Chapter 109: News of Shusui / The Moment of Choice
Marine Headquarters - Training Ground
The setting sun cast long, slanted shadows across the massive training field.
Zoro was on his knees, drenched in sweat, panting heavily. His two swords were stabbed into the ground beside him, and he radiated the aura of a cornered wolf.
His chest heaved, and sweat dripped from his forehead onto the warm stone.
Suddenly, he sensed a familiar, powerful presence approaching.
He snapped his head up, his green hair catching the last light of the sun.
"Big Bro Roy!"
Before the words even finished, Zoro had rushed forward, grabbing Roy by the arm the moment he stepped onto the field. His eyes burned with a fighting spirit that bordered on madness.
"I passed Admiral Kizaru's test! Where's the third sword you promised me?!"
Roy stumbled slightly at the sudden assault, then laughed, patting Zoro on the head. "You brat... always so impatient. Relax, the sword isn't going to grow legs and run away."
He looked at the setting sun, his expression growing serious. His voice dropped.
"The third sword is at one of the ends of the Grand Line—the Florian Triangle."
Zoro paused, frowning. "That place... the sea covered in fog where ships disappear?"
"That's the one," Roy nodded. "The legends about ghost ships and zombies without shadows... they're all true."
His voice turned grim. "One of the Seven Warlords, Gecko Moria, uses that place as his hunting ground."
"And his prized possession is a corpse he stole from Wano Country."
Zoro's eyes widened, his grip on his swords tightening. "Who...?"
Roy looked him in the eye, his gaze sharp. "Shimotsuki Ryuma. The Dragon-Slaying Samurai. A legendary swordsman from Wano."
Zoro's pupils shrank. "Shimotsuki...?!"
(The same name as Kuina's family?!)
"Moria used his Shadow-Shadow Fruit to reanimate him as a zombie," Roy continued, "but..."
He smirked. "He still has his sword."
"What sword?" Zoro asked instinctively.
"Shusui (Autumn Water)," Roy said the name like he was announcing a king. "One of the 21 Great Grade Swords. A 'Black Blade' capable of slaying a dragon."
Roy's eyes flashed. "If you want that sword, you have to defeat Ryuma's 'sword soul.' That is your trial."
Zoro gritted his teeth, his entire body ignited with battle lust. "Let's go! Now! I'm not coming back until I have that sword!"
"Hold on~" Roy grabbed Zoro before he could run off, his tone teasing. "You think I'm letting you go alone?"
Zoro paused. "Who else?"
Roy pointed to the edge of the field. Under the shade of a tree, a figure with long earlobes was lounging on a folding chair, faint sparks of electricity dancing around him like a sleeping thunder god.
"Him," Roy said. "Enel is going with you."
Zoro blinked, then bristled. "What? That guy?!"
Enel opened one eye lazily, taking a piece of grass out of his mouth. He snorted, as if he already knew this would happen. "Hmph. Moss-head. Don't come crying to me when you get scared of the thunderclouds."
"What did you say?!" A vein popped on Zoro's forehead, his hand going to his sword. "Say that again and I'll cut you!"
"Come on, weed-head. My lightning could use a warm-up."
The air crackled with tension. Lightning jumped from Enel's fingers, and Zoro's swords began to hum.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Roy stepped between them, patting their shoulders. "Save it for the Florian Triangle. Don't wreck the base."
Enel rolled his eyes. "I didn't sign up for babysitting duty~"
Roy slowly cracked his knuckles. The sound was very loud.
Enel shut his mouth instantly. "But... since Vice Admiral Roy insists, I suppose I can go stretch my legs."
Roy lowered his voice, speaking so only Enel's Mantra could pick it up. "While you're there... check on something for me. Rumor has it Moria has been kidnapping civilians to steal their shadows. If that's true..."
Enel's eyes widened, then narrowed into a dark, dangerous smile. Electricity crackled silently in his palm. "I see. So this is a 'Divine Judgment' mission."
Zoro saw the creepy smile and took a step back. "Is this guy... really on our side?"
