It was already past eleven at night when they finally returned to Elegia.
The silence of the island was broken only by the gentle whisper of the wind, until a familiar figure landed before the castle: Luffy, carefully carrying Uta in his arms.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Uta leapt from him, spinning lightly as if to savor the freedom beneath her own feet. She turned to Luffy with a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Luffy~ Today I'm truly happy."
She didn't care that they had only visited thirty-five islands, and in such a rushed manner. For someone who hadn't set foot outside Elegia in ten years, every step was an unforgettable adventure. Watching with her own eyes the clash between Luffy and Big Mom had made the day even more intense.
"Next time, I'll take you somewhere else… For now, let's get some rest."
Luffy's voice was lower, revealing the weariness weighing on him.
"Hee hee, thanks for your hard work~"
Uta rose on tiptoe and, with a quick, spontaneous motion, kissed Luffy on the cheek. Then, with a mischievous glint, she added:
"Don't let that fat woman fool you. She definitely wanted to use you— even her own daughter as bait! It's absurd!"
Normally, Luffy wouldn't let that pass—he hated when someone stole a kiss and ran away right after. But this time, he was too tired to care. He merely sighed softly and let her go.
"Bye, Luffy! Sleep early, okay?"
Like a little rabbit, Uta hopped happily into the castle. If there were such a thing as a "favorability meter," hers toward Luffy would be overflowing.
Left alone, he raised his head slightly.
"Let's see… who's already asleep?"
He expanded his Observation Haki, covering every corner of the castle. One by one, he sensed the presences of his companions—all resting deeply after the long day.
But then something caught his attention.
"Hm?"
His brow furrowed. Katakuri's breathing had vanished.
"What's that guy doing…?"
He suspected something strange, but soon realized Zoro wasn't in the castle either. Following the trail of their presences, Luffy stretched his Haki even further until he located the two—not too far away, on the southeastern peripheral islands.
They were training.
Surprised, Luffy grinned, and without hesitation, rushed off to see it with his own eyes.
---
The peripheral islands were separated from the main one by enormous cylindrical towers connected by narrow bridges. Once sacred grounds for grand concerts, the place was now nothing more than ruins swallowed by the silence of night.
And there, among the rubble, the clash of wills echoed.
Zoro, forehead bleeding and muscles aching, held a katana in each hand and another clenched firmly between his teeth. His chest heaved heavily, vision blurred, yet his feet refused to yield.
Katakuri, in contrast, seemed almost relaxed, as though this was merely a warm-up.
"You're at your limit. It's time to admit defeat, Roronoa."
"Ha… No! I promised Luffy I wouldn't lose again!!"
Zoro charged, but every strike was thwarted. Against Katakuri's advanced Observation Haki—able to peer into the future—every attack felt useless.
No matter how much Zoro coated his blades with Armament Haki, the outcome was the same. The instant steel touched flesh, Katakuri's body dissolved into pliant mochi, reforming right after.
Katakuri sidestepped once more and, with a firm punch, sent Zoro flying back. Yet the swordsman rose again, eyes locked, unwavering.
Katakuri found himself reflecting, unsettled. Why am I taking this so seriously against someone who should be nothing more than my jailer?
But the answer came on its own as he saw Zoro's unshakable expression. He too was already taking this seriously.
Zoro's aura swelled, almost tangible. Behind him, a ghostly image seemed to take shape, a reflection of his sheer willpower. Katakuri faltered for an instant, and in that very moment, Zoro's blade flashed like lightning.
The strike came far too close. Katakuri touched his chest where the cut had nearly pierced his Armament Haki.
"If your Haki were just a little stronger… you would've wounded me right now."
Zoro dropped to his knees, bloodied and gasping. The gap between them was still immense, and frustration gnawed at him.
Like this, I'll never catch up to Luffy… never become the world's greatest swordsman!
He rose once more, drenched in blood, his eyes burning like fire. More beast than man, he emanated a savage presence. His right eye, long kept shut, now glowed with a sinister red light.
Katakuri remained silent. Even after fighting the entire night, Zoro's flame hadn't dimmed.
With a sigh, Katakuri raised his trident.
"Roronoa Zoro… I admit it, you're strong. From now on, I'll fight to kill. Don't blame me if you die."
"That's exactly what I want! If I fall here, it means this is my limit!"
Zoro grinned through bloodstained teeth, his eyes glowing like live embers, his aura roaring like a caged beast ready to break free.
"Come on… Katakuri."
Katakuri spun his trident, steady and unyielding, but there was something in his gaze that betrayed respect—or perhaps, curiosity.
"You're far too stubborn, Roronoa. But if you insist on continuing… I'll grant your wish."
The clash was immediate. With each meeting of blades and fists, metallic roars echoed across the ruins, resounding like thunder beneath the dark night. The ground cracked, stones were flung, and dust rose like smoke from a battlefield.
Zoro, though staggering, pressed forward with nearly insane ferocity. His slashes were heavy, saturated with determination, each one faster than the last. Katakuri deflected calmly, predicting every path, every angle, as if seeing the future—because he truly was.
"Your attacks are predictable." Katakuri blocked another blow, the ground trembling beneath them. "No matter how hard you push, I know what you'll do before you decide it."
But Zoro only growled, his voice raw and relentless.
"Then I'll cut… the future you see!"
His blades tore through the air, splitting the silence. Katakuri dissolved parts of his body into mochi to evade fatal strikes, yet Zoro's pressure only grew, his will mounting like a storm.
---
Not far away, perched on a fallen slab of stone, Luffy watched. Sitting cross-legged, his presence completely erased, not even Katakuri could sense him there.
Resting his chin in his hand, Luffy narrowed his eyes.
"This… is that really Zoro?"
The aura emanating from him wasn't ordinary Haki. It was something beyond, something spectral. A strange, ghostlike force, as if his very will were materializing.
"A killing aura…? Or could it be a mutant Haki?" Luffy muttered, frowning.
He couldn't help but reflect.
Out of all his crewmates, Zoro had been the first to follow him. From the start, he had asked for nothing but strength to fulfill his dream. While others sought shortcuts—through Devil Fruits or inherited techniques—he had chosen the path of pain and sacrifice.
While the crew feasted in joyous banquets, Zoro trained alone in the dark.
While everyone slept, he stood guard, sharpening both blade and spirit.
It was through sheer will that he awakened both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
And now, before Katakuri, he was treading the path toward the final step: Conqueror's Haki.
A faint smile curved Luffy's lips, his eyes gleaming.
"That guy… he's always been the most hard-headed of us all."
He clenched his fists, restraining the urge to intervene. This was Zoro's fight—and his alone.
---
On the battlefield, the intensity soared. Zoro roared, and his aura exploded in waves that shook the entire peripheral island. For the first time, Katakuri was forced to take two steps back.
"Ridiculous…" Katakuri muttered, eyes narrowing. "Even on the brink of exhaustion, you're still growing? What kind of monster are you?"
Zoro spat blood, yet raised his three swords once more.
"I won't stop… until my blade can… cut through everything!"
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."