"Chopper! Are you alright?!"
Not far away, Usopp, who had been hiding behind a shattered wall, rushed out anxiously.
Boom!
But before he could reach Chopper, a baseball-sized cannonball exploded near him, forcing him to duck back behind the wall in fear.
"Certain Kill: Triple Fire Star!"
"Certain Kill: Smoke Star!"
"Certain Kill: Stink Egg Star!"
"Special Attack: Shirogai's Custom Explosive Bomb!"
Using the rubble as cover, Usopp launched a flurry of projectiles from his trusty Triple Bow. Even his ultimate move — [Shirogai's Custom Explosive Bomb] — which he had saved for a critical moment, exploded with a powerful blast.
Yet, Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas had already taken cover inside a pit, leaving the surface explosion ineffective.
But that was precisely what Usopp had intended.
The threat of the explosion forced them into hiding, while the Stink Egg Star distracted Lasoo, the bizarre dachshund gun-dog hybrid.
"Perfect chance!"
Usopp dashed over to Chopper, dragging the reindeer doctor behind another chunk of collapsed wall.
High above, Shirogai observed the scene and chuckled softly.
"He acts like a coward, but when his crew is in danger, he steps up. That's Usopp for you — the one people call the God of Despair."
Shirogai wasn't worried. He knew Usopp and Chopper wouldn't lose to Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas.
Thanks to his influence, Usopp's combat ability far surpassed the version from the original timeline. However, his timid personality meant he still relied on prolonged attrition to win, even when he held the advantage.
This was their battle — and Shirogai didn't intend to interfere.
Sure, he could've suppressed their enemies with a whisper of Haoshoku (Conqueror) Haki, but doing so would rob his comrades of their growth.
To always step in would be to deny them the ability to stand on their own.
With a flap of his six black wings, Shirogai vanished from the sky.
When he reappeared, he was soaring above Alubarna — the capital of Alabasta.
"Down below... a duel between swordsmen."
Thanks to his Observation Haki, he quickly located Zoro locked in combat with Mr. 1.
Zoro gripped two swords in his hands — one clenched in his mouth: Wado Ichimonji. His eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"Two-Sword Style: Bull Needle!"
Swish!
Zoro dashed in, blades flashing like lightning.
"Slicing Human!"
A dark sheen covered Mr. 1's steel body. His Devil Fruit granted him metallic durability.
Zoro's slash collided with him, but left no mark.
"Tch… a tough opponent," Zoro muttered.
Mr. 1 frowned, eyeing Zoro warily.
"You're the first swordsman to cut through even part of my steel skin. Impressive."
"Steel defense?"
Zoro smirked, flicking Sandai Kitetsu confidently.
"I'm past worrying about slicing steel. What I want now... is to master Armament Haki. Once I defeat you, I'll break through!"
"You're using me as a whetstone?" Mr. 1 narrowed his eyes. "Arrogant. You think I'll just let you keep hitting me?"
With a flash of blackened steel, Mr. 1's arms turned to blades.
"Foaming Daisy Slash!"
Zoro raised both swords to parry.
"Shield Slash!"
Their blades clashed. A building behind Zoro shattered into six pieces and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Mr. 1 sneered.
"You'll be cut down, swordsman!"
"Two-Sword Style: Return Slash!"
Zoro deflected Mr. 1's attack and spun, slashing in a perfect arc that absorbed his opponent's momentum and redirected it.
"You'll be the one sent flying!"
"What?!"
Caught off guard, Mr. 1 was thrown backward, crashing through walls before using his blade-covered hands to anchor himself to the floor.
"Damn it! You used my own strength against me!"
Zoro narrowed his gaze.
"In my battle with Shirogai, I started understanding a new way to cut — soft yet sharp."
He tightened his grip on his swords.
"This slash seems to work well against someone like you."
Mr. 1 growled, "Shirogai? You mean the guy pretending to be Mr. 5? Wasn't he killed by Crocodile?"
Zoro raised a brow and scoffed.
"You're not even close to Shirogai's level. And no — Crocodile couldn't kill him even if he tried."
"Oh?"
Mr. 1 paused, then chuckled darkly.
"If that's true, I'll kill you first, then hunt him down."
"Grasping Slash!"
Clang!
Zoro blocked with one blade and spun to counter.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
The triple slash struck true, cutting into Mr. 1's steel flesh.
Zoro looked at his blades, disappointed.
"Still not there."
He hadn't awakened Armament Haki yet.
He remembered what Shirogai once told him — that he trained so hard, but hadn't truly hungered for Haki.
His physical strength allowed him to overpower most foes. That complacency dulled his yearning for deeper power.
He needed a true challenge — one where brute force wasn't enough.
"It's no use!" Mr. 1 laughed, brushing dust from his body. "Without Haki, you can't break my defense. You're nothing but an overhyped bounty hunter."
"In that case… let's bet everything on the next strike."
Zoro pulled his bandana down, not over his forehead — but over his eyes.
Mr. 1 blinked.
"You covered your eyes? How the hell are you going to fight now? You want to die?"
Far above, Shirogai hovered silently, understanding Zoro's intent.
Zoro inhaled deeply.
"I'm betting that with your next attack… I'll awaken Observation Haki."
Mr. 1 scoffed.
"Haki won't save you."
"You'll find out soon enough."
Shirogai smiled faintly.
"Most people can't grasp the link between Armament and Observation Haki, but Zoro… with his pure sword heart, he can awaken both by unlocking one. His growth is only just beginning."
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Milestones:
100 Power Stones → 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power Stones → 3 Bonus Chapters