Ch - 8 Art Comes from Life

Li Fan's words made Smoker furrow his brow.

If, as Li Fan said, Sasaki Kojiro truly exists, do the other people in the play also exist?

Are the weapons and props that appear in the show real?

Can the Sword of Promised Victory wield the sword light that destroys the city, as stated in the script?

These doubts had taken root in Smoker's mind.

"This man might not be as simple as a director."

"Does art imitate life? Is this guy incorporating real-life events into his movie?"

Smoker shook his head and walked toward his room.

He decided to postpone inviting Li Fan to join the navy. He needed to report Li Fan's situation to the navy headquarters.

Apart from Li Fan's enigma, Li Fan's formidable swordsman-like strength alone was sufficient for Smoker to report to his superiors.

In Smoker's view, Li Fan had unquestionably attained the status of a great swordsman.

Smoker, who had previously trained with former Navy Admiral Zephyr, had a genuine appreciation for the prowess of great swordsmen.

In his view, not even some of the most renowned swordsmen could match the level of swordsmanship demonstrated by Li Fan.

Smoker believed that Li Fan had the ability to unleash his sword energy; he had simply chosen not to do so during the recent display.

As Smoker made his way to his room, Nami, who had been an onlooker throughout the entire bout between Li Fan and Sauron, was left pondering.

"That man appears to be incredibly powerful."

"Though the navy isn't exactly trustworthy, if we could bring Li Fan back to Cocoyasi Village, he might be the key to confronting the Dragon Pirates."

Nami shook her head as she continued her internal debate, "But no... The Dragon Pirates are fish-men, incredibly strong, capable of feats like uprooting houses with their bare hands."

"That Li Fan simply possesses a blade capable of severing foes; he wouldn't stand a chance against the Dragon Pirates," Nami concluded.

"This guy's got some skill, no doubt," she admitted. "But hurting him would be a different story."

Nami resorted to her initial plan: "After the show is done, this guy will pay me 10 million Beli. With that money, I can work on redeeming Cocoyasi Village."

With renewed determination, Nami refocused on her script.

"By the way, the King of Heroes in this script has an abundance of treasures," she mused, "it would be amazing if they were somehow given to me..."

Meanwhile, Zoro contemplated the [Swallow Reversal] skill by reviewing the script thoroughly and then attempting to replicate Li Fan's movements.

As he swung his long sword through the air, he listened for the sound it produced.

"This isn't even close to Li Fan's swordsmanship!" Zoro declared, looked at monohoshizao thoughtfully.

"Hey, Zoro, you don't genuinely think you can learn this move, do you?" Tashigi questioned Zoro, her gaze unwavering. "The move you just witnessed is beyond doubt a 'stunt skill' or 'mystery' at best. It's not something you can pick up casually."

It's not the kind of skill one learns in a short time.

"Of course, I understand that," Zoro replied, glancing briefly at Tashigi before taking his stance once more. "Although the script suggests that this is a technique designed to kill, it's not as simple as that. While it might look like an easy skill to master, mastering such a sword skill is no easy feat."

"I have no intentions of mastering it by swinging my sword around like that. Sasaki Kojiro himself took a considerable amount of time to reach this level. I'm not so arrogant as to believe I can master it in an instant."

"Sasaki Kojiro, well, even if he practiced this sword skill, his talent must have been extraordinary, aside from his unwavering determination."

"If such a person really exists, I would truly like to meet him," Zoro remarked.

"I still can't tell who's stronger between this guy and the world's greatest swordsman, Hawk-eye Mihawk!"

As Zoro earnestly practiced his swordsmanship, Tashigi shook her head and refocused on her role.

'Artoria Pendragon, the King of Knights, what a noble king.'

'I hope I can portray her well... No, Tashigi, you must put in the effort. Even if it's just to hold the Sword of Promised Victory a little longer, you must give it your all...'

Marineford Island is where the naval headquarters of one of the three major powers of the Grand Line is located.

Here, the tall tower of the Navy Headquarters towers into the sky, seeming to symbolize its absolute justice.

At this moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was correcting the document in his hand.

"PURUPURU..."

The ringtone of the den den mushi made Sengoku raise his head from the towering pile of documents, and he stretched out his hand to answer the phone.

"Hey, this is the Navy Headquarters, and I'm Sengoku."

"Fleet Admiral, Colonel Smoker who is stationed in Loguetown wants to communicate with you. He said that he has important information to report to you."

"Smoker?" Thinking of this disciplined disciple taught by Zephyr, Sengoku nodded, "Since he's reaching out to the Navy Headquarters, it seems that something interesting has occurred in the East Blue Sea."

"Patch him through."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"