"I just don't believe it."
Kaoru Tsubasa stared at the blade before him, disbelief in his eyes.
There was no way—absolutely no way—a mere sword could reject him.
He reached out, intent on seizing it by force.
"Boom!"
A crimson light flared. In the next instant, Kaoru was blasted backward, slamming into a jagged reef not far from the Going Merry.
The impact would've been fatal to most, but Kaoru hadn't even raised his guard.
Had he done so, the sword's power would've only pushed him back a few steps at most.
"What was that sound?"
Hearing the crash, Luffy and Usopp—who had been adjusting the ship's cannon—rushed toward the deck.
Zoro jumped down from the observation deck above.
They froze when they saw what was left behind.
A sword radiating blood-red light stood impaled in the Merry's planks, pulsing like a living thing.
Kaoru, meanwhile, had landed hard against the reef. Groaning, he pushed himself up—only to see a figure standing before him, sword drawn and eyes blazing with anger.
When Kaoru got a clearer look, his expression stiffened.
Damn it… isn't that Johnny, the so-called "Sword Saint"?
"Hey, you!" Johnny barked furiously, pointing his blade at Kaoru.
Kaoru immediately realized what had set him off. The man's partner, Joseph, was lying nearby, badly injured. Kaoru's earlier crash must've worsened Joseph's condition.
"Ah—yes, yes, I'm sorry! My fault!" Kaoru raised his hands in apology, wincing.
"Sorry?" Johnny's voice shook with rage. "Look at what you've done to my friend!"
"I'll heal him," Kaoru said quickly. "It's my mistake—I'll make it right."
After all, both Johnny and Joseph were close to Zoro. Kaoru had no reason to let them suffer because of his carelessness.
Author's note: Under the glare of Sword Saint Johnny, Kaoru Tsubasa was forced to heal Sword God Joseph—OvO.
"Spiritual Art: Aid—Restoration."
Kaoru's hand glowed faintly as spiritual energy flowed into Joseph's body. The wounds closed, and the man's breathing steadied—but his eyes remained shut.
"Why hasn't Joseph woken up yet?" Johnny demanded, panic rising in his voice.
Kaoru checked him again. "He's got scurvy. His body's too weak. He needs fresh fruit."
He reached into his system space and pulled out several pieces of ripe fruit, pressing one to Joseph's lips.
"He should wake up soon," Kaoru explained calmly.
Johnny frowned, still suspicious, but seeing Joseph's color slowly returning made him ease up.
At least Kaoru had helped—he couldn't be all bad.
Just then, a deafening hum split the air.
Boom!
A column of black and red light erupted from the Merry's deck, swirling upward into the clouds.
Kaoru's face changed instantly. "Damn! Bloodthirsty is still on the ship!"
"Stay here and take care of Joseph!" he ordered, before launching himself skyward in a burst of energy.
Johnny stared wide-eyed as Kaoru soared away. "A… Devil Fruit user?"
He'd heard of such powers before—but seeing someone actually take flight was another matter entirely.
He turned toward the ominous beam of light over the ship, but seeing Joseph still unconscious beside him, Johnny chose to stay behind.
A few minutes earlier, aboard the Going Merry
Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp had rushed to the spot where Kaoru had been standing—only to find him gone, blown clear across the bay.
"Hey, where's Kaoru?" Luffy looked around, puzzled.
Usopp joined in the search, peering over the railing.
Zoro, however, wasn't concerned. He knew Kaoru's strength too well. No one in the East Blue could truly hurt him.
"What a sharp blade…" Zoro muttered, gazing at the sword embedded in the deck.
As his eyes locked onto the blood-red weapon, his pupils faintly tinted crimson.
Neither Luffy nor Usopp noticed the change as they continued searching.
"Mine…" Zoro whispered, stepping closer. "This sword… is mine."
But his voice suddenly shifted—confusion mixing with pain.
"No… that's not right… Why did you reject me?"
A low, rasping voice slithered into his mind.
"Because you're weak. Take me, and I'll grant you strength—enough to rule the seas.
With my power, you can achieve anything your heart desires."
Zoro gritted his teeth, clutching his head. "No… my goals must be achieved by my own strength!"
He shouted, staggering back from the blade.
Startled by his outburst, Luffy and Usopp ran over.
"Zoro! What's wrong? Are there enemies nearby?" Luffy asked, scanning the area.
Zoro was panting, one hand pressed over his left eye.
A chilling laugh echoed through the air.
"Heh-heh-heh… I haven't met someone this interesting in ages."
The Bloodthirsty sword began to tremble—then rose from the deck, hovering in midair. Blood poured from the blade like liquid fire, forming the vague outline of a humanoid figure wreathed in crimson mist.
"You're… a demon sword," Zoro said, his voice low.
Usopp turned pale. "D-Demon sword?"
