Chapter 15: Luffy VS Zoro

"Come on, everyone! Look here! 1, 2, 3... Say cheese!"

Snap!

As the flash went off, capturing the moment, a perfectly framed photo emerged. The backdrop was the flower bed near the entrance of the naval base, with four figures posed in front. Three of the young men in the photo were all smiles, their eyes brimming with hope for the future, while a girl stood in the middle, her expression vacant, her eyes lifeless—like a fish out of water. It was a perfect snapshot of how joy and sorrow are not always shared.

...

"Not bad! You've got a real talent for photography, navy boy!" Akane said, admiring the photo and then praising the navy soldier who had taken it.

"Let me see, let me see!" Luffy, unable to contain his excitement, leaned over Akane's shoulder to get a look at the photo. He stretched out, almost draping himself over Akane as he peered at the picture from above.

"Wow! It's actually pretty good! But Nami's smile isn't very big—it's a bit of a shame. Nami, don't you like to smile?" Luffy asked, turning his head curiously to Nami, who stood nearby looking utterly defeated.

"Smile? Haha..." Nami forced a laugh, her mouth twitching slightly.

'Smile? How can I smile? These guys just defeated a marine captain and looted the base! We're definitely going to be on the wanted list now! And they're actively provoking the navy by leaving the negatives with them!'

Her life seemed over before it had even really begun. The thought of gathering the 100 million berries needed to buy back Cocoyasi Village from Arlong seemed like an impossible dream now. Nami glanced up, only to see the three men around her grinning as they admired the photo. In that moment, she realized just how deep the divide between them was.

...

After a few minutes of playfully examining the photo, Akane carefully put it away. The experience piqued his interest in photography. He made a mental note to buy a camera when he had the chance, to document his daily life and adventures in the world of pirates.

"Alright, now that the photo is taken, it's time to get down to business!" Akane declared, pulling Zoro and Luffy back to the center of the playground. With a smile, he turned to Zoro and gave him a little warning.

"Let me give you a heads-up, Zoro," Akane said. "This time, I want Luffy to go all out, so you better be careful!"

Zoro's eyes lit up with anticipation, his hand resting on the white hilt of the Wado Ichimonji. He could feel the power emanating from the blade as he replied, "I'll admit, you're strong, but do you really think I'm that easy to take down?"

Akane chuckled softly. "Whether I'm underestimating you or not, you'll find out soon enough."

With a cryptic smile, he walked over to Luffy, clapping him on the shoulder. "Time to test out the crew member I found for you! I think you'll be impressed. Remember, don't hold back this time. Skip Gear 2, you don't need to push your body too hard. Go straight to Gear 3 and give Zoro a real challenge."

"Can't wait!" Luffy grinned eagerly, rolling his arms in preparation.

The two walked to the center of the playground, while Akane led Nami to a safe spot near the wall of the naval base, much to her confusion.

"It's just a sparring match. Do we really need to be this far away?" Nami asked, looking at Luffy and Zoro, who now appeared as tiny figures in the distance.

Akane gave her a knowing look, sighing as if explaining something obvious. "Far away? I just want to make sure we're safe from the aftermath of their fight. If things get too intense, just hide behind me. I might not be the best fighter, but I can still protect you."

"Oh...okay," Nami nodded, though she was still perplexed by his words.

She couldn't understand why Akane, who had easily taken down Morgan, would downplay his own fighting abilities. But before she could think too much about it, the sparring match began.

Zoro, wearing his signature headscarf, took up his three-sword stance, ready for battle. Luffy, always decisive, didn't waste time and immediately initiated his favorite tactic—Shave from behind, followed by a punch!

Whoosh!

With a blur of motion, Luffy disappeared from Zoro's sight. His speed was mind-boggling, too fast to track!

But Zoro was no amateur.

'Even if I can't see him, I'm not some pushover!' he thought, turning sharply with his animalistic instincts, just in time to spot Luffy charging up a punch.

BANG!!! CLANG!!!

Luffy's fist collided with Zoro's three-sword formation, resulting in a brilliant shower of sparks. The sheer force of the blow sent Zoro skidding back, leaving a deep groove in the ground. But despite the impact, Zoro smiled, the Wado Ichimonji clenched tightly between his teeth.

"It's not as tough as I thought!" Zoro said, his voice slightly muffled by the sword.

Seeing Zoro withstand his attack and keep his composure, Luffy laughed heartily. "As expected of the guy Akane chose!"

"But next time, I'm getting serious!"

"Bring it on!" Zoro's eyes gleamed with determination as the swords in his hands hummed with anticipation.

The next moment, Luffy's figure blurred again, disappearing from Zoro's sight. But this time, Zoro didn't wait—he took the initiative.

"Three-Sword Style: Demon Slash!"

It was a powerful move, but Luffy's training had pushed him far beyond the limits of the East Blue. Moving at even greater speed, Luffy struck before Zoro's attack could land, delivering a powerful punch that sent Zoro hurtling into the wall of the naval base.

Boom...

The wall, already weakened, crumbled on impact, burying Zoro in the debris.

Seeing this, Akane, who had been watching from the sidelines, turned to the shocked Nami with a smile. "See? I told you it wasn't safe here!"

"Good thing Zoro crashed in the opposite direction."

"No!" Nami gasped, grabbing Akane's arm in a panic. "It's just sparring—there's no need to go this far, right?!"

The intensity of the fight was far beyond what she had expected, and she couldn't help but think it was even more dangerous than when Akane had fought Morgan. Now she understood why he had claimed not to be good at fighting.

"Relax, Nami," Akane said calmly. "Don't underestimate Zoro. There are no weaklings in the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Including you."

"Me!?" Nami was startled by the sudden shift in conversation.

But before she could ask what he meant, a disheveled figure emerged from the rubble. It was Zoro, climbing out from the debris, battered but standing.

"You're still on your feet?!" Luffy exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

He had used all his strength in that punch, yet Zoro had withstood it. Luffy couldn't help but feel impressed—Akane had been right about Zoro's potential.

"This is getting more interesting!" Luffy laughed, his figure blurring again as he dashed toward Zoro.

Akane's voice rang out loudly. "Hey! You two better not cause any trouble for the townspeople outside!!!"

"I'm not that weak!" Zoro growled, a terrifying glint flashing in his eyes as his determination surged. He realized that if he didn't give it his all, he might never be able to match Luffy at his strongest.

"I won't let you down, Captain!"

Thousands of thoughts raced through Zoro's mind, but he quickly refocused as Luffy's fists came into view. He could see now—this was the world of the truly strong!

"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!!!"