Chapter 429: The Battle for the World's Strongest Swordsman
Bang!!
A wave of air vibrated out between Franky and Gabu.
The two men's palms were locked together in a power struggle, their feet firmly planted on the ground, and the ground beneath them cracked with a 'kaka' sound.
Gabu opened his mouth, which was like that of a beast-man, revealing sharp teeth, and began to charge up a slashing shockwave.
Seeing this, Franky immediately threw his head back and then slammed it forward!
"Franky Crushing Head!!"
Bang!!
With an explosive roar, Franky's forehead slammed heavily into the other's face, interrupting Gabu's slashing shockwave, but it did not break through the pitch-black Haki defense that covered his forehead.
"Franky Fire!!"
Whoosh!!
Franky puffed out his cheeks, and a burst of flames spewed from his mouth, the explosive and expanding flames engulfing Gabu's entire upper body!
A heatwave washed over them, and the burning firelight reddened the entire space.
Whoosh!
Before Franky's panicked eyes, from the raging flames in front of him, a ferocious, beast-like, pitch-black face charged out and fiercely smashed into his face!
Bang!!
"Puwaah—"
The powerful heavy blow made Franky spit out a mouthful of blood, and his brain shook as if his soul had flown out of his body.
"Roar!!"
Bang!!
Gabu roared and then kicked heavily at Franky's chest, sending his entire person flying like a cannonball and smashing through a broken wall.
"Cough! Cough, cough...!"
Flipping over a giant rock that was pressing on his head, the blood-covered Franky struggled to stand up from the pile of stones, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the other side with a grave expression.
Gabu walked out of the flames, his upper body's clothes completely burned away, revealing a body of well-defined, steel-cast muscles.
A dense, pitch-black Haki covered his entire body, and he looked as if he were a ferocious demon that had broken free from hell. He stood with his legs apart, his arms by his waist.
"Busō: Shiki!!" (Armament: Lion Demon!!)
With a low roar, Gabu's entire body's muscles suddenly swelled a size, and veins popped out. With just a glance, one could see the terrifying power contained within.
With a mighty stomp that shattered the floor, he flew out, his wild hair flying, his face ferocious, like a black lion in a hunting state!
A corner of Franky's mouth lifted. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, his fighting spirit burned. His two iron fists slammed together in front of his chest and he charged forward!
"Crushing Heavy Punch!!"
Bang!!
Franky swung his arm and punched angrily, solidly smashing into Gabu's face and sending his entire head flying to the side, a spray of blood coming from his mouth.
Gabu gritted his teeth, backhanded and grabbed Franky's arm, pulled him over, and delivered an uppercut to his abdomen!
"Shiki: Igeki!!" (Lion Demon: Mighty Strike!!)
Bang!!
A fierce wind was blasted out by the fist. An impact shot out from his back. Franky's body was bent like a shrimp. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth wide. Sour water gushed up from his chest, through his throat, and out of his mouth.
Gabu immediately followed up with a whip kick, which whistled through the air and fiercely lashed Franky's side.
Bang!!
Enduring the intense discomfort of his internal organs churning, Franky took the opportunity to hug Gabu's leg, pushed off with his feet, and charged up. He circled behind him, hugged him, and with a thrust of his waist, he did a suplex!
"Franky Crushing Back Suplex!!"
Bang!!
Gabu's head smashed heavily on the ground. The giant stone bricks cracked and shattered. His heavy brain went blank and he was in a brief state of shutdown.
Franky quickly stood up and took the opportunity to ride on Gabu's body, his two fists continuously smashing down!
"Franky Merciless Beating!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! The earth trembled nonstop with a series of muffled sounds. For a moment, gore flew everywhere.
After taking a dozen or so iron fists, Gabu finally, relying on his tenacious will and the last shred of his consciousness, turned his head to the side and dodged a heavy punch.
He opened his mouth and bit down!
Bang!!
His Weapons Left was directly bitten and exploded by the mouthful of steel-sharp teeth. The unbalanced Franky staggered forward, and Gabu, lying on the ground, took the opportunity to raise his leg and lock his neck.
He took the opportunity to grab the falling right fist and forcefully straightened it!
A cross armbar was formed!
In a situation of similar strength, once this move was formed, it was almost impossible for the opponent to break free. And with Gabu's terrifying brute force, it had become one of the most fatal submission holds.
Even the hardest alloy steel in the world began to twist and deform bit by bit, making a 'kaka' cracking sound.
If it had been anyone else, the winner would have been decided the moment the submission was formed. However, Franky, being a cyborg, was an exception!
The hand that was tightly gripped by Gabu flipped open a round cover in its palm, and a cannon barrel was revealed. Before Gabu's panicked eyes, the cannon barrel rapidly expanded!
"Coup de Vent!!"
With an explosive roar from Franky, a compressed impact of terrifying power, which could even tear a warship to pieces, suddenly erupted!
Boom!!
