With Yuri's technological support, the Beasts Pirates' intelligence network is arguably the strongest in the world, rivaled perhaps only by the World Government.
When it concerns Shikon Jewel shards, this information is top-tier for any faction. Even with just a one-in-a-thousand chance of being true, they would pursue it.
Not to mention, it's in the East Blue, where there's little risk.
Everyone knows the situation in the East Blue; there's no one of consequence for the Four Emperors to care about, so it wasn't long before members of the Beasts Pirates set off for the East Blue.
Even though the message only mentioned "East Blue" and the character "West," it didn't matter. All they needed to do was find every place related to "West."
Wano Country's satellites will also assist in the search, of course, but the operation must be conducted in secret.
And the person dispatched is a big shot: Rob Lucci himself.
If Yuri currently controls the overall situation in Wano Country, with Kaido hidden behind the scenes, then Lucci's spy organization is the mastermind behind the mastermind.
Anyone with some influence and capability knows that Kaido and Wano Country are in a cooperative relationship, but few know that there's a spy organization within the country.
This organization's intelligence is extremely confidential, and as its leader, Rob Lucci rarely leaves Wano Country.
Firstly, Rob Lucci is one of Wano Country's strongest fighters, a key figure for Yuri and Kaido to maintain equilibrium.
Yuri's military strength is indeed world-class, but he himself doesn't possess the same overwhelming power as Kaido. In this world, under these circumstances, people like Yuri would find it difficult to maintain their power.
Yuri didn't bring Kaido into Wano Country to invite trouble; he naturally had means to maintain balance, thanks to his endless supply of cutting-edge technology.
As Kaido established himself in Wano Country, he gained knowledge of much of its intelligence. His strength has grown immensely over the years, making it difficult to be sure he can suppress his ambition.
He is a pirate!
He is no gentleman; he is a pirate! Pirates don't adhere to loyalty; Kaido only cares about profit.
Just as in the original story, where he could discard Kurozumi Orochi once he was no longer useful, he doesn't care about cooperation. If an opponent is too weak, he will simply devour them; that's his way of operating.
That's why Lucci's arrival later serves as a crucial balancing factor. Rob Lucci is, of course, not as powerful as Kaido. Kaido's talent is extremely high, and he has also fused with a Shikon Jewel shard, making him nearly unmatched in this world.
Although Rob Lucci is a genius in terms of abilities and has obtained an ancient Zoan Devil Fruit with Wano Country's help, it's impossible for him to rival Kaido.
However, he doesn't need to fight Kaido for three hundred rounds. He just needs to be able to hold Kaido back a little. After all, the Yuri group itself is a massive force that rivals Kaido's Beasts Pirates.
Including Lucci is simply to prevent Kaido from getting carried away by his increased strength.
And Yuri naturally trusts Lucci implicitly, especially since Yuri holds the detonator for the bomb within Lucci.
Secondly, as a spy master, Lucci cannot often show his face, as his current identity is "illegal."
He was once part of the World Government and later defected to Wano Country, so the World Government has long issued a bounty for Lucci, set at three billion two hundred fifty million. This bounty is considered top-tier even among many pirates.
This is because he was a prodigy the World Government invested heavily in nurturing; he knows many of the World Government's secrets and also possesses the ability of "instantaneous movement."
Although Wano Country has various conflicts with the World Government, it is, on the surface, an affiliated nation of the World Government. Therefore, it cannot openly harbor Lucci.
For this reason, Lucci rarely leaves the main territory of Wano Country, as his disguise skills...
He's actually not very good at them.
Lucci truly doesn't know how his subordinates can instantly transform into completely different people, not just in height and weight, but even in gender and species. It's utterly incredible.
Given this, Wano Country still dispatched Lucci, which shows how much they value this Shikon Jewel shard.
