The streets of Whiskey Peak lay bathed in the silver glow of a full moon hanging high above the cactus-shaped rock formations.
The cold moonlight hit the cobblestones, casting a murderous chill over the town that had been so boisterous only hours ago.
"Hmph... if you want to die, come on then."
In the center of the street, Zoro untied the dark green bandana from his arm and slowly wrapped it around his head. He bit down firmly on the white hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
In his hands, he drew his two newest acquisitions—the Ryo Wazamono "Yubashiri" and the cursed blade "Sandai Kitetsu."
Facing him were no fewer than a hundred bounty hunters armed to the teeth.
"Go! That's millions of Berries on his head!" "Kill him!!"
Shouts shattered the silence of the night. However, facing the tide of people, Zoro didn't retreat. Instead, a cold smirk played across his lips.
"Perfect. I'll use you to sharpen my new blades!"
Swish—!
Zoro's silhouette blurred, moving like a tiger among sheep. Steel flashed, and blood sprayed. He didn't rush to end the fight; rather, he savored the thrill of dancing on the edge of life and death.
The pitch-black Yubashiri in his right hand was so light it felt weightless, moving as an extension of his arm.
Meanwhile, the Sandai Kitetsu in his left hand—radiating an ominous aura—felt like a bloodthirsty beast, each swing carrying a violent urge to cut through everything.
So this is a cursed blade... a wild horse that's hard to tame, Zoro thought arrogantly as he parried attacks from all sides. But I'll make you listen to me!
On a high-domed roof nearby, Viktor remained seated. He had swiped a red apple from the banquet and took a loud, juicy bite. His crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan swirled slowly in the dark, taking in every detail of the battle below.
"Not bad swordsmanship," Viktor chewed, having no immediate intention of intervening.
However, just as Zoro was in the thick of it, surrounded by the crowd, several figures lurking in the shadows finally lost their patience.
"Now! Mr. 9!" "Roger! Miss Wednesday!!"
A crowned figure and a blue-haired girl riding a giant duck suddenly burst from Zoro's blind spot. Mr. 9 brandished two metal bats equipped with wire cables, performing a series of flashy backflips.
Vivi swung her "Peacock String Slashers." Together, they aimed for Zoro's undefended back!
"And I shall provide a magnificent finale!" From another shadow, Igaram (Mr. 8) raised his saxophone—not an instrument, but a modified, lethal firearm.
The dark muzzles pointed straight at Zoro's back. "Times have changed! No matter how strong the sword, you can't dodge a hail of bullets!!"
Igaram's finger pressed the key (trigger), a sinister grin on his face. "Saxophone Shotgun—"
Snap.
A crisp finger-snap echoed through the night air. Before Igaram could finish calling his move, the figure who had been eating an apple on the roof vanished.
The next second, Mr. 9 and Vivi felt a blur before their eyes. A black afterimage appeared behind them like a ghost.
"Two little mice... You should sleep for a while."
Viktor's voice was flat. He didn't even draw his sword; he simply reached out and, with lightning speed, delivered a sharp strike to the back of both their necks.
"Ugh..." Mr. 9 and Vivi didn't even have time to react. Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed limply to the ground.
Instant knockout.
"Wha—What?!" Distant, Igaram paled as cold sweat drenched his back. But as a high-ranking agent, his reflexes were sharp. "Dammit! Where did you come from?!"
Igaram roared, turning his saxophone away from Zoro and aiming it squarely at Viktor. "DIE!!"
Bang-bang-bang-bang!!
Accompanied by the piercing crack of gunfire, countless lead pellets poured out of the saxophone muzzles like a rainstorm, sealing off every path for Viktor to dodge.
Viktor stood his ground, unmoving. Under the gaze of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the trajectories of the high-speed bullets were as clear as if they were in slow motion.
"Too slow."
Zing—
Viktor slowly drew his longsword, his wrist flickering as blade-light spilled out like flowing water.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!!
A series of dense metallic collisions rang out. Amidst a shower of sparks, every bullet flying toward him was accurately cleaved in half or deflected by his blade.
"How... is this possible?!" Igaram's eyes bulged in terror as if he were seeing a monster. "Deflecting bullets with a sword?! Is that even human?!"
