Boom!
A dull, explosive sound burst from within Zoro's chest.
The Heroic Spirit sigil etched into the skin over his heart flared with crimson light.
In a blink, a red mist enveloped Zoro's entire body.
Seeing this, Genrou's lips curled upward in a knowing smile. He turned to look at Mihawk.
"Would you mind giving him a proper lesson, Mihawk-dono?"
Hearing this, Mihawk chuckled.
"Interesting. So I'm to be a sparring partner? Very well. I, too, am curious what kind of power he's hiding."
"But once this is over, you'll let me see your sword."
Mihawk's tone was calm but firm.
Genrou gave a small nod and, with a push of his legs, leapt off the deck and returned to Baratie's platform.
Back on Zoro's side, the red mist abruptly compressed and vanished into his body.
In the next moment, his new form was revealed to Mihawk and the others.
A chilling aura poured out—a form far removed from anything human. Six blood-red eyes opened wide on his face.
Zoro had undergone full demonification, completely stepping into the form of Kokushibou.
"What is that?! That three-sword guy has six eyes now?!"
"Holy crap, is that even human anymore?! What kind of monster is that?!"
"No kidding... Did you guys see it? His injuries—they're completely healed!"
The spectators erupted in confused chatter.
"How intriguing... Could this be the power of a Devil Fruit?"
"Six eyes… Could it be some kind of spider-type Devil Fruit?"
Mihawk mused, clearly intrigued.
"Spider or not, why don't we find out firsthand?"
Zoro grinned viciously as crimson energy coiled around Wado Ichimonji in his hand.
Just like Genrou had transformed his blade, Zoro now used Blood Demon Art to reshape Wado Ichimonji into a twisted, jagged aberration of a sword.
"That blade… it's just like Genrou's was earlier."
Mihawk muttered under his breath.
At that moment, Zoro charged.
"Tsuki no Kokyū – Ku no Kata: Getsuryū Rinbi! (Moon Breathing – Ninth Form: Moon Dragon's Tail Whip)!"
Slash!
With one swift motion, Zoro swept his blade from left to right, forming a massive crescent slash aimed directly at Mihawk.
Mihawk stood firm, lightly swinging Yoru in response.
His eyes, however, gleamed with deepened curiosity.
"That sword technique… Genrou used something like it earlier. Seems this form is the prerequisite for wielding such techniques."
"You couldn't use it before—so it took this transformation to unlock it?"
"But if that's the only move you've got, the result won't change."
Mihawk declared.
"Of course not. I've got more."
"Tsuki no Kokyū – Ku no Kata: Mochizuki Renmen! (Moon Breathing – Ninth Form: Continuous Full Moon!)"
Zoro unleashed a flurry of slashes, his sword moving in complex overlapping arcs that boxed in Mihawk's retreat. Then, without pause, he struck with even fiercer force.
Mihawk, fully engaged now, met his assault head-on.
The two clashed dozens of times in seconds.
Their movements became so fast that to the watching crowd, their silhouettes blurred into streaks.
Flying floorboards caught in the sword energy whirlwind were shredded to dust instantly.
The audience stared in stunned silence. Moments ago, Zoro had been handily defeated by Mihawk—and now, he was fighting him evenly.
What's more, even when Mihawk's blade struck Zoro, his wounds regenerated almost instantly, rendering the hits ineffective.
…
"Genrou, is this form of Zoro's really enough?" Nami asked curiously.
By now, Zoro and Mihawk had been fighting for nearly ten minutes.
Zoro had suffered numerous blows—wounds that would leave any ordinary person crippled.
Yet his injuries always healed quickly, and Nami couldn't help but wonder if Zoro might actually win.
"No… He can't win," Genrou replied, shaking his head.
"Zoro may seem like he's holding his own, but Mihawk still hasn't gotten serious."
"If he wanted to, Mihawk could end this anytime—even with Zoro's insane regeneration."
"And besides… Zoro's stamina is wearing thin. His healing can't last much longer."
"I think Zoro knows that too."
Nami turned back toward the fight. Sure enough, Zoro had halted his attack, and Mihawk had paused as well.
…
"If you knew he couldn't win, why did you have him fight Mihawk again?"
"And why is that moss-head so hellbent on fighting Mihawk over and over like he's got a death wish?!"
Sanji, who had been watching everything unfold, finally spoke up, his frustration spilling out.
"Zoro's fighting for his dream. But you, Sanji—you still refuse to reveal yours."
"In fact… You do have a dream. So why don't you take a step toward it?"
Genrou asked quietly.
"Hmph. My dream is to stay here as Baratie's sous-chef."
Sanji turned away, putting on a serious face.
"Heh. Sous-chef, huh? You say that, but it's really because you can't leave, isn't it?"
"Wha—!? Don't talk like I'm some kind of filial son! I'd never be nice to that old geezer!"
Genrou chuckled. "You're really a handful, Sanji. But I won't blame just you. Both you and Zeff are a pain in the ass."
Sanji and Zeff glanced at each other, caught off guard and unsure what to say.
Genrou shook his head again and sighed.
"You clearly want the kid to chase after the All Blue in your stead, but you don't know how to say it."
"So you pretend to push him away, hoping that'll force him to pursue the dream."
"And the kid—he thinks staying here is how he can repay you. But doesn't helping an old man chase his dream count as repayment, too?"
"If either of you would just talk honestly, this would've been solved long ago."
"But instead, you dragged it out into this mess."
With a final sigh, Genrou turned back to the battlefield.
The fight between Zoro and Mihawk had reached its climax.
Zoro had fallen again, his Kokushibou form now fully dissipated.
Without hesitation, Genrou leapt forward and stood before Mihawk, then threw both Zoro and his own sword back toward Luffy and the others.
Sanji stared at Genrou from afar, replaying the man's words in his mind. His mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out.
Until Zeff walked up behind him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Genrou's right. We really do need to have a proper talk, Sanji."
…
(End of Chapter)
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