The One-Slash Superman of the One Piece World

"Recruit him into the Navy?"

"How's that even possible? He's a…"

Kuzan was about to say that Kyros was a gladiator, but suddenly stopped himself.

Actually, come to think of it, the Navy didn't really care all that much about a person's background. As long as someone's origins were clear, they weren't a pirate, and they hadn't committed unforgivable crimes in member nations, they could still become part of the Navy.

Kuzan didn't know that Kyros had ended up in the coliseum because he'd once been a murderer, but even if he did know, it probably wouldn't have mattered much.

After all, Kyros had already been pardoned by the king of Dressrosa. The Navy wasn't about to swing its sword at Dressrosa's own people, especially when the man hadn't committed any new crimes.

"So, what do you think, Kuzan? How about we go ask him?"

"And if nothing else, at least let me spar with him in private. I really want to fight him."

Yorichi spoke with clear excitement, his desire to cross blades with Kyros practically radiating off him.

A duel between swordsmen could generally be divided into two categories: "skill" and "strength." Yorichi far surpassed Kyros in speed, power, and perception. But setting all that aside, purely in terms of "skill," Kyros was still a worthy opponent in Yorichi's eyes.

"Uh… sure. We can go ask him later. But don't get your hopes up too high," Kuzan replied.

"The odds are, he probably won't want to join the Navy."

"This is my first time in Dressrosa, but I've heard plenty about this coliseum. Some of the gladiators come here to hone their skills, some are condemned criminals, and others are slaves."

"A lot of gladiators… are just disposable."

Seeing how eager Yorichi looked, Kuzan didn't flat-out refuse him, but he didn't want him to get too excited either. After all, the bigger your expectations, the greater the disappointment.

"It's fine. I just want to ask. Who knows? Maybe he'll actually be interested."

Having reached an agreement, the two of them stopped watching the ongoing matches and quickly left their seats, heading backstage to look for Kyros.

Of course, the coliseum staff weren't about to let two random strangers just waltz in and meet one of their gladiators.

Kyros was different from other free gladiators. In a way, he was still considered a criminal and didn't have full freedom.

That was when Kuzan's rank as a Navy Headquarters Colonel became extremely useful. Once his identity was confirmed, the officials assigned someone to personally escort Kuzan and Yorichi to meet Kyros.

It turned out that Kyros wasn't kept in some luxurious quarters, as Yorichi had imagined for such a money-making star. Instead, he was housed inside a prison within the coliseum itself.

The cell was roughly ten square meters. Its walls were made of solid blue-gray stone. A small ventilation window was set high up on one wall, divided into tiny squares by iron bars no thicker than a thumb, barely wide enough for a cat to squeeze through.

The furnishings were spartan: a single bed, a simple table and chair, a squat toilet connected directly to the room, and a small sink. On the sink sat a pale yellow towel, half a bar of soap, a toothbrush and cup for washing, and a small tin of tooth salt.

After his match, Kyros had returned to his "room." His sword leaned against the wall.

It was clear that even though he lived in a cell, Kyros wasn't treated quite like an ordinary prisoner. He enjoyed certain privileges and wasn't shackled or restrained.

Given his level of combat ability, if Kyros wanted to escape with sword in hand, the coliseum guards would stand little chance of stopping him.

Kuzan and Yorichi entered Kyros's cell, scanning their surroundings. Kyros, for his part, looked at the two unexpected visitors with a mix of surprise and curiosity, his bright eyes studying Yorichi and Kuzan.

He'd already been told by the staff that a Navy Headquarters Colonel wanted to speak with him. From the looks of it, that tall man must be the one. When Kyros finally saw Kuzan's face, he couldn't hide his astonishment. He hadn't expected someone so young to be a Navy Colonel.

"So… you two Marines came to see me for what reason?"

Kyros seemed unaccustomed to talking with outsiders. His voice held a faint uncertainty, quite different from the formidable figure he was in the arena.

Before Kuzan could say anything, Yorichi stepped forward, extended his hand, and greeted Kyros with a warm smile.

"Hello, I'm Yorichi Tsugikuni. I'm not a Marine… at least, not yet."

"Kyros, I really admire your fighting skills. I was wondering… would you be willing to spar with me sometime?"

"It doesn't have to be in the arena. Just a private sparring match."

"To be honest… I'm kind of a fan."

Yorichi's words were laced with sincere admiration. He seemed genuinely worried Kyros might turn him down.

"Sparring…?" Kyros repeated, clearly puzzled. It was the first time he'd ever heard that word.