"'Demon sword'? Don't insult me with that term," the figure sneered. "I am far beyond that—I am a true weapon spirit!"
Unlike ordinary cursed blades, this entity possessed full awareness and intelligence. It wasn't just a weapon—it was alive.
"I'm curious about you, boy," the Blood Spirit said, its tone almost amused. "Fight me. If you can defeat me, I will become your sword—and obey your will."
Zoro didn't hesitate. "Fine. If I win, you're mine."
"Hahahaha! Brave words! Let's see if your strength matches them!"
The figure raised its blade, unleashing a beam of black and red energy that engulfed Zoro entirely.
"Zoro!" Usopp screamed, trying to rush forward—only for Luffy to grab him.
"Stop! This is Zoro's fight."
Though his expression was grim, Luffy didn't intervene.
He could sense this was something Zoro had to face alone.
Moments later, Kaoru landed back on deck.
"What happened?" he demanded.
Luffy quickly explained everything.
Kaoru's brows furrowed as he listened. He knew Bloodthirsty was dangerous, but he hadn't realized it possessed a sentient consciousness.
He told them what the sword truly was—a blade forged from the blood of an entire city.
Even Luffy and Usopp, who'd seen plenty of strange things, were horrified.
Inside the Bloody Dimension
"Where… am I?"
Zoro looked around, surrounded by an endless expanse of black and crimson mist.
The air was thick and foul; the ground beneath him felt slick—almost like coagulated blood.
"Welcome to my domain," the Blood Spirit said proudly.
"This is the Bloody Space—a dimension of my own creation. No one enters or leaves without my permission."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "A separate dimension?"
He'd never heard of such an ability before.
"Enough talk!" The Blood Spirit leveled its sword. "Draw your blade, and fight!"
"Fine."
Zoro unsheathed his lone remaining sword—Wado Ichimonji. His other two blades had been shattered during his last battle with Kaoru.
"Ittōryū: Flying Dragon Flame!"
He swung, sending forth a dragon-shaped arc of blazing white energy.
The Blood Spirit merely smirked, cutting the dragon cleanly in two with a single, effortless strike.
"What?!" Zoro's eyes widened.
"Too weak," the spirit sneered.
Zoro gritted his teeth. "Ittōryū: Thirty-Six Calamities!"
Countless arcs of sword light exploded toward the Blood Spirit—but the entity parried every one with contemptuous ease.
"Disappointing," it said coldly. "You call yourself a swordsman?"
Zoro sheathed his sword slowly.
"Oh? Giving up already?" The spirit scoffed.
But instead of despair, Zoro's aura flared—rising like a storm.
"You're not done yet?" the Blood Spirit said, intrigued. "Interesting."
"Ittō-ryū Iai: Lion's Song!"
Zoro's blade flashed in an instant, faster than sight—but Bloodthirsty blocked again with one hand.
"This is your strongest move? Pathetic."
The demon's expression darkened. "You're nothing but a weakling dreaming of greatness. You think you can become the world's greatest swordsman like this? You can't even fulfill your promise to Kuina!"
The taunt hit like a dagger.
Zoro's grip trembled. His knees buckled as he fell, blood dripping from his lips.
"Am I… going to die here?"
His heartbeat thundered in his ears—steady, defiant. No… not his heartbeat.
It's the Wado Ichimonji.
He looked at the blade lying beside him and remembered his vow to Kuina.
"I can't fall here. Not yet."
He picked up his sword and stood again.
The Blood Spirit smirked. "Still standing? Good."
Zoro slid the blade back into its sheath.
"Again with that move? You know it won't work."
But Zoro didn't reply. His breathing slowed. His mind emptied. He felt only the pulse of his blade.
Then—he moved.
"Ittō-ryū Iai: Lion's Song!"
This time, the strike was pure. Silent. Absolute.
"—!"
The Blood Spirit staggered back, a thin red line splitting across its chest.
A low laugh echoed. "Hahahaha! Excellent. You truly are the one I sought."
Zoro didn't answer. His form shimmered—his spirit expanding.
In the demon's eyes, Zoro transformed—becoming a towering, spectral figure with three heads and six arms, each wielding a sword identical to Wado Ichimonji.
"What… is this?!"
Even the Blood Spirit was shocked.
"Ghostly—Nine-Sword Style: Asura—Ichigo Silver!"
Zoro's blades flashed, faster than lightning.
In an instant, the Blood Spirit was torn apart into countless fragments.
"Haa… haa…"
Zoro fell to one knee, breathing heavily.
But before his eyes, the blood fragments began to reform.
"Nani?! You're immortal?!"
The Blood Spirit's grin returned.
"My body is made of blood and energy. As long as a drop remains, I cannot die."
He raised his sword once more, eyes gleaming like rubies in the dark.