With Lucci's strength, he is virtually invincible in the East Blue, known as the "Weakest Sea." Even if he were unlucky enough to encounter Garp returning, he could retreat with ease. After all, he possesses the ability of "instantaneous movement," which not only makes travel convenient but also gives him absolute advantage in snatching items and disengaging from combat.
And if Lucci wants to travel to the East Blue...
It might take less than three days!
...
However, whatever is happening in the New World cannot reach the people of West Rob Village at this moment because they are still engaged in combat.
Usopp severed Arlong's head. He held the Shikon Jewel shard in his hand, and his head began to spin.
Although he mainly relied on the power of the Shikon Jewel shard, the previous excessive manipulation of spirit particles had put immense strain on him, and his breathing was now extremely rapid.
"Kaya..."
His body grew heavier, but he still struggled to walk step by step towards Kaya's house. After advancing about fifty to sixty meters, he was suddenly blocked by a gust of wind from ahead.
His body was propelled backward by an invisible storm, sending him flying backward.
And at the center of that storm were two swordsmen!
Facing Zoro, who uses the Three Sword Style, Kokushibo was also going all out. Their figures intertwined, clashing back and forth. Besides the ringing of swords in close combat, there was also the destructive sword aura that affected the surroundings.
The main factor was Kokushibo's invisible sword aura. His attacks are inherently wide-ranging. Amplified by his Blood Demon Art, each strike generates a powerful shockwave.
Even if his attacks didn't land on Zoro's body, the sword aura was pervasive. Zoro's body didn't sustain sword wounds, but his internal organs were severely shaken by the shockwaves.
Fortunately, Zoro possesses the Reverse Blade Sword, which can heal him; otherwise, he might have suddenly died while his body appeared "unharmed"!
Under Kokushibo's full assault, the two were actually fighting on equal footing!
However, Zoro was clearly at a disadvantage.
Even with the Reverse Blade Sword that can heal his injuries, he doesn't have limitless stamina. In such intense combat, his stamina was rapidly depleting.
He was already panting, while Kokushibo remained as energetic as ever. Kokushibo had also noticed Zoro's current state.
"In the realm of swordsmanship, there is a technique called 'Clear World'," Kokushibo suddenly stopped and said. "Have you comprehended this realm?"
Clear World is a state of heightened mental focus that elevates one's perception to its highest level.
Once in this realm, one can see through a living being's body. The user's ability to predict movements and evade attacks will be greatly enhanced.
The user's muscles contract faster, they are more clearly aware, and they can see the blood flow and contraction of the opponent's lungs, thereby seeing the opponent's movements and weaknesses with utmost clarity. It is a profoundly advanced and intricate realm.
Zoro had heard of this realm from Kenshin, but he hadn't reached it yet.
He knew why Kokushibo asked because he has "reading moves," so he can often avoid Kokushibo's attacks. However, reading moves and Clear World are different.
According to Kenshin, both reading moves and Clear World are applications of Observation Haki, and they are in an advanced relationship. Reading moves are considered the key to Clear World. Although Zoro has mastered reading moves, he is still far from reaching the level of Clear World.
Clear World was originally a realm within Demon Slayer. As Genichi extracted "Kibutsuji Muzan," some of Demon Slayer's settings entered the One Piece world, including Clear World. After localization, it naturally became a special form of Observation Haki.
Observation Haki itself is divided into several types, such as "Listening to the Sounds of All Things" and "Foreseeing the Future." Now, Clear World has just been added to these categories. However, Clear World cannot compare to top-tier Observation Haki like foreseeing the future.
At best, it's an advanced application of Observation Haki.
Zoro's ability to become so strong under Kenshin's tutelage is largely due to Kenshin providing him with a systematic path to power. In a small place like the East Blue, no one would understand Haki, and Shimotsuki Koushiro only taught Zoro basic swordsmanship.
However, Kenshin taught Zoro Haki, swordsmanship, and even famous swords, which is why Zoro has become so powerful.
