Luffy, however, suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Zoro's Slumber Training System has activated!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Mihawk's golden eyes: "Sleeping in front of an enemy?" His voice carried a playful tone, "An interesting swordsman."
Ron leaned against the dock railing, watching the scene with interest. He knew that Zoro was furiously simulating that slash in his dream, and Usopp's tall tale had unexpectedly bought Zoro valuable time.
The sea breeze suddenly ceased, and even the waves seemed to freeze in mid-air.
Just as Mihawk urged Usopp to take a slash from him, a steady snore abruptly stopped. Zoro's cross-legged posture shifted slightly, and his eyes, sharp as blades, slowly opened, with sword light seemingly swirling within his pupils.
"I have attained insight."
These three words were light as a feather, yet heavy as a thousand tons.
Everyone on the dock was involuntarily drawn to him.
Zoro slowly rose, Wado Ichimonji gleaming coldly in the sunlight. His movements were slow, yet they carried a profound rhythm, as if every subtle movement aligned with the ultimate truth of swordsmanship.
"That slash Usopp owes you..." Zoro tied his bandana around his forehead, and his three swords simultaneously unsheathed, "I'll take it."
Mihawk's golden pupils constricted slightly. The moment Zoro stood up, he felt a drastic change in the green-haired swordsman's aura. If before he was a drawn sharp sword, now he was like a sheathed famous blade, with its sharpness contained yet appearing even more dangerous.
"Interesting." Mihawk's black blade "Yoru" drew a graceful arc in the air, "Ten minutes of sleep, and you're reborn?"
Zoro didn't answer, merely holding the sword to his lips and exhaling softly. The breath actually condensed into frost on the blade—this was the "breathing technique" he had comprehended after countless dream duels with Mihawk.
Luffy suddenly burst out laughing: "Zoro! You're awake!"
Usopp took the opportunity to scramble behind Ron: "V-Vice-Captain, it's up to Zoro now..."
Sanji relit a cigarette, looking at Zoro's back with complicated eyes: "This Marimo... seems different..."
Mihawk's black blade slowly lifted: "Let me see what insight you have attained."
Zoro's lips curled into an arrogant arc: "Enough to take that slash of yours." Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly split into three, precisely the "Oni Giri: Three-Sword Style" opening stance he had simulated countless times in his dream!
"Swish!"
Mihawk's black blade attacked first for the first time. Two figures instantly intertwined over the sea. When everyone came to their senses, they saw a spurt of blood from Zoro's shoulder, while the lower hem of Mihawk's cloak—had been neatly sliced off!
"Whoosh—"
A thunderous gasp erupted on the dock.
Mihawk looked down at his damaged cloak, and for the first time, battle intent ignited in his golden eyes: "A good dream." He had seen through Zoro's training method, "But a dream is just a dream. For this next slash, I'm getting serious!"
Zoro wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his three swords taking on a new stance: "Then let this dream... become reality!"
Immediately after,
Mihawk's black blade "Yoru" finally unsheathed. That simple, unadorned vertical slash, however, contained the ultimate realm of swordsmanship, a return to simplicity.
In Zoro's pupils, the trajectory of that slash was broken down into countless frames, precisely the scene he had repeatedly simulated thousands of times in his sleep system.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
Zoro's three swords intersected and blocked at perfect angles, the frequency of the blade's vibrations identical to his dream practice. Muscle memory compelled his body to make the most precise response; the arc of his sword, the angle of Wado Ichimonji, and even the rhythm of his breathing, all reached perfection.
However—
The moment the black blade truly struck him, Zoro's blood suddenly froze.
What that blade carried was not just overwhelming power, but also an indomitable will that looked down on the world. The "form" simulated millions of times in his dream, now truly completed the "spirit"; it was the "momentum" forged through countless life-and-death battles, unique to the world's greatest swordsman!
"Crack!"
The blocking stance of the three swords was forcibly split open, and a jet of blood spurted from Zoro's chest!
But more shocking than the physical impact was the spiritual one. His heart screamed a warning at that moment, every cell in his body shrieked the fear of "death."
"So that's how it is..."
Zoro suddenly smiled as he flew backward. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were brighter than ever. The wound on his chest stung, but an unprecedented clarity surged within him.
Mihawk sheathed his sword, a hint of admiration flashing in his golden pupils: "Did you see it clearly?"
Zoro landed heavily on the deck, then struggled to kneel on one knee. Blood collected in a small puddle on the wooden planks, reflecting his fierce yet satisfied smile: "Ah... I saw it very clearly..."
In his mind, the images of millions of dream simulations were reassembling. Every block, every dodge, was now imbued with a brand new understanding.
The "momentum" contained within Mihawk's slash was deeply etched into his martial arts instinct like a brand.
Luffy gripped his straw hat tightly: "Zoro!"
Usopp's sniper scope reflected horrifying bloodstains: "What the hell..."
Ron, however, showed a relieved smile. He clearly saw that Zoro's "sword momentum" was undergoing a qualitative transformation.
"I'm still far from it..." Zoro supported himself with Wado Ichimonji, swaying as he stood up. Blood dripped from the tip of his sword, making crisp sounds on the deck, "But this path... I've seen it."
Mihawk turned and walked towards his dinghy, his black coat fluttering in the setting sun: "A good kid. I'll wait for you at the peak, Roronoa Zoro."
The sea breeze carried the final exchange:
"Next time we meet... I'll bring a sword that can wound you."
"I look forward to it."
When the dinghy disappeared over the horizon, Zoro finally collapsed from exhaustion and fainted. Even in unconsciousness, he was still training, his blood-stained fingers unconsciously sketching on the deck—it was a brand new opening stance for Three-Sword Style, integrating Mihawk's "momentum."
With every breath, the wound on his chest throbbed, but this pain was the best signpost on the path to the peak. At the same time, Zoro's body was also recovering rapidly in his dream!
Evening,
The afterglow of the sunset dyed the entire sea red, bringing a pause to this thrilling duel.
"Hey! Still alive?" Sanji kicked open the restaurant door, holding a specially prepared nutritious meal, "Don't die on the deck, it'll ruin the customers' appetite."
Zoro laboriously gave him the middle finger, "I won't die even if you do."
Sanji: "!!!"
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