📖 Chapter 1: Lost Between Worlds
The air felt heavy—almost suffocating.
Roronoa Zoro stood still, his hand gripping the hilts of his swords, his gaze sharp as steel.
In front of him stood a strange man.
A massive figure, expressionless… with a palm that felt like it could erase anything it touched.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Zoro narrowed his eyes.
"What is this feeling…?"
Something pressed against his chest.
It wasn't fear.
…but it was close.
A warning.
A signal his instincts refused to ignore.
Then—
Kuma moved.
Not fast.
Not rushed.
Yet somehow—
Unavoidable.
He raised his hand.
Zoro reacted instantly.
Too late.
A single touch.
---
Everything disappeared.
Sound.
Light.
Weight.
Even his own body—
Gone.
It felt like being torn out of reality itself.
---
"Tch—!"
Zoro's eyes snapped open.
He inhaled sharply.
The air was different.
Wet.
Heavy with the scent of trees.
A forest.
He pushed himself up, already alert, already ready.
His hand rested on his swords.
Always.
"Where the hell am I…?"
His eyes scanned everything.
Tall trees.
Endless.
Wild.
Unfamiliar.
But that wasn't what bothered him.
It was the air.
There was something inside it.
Something unnatural.
Something…
Alive.
---
Chakra.
---
Zoro frowned.
"This place… isn't normal."
A faint tension crawled across his skin.
His instincts screamed.
Danger.
---
"Hey! You!"
A voice cut through the silence.
Zoro turned.
Several young figures stood on tree branches—
Like it was nothing.
Like gravity didn't exist.
One of them dropped down.
A smirk on his face.
"How did you get here? This is an exam zone."
Zoro blinked once.
"Exam…?"
He exhaled slowly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
The boy laughed.
"Lost? Figures. You look weird anyway."
Another stepped forward.
Eyes sharp.
"He could be a spy."
Silence.
Then—
The air shifted.
Hostility.
Killing intent.
---
Zoro sighed.
"Tch… always like this."
---
One of them attacked.
Fast.
Too fast for a normal person.
But for Zoro—
It was nothing.
Slow.
Predictable.
Weak.
His hand moved.
Steel flashed.
---
Slash.
---
A blade stopped at the attacker's throat.
Perfect.
Effortless.
---
Silence.
---
The others froze.
Shock.
Fear.
"…What?"
"We didn't even see him move—!"
---
Zoro slowly sheathed his sword.
"I'm not here to play with kids."
He turned.
Ready to leave.
"Stop."
---
A voice.
Different.
Calm.
Heavy.
---
Zoro froze.
His entire body reacted.
Instinct.
Danger.
Real danger.
Slowly—
He turned.
Far above—
On a tree branch—
Someone watched him.
Eyes sharp.
Smile thin.
---
Orochimaru.
---
"…Interesting."
---
Zoro's grip tightened slightly.
"…You don't feel normal either."
---
For a brief moment—
Neither moved.
A silent exchange.
Predator…
Recognizing predator.
---
Then—
A loud voice echoed through the forest:
"The second phase of the exam begins now!"
---
Everything exploded into motion.
Shinobi scattered.
Branches cracked.
Voices shouted.
Chaos.
Pure chaos.
---
Zoro stood still for a moment.
Watching.
Thinking.
"…Annoying."
---
Then—
A scream.
Sharp.
Desperate.
"Help—!!"
---
Zoro's eyes narrowed.
That wasn't part of any exam.
That was real.
---
"Tch…"
He clicked his tongue.
"…Not my problem."
---
A pause.
One second.
Two.
---
Then—
He moved.
---
Gone.
---
Through the trees.
Fast.
Silent.
Precise.
The sounds grew louder.
Metal clashing.
Breathing—panic-filled.
Branches breaking.
---
Zoro arrived.
And stopped.
---
A girl stood there.
Injured.
Barely standing.
Surrounded.
Three shinobi closed in.
Slow.
Confident.
Hunters.
---
"Well, well…"
One of them smirked.
"Easy prey."
---
"…Stay back…!"
The girl's voice trembled.
Her body shaking.
Exhausted.
Afraid.
---
Zoro stepped forward.
"Three against one…?"
---
Silence.
---
His voice dropped.
Cold.
"Pathetic."
---
They turned.
Annoyed.
"Who the hell are you?"
---
No answer.
---
Zoro's hand rested on his sword.
---
They attacked together.
Fast.
Coordinated.
Precise.
---
Zoro moved.
---
Slash.
---
One fell instantly.
---
Clang!
---
He blocked the second.
Effortless.
Their eyes widened.
"…Too fast!"
---
Zoro stepped in.
Closer.
Deadlier.
"You talk too much."
---
Slash.
---
Second down.
---
The last one froze.
Fear took over.
"I—I give up! Please—!"
---
Zoro lowered his blade slightly.
"…Then disappear."
---
The shinobi ran.
Didn't look back.
---
Silence.
---
Zoro turned away.
"Get stronger."
---
"W-Wait!"
The girl's voice stopped him.
"…Thank you…"
---
He didn't turn.
"…Don't rely on luck next time."
---
And then—
He vanished.
---
High above—
Watching everything—
---
Orochimaru smiled wider.
"…Not chakra."
---
A pause.
---
"…Something else."
---
His tongue slid slightly across his lips.
---
"…Something dangerous."
---
The air around him darkened.
Killing intent—thin, but real.
---
"…I want it."
---
Far away—
Zoro stopped suddenly.
---
His eyes narrowed.
---
"…Tch…"
---
He felt it.
---
That gaze.
---
That intent.
---
For the first time since arriving—
---
Zoro smiled.
---
"…Good."
---
Then he whispered—
---
"…Come try."
---
🌑 End of Chapter 1
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Something dangerous has entered this world…
🔥 And it's only the beginning.