If this were the Kokushibo from Demon Slayer, he would have mastered Clear World. However, this Kokushibo was artificially created by Genichi. He hasn't comprehended Clear World, but his strength is not weak. He was already at the "Supernova" level even before becoming a demon.
After becoming a demon, his power increased exponentially. Under these circumstances, it's commendable that Zoro could fight him to a standstill before even leaving the East Blue.
"I'm still far from it... but fighting you has brought me a step closer," Zoro said, catching his breath. Sweat dripped down his face, but his mouth curled into a slight smile.
"Kokushibo, I can feel the pain in your sword. The soul of a swordsman is bound beneath the body of eternal night. You have lost the pride a swordsman should possess; your sword weeps at this moment!"
"...Eternal Night Solitary Moon, Boundless!" Kokushibo's six eyes held a hint of disdain. He swung his sword, and in the next moment, dense crescent-shaped sword slashes whistled out, creating a terrifying vortex wherever they appeared.
Having become a demon, he had long forgotten many memories from his time as a human. But he remembered that "that person" saved him from the abyss. He had indeed abandoned his identity as a swordsman because he was now a demon.
"Let's settle this with one move!"
Zoro exclaimed softly as he watched Kokushibo launch his attack.
He seemed to have entered a new world. The air was incredibly clear, the world was incredibly bright, and everything felt brand new.
When he drew the Reverse Blade Sword, he had comprehended a new realm of swordsmanship, and his subsequent battles with Kokushibo had honed his skills. He wasn't just saying that his fight with Kokushibo had brought him closer to Clear World for no reason.
At this moment, he truly felt a significant enhancement in his perception.
Not only could he predict Kokushibo's next moves by reading his stances, but he also faintly sensed some of Kokushibo's weaknesses.
This was discovered during the prolonged battle and only appeared when using specific techniques. Missing the opportunity was a mere misstep away.
But Zoro had his own way.
"Three Sword Style: Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū: Dragon Dive Flash!"
Zoro roared, facing the surging tide of crescent slashes. In an instant, an extremely violent and fierce aura erupted from him.
Zoro fearlessly met the crescent sword slashes, unleashing twenty-seven slashes in almost an instant!
Tang-take, Kesa-giri, Gyaku Kesa, Hidari Kage, Migi Kage, Hidari Kiritsuke, Migi Kiritsuke, Gyaku-fu, Tsuki!
Each of the three swords in Zoro's hands delivered nine slashes almost simultaneously, totaling twenty-seven slashes, which was none other than the Dragon Dive Flash from the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū style!
Delivering nine slashes with one sword simultaneously is already extremely difficult, let alone with three swords. It requires not only extraordinary mental coordination but also high-difficulty physical coordination and angle finding.
Zoro had been practicing the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū since childhood. This Dragon Dive Flash was also a gradual progression from one-sword, two-sword, and three-sword styles. Countless hours of dedication were poured into this.
This is Zoro's strongest finishing move, and at this moment, he intended to strike all the previously discovered flaws with these twenty-seven slashes!
Those flaws and weaknesses only appeared when Kokushibo assumed certain poses. Therefore, he would lock his offensive onto all of Kokushibo's weak points. As long as he made a move, a weakness would surely appear!
Boom!
A dark airflow emanated from the Dark Moon Blade, faintly absorbing the essence of moonlight. As it charged forward, it directly cleaved through Kokushibo's unleashed wave of sword slashes!
A large number of crescent sword slashes passed by Zoro's sides, causing him pain. But in the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Kokushibo!
"Unfortunately, your weakness has been exposed in your neck," Zoro said softly without looking back, maintaining his slashing posture.
"..." Kokushibo remained silent, as he now felt a sharp force erupting at his neck.
The next instant, a gaping wound split open on Zoro's abdomen, blood instantly spraying outwards. Even the long sword forged by Shimotsuki Koushiro in his hand shattered into several pieces!
Simultaneously, Kokushibo's head was instantly severed!
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