"Gladly, but I don't have a weapon on me. Give me a moment,"
Shirogai Yamikuro said casually, scanning the forest floor.
Spotting a half-meter-long branch about as thick as a pigeon's egg, he grinned and picked it up.
"Hey, you'll do," he muttered.
Using two fingers coated in Armament Haki, Shirogai lightly rubbed the surface of the branch, smoothing it clean in an instant. He gave it a few test swings through the air with a sharp whoosh whoosh, nodded in satisfaction, and smirked.
"I'll call you... Famous Sword: Kisame."
Gripping the so-called 'sword' in one hand, he pointed it at Zoro with a confident smile.
"All right, I'm ready. Come at me!"
This guy... Shirogai was even more arrogant than Hawkeye Mihawk.
Are all swordsmen such unbearable bastards?
Zoro clenched his jaw, feeling an itch of irritation.
"You're seriously challenging me with a random branch you just picked up?" Zoro asked in a low, dangerous voice.
Shirogai chuckled.
"Relax, this is a high-grade famous sword. With your current strength, you won't be able to cut it. Better go all out."
Zoro's expression darkened as he crouched into a stance, gathering power.
"There's a limit to looking down on people. I'll cut that 'famous sword' of yours clean in half with one strike."
He gripped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, a cold glint flashing in his eye.
"If I cut you down, it just proves you're not that special after all."
Unfazed, Shirogai smirked.
"And what if I'm still standing?"
"If you survive," Zoro growled, "then I'll recognize you as my companion."
With that, Zoro charged forward, sword raised overhead.
"One Sword Style: Moon Slash!"
The blade came down in a clean diagonal arc, its gleam catching Shirogai's reflection. But Shirogai didn't move an inch.
Only when the sword reached within a hair's breadth did Shirogai casually lift his 'Kisame' to parry.
Clang!
The instant Wado Ichimonji collided with the simple branch, the shockwave was far beyond what Zoro anticipated. The recoil sent him flying backwards through the air. He twisted mid-flight, planting both feet firmly on the ground as he landed.
Zoro's gaze shot to the branch in Shirogai's hand, eyes widening.
"This... what the hell?"
The branch remained perfectly intact. Zoro clenched his teeth. He knew Shirogai was strong — but this? He couldn't even cut a stick the man picked off the ground.
Was the difference between them really this massive?
He had promised Luffy he would never lose again until he surpassed Hawkeye and claimed the title of World's Greatest Swordsman.
Was he going to fail again?
Seeing the frustration boiling within Zoro, Shirogai gave the branch a casual shake.
"Zoro, don't overthink it. This fight was unfair from the start."
He raised the branch and gestured to it.
"Take a good look. Notice anything different about this 'Kisame' now?"
Zoro forced himself to steady his breathing and looked closely.
…Huh!
The branch had subtly changed color. It was now a deep, glossy black.
He frowned, his sharp instincts noting the shift immediately.
"Earlier, on the ship," Zoro thought, recalling how his own Wado Ichimonji had changed when Shirogai touched it.
Shirogai smiled.
"This is called Armament Haki."
He withdrew the Haki coating and then reapplied it, letting the colorless aura harden visibly around the stick.
"By covering a weapon with Armament Haki, you can make it tougher, sharper, and able to clash with even a Logia user's real body. The moment our weapons met, I coated this branch with it."
He lowered his gaze, voice steady.
"You haven't mastered this technique yet. Even with a famous sword in your hand, you can't cut through a branch like this if it's properly reinforced."
Zoro bit his lip.
"A swordsman isn't disgraced just by losing a fight," Shirogai continued. "But having your blade chipped or broken by your opponent is a humiliation."
He grinned.
"Only when you master this Haki — turning your sword into an unbreakable black blade — can you claim to have stepped into the world of great swordsmen."
Black blade…
Zoro's mind flashed to the silhouette that had scarred him once — Hawkeye Mihawk. The man's sword was a legendary black blade, and that memory still lingered in the depths of Zoro's spirit.
As if reading his thoughts, Shirogai spoke again.
"Hawkeye's perfected this. Even an ordinary sword in his hands becomes a devastating black blade."
He casually swung Kisame at the ground.
Boom!
A deafening roar split the forest as a bottomless gash tore through the earth between them. Zoro watched it split towards him — his feet unmoving — though his heart thundered.
The gap between them wasn't just strength. It was leagues apart.
Shirogai planted the stick into the earth and reclined on a nearby stone, speaking calmly.
"Zoro, the distance between you and me… is like this gully."
Zoro inhaled deeply, afraid not of defeat, but of turning away from his true self.
"I lost," he admitted, his voice steady despite the shake in his hands.
Sheathing Wado Ichimonji, Zoro asked seriously.
"Shirogai, what's the difference between you and Hawkeye?"
Shirogai tilted his head thoughtfully, then smirked.
"The difference between great swordsmen… can only be decided in battle."
Zoro clenched his fists.
He silently vowed — before he could chase Hawkeye, he would surpass this man standing before him.
What Zoro didn't realize was that the moment Shirogai look at Mihawk, his strength would reach a level capable of surpassing him.
God-level Comprehension System, truly an absurd ability.
Zoro's voice dropped lower, humbling himself.
"Shirogai, can you teach me this Armament Haki?"
Shirogai blinked in surprise.
"Why wouldn't I? Aren't we companions now? The stronger my crew is, the safer I'll be."
Hearing Shirogai's casual response, Zoro felt his face heat.
He'd always harbored doubts, wary of Shirogai's strength, reluctant to see him as a true crewmate. That comparison made him ashamed.
But he was Roronoa Zoro — a man who faced his flaws head-on.
"I'm sorry, Shirogai," Zoro declared with resolve. "I doubted you. I suspected your intentions because of your power. But from now on, I'll trust you completely. I'll learn this Haki from you — and one day, I'll defeat you with it."
Shirogai chuckled, pointing at the Kisame lodged in the earth.
"I'll bring this treasure onto the Going Merry. We'll spar often. The day you cut it will be the day you've mastered Armament Haki."
Zoro's eyes hardened.
"Deal."
---
Sanji strolled leisurely through the forest, cigarette in mouth.
He spotted a certain green-haired swordsman, clearly lost but pretending otherwise.
"Yo, lost again, Moss Head? The ship's to your right."
"Curly Brow pervert, I'm just out for a walk."
Zoro shot him a glare, noting Sanji's path.
"You're heading toward Shirogai, aren't you?"
Sanji scoffed, blowing out a smoke ring.
"He's not a beautiful woman. Why would I care about him? The spices on the ship are running low. I'm just here to find replacements."
Zoro snorted in disbelief.
"If you're looking to get beaten up, don't let me stop you. Just don't expect sympathy."
Sanji smirked.
"Looks like someone already caught a beating. Relax, I'm not as reckless as you."
He turned to leave, and Zoro grumbled, heading in the opposite direction.
"This time… I've got the right way."
---