Roy clapped Zoro on the shoulder, his expression solemn. "This is your trial to become a master swordsman."
He looked Zoro in the eye. "If you lose, you aren't qualified to hold that sword."
Zoro grinned, his teeth bared like a beast in the sunset. "I'll get that sword and prove who the real master is!"
Roy watched the two of them walk away, lightning and sword intent mingling in the air. The shadow of the Florian Triangle was waiting to open its jaws.
Meanwhile, Marineford - Gion's Kendo Dojo
Blades clashed, shockwaves rippling through the air.
In the center of the dojo, two figures moved like a storm.
Kuina gripped Wado Ichimonji with both hands, sweat matting her hair to her pale forehead. She was swaying from exhaustion, but she refused to take a step back.
Every strike was filled with her entire will—calm, decisive, unyielding.
Opposite her, Gion (Momousagi) held Konpira, her expression no longer relaxed. There was scrutiny and admiration in her eyes. Kuina was no longer the little girl she could easily suppress.
"Hah!" Kuina lunged, her blade drawing a silver moon-arc aimed at Gion's throat!
"Bold!" Gion smiled, parrying with a horizontal slash and countering with an upward thrust like a viper!
"Good resolve, but not fast enough!" Gion shouted.
Kuina forced herself back, but a piece of her uniform was sliced off. Her shoulder trembled.
Her breathing was ragged, her stamina burning away like paper in a fire, but her eyes remained cold and sharp.
Gion narrowed her eyes and charged, Konpira thrusting for the throat.
"CLANG!"
Kuina blocked, but her arm went numb, pain shooting through her hand, her blade knocked aside.
The next second, Gion's tip stopped an inch from her throat.
"You've improved a lot!" Gion sheathed her sword, her eyes appreciative.
Kuina panted, sweat dripping like rain, but she straightened her back stubbornly. "I... can still go."
Before Gion could speak, a familiar voice came from the doorway.
"Kuina, take a break."
They turned. Roy was leaning against the doorframe, backlit by the setting sun, smiling.
"Mr. Roy!" Kuina sheathed her sword and bowed.
Gion nodded. "Roy, good timing. Her skill is getting close to mine."
Roy walked over, looking at Kuina calmly. "Your technique is flawless. But your stamina... is still the bottleneck."
Kuina's fingers trembled. She looked down, frustration and conflict in her eyes.
"Stamina... always stamina..." she whispered bitterly.
"I train so hard, I push myself every day... but my body has a limit!"
She looked up, her eyes full of repressed anger. "Just because I'm a woman... am I destined to never catch up to them?"
Silence.
Roy seemed to see right through her. He took out the golden box and placed it in front of her, opening it without a hint of teasing.
"So, I brought you an 'answer.'"
Inside lay the strange, dark purple Devil Fruit, its spiral patterns pulsing like a heartbeat.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Zoan-Type, Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Model: Vampire Form."
Gion recognized it instantly, her eyes narrowing. "A Devil Fruit?! And a Mythical Zoan?!"
Roy nodded, his voice calm but firm. "Eat this, and you will gain physical endurance and regeneration beyond human limits."
"At night, your strength will double. And in every battle, you can absorb the blood of your enemies to restore yourself to peak condition and keep fighting!"
Kuina froze, staring at the fruit, her breathing rapid.
It was the "answer" she had longed for. A chance to break her physical limits, to stand equal with the men, to surpass them!
But...
Her finger hovered over the box, trembling.
"But..."
She whispered, her voice shaking. "If I eat this... will I still be... a pure swordsman?"
"Since I was little, I've pursued victory through skill, through will, through training."
"If I rely on a Devil Fruit to win... is that... is that still me?"
Her voice dropped, her eyes lost.
"If I take this bite... maybe I'll get stronger... but I might lose the conviction I've held onto all this time..."
"...Is it worth it?"
Roy didn't rush her. He just watched.
The fruit, a symbol of desire and cost, lay between her and "power."
The air seemed to solidify, and Kuina's hand, trembling, hovered over the line she had yet to cross.
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