Before he could recover from the shock, Viktor's form blurred—Body Flicker Technique. He crossed the dozen meters instantly, appearing right in front of Igaram.
The cold tip of his sword rested steadily against the curly-haired man's throat. Viktor's other hand gently pressed down on the smoking saxophone muzzles.
"You're being too loud, Curly-haired Uncle." Viktor looked at the sweating Igaram and made a shushing gesture. "Disturbing the peace in the middle of the night isn't polite."
Viktor's hand on the muzzles suddenly shoved upward.
Thump!
The hard metal tubing slammed into Igaram's massive chin.
"Puh-ga!" Igaram's eyes rolled back as he was knocked unconscious by his own weapon, crashing to the ground.
The commotion had been dealt with quickly, but Igaram's burst of gunfire had been too loud.
"Zzz... meat... don't run..." At the banquet hall entrance, a round figure shaped like a balloon walked out, rubbing his eyes. Luffy had been woken up.
However, when he saw the scene before him, the sleepiness vanished instantly. The street was littered with bruised and groaning "kind townspeople."
Nearby, Zoro stood covered in a murderous aura with his blades drawn. Viktor stood with a sword in hand, his foot near the "kind curly-haired uncle" who had fed them.
Click—
Luffy's brain logic short-circuited.
"ZORO!! VIKTOR!!!" Luffy's stomach swelled with rage as he let out a furious roar. "You bastards!! You attacked the nice people who gave us all that meat!!!"
"ARE YOU TRYING TO REPAY KINDNESS WITH REVENGE?!!"
"Huh?!" Zoro and Viktor turned at the same time, completely speechless.
"I will never forgive you!!" Luffy didn't give them a chance to explain. Despite being shaped like a giant meatball, his explosive power was staggering. "Gum-Gum—Human Cannonball!!"
He curled into a sphere, hurtling toward them like a massive projectile with a howling wind.
"You idiot! Listen to the explanation!" Zoro was forced to defend himself, raising his blades to parry. "You want to fight?! I've been annoyed with you for a while too!!"
"What a pain..." Viktor sighed, stepping aside to easily dodge Luffy's charge.
Thud! Luffy was relentless, bouncing back with a headbutt toward Zoro. Zoro was sent sliding several meters back by the brute force.
He wiped a smudge of blood from his lip, veins popping on his forehead as he settled into a serious Three-Sword Style stance. "Fine, you idiot... I'll just have to beat some sense into you!!"
Seeing that they were actually going to get serious, Viktor shook his head helplessly. "While I'd love to watch you two go at it, now isn't the time for a civil war."
Swish!
Viktor woven a seal and blurred, appearing directly between the two combatants. Facing the charging Luffy, he extended a hand.
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!!"
A massive sphere of water manifested out of thin air, accurately encasing Luffy's round body.
"Glub-glub?!" Luffy was trapped. As a Devil Fruit user, the moment he was submerged, his strength drained away. The sudden weakness stopped his struggle instantly.
"Mmph-mmph!!" Luffy blew bubbles in the water, his limbs flailing uselessly.
"Are you calm now?" Viktor maintained the prison and pointed at the weapons dropped by the bounty hunters on the ground. "Luffy, take a good look. What are they holding in their hands?"
With that, Viktor released the jutsu.
"Pwah!!" Luffy hit the ground, spitting out a mouthful of water. He lay there, squinting at the scene.
Sure enough, beside the "kind townspeople" were glinting blades, muskets, and even bazookas. Luffy blinked once, then twice. A look of sudden realization slowly dawned on his face.
"AH!! So they were bad guys!!" Luffy slapped his forehead, then immediately switched to a cheeky grin, clasping his hands together toward the murderous Zoro. "Sorry! Zoro! I thought you guys were bullying nice people! Shishishi!"
"..." Zoro sheathed his swords, but his hands were shaking—from pure rage. With a face full of dark lines, he turned to Viktor and gritted his teeth. "Hey, Viktor... I want to cut him. Don't stop me this time."
Viktor wiped the water from his hands and stepped aside with a smirk. "Be my guest."
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