"Zoro's in charge now!" Law couldn't help but shout, his concern evident.
It seemed he had underestimated Diamante. While his fighting style was similar to Ohm's from Skypiea, his strength was on a completely different level.
Zoro just shook his head. "Don't worry, Trafalgar," he said. "I can handle this guy!"
Diamante was strong, but Zoro knew he wasn't on the same level as Vice Admiral Onigumo. His master, Ikki, had once told him that his strength was now on par with Onigumo's, and Zoro believed it completely. If he could fight Onigumo, there was no way he'd lose to a guy like Diamante.
The current situation was just a result of Diamante's cheap tricks and underhanded tactics.
Law chose to stay quiet but kept his hands ready, preparing to jump in and help at a moment's notice.
Meanwhile, Zoro refocused and charged straight for Diamante. Diamante's snake swords lunged at him, but Zoro deflected them easily with Sakura-Ten and Dead Man's Wood, never breaking his stride.
"Three Sword Style: Purgatory Onigiri!"
Zoro crossed his swords, blocking Diamante's blade, while the third sword in his mouth aimed for a devastating slash.
Diamante's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly retreated, using his own sword to parry Zoro's relentless attacks. But Zoro was already on the offensive, pressing forward and giving Diamante no room to breathe.
The sound of clashing steel echoed throughout the arena.
Zoro's strikes were a furious barrage, sometimes landing over a dozen in a single second. Diamante was barely able to keep up. After a while, he realized something was wrong. Zoro's attacks showed no signs of slowing down; the speed and power of his slashes were just as strong as when the fight began.
In contrast, Diamante's own sword felt heavy, and he found himself getting flustered.
"He's wielding three swords so skillfully! That's just not fair!" Diamante complained to himself. He gritted his teeth and thrust his sword forward to force Zoro back, then suddenly slammed his free hand on the ground.
"Dress Flag!"
The ground beneath them rippled like a flag caught in the wind.
Zoro lost his footing, making it impossible to keep up his attack. Diamante took the opportunity and plunged his snake sword into the ground. The floor in front of Zoro suddenly tore open and the sword's tip shot out, aiming directly for his throat.
"This acrobatic swordplay again?!" Zoro muttered, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.
Whoosh! He swung Sakura-Ten and the sound of cracking metal rang out as Diamante's blade was cleanly snapped in half.
"How is this possible?!" Diamante shrieked in disbelief. He quickly reached into his pocket and threw something on the ground.
At first, they were just some fluffy pieces of paper, but they quickly transformed into several small cannons. Bang! Bang! Bang! The cannons shot shells into the air, which exploded into a shower of paper confetti.
Then, before anyone's eyes, the confetti hardened into dozens of spike-covered iron balls, raining down like a deadly storm.
"Zoro!" his crewmates cried out.
If those iron balls hit him, they'd tear him to shreds. There were so many of them, it was like being caught in a hailstorm of death.
Zoro stood still, unfazed. He didn't even bother to look at the falling iron balls. He simply took a step forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spiky iron balls bounced off him as if they were hitting solid steel.
A look of horror spread across Diamante's face as he realized that Zoro had covered his entire body in Armament Haki. The iron balls couldn't even leave a scratch.
Zoro's crew was stunned.
Law's jaw dropped in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Zoro's Armament Haki had reached such a level.
Zoro continued to walk forward, each step slow, yet his presence grew ten times with every footfall.
"You really should have focused on good swordsmanship instead of these cheap parlor tricks," he said calmly. "Your ability has completely ruined your swordsmanship. If a guy like you were to defeat me, how could I ever claim to become the World's Strongest Swordsman?"
"Besides, someone like Onigumo is ten times stronger than you! There's no way I'm losing to a weakling like you!"
As he spoke the last sentence, Zoro's momentum reached its peak. He sheathed Sakura-Ten and Dead Man's Wood, holding only the scabbard of Wado Ichimonji in his hands. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he lunged forward.
"One Sword Style: Daishinkan!"
At that moment, the Wado Ichimonji seemed to turn completely black, shrouded in a menacing aura. As Zoro swung the sword, it was as if countless malevolent spirits rushed forward, engulfing Diamante.
Diamante was frozen in fear, but he instinctively held up his steel cape to block the attack.
However, the Wado Ichimonji easily cut through the steel, and left a deep gash across Diamante's chest. Blood splattered everywhere.
"No! How could this be?! How could I lose to a brat…?" Diamante said, his eyes rolling back as the intense pain caused his consciousness to fade. He finally collapsed to the ground.
"In the future, you should practice swordsmanship and stop relying on your Devil Fruit ability," Zoro said casually as he slowly sheathed Wado Ichimonji. "Not that it matters to me anyway. I'm going to climb a higher peak, and I'll leave people like you far behind."
His crewmates couldn't help but smile, and Chopper cheered loudly.
Tashigi, who had just defeated Kaku, stared at Zoro in silence. She had heard every word, and her expression was a mix of admiration and complicated feelings.
She didn't want to admit it, but this green-haired swordsman was truly an exceptional swordsman. The longer she spent with the Straw Hats, the more she realized they weren't like other pirates. The three-sword-wielding man wasn't a malicious or cruel person. He was worthy of the three famous swords he carried.
He was going to keep defeating his opponents until he finally faced Mihawk and fulfilled the promise he had made to Kuina!
"This is crazy," Tashigi muttered to herself, clenching her fists. "How am I supposed to take back the three famous swords if he's like this?" She was impressed by Zoro's strength and growth, and she admired his swordsmanship.
Zoro didn't want to break his vow to Kuina, and Tashigi didn't want to get in the way of it. The promise between a boy and a girl to become the world's greatest swordsman… wasn't it a beautiful and romantic thing? She almost felt jealous of Kuina.
"Tashigi..." Koshiro began, worried.
"I'm fine, Master Koshiro," Tashigi said, shaking her head. "I just understand a few things now, but it doesn't change my resolve to get back the famous swords! I'll wait for him to fulfill his promise to Kuina, and then I'll beat him and take the three famous swords!"
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