"That depends on whether you have the skill," Zoro's clear voice cut through to Luffy's ears. He froze for a moment, realizing he hadn't even stated his intentions yet.
"But, as expected of a swordsman recommended by Sanji, he looks strong from the start."
"Want to have a spar?" Luffy felt a surge of excitement. Ever since Uta left Windmill Village, he hadn't had anyone to train with. The people he'd met at sea were all weaklings; he'd even knocked out the King of the nearby sea with one punch. Now that he'd finally found a decent swordsman, Luffy wanted to see how strong he was now.
"Besides, as captain, how can I be weaker than my crew?!"
Seeing Luffy's nonchalant demeanor, Zoro frowned, thinking Luffy didn't take him seriously.
Zoro instantly drew his sword, and a formidable sword energy sliced through the air towards Luffy.
"One Sword Style: Vile Wind!"
Sword energy?!
Luffy had never seen anything like it before. After all, Uta, Garp, and Zephyr didn't use swords. He quickly dodged, only to see the crescent-shaped sword energy directly cleave the ground and split a large tree in the distance in half.
"Amazing!" Luffy praised from the bottom of his heart, but before he could say more, Zoro was already in front of him.
This time, Zoro wasn't using one sword, but two. He had drawn both of his blades, the same ones he used against Hantengu previously.
Luffy dodged rapidly. Although he was made of rubber, rubber only made him immune to blunt force. Sharp cuts like those from a sword posed a significant threat.
Being hit by Zoro's sword wouldn't be a joke.
Luffy's physical techniques were top-notch. His reaction speed and agility were enough to dodge Zoro's slashes up close, but in reality, he was dodging with great difficulty, even struggling to do so.
"Don't tell me you can see the future?!" Luffy leaped backward, finally managing to speak. Zoro pursued relentlessly, his dual blades following closely.
Of course, he couldn't see the future, but he could "read moves." He could predict the opponent's next action by observing subtle changes in their body. While this prediction was currently quite strenuous for him, as long as the enemy didn't deliberately hide their intentions and wasn't significantly stronger than him, this "reading moves" technique was quite useful.
Luffy threw a punch, Zoro tilted his head, and with a "boom," his extended fist smashed a large boulder to pieces.
"Two Sword Style: Bull Needles!"
Taking advantage of Luffy's attack, when his guard was down, Zoro lunged forward, unleashing a barrage of slashes. In a very short time, he delivered more than ten sharp cuts. Although Luffy dodged in time, his chest was still struck by one of Zoro's swords.
Blood spurted from the wound, and Luffy recoiled in pain. However, as he retreated, he didn't let Zoro off easily. His arm rapidly twisted like a rope, coiling around Zoro's body. As he pulled back, he also pulled Zoro closer to himself.
He punched forward again with his left hand, striking Zoro in the face. But at the same time, sword light approached, forcing Luffy to release his grip on Zoro. Both of them pushed off each other.
"It looks like it's a tie."
Not far away, two people were observing their fight.
"Really, I wanted a fight with that pirate hunter, but he got there first. Who is that rubber guy?" The speaker had light purple hair and wore a bandana on his head. In the darkness, it even shone, a testament to his golden armor.
"But never mind, let them fight to the death. It'll be easy to take them down afterward."
At this moment, another person spoke. She was a woman, slender, with a cigarette in her mouth. Hearing the man's words, she said coldly, "Krieg, you'd best not underestimate them. Neither of them is using their full power."
Krieg was also a former pirate in the East Blue. Within two years of setting sail, he was targeted by the Marines. After two major crackdowns, he was cornered and captured without even leaving the East Blue. However, he was rescued by Gato during his transport.
Afterward, he became Gato's subordinate.
Now, hearing the woman's voice, Gato's eyes held a hint of disdain. "Bellemere, you're still so timid even after becoming a demon? Or is it..."
Krieg turned to look at the woman, a hint of mockery in his tone. "You still care so much about your two daughters even now?"
"Enough with the pointless probing," Bellemere let out a cold snort. "What I'm thinking has nothing to do with you, right? A mere Upper Rank Six?"
Krieg's eyes suddenly narrowed, and a killing intent emanated from him. Illuminated by the moonlight, his pupils could be seen.
One eye showed "Upper Rank," and the other eye showed "Six."
Bellemere's eyes, however, displayed similar characters. One eye showed "Upper Rank" as well, while the number in the other eye was "Five."
Bellemere, once a Marine, returned to her hometown to raise her two daughters. And now, she was the Upper Rank Five among the Twelve Demon Moons?
Krieg detested this woman immensely, not just because she became a demon yet still cared about "justice," but more so because she became a demon after him and occupied the higher position of Upper Rank Five!
"If you're an Upper Rank Five demon, then naturally you should set an example for demons. Aren't you going to eat those two daughters who love you so dearly?" Krieg said, his face contorting slightly.
"I advise you not to do anything foolish. Nami has outstanding navigation talent; she can help that person find the Blue Spider Lily. And we also need helpers who can move during the day."
Bellemere's gaze was unfriendly. "If you mess up that person's plans, you know what the consequences will be..."
Krieg's expression turned grim, but he said nothing more. He didn't dare to defy "that person" because everything he had now was given to him by "that person."
Looking at Krieg's expression, a trace of mockery appeared in Bellemere's eyes. In truth, many people gradually lose their past memories after becoming demons, even their human emotions fade, eventually turning into hideous monsters.
But for some reason, she hadn't. She still remembered her entire past and retained some memories and emotions from her human life.
Perhaps "that person" and Gato needed her former Marine identity? After all, the East Blue had strict security, and Bellemere had skillfully tricked the Marines many times. If she had lost her memories and emotions, it might have made the Marines suspicious.
----
You can read 30 chapters ahead on patre on
patr eon.com/JYouyi