The shockwave plowed a giant trench in the earth. All the buildings in its path were torn apart and sent flying, and it extended all the way to the outside of the ruins.
Bang!!
Finally, Gabu's body fell from the air and smashed into a deep pit in the ground, his eyes rolled back, clearly having lost consciousness.
——————
At the back of the castle ruins, this place was already completely far from the activity range of the giant race. Dense branches and leaves were intertwined, forming an elevated, deep and serene green forest.
One after another, cotton-white island clouds were scattered and attached to the ancient tree branches. Stepping into it was like being in a sea of trees, which made one feel at peace.
And at this time, in this sea of trees, which was not disturbed by anyone, it was filled with the cold light of swords.
Clang!
Clang! Clang!
The blades clashed fiercely, continuously sending out a cluster of sparks. Two figures were engrossed in this duel of swords, lost in themselves.
"Nitoryu: Nigiri: Maguma!!"
The descending Zoro raised his two swords and held them behind his back. The heavy chop was like the palm of a demon bear!
Hawk-Eye held his sword with both hands, held the black blade Yoru horizontally above his head, and tilted the pitch-black blade slightly.
Clang!!
While blocking, he deflected most of the force. Then, using the remaining force, he jumped back. A cold glint flashed in Hawk-Eye's sharp eyes, and he held his greatsword and swept horizontally from a distance!
Clang!
A large patch of blade light flashed. A sharp flying slash tore through the air and rapidly attacked the previous position.
Faced with the extremely wide-area giant slash, Zoro immediately crossed his two swords to block.
Screech—!!
A piercing cutting sound was accompanied by a shower of sparks. The blade, in a stalemate with the slash, trembled with a 'kaka' sound.
And at this moment, Hawk-Eye's second slash followed closely behind. Two thousand blade lights merged into one and suddenly expanded!
Hiss—!
Zoro gritted his teeth and resisted. His two feet scraped two black marks on the thick tree branch, and the soles of his feet were burning as he slid back several dozen meters.
"Nigori-zake!"
The muscles in his upper arms suddenly swelled a size. The powerful strength finally stopped his backward momentum. Zoro swung his arms with a jolt, and the slash before him was shattered with a roar.
A chaotic airflow blasted out, and the countless surrounding tree leaves rustled.
Just as he had broken the other's attack, before Zoro could catch his breath, Hawk-Eye had already charged up to him, dragging his longsword. The pitch-black blade slashed diagonally upwards from below!
Clang!!
His two swords were pressed down to block the blade. The powerful force immediately sent him flying, and his back slammed heavily against a giant tree branch that was hanging horizontally in the air with a 'thump'.
"What's going on? This pressure."
Zoro gritted his teeth and struggled out of the tree trunk, a hint of apprehension mixed with confusion in his eyes.
It's even more exaggerated than when I was training. It's just like two years ago. I've clearly gotten stronger.
After pulling himself out, he pushed off the tree trunk with his two feet and immediately jumped away.
The next moment.
Clang!
A blade light streaked past. A five-meter-thick, tough-as-steel tree trunk was cut in two and fell towards the Nether Realm below along the smooth cut.
Thump, thump, thump—
Zoro's toes tapped continuously. He moved at high speed along a moss-covered vine. While weaving, his gaze was fixed on the figure below, who was standing motionless on a giant leaf with his hands holding his swords.
Hawk-Eye's eyes were also vigilant. He met all changes with a constant stance. The two's gazes met, and a murderous aura filled the entire space.
Stomp!
After rehearsing countless times in his mind and still finding no flaw, Zoro had no choice but to take the initiative to find an opportunity. He pushed off with his feet, and his figure shot out.
Sizzle—Sizzle—
A faintly flickering black lightning coiled around his blades. A red glow flashed in Zoro's eyes, and a sharp sword light exploded!
"Santoryu Ogi: Rokudo no Tsuji!!"
Hawk-Eye's face was as calm as water. His two eyes were as sharp as a sword, fixed on the exposed sharpness before him.
Zing! Zing! Zing!
Zing! Five vertical and one horizontal, six ferocious slashes instantly appeared, cutting the leaf and a section of the tree branch below into strips.
The moment Zoro had drawn his sword, the black blade Yoru had stabbed out with precision. Its movements were seemingly slow but actually fast, breaking through the blockade of the slashes and at the same time, stabbing at his throat!
The move was seen through in an instant...?!
At the critical moment, Zoro frantically turned his head. All the scenes in his eyes seemed to have slowed down to the extreme. He watched, at almost zero distance, as the pitch-black blade cut through his robe and his skin.
Hiss—
Blood splattered in the air behind him. A fiery, burning pain came from his shoulder. In his panic, his unbalanced body fell onto a branch below.
Zoro curled up his body and rolled a few times. With a lingering fear, he stood up and quickly turned back, assuming a defensive posture.
However, Hawk-Eye did not take the opportunity to pursue. Instead, he jumped to another green leaf and looked down at him, his eyes showing a hint of disappointment.