Every fight in the coliseum was a battle to the death. Sparring? That was a foreign concept to him.

Kyros lowered his gaze to study Yorichi, who stood only a little over 170 centimeters tall. He looked at Yorichi's youthful face and felt no urge whatsoever to fight him.

If not for the long black-sheathed katana at Yorichi's waist, Kyros wouldn't have considered him worthy of stepping into the ring at all.

Sparring? Kyros worried that if he slipped up, he might kill the kid outright.

"I… I've never sparred with anyone. All my fights have been life-and-death struggles," Kyros said quietly.

"I'm afraid I might lose control. If that's what you came here for, I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Though Kyros reached out and clasped Yorichi's hand, he simultaneously squatted down a bit, like someone talking gently to a child. His refusal was polite, but the gesture made it painfully clear that he saw Yorichi as small and fragile.

"Uh…" Yorichi could sense Kyros's attitude. He appreciated the concern behind Kyros's words, but hearing them still made him feel underestimated.

Yet Yorichi didn't get angry. It was natural for people to judge others by appearances. Besides, when he wasn't fighting, Yorichi, immersed in his state of "Mugetsu," exuded no threatening presence whatsoever, making him seem entirely ordinary.

"Mr. Kyros, I really don't think you need to worry about that."

"I'm pretty sure fighting me wouldn't be boring for you."

As he spoke, Yorichi, in a movement faster than the blink of an eye, drew the katana at his waist in a smooth, horizontal thrust and then instantly sheathed it again.

A dull, explosive sound echoed in Kyros's ears. When he turned to look, he saw that the solid stone wall now had a narrow hole, no more than two fingers wide.

A shaft of sunlight streamed through the hole, casting a bright beam into the room.

Kyros's pupils contracted sharply. Just now, he hadn't even seen how Yorichi had drawn his blade. All he'd felt was a faint breeze at his waist, followed immediately by the heavy thud ringing in his ears.

"He's… incredibly strong!"

Kyros murmured, staring at Yorichi with entirely new eyes.

After a long silence, Kyros strode over to the wall, seized his sword, and stepped outside the cell. Just outside his door was a small open space. It wasn't even a hundred square meters, but it would suffice for a sparring match.

Seeing Kyros's actions, Yorichi smiled, gripping his katana and following him outside. He stood facing Kyros in the courtyard, not even removing his scabbard, simply holding his sword at his side.

All the while, Kuzan remained quietly off to the side, observing without a word.

If this was Yorichi's idea, Kuzan figured he might as well let him handle it himself.

"Well then… I'm coming at you."

"Kid… Yorichi-san, be careful."

Kyros gripped his sword with both hands, ready and alert. From Yorichi's single blow earlier, he already knew the gap between them was vast. He knew he wasn't Yorichi's match. But that didn't mean he'd lose his fighting spirit.

He was, after all, a swordsman too.

With a sharp stomp, Kyros broke from his usual reserved style. This time, he didn't wait at all. He lunged forward, gripping his sword in both hands, closing the distance to Yorichi in an instant. He thrust the blade straight toward Yorichi's chest.

Yorichi's eyes followed Kyros's every movement. With a single, smooth motion, he lifted his katana to parry, easily deflecting Kyros's sword aside.

"Hm?!" Kuzan, watching from the sidelines, let out a small, surprised noise. He realized that Yorichi wasn't using his full strength or speed at all.

It seemed like he was deliberately suppressing his abilities.

Apparently, he wanted to fight Kyros on the same level.

Yet, even though Yorichi consciously held back his speed and power, the Transparent World could not be disabled at will. Kyros's every move was still laid bare before Yorichi's eyes.

Seizing the moment, Yorichi saw the weak spot in Kyros's chest guard. As he deflected the blade, he lunged forward, swinging the hilt of his katana in a quick arc and slamming it into Kyros's abdomen.

"Boom!"

Kyros's massive body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Yorichi froze, lowering his weapon immediately. He hadn't expected things to turn out like this. He'd wanted a dazzling sword duel with Kyros, but…

Frowning slightly, Yorichi scratched his head and said apologetically,

"Kyros… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"It was a reflex."

Even when suppressing his speed and strength, Yorichi's combat prowess was monstrous thanks to the Transparent World. The gap between him and Kyros was simply too vast.

"Kyros… how about… joining the Navy?" Yorichi said suddenly, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"I think… if you could grow a bit stronger, fighting you would be even more interesting."