Heroic Spirit Template in One Piece

Zoro and Caelan stood opposite each other in the open space outside the tavern.

Everyone around them watched the battle with serious expressions.

Usopp gritted his teeth, afraid that Zoro would be killed by Caelan's sword.

Luffy, on the other hand, was full of excitement, cheering loudly for Zoro.

"Young people these days are really full of energy," Shakky said lazily, taking a drag from her cigarette.

Zoro's fearless pursuit of swordsmanship was something she deeply respected.

For a moment, she seemed to see echoes of the powerful swordsmen she had met in the past.

But Zoro was facing a real monster now.

According to Rayleigh, Caelan's skill in swordsmanship had fully reached the level of a true great swordsman.

His sword techniques were sharp and domineering, and even Rayleigh had no interest in taking them head-on.

"I really want to see this playboy get beaten up,"

Next to Shakky, Nami and the other girls whispered among themselves.

No matter how understanding they were, all of them wanted to get closer to Caelan.

Obviously, his recent behavior of constantly attracting women had made them jealous.

Now, they were hoping to see Caelan get flustered.

Then they could gather around him playfully and tease him.

Unfortunately, that kind of scene was unlikely to happen.

Under the various gazes of the crowd, Caelan and Zoro stood face-to-face.

"Three-Sword Style, Zoro. Please guide me!" Zoro said solemnly, bowing to Caelan.

He knew full well this was a battle he couldn't win, and might even die from. But this was a true great swordsman—missing the chance to fight him would be a lifetime of regret.

Zoro gripped the Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu in each hand, and a sword in his mouth. He stood at full readiness.

Caelan stood calmly, holding his black blade, Shusui, in one hand. Switching from a greatsword to a standard katana, he intended to test it in real combat.

So this time, he didn't plan to overwhelm his opponent with brute force. He wanted to focus on skill.

He nodded slightly at Zoro, indicating he could make the first move.

Hss!

Zoro held his breath, concentrating fully on the smiling Caelan.

He didn't move his feet. His hardened muscles tensed like steel.

Once his breathing was perfectly aligned, Zoro suddenly stepped forward and charged.

Sandai Kitetsu and Wado Ichimonji crossed to form a slash, while Shusui in his mouth struck with killing intent, aiming to seal off Caelan's escape routes.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Caelan's black blade Shusui swept through the air in an arc, cleanly deflecting all three strikes.

The deadly opening move was easily neutralized.

"He saw through everything!" Zoro stepped back, watching Caelan with deep seriousness.

Caelan had completely read his sword movements, and even his follow-up variations. With a single circular swing, he had dismantled the entire assault.

It was a truly terrifying level of swordsmanship.

"Striking first isn't always the best," Caelan said with a smile, pointing his blade downward.

He hadn't used Observation Haki to predict the future—he refused to rely on such things against fellow swordsmen.

Among the strongest, relying too heavily on Observation Haki was a shortcut to defeat.

This was his true level of swordsmanship—and his personal philosophy.

In Fate, he could even qualify as a Saber-class.

Caelan recalled the feeling from before and adjusted his strength to match Zoro's level.

Then he shifted from defense to offense.

He stepped forward and slashed.

Bowing slightly, the black sword Shusui came down in a heavy arc.

Clang!

Zoro's face was serious as he crossed Sandai Kitetsu and Wado Ichimonji to block. Just as he prepared to counter with Shusui, Caelan instantly pulled away.

Then came the real assault.

Nine basic sword strikes were unleashed by Caelan in rapid succession at terrifying speed.

This was:

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū : Secret Technique — Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!

From Rurouni Kenshin, the legendary dual-sword technique made its return.

Compared to Himura Kenshin's version, known for skill but lacking strength, Caelan's resembled that of his master, Hiko Seijuro—balanced in both strength and technique, without weakness.

"What a terrifying sword style..." Zoro saw a flurry of white blades attacking from every direction.

Caelan was using only one sword, yet his assault was fiercer and more overwhelming than Zoro's three blades.

Gritting his teeth, Zoro gave his all to defend.

A moment later, Caelan appeared behind him.

Cough, cough...

Zoro coughed twice, barely managing to stay upright, and looked at Caelan in disbelief.

That last technique had been too fast. He had barely blocked three of the most fatal strikes.

The remaining six had all landed on his body.

Now, six wounds marked him from head to toe, each about an inch deep.

"You're not bad," Caelan said, shaking the blood from his blade.

Even though he had only used strength on par with Zoro's, and had swung a move that should have used two hands with only one, Zoro had endured it and survived. That was worthy of praise.

"…"

Zoro remained silent.

He was covered in wounds, while Caelan's clothes were only slightly scuffed.

Such a gap wasn't something to brag about.

Feeling his condition, Zoro realized he still had strength for one more strike.

Adjusting his grip slightly, Zoro began to chant.

"The nine mountains and eight seas constitute one world!

A thousand of them form a small chiliocosm!

And when I gather and cube that chiliocosm, there's nothing I can't cut!"

The chant began quietly, then gradually grew louder.

As his voice rose, so did his aura, which had been suppressed just moments ago.

"…"

Caelan watched quietly.

He was impressed that Zoro could chant all that so clearly with a sword in his mouth.

And yet… he looked so uneducated despite saying so many words.

In the world of pirates, it seemed all Zoro had learned was how to slash and swing.

What a shame.

"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Great World!"

When his momentum peaked, Zoro let out a loud roar.

With the three swords in hand, he spun like a vortex, forming a whirlwind of blades and slashing toward Caelan.

"There's some power in that… but not much," Caelan said flatly.

Facing Zoro's ultimate technique, he felt it lacked the elegance and clarity of their earlier duel.

Two-Sword Style, Three-Sword Style, even Eight-Sword Style—they all had wider coverage and a greater area of attack.

But that came at the cost of precision and power. Their single-target lethality was weak.

Against thick-skinned monsters like Kaido and Big Mom, it was barely more than a scratch.

The same applied to someone like Caelan, who had an even thicker HP bar.

Besides, Zoro was still far too green.

He had already completely read the Three-Sword Style technique.

Sigh.

Caelan exhaled softly, his face calm.

He still held his sword in one hand and raised it overhead.

It was just a simple downward slash.

(To be continued.)

***

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