"You've disappointed me, Roronoa. Is this the extent of your growth?"
"You bastard... isn't it a bit too early to be saying that now?"
Zoro's eyes were cold as he replied in a low voice.
Hawk-Eye quietly stared at him. After two seconds of silence, his tone was ice-cold:
"Can't you see? The you now cannot win against me."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Zoro almost roared, his two eyes glaring at Hawk-Eye.
"The me now absolutely has the strength to challenge you!"
"A truly outstanding swordsman should be able to recognize the gap in strength between the two sides at the first glance. You were the one who said that, right!"
"Whether it's strength! Speed, sword skills, or Haki, I am no longer inferior to you in any of them!"
With that, Zoro's eyes hardened. His two swords shook and spread to his sides. A powerful Haki blasted out, and the surrounding tree leaves rustled.
"Today, I will definitely defeat you and become the world's number one!"
"Why?"
Hawk-Eye still questioned in a cold tone.
The sudden question made Zoro freeze for a moment.
Why...?
The throne of the world's greatest swordsman... is the goal that all swordsmen pursue.
He didn't understand why Hawk-Eye would suddenly ask such a question. And what's more, the other was not the type to waste words in battle.
No, even when not in battle, the other was always a man of few words. If he could answer with one word, he would never use two.
Zoro couldn't figure out the meaning of his words.
Before he could think, he continued to hear Hawk-Eye's voice.
"Why are you so insistent on today? Insistent on this one battle? Does today have some special meaning for you?"
"If you defeat me tomorrow, the throne of the world's number one will still be yours. The day after tomorrow will be the same. And two years later will be the same."
"Tell me, why must it be today? What is the reason you must have this battle?"
Hawk-Eye pressed him, one word after another.
Zoro had not been wrong about one thing. The gap between them was already minimal, whether it was speed, strength, sword skills, or Haki.
Zoro was no longer lacking in anything. But he couldn't bring it out at all.
One after another, the promises and commitments had brought him the motivation to advance, and had allowed him to grow until now. But at the final, critical moment, they had become a burden that bound him.
His sword was not pure enough.
Hawk-Eye had seen this at the first moment of their exchange. Although Zoro's swordsmanship had improved a lot, and his Haki control was also better, and he had even learned Conqueror's Coating...
...but in his eyes, Zoro's fighting mentality was even worse than when he had been training with him on Kuraigana. He had even regressed to the time of their first meeting in the East Blue.
It was as if he were eager to prove something, and had to decide a winner with him immediately.
That move just now... it wasn't that he had seen through the other's move in an instant, but that Zoro himself had revealed a flaw.
Faced with Hawk-Eye's question, Zoro, however, was as if he had been struck dumb and stood there in a daze, unable to utter a single word.
"You still haven't discovered it? Then let me tell you with this."
Hawk-Eye once again gripped his longsword with both hands. His knees bent slightly and then he pushed off, diving down at high speed.
This was the first time he had taken the initiative to attack since their fight had begun.
Zoro immediately focused his full attention. His eyes were fixed on the other's every move, for fear of a flaw being found.
A greatsword chopped down from top to bottom. There were no fancy moves, just the timing, angle, and strength of the swing controlled to the extreme.
Clang!!
Zoro raised his two swords to block. The tilted blades and the center deflected most of the force, and he quickly pulled back and jumped away.
Hawk-Eye's blade stopped just an inch from the ground, without wasting a single ounce of strength. He twisted his wrist, and the blade flipped up in a slash. A giant flying slash followed the ground in pursuit!
"Was there no chance to counterattack just now? Why did you choose to retreat?"
Hawk-Eye's toes tapped the ground continuously, and he charged out closely behind the slash.
"Santoryu: 1080 Pound Ho!!"
While retreating, Zoro gritted his teeth and swung his sword, blasting away the head-on slash.
Hawk-Eye's figure then charged out and stuck close to him. He turned to the side and dodged Zoro's straight chop, and with one hand, he thrust out his black blade Yoru.
"You are eager to prove yourself, and you want to fulfill your promise. So your sword is aggressive."
Ding!
Zoro held one sword in front of his chest to block and was sent flying by the immense force, his two feet plowing the ground as he retreated several dozen meters.
Seeing Hawk-Eye chasing after him, he pushed off with his two feet and immediately leaped away. Unconsciously, his back was already completely soaked with sweat.
However, Hawk-Eye's movements were faster. He predicted his movement a step ahead and swung out a slash, intercepting him on his movement path.
"But you are also afraid. You are afraid of failure. So your sword is not aggressive enough."
Clang!!
Zoro once again raised his swords to block and was sent flying again. His back slammed heavily against a branch with a 'thump'.
Zoro panted heavily. Although the battle had only been going on for a short while, he looked as if he were already exhausted, drenched in sweat.
Hawk-Eye stood on a branch, the black blade Yoru pointed at Zoro, and said coldly:
"A sword whose master has suppressed its desire to attack... is too dull."
(End of chapter)