

I can't always expect others to not land a finishing blow and still get a free meal, right?

If we had been a little unlucky, the Straw Hat crew would have been finished long ago.

"How can you falsely accuse people like that?" Zoro, using the Three-Sword Style, immediately lost his serious demeanor. Veins bulged on his forehead, arguing, "When have I ever been directionless... I was just wandering a bit..."

"Alright, alright," The White Knight waved dismissively, cutting off Zoro's self-deception, and raised his head to signal ahead.

"The true world's greatest swordsman is right here. If we keep boasting, it will just sound arrogant."

"Young man, don't underestimate yourself."

Hawkeye's gaze fell on The White Knight, and for once, there was a hint of approval in his eyes.

"When you were in East Blue, you were just a nameless youth full of passion. But now..." Hawkeye raised the newspaper in his hand.

"You've become a world-renowned figure, someone who can stir up the winds of change. This era belongs to people like you."

... Tch, you're a good-looking man in your forties, but you talk so old-fashioned. No wonder you don't have a girlfriend!

After a quick eye-roll, The White Knight was about to say his goodbyes and leave when—

"Oh, right."

He patted his helmet, then with a flick of his wrist, a large wooden barrel fell to the ground.

"I got this red wine from the Holy Land... it's been stored for over a hundred years. I don't drink, so I brought it here for...?"

Seeing Zoro's face twitch, struggling to say something, The White Knight asked in confusion.

"Is there something wrong with the wine?"

"No," 

Although Roman wasn't interested, the moment he pulled it out, both Zoro and Hawkeye's eyes immediately locked onto the barrel! Roman feared that with their sharp gazes, their sword intent might slice the barrel into pieces.

"The wine... is good wine. No, it's a rare treasure!"

Tears flowed from the corners of Zoro's eyes as he spoke, and The White Knight pushed the barrel closer to him.

"Fine, whatever, all wine tastes the same to me—bad. But since you're saying it's so amazing, I might as well try it...?!"

This time, Zoro's eyes really were filled with tears.

What the hell? It's just wine, not an onion. Zoro, that's not exactly the tough guy look you usually have.

"Hehehehe~~~"

From the side, Perona's unique laughter echoed as the gothic lolita floated over, watching Zoro with a mischievous grin.

"Some guy swore not to drink until he mastered the sword during his apprenticeship."

Ah... seriously?

"Then, should I pass it to...?!"

In an instant, a terrifyingly sharp presence fell on The White Knight, making Roman, controlling the knight remotely, almost "lose connection."

...

"—I'll pass it on to Mihawk."

"Sword masters shouldn't drink too much."

Facing the serious Dracule Mihawk, The White Knight nodded repeatedly.

If you say so.

If it weren't for that dangerous aura just now, I might've believed you! But—simply liking wine? Compared to other masters with all kinds of strange habits, it's like a breath of fresh air.

So, after saying goodbye to Zoro, and The White Knight transformed back into a plane, he started thinking about the next target when—

"Roman, we've got a situation."

Swish—

In an instant, Roman, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the cabin, suddenly opened them. There had been rumors from Bolkin and the others that Roman was "out of shape."

"What's going on?"

Nami looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"We've spotted a pirate ship ahead."

"Destroy it."

Without realizing it, Roman had started adopting the bad habit of jumping straight into action when a situation arose.

"It's a rising supernova."

"Oh? Let me see—"

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