-Broadcast-
Diamante gradually realized that Zoro was merely toying with him—the pirate was holding back considerable strength during their blade clashes. This discovery filled the clown swordsman with rage and humiliation.
Being seen through by a "small-time" pirate made him feel deeply insulted. "I wonder how long you can keep up this pretense."
"Hanayose!" (Flower Gathering!)
Diamante's Hira Hira no Mi (Flutter-Flutter Fruit) enhanced his swordsmanship, allowing his slashing attacks to ignore conventional physics. Once released, the undulating sword energy could entangle enemies and launch multiple consecutive strikes.
Faced with such a troublesome technique, the one-eyed swordsman's expression remained unchanged. He continued engaging his opponent with the single sword in his right hand.
"Your attack is quite unique," Zoro observed calmly, "but unfortunately, I can see through its trajectory."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Zoro kept his word, using only one-sword style to deflect the serpentine slashes continuously. After several precise counters, he completely neutralized Diamante's technique.
As one of Doflamingo's four top executives, this was the first time Diamante had encountered such a formidable swordsman. Having his signature moves so easily dismantled filled the clown swordsman with mounting pressure.
"Impressive defense," Diamante admitted grudgingly. "If you can block it once, let's see if you can handle multiple waves!"
He swung Hebi no Ken frantically, sending countless Devil Fruit-enhanced sword energies toward Zoro like a free barrage.
The Straw Hat Pirates' swordsman didn't bother dodging these dangerous attacks. Instead, he remained stationary and coated Yubashiri with Armament Haki, transforming it into a black blade that severed each incoming strike.
"Now that you're exhausted," Diamante panted, "don't you need more swords?"
"Unfortunately, I no longer carry any sword weaker than Yubashiri," Zoro replied, his killing intent suddenly spiking to terrifying levels.
Diamante felt the atmospheric shift immediately—this murderous aura made him realize something was fundamentally wrong with his assessment of this opponent.
[Outside the Sky Screen, Hawkeye Mihawk felt those words were oddly familiar, as if he'd once said something similar to someone...]
"Ittoryu: Shura Akukou Zan!" (One Sword Style: Asura Evil Light Slash!)
Zoro raised his blade overhead and slashed forward. A dark green, crescent-shaped sword energy tore through the ground with terrifying power, locking onto Diamante's position with inexorable certainty.
"This is bad!" When Diamante tried to dodge, he discovered he couldn't move. Zoro's murderous intent had completely suppressed him—he could only steel himself to endure this horrific attack.
The otherworldly killing aura possessed a supernatural paralyzing effect. In desperation, Diamante bit his tongue hard, using the bloody taste and sharp pain to force his right hand into motion.
"Hanawa!" (Flower Ring!)
Hebi no Ken coiled around his body, releasing circular slashes to protect its master. When Zoro's demonic strike collided with this defense, all of Diamante's protective measures proved utterly futile—his proud swordsmanship shattered like glass.
Zoro's technique left a massive fissure in the ground. Diamante's condition was even more catastrophic—his entire left arm and shoulder had been cleanly severed, warm blood spurting from the wound and staining his red cloak an even deeper crimson.
"Ugh... urgh..." The man vomited black blood, realizing there was something fundamentally wrong with Zoro's slash. He'd been injured not just physically, but on a spiritual level as well.
Diamante instinctively understood that he'd lost his left arm forever. Even if doctors attached a replacement limb, it would be nothing more than dead weight. This attack had transcended the physical realm entirely—Zoro was the natural enemy of any living being with a soul.
"Did you notice, Diamante?" Zoro said with chilling calm. "Your perception isn't bad. That technique didn't just sever your arm physically—it cut your spirit as well. Your soul has been damaged."
He wasn't boasting; soul-severing had become this man's passive ability.
The intense agony from his mutilated body finally made Diamante accept reality. When Zoro claimed he carried no sword weaker than Yubashiri, he hadn't been pretending. The gap between them was insurmountable—one-sword style was more than sufficient to defeat him.
There truly was always someone stronger. Diamante admitted internally that the difference between himself and Zoro might be greater than the gap between humans and animals—an unbridgeable chasm that no amount of time or effort could cross.
Zoro sheathed Yubashiri, placing it on his waist among three other swords.
Having defeated his enemy in a single move, he had no interest in killing a fellow swordsman. Unlike Diamante, he wouldn't abuse the weak in the manner of a tyrant.
"The winner is decided," Zoro declared. "Since you participated in what was done to Lami, I've severed one arm to balance the scales. You can wait for death here."
Zoro had lost interest in this executive. Diamante was better than the scum they'd encountered on Fish-Man Island, so he'd taken him seriously for a brief moment.
Moreover, people with damaged souls suffered a permanent curse—they would experience eternal pain from any lost body part. Even if physical wounds healed, the spiritual agony would torment Diamante for the rest of his life. This was punishment for his evil deeds.
Diamante gripped Hebi no Ken tightly in his trembling right hand. This morally corrupt man cast a final glance toward where Eren had departed. Young Master Doflamingo was aboard the Founding Titan, but unfortunately, they wouldn't meet again after today. He had to follow in the Heavenly Yaksha's footsteps to the end and maintain the dignity of an Army's commander.
"Since we're both swordsmen, I hope you'll show your true skills," Diamante said, his eyes blazing with resolve. "Even though I'm a clown, I possess a swordsman's dignity. Diamante wishes to learn from your superior techniques."
Hebi no Ken sensed its master's determination, the entire blade trembling involuntarily.
"Next, I'll use my strongest technique and end my life with this move," Diamante declared, pouring all his remaining Haki and lifetime of learning into the famous sword. Even at the end, he wanted it to bloom with a clown's vibrant colors.
"Ultimate Technique: Hebi no Ken Awakening!"
The famous blade underwent a dramatic transformation, becoming a colossal red-maned skeleton serpent nearly one hundred meters long, its massive body coiling around Diamante protectively.
This was Diamante's most powerful technique. The giant skeleton snake could extend and contract infinitely, excelling in both offense and defense, close combat and long-range engagement. However, against a true master, it remained insufficient.
Since his opponent was determined to go all the way, Zoro would honor that resolve—just as Hawkeye Mihawk had once honored his. Even a weak swordsman's dignity deserved respect.
"It's my turn to show you this beautiful technique."
Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji and bit it between his teeth, then simultaneously unsheathed Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu. He intended to respond to Diamante's pride with his strongest three-sword technique. Violent killing intent erupted from the man's body, raising dust clouds around them as all three blades became wreathed in dark green flames—this was ghostly energy from Asura itself. An ordinary person would lose half their life force from mere contact.
"Santoryu no Ougi: Daisansen Daisen Sekai: Fudou!" (Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Great Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds: Immovable!)
Diamante witnessed a massive phantom materializing behind Zoro—Asura, the legendary killing deity from the underworld. The spirit synchronized with Zoro's movements perfectly. However, even Hebi no Ken's awakened form appeared pathetically weak before Asura's soul manifestation.
"Perhaps you can fulfill the Shatorō's eight-hundred-year wish..." Diamante whispered with his final breath.
The Three-Sword Swordsman and the hell demon behind him charged toward Diamante with momentum capable of cutting through anything. This was not an existence that human power could resist.
The camera pulled back, revealing the entire King's Plateau being bisected down the middle with a sound of tearing wind, leaving a scar on the flower field that could never heal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~