Chapter 468: Duel of Blades at the Abandoned Manor

Inside the dilapidated manor, Perona watched as an eerie black sheen began to spread over everyone’s hands. Cold sweat beaded on her spectral form.

Damn it! Why do all these guys know Armament Haki?

Perona wasn’t some rookie in the One Piece World. Traveling with Moria, she’d seen more of the sea than most.

But Armament Haki—that was a skill reserved for the strong in the New World.

In the first half of the Grand Line, she hadn’t seen anyone use it for years.

Just moments ago she had comforted herself, sure that no one could touch her.

But that didn’t count Armament Haki or Seastone. Both of those could strike her in soul form. If her soul got hit—or even destroyed—her real body would be at death’s door.

Time to bail. Seriously, time to get out of here.

But how was she supposed to leave? With all these people staring right at her.

“Roronoa Zoro?”

“What’s your connection to the Shimotsuki Clan?”

Just as Perona was at a loss, a man in a gray robe stepped out from behind the crowd.

The reason he even asked that was all thanks to Moria’s awakened Shadow-Shadow Fruit power.

Normally, corpses could only be controlled by borrowing someone else’s shadow.

But after awakening, people who’d mastered Haki in their lives could have fragments of their memories revived by that power.

That meant this Shimotsuki Ryuma was no ordinary opponent.

“Huh?”

“What do you mean?”

Zoro heard someone call him and spun around. Another zombie—only, the name Shimotsuki sounded awfully familiar.

Oh right, his master’s name was Shimotsuki Koushirou.

“Shimotsuki Koushirou is my teacher. Who are you?”

“Seems you don’t even know you’re part of the Shimotsuki Clan.”

Shimotsuki Ryuma’s voice sounded tinged with regret.

Could it be that the Shimotsuki Clan had already fallen into ruin?

“Hey Zoro, isn’t he a swordsman too?”

“Yeah, I see it.”

Zoro didn’t need Luffy’s reminder; he’d already spotted the longsword at the man’s waist.

“Doesn’t matter whether you remember or not. Now that I’ve met kin, let me test your strength for myself.”

Clang!

He moved at breakneck speed. Before anyone could react, sword lights flashed out in a barrage.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Blades tore into the ground, blasting everyone except Zoro clear across the room.

“Hey, Zoro!”

“That’s messed up!”

“Aaaah!”

“Hey, where’d you send them all?”

Ryuma made it look easy, sending Luffy and the others flying to the next manor over.

Almost a hundred meters separated the two manors, and the heavy mist made crossing impossible. Never mind the fact that Moria’s forces lurked nearby. For now, it was just Ryuma and Zoro—time for a real exchange.

“Tell me, kid—do you eat beef?”

“Tch!”

“Three-Sword Style: 108 Pound Phoenix!”

Zoro stepped forward, a fierce energy howling around him, surging at Ryuma like a tidal wave.

At the same time, his blue sword light twisted with terrifying might, the invisible gusts taking on a watery blue tint and swallowing up the sword’s gleam. It swept in like a tornado.

“One-Sword Style—Dragon Slash!”

For the first time, Ryuma didn’t hold back. He opened with a signature move, well aware that this body was limiting his true power.

Even after repairs and the Devil Fruit’s boost, he was nowhere near his prime. But to show the younger swordsman just how great the gap was from the world’s strongest, he’d give it everything.

Violet-hued energy raged with the swing, but Zoro stood tall, eyes narrowing before snapping open. Muscles tensed—another Three-Sword Style: 108 Pound Phoenix was released in a heartbeat.

Clang!

“Yohohoho! This is a fight like nothing I’ve ever seen!”

Among the scattered crew, Brook was the only one rushing back. He could sense his missing shadow was on that zombie’s body.

Franky followed, driven by a thirst for payback.

Boom!

As soon as they arrived, Zoro and Ryuma were already locked in a fierce duel.

Their sword auras were brutally intense, slicing through earth and stone like tofu, leaving deep scars in the ground and buildings.

Clang!

“Your blade’s impressive.”

“What, are you planning to take my sword away?”

“No, to be precise—I’ll pick it up from your corpse.”

Zoro spotted the secret instantly. Shusui was a black blade, forged through years of Armament Haki. He’d seen another like it only in Hawk Eyes’ hands.

Ryuma glanced at his black sword, Shusui. “So that’s it. You’ve got some guts, haven’t you?”

“Yohohoho!”

“It’s best not to provoke him right now.”

Not far off, Brook watched Ryuma intently, worry creased across his face.

Moria’s power didn’t just awaken fragments of a corpse’s former self through shadows. He could merge those fragments into the shadow itself.

Brook had learned a few things about Ryuma. The man had never known defeat—truly the mightiest samurai.

“Still, I see you carry three swords.”

“One’s badly damaged and barely usable. I just hang onto it.”

That sword, Shusui, had taken serious damage during Zoro’s fight with a Navy Vice Admiral at Enies Lobby. To avoid it snapping completely, he rarely drew it if he could help it.

“I use Three-Sword Style.”

“Three-Sword Style?”

“Can’t say I’ve ever heard of that. Is it some kind of acrobatics act?”

“Yohohoho!”

Back in Ryuma’s day, swordsmen only used one blade. Even dual swordsmanship was rare, let alone three swords. That was circus material in his eyes.

“Pity I can’t show you right now. Still, I’ll be breaking your nose before we’re done.”

Zoro raised his blades, facing Ryuma head-on.

“Looks like you’re not slouch, either.”

“I’ve never felt anything like this before—it’s like facing a giant beast. Something about it just makes me want to move.”

Whoosh!

A glint flashed in Zoro’s eyes. Two swords crossed, he closed in on Ryuma in a heartbeat, faster than lightning, his momentum tearing apart the air itself.

Clang!

Ryuma reversed his grip, blocking with his sword in front of him.

Zoro’s blow was ferocious, the force sinking into the ground, cracking earth underfoot.

If Ryuma weren’t trapped in zombie form, he wouldn’t have needed to block the blow like that.

They exchanged a rapid flurry, then broke apart.

Ryuma pushed off with his toes, lunging in. “Dawn Requiem—Piercing Strike!”

Zoro’s feet hadn’t even touched the ground again. He had to twist his head aside as a violet arc of sword aura swept past, clipping a few strands of hair.