Chapter 17: Zoro, You're Even More Directionally Challenged Than Kenpachi Zaraki[1]
As they spoke, Rangiku Matsumoto also displayed a power called Kidō.
Seeing that she only needed to softly chant an incantation to unleash wind, fire, lightning, and other energies, Luffy's eyes instantly turned into starry sparkles.
With her arms crossed and one hand propping up her chin, Nami sighed in admiration:
"She's an amazing woman, Zoro. Why don't you just choose a woman's template?"
"Not only can she release fire and lightning, even her sword can turn into smoke to attack enemies."
"Her methods seem even more impressive than Kokushibo's just now."
Hearing that, Zoro didn't speak.
But Luffy, who had been wide-eyed with excitement a moment ago, shook his head at Nami.
"Nami, let Zoro choose for himself."
"Rangiku Matsumoto might look stronger than Kokushibo, but that doesn't mean she suits Zoro."
"Hm? Luffy, why?"
"Didn't you think Rangiku Matsumoto's power was stronger just now?"
"If you haven't experienced choosing a Heroic Spirit template, you probably wouldn't know."
"Back then, when Rozi had me choose between Toriko, Drake, and that rubber guy, I vaguely felt Toriko fit me best."
Luffy paused, then continued under Nami's gaze:
"Of course I want Captain Drake's power too."
"But I could clearly feel I wouldn't be able to use that power well."
"Even if I forced myself to choose it, it might turn out like Rozi said—unable to properly guide that power."
"On the other hand, Toriko's power felt like it was pulling me in."
"Like the moment I chose Toriko's template, I'd be able to develop that power quickly."
Hearing that, Nami looked toward Rozi.
"That's exactly right."
"When choosing a Heroic Spirit, it should be left to the person themselves."
"Sometimes, what looks like the weaker power at first can end up showing value far beyond expectations once it's chosen."
"Fine."
"Anyway, I don't really care—just watch what Zoro chooses."
Nami shrugged and turned to look at Zoro.
At that moment, Rangiku Matsumoto's projection disappeared.
After thinking for a while, Zoro reached out and touched the name Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Tch, let me see what kind of power this directionally challenged guy has."
While Zoro muttered to himself, the surroundings changed again.
In the blink of an eye, everyone arrived on a silent street.
Zoro looked up and quickly saw, a little behind them, a tall, fierce-looking, muscular man with spiky hair.
Under Rozi and the others' gaze, the man kept crashing around and wandering down the street, and in just a few minutes, he ended up back where he started.
"Tch. What a directionally challenged idiot."
Zoro crossed his arms and looked at Kenpachi Zaraki's projection with disdain.
"You've got nerve saying that."
"When it comes to getting lost, you're way worse than him."
"No… it's more like there might not be a single person in this world who can match your level of getting lost."
Rozi shot Zoro a look, utterly speechless.
Kenpachi Zaraki might get lost, but at least he wouldn't run in the opposite direction while the destination was right in front of him—Zoro absolutely could do that.
"Huh? No way I'm more directionally challenged than him!"
"Hearing that, you're admitting you're directionally challenged, Zoro?"
"No! I didn't—damn you, Rozi. Duel me. Perfect chance to show me your swordsmanship."
"Heh, save the duel for later."
"Right now, you still have a choice to make."
Rozi snapped his fingers, and the scene changed again.
This time, they arrived at a silent battlefield.
On the battlefield, besides Kenpachi Zaraki carrying a long sword, there was also a lanky man holding double crescent scythes.
"Hey, try cutting me first."
Kenpachi Zaraki pulled open the front of his clothes and spoke arrogantly to the enemy in front of him.
"Letting the enemy cut you? Is something wrong with that guy?"
Luffy tilted his head, full of confusion.
But soon, the confusion on Luffy's face turned into shock.
The lanky man's scythe hacked down heavily onto Kenpachi Zaraki, instantly whipping up a fierce gale.
It was obvious how powerful that blow was, yet it didn't leave even the slightest wound on Kenpachi Zaraki.
"The energy inside Kenpachi Zaraki is far too strong."
"That energy, called spiritual pressure, automatically forms a hard protective barrier on the surface of his skin."
"If the slash isn't strong enough, it can't even break through Kenpachi Zaraki's defense."
"Beyond that, this energy also makes his slashes exceptionally powerful."
As Rozi explained, Kenpachi Zaraki slowly raised the long sword in his hand.
Slash!
With one swing, Kenpachi Zaraki's blade cut through the air and landed on the enemy.
With a boom, the enemy was instantly crushed to the ground, and the force was so strong the surrounding earth began to crack apart.
"So strong! That was just a normal slash—why is it this powerful?!"
Zoro stared at Kenpachi Zaraki with eyes wide, unable to imagine that the directionally challenged guy could have such terrifying strength.
As if one strike wasn't enough, Kenpachi Zaraki raised his sword again—this time gripping it with both hands.
"Swordsmanship: Two-Handed Cut!"
Boom!
Kenpachi Zaraki's long sword came down, and the enemy, who had just started to get up, was smashed back down again.
This time, the shaking of the ground was several times stronger than before.
"Kenpachi Zaraki's swordsmanship is a style of holding the blade with both hands."
"He enjoys slaughter."
"To keep enemies from dying too quickly, he usually fights one-handed, relying on brute force."
"When he uses both hands, hardly anyone can withstand his slash."
Rozi patted Zoro's shoulder and continued:
"Besides that, like Rangiku Matsumoto, Kenpachi Zaraki also possesses a power called Zanpakutō."
"That is Kenpachi Zaraki's truly terrifying power."
Zoro swallowed hard and stared at the long sword in Kenpachi Zaraki's hand.
"This man's slashes were already that strong."
"If he uses that sword's power, just how strong will he become?"
As if answering Zoro's question, Kenpachi Zaraki suddenly raised his long sword high, and his spiritual pressure exploded outward.
The powerful spiritual pressure even formed a massively oppressive energy skeleton behind him.
"Devour… Nozarashi!"
Kenpachi Zaraki roared, and the slender long sword suddenly changed drastically.
It became a huge executioner's blade with an extremely long handle.
At that moment, a gigantic meteor began falling rapidly from the sky.
Even knowing it was an illusion, seeing the meteor overhead still frightened Nami and the others badly.
"Hah!"
Kenpachi Zaraki lifted his released Zanpakutō and swung at the meteor, and the sheer power shattered it apart.
Seeing that, aside from Rozi—who already knew Kenpachi Zaraki's power—Zoro and the others' eyes went wide.
"S-So strong… You can even cut a meteor apart with a sword?!"
Zoro's mouth hung open in a perfect O, his mind shaken beyond belief.
"Remember what I said earlier about a Zanpakutō having two stages of release?"
"Shattering a meteor is still too easy for Kenpachi Zaraki."
Rozi smiled.
In the next moment, Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure erupted again, and both his body and his Zanpakutō changed under that surge of power.
The front end of the executioner's blade snapped off—though it was now a broken blade, the pressure it gave off became even more terrifying.
At the same time, Kenpachi Zaraki's skin turned completely blood-red, making him look like a true demon from afar.
"ROAR!"
Kenpachi Zaraki bellowed, and with a single swing of the broken blade—
In an instant, the city ahead turned straight into powder and scattered away.