Chapter 256: 256. Different Swordsmanship, A Destructive Battlefield
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Under the alliance, the three major captains stood dumbfounded, watching the scene unfold.
Not only were their subordinates stunned, but even they were witnessing this level of a flying slash for the first time. The attack carved through hundreds of meters of sea, effortlessly cutting apart even the strongest ships crafted in the shipyards of Water 7. This was a feat that even Harry, the strongest of the allied captains, couldn't replicate.
"Damn it!"
Harry's face twisted with shock and fear. He realized they might be in serious trouble. Still, with fewer than a dozen enemies opposing them, he believed that once it came to a boarding battle, their numerical advantage would turn the tide.
The ship tilted sharply under the force of the attack.
At the urging of the three captains, the allied forces regrouped, tightening their encirclement and charging forward with renewed desperation.
"Huh?! They're still coming forward?" Perona remarked, a bit puzzled. "Most people would run for their lives after seeing Zoro's offensive."
"Doesn't this just prove they're up to something?" Zoro replied, a grin spreading across his face. Holding his swords, he looked eager, his interest now fully ignited.
"Zoro, your target is the ship in the middle."
From her vantage point in the ship's second-floor room, Nami lowered the binoculars in her hands. "Don't get turned around!"
"I'm not an idiot!" Zoro shot back in irritation, crouching like a tiger ready to pounce.
With a loud bang, the ship trembled as Zoro launched himself skyward. Using his immense strength and skills honed through countless battles, he shot into the air like a cannonball, rising over 100 meters in an instant. With his blades crossed, he descended like a green dragon, his form slicing through the sky.
Crash!
Zoro landed squarely on the target ship. His swords unleashed a devastating slash that tore the pirate vessel to pieces, scattering debris across the sea.
From her position, Nami shouted angrily, "That ship was on the left!"
Whether her voice reached him or not was anyone's guess. Exasperated, she turned to Kuina, who stood calmly beside her. "Kuina, aren't you going to make a move?"
But Kuina didn't seem inclined to intervene. While Zoro continued wreaking havoc and their allies advanced, Ulti transformed into a massive wolf, freezing the sea beneath a speeding pirate ship. Page One joined the assault, unleashing his own chaos. Even Perona and Law started picking targets, their abilities turning the battlefield into a spectacle of destruction.
Kuina rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, Wado Ichimonji, and gazed at the distant battlefield.
"The way Zoro and I approach swordsmanship is different," she said calmly. "He focuses on an overwhelming style that cuts through everything in his path, drawing strength from his victories. I aim for perfection within myself, constantly refining my technique to improve."
"So no, I don't find these low-level opponents worth my time. Instead of fighting them, I'd rather train with the teacher or spar with Miss Gion when we return."
Nami nodded vaguely, understanding only part of what Kuina meant.
While she wasn't particularly interested in the battle either, the thought of gathering intelligence about Whitebeard's territory spurred her on. The quicker this was over, the sooner she could use the information to pursue her dream.
In the next moment, the weather in the surrounding sea area shifted, coming under Nami's precise control. Her senses extended across the turbulent sea, and as her thoughts focused, a powerful wind began to whip the waters into an even more chaotic frenzy.
Meanwhile, after sinking three more pirate ships, Zoro carved a path of destruction through the enemy ranks. His relentless advance brought him closer to the area where the three captains of the alliance had gathered.
Having grown up in the Sky Kingdom—renowned for its master swordsmen—and trained alongside Kuina, whose talent was unparalleled, Zoro's current strength far surpassed the level he had reached in the Wano Country events of the original timeline. For him, this battle felt more like a chore than a challenge.
"Ah… how disappointing," Zoro muttered, his tone laced with boredom. "Have bounties gotten so high that even these guys think they're worth something?"
Without even resorting to the advanced Conqueror's Haki techniques, Zoro deflected Harry's blood-fueled attack with ease. His swords barely trembled as he countered the desperate strike.
Harry, who had activated the full power of his Blood-Blood Fruit, was visibly shaken. His ability allowed him to absorb the blood of those around him, enhancing his strength, speed, and durability. Yet, despite this terrifying power, his hands quivered as he faced Zoro.
The cries of his crew and the sounds of shattering ships rang in his ears, filling him with dread. He wished he could block it all out, to stop hearing the chaos surrounding him.
In just ten minutes, their tri-military alliance—nearly 10,000 strong—had been annihilated. The destruction was so overwhelming that it felt unreal, like a nightmare. Massive ships, capable of holding thousands, had been obliterated in countless ways:
Some were turned into ice sculptures, then torn apart by wolves and dinosaurs. Others were blown to pieces by enormous ghosts. Still others were flung into the air like toys, crashing into their allies and leaving nothing but wreckage in the sea.
The green-haired swordsman standing before him was the worst of all, like a demon incarnate. Zoro had single-handedly decimated the left flank, leaving behind only ruin.
Harry glanced at the other two alliance captains, now lying lifeless in pools of blood. His heart sank further. If he could turn back time, he would never have engaged the forces under the Sky Kingdom's flag. He would have fled at the first sight of that emblem.
But reality was cruel. He was no time-manipulating Devil Fruit user. His Blood-Blood Fruit could only enhance his body and heal his injuries through the blood of others. Against Zoro, this power was meaningless.
Every attack he launched was deflected effortlessly, like an adult toying with a child. Harry's rage-fueled state couldn't even scratch his opponent. He now understood there was no hope of victory.
Clang!
His weapon fell to the ground.
Harry collapsed to his knees, trembling. "I surrender! I swear allegiance to the Sky Kingdom! Please… spare my life!"
Zoro stopped, lowering his swords as he considered the plea.
While Zoro enjoyed honing his skills through battle, fighting an opponent who had lost their spirit was beyond tedious—it was downright irritating. His expression turned cold as he slid his swords back into their sheaths.
Harry's face lit up with hope, thinking his life had been spared.
But in the next instant, an invisible slash tore through the air. The sword strike was so swift and precise that Harry didn't even have time to react.
With a stunned expression frozen on his face, he and the shattered remnants of the ship sank into the depths of the sea.