"This way. I'm pretty sure this is the right direction."
Luffy glanced at the compass and sea chart in his hands.
On the map was a carefully marked route to Loguetown, drawn by Nami herself. All he had to do was make sure to steer correctly whenever he encountered the reference points.
Let's hope we don't hit another storm this time, Luffy thought silently.
He looked toward the cabin, Zoro was still fast asleep.
Meanwhile, inside Zoro's Mental Power realm…
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amidst the clash of blades, three figures danced, one large, two smaller.
Zoro, wielding one black and one white Zanpakuto, was locked in combat against both Kuina and the Beast.
The surrounding land was scarred with gashes and craters.
Boom!
Zoro caught Kuina's strike with one hand and blocked the Beast's full-force, nine-blade combo with the other.
He ducked low, spun in place, and slashed the air with both blades, unleashing twin arcs of force that pushed his opponents back.
"Whew…" Kuina exhaled as she backed off and released her sword. "You've gotten stronger, Zoro."
The Beast said nothing, silently withdrawing its clawed blades.
"Tch," Zoro clicked his tongue in frustration. He turned to Kuina. "So, when exactly can I meet the third blade?"
Kuina was quiet for a moment before shaking her head. "You're still far from ready. You've only just stepped into the realm of the Sword Saint."
She looked up into the distance, as if sensing something far away.
"How long have I been here?" Zoro asked while carefully wiping down the black sword.
"Fifty-eight days," Kuina replied. "It's been 58 days since you fused with the Zanpakuto. That much time has passed in the real world."
The Beast remained silently nearby. Ever since its introduction, it hadn't spoken much, only training with Zoro in silence.
"Fifty-eight days, huh… Too slow." Zoro gripped his sword tightly, lost in thought.
Kuina smiled gently. "Don't worry. Everything outside is fine. Your captain's been taking care of you."
"Besides, you've already started to grasp flying slashes. That's impressive progress by anyone's standards."
Zoro looked up at the moon. It had been so long since he'd seen the sun.
"For anyone, huh… But Luffy must be getting impatient."
In the moonlight, Zoro caught his reflection on the blade, his hair looked a little longer.
A silence fell over the three of them.
"I've decided. I want to try," Zoro suddenly declared as he stood.
"Try what?" Kuina blinked in confusion.
The Beast, however, immediately understood. "You want to meet the third blade…?"
"Absolutely not!" Kuina snapped. "You're still too weak. Seeing him now would do you no good."
"At the very least, I need to know what I'm aiming for," Zoro replied firmly. "Besides, you're not really trying to kill me."
Neither Kuina nor the Beast had ever shown true killing intent. That was why Zoro dared to take the risk.
Whether it was the Beast, Kuina, or the mysterious strongest blade that had yet to appear, Zoro was certain they existed to help him grow stronger.
After all, Kuina had been tirelessly teaching him this entire time.
If he's meant to be mine eventually, Zoro thought, then there's no harm in taking a peek now.
Kuina was about to argue further when a deep, ancient voice echoed through the realm.
"Let him come."
It sounded like it came from another dimension altogether.
Kuina bit her lip. "Are you sure about this?"
The Beast spoke suddenly. "Perhaps we've been protecting him too much. You are his hope and dream, so you want to shield him from harm."
"But Zoro's never experienced a true life-or-death battle. That makes me… useless."
The Beast ignored Zoro's confused expression and continued, "Failure is also a form of growth. Near-death experiences unlock hidden potential. You know this, don't you?
Because you and I, we both understand him."
"…Fine," Kuina said after a pause.
As soon as she spoke, the world around them shifted.
The moon vanished. Grass withered. A wave of desolation swept over them.
In the blink of an eye, the three stood in a desolate canyon.
Above them was only a narrow strip of sky. Towering cliffs surrounded them, too steep to see the top. The very air felt frozen.
Kuina and the Beast slowly faded from view, leaving Zoro alone.
He looked around, curious.
"…You've come."
The ancient voice echoed once more.
Zoro turned toward the darkness. A figure slowly emerged.
"My name… is Asura."
A tall, blood-red figure stepped forward. Bare-chested and muscular, he radiated overwhelming strength.
He wore nothing but tattered straw shorts, his bare feet touching the cold ground.
Behind him floated a golden halo, within it flowed a faint stream of blood, unnervingly eerie.
"So, you're the strongest blade?" Zoro asked, taking up his two-sword stance. His gaze focused on the long blade at the figure's waist.
It was a dark red sword, its hilt and blade emitting a sinister crimson aura.
Asura unsheathed the blade and lovingly ran his hand over it.
"The strongest blade? Hah. That title is in the past.
Zoro, ever since you fused with the Zanpakuto, I ceased to be the strongest."
Zoro frowned. "What do you mean?"
Asura stabbed his blade into the ground and said slowly, "As you can see, I am a manifestation of your potential, a blade Mental Power born from your future.
But only from a fragment of your future.
The moment you fused with the Zanpakuto, I was born.
But my strength was frozen at the level of your power at that time. I can never grow stronger.
Meanwhile, you have limitless potential.
One day, you'll surpass me. You'll cast me aside."
Zoro furrowed his brow, puzzled by the strange melancholy in the Mental Power's words.
After a moment, he said, "Sure, there are better and worse blades.
But since you were born from my soul, that means you're destined to be a blade like no other."
Asura's mouth curved into a smile.
Then he suddenly burst into wild laughter. "HAHAHAHA! That's more like it! You really are our master!"
"In that case," he said, gripping his sword, "let's get to the point!"
"Finally… time to fight!" Zoro said, visibly excited.
"Fight? No, this isn't a battle."
Asura raised his blade and pointed it at Zoro. "You still know so little.
You don't even understand your own potential.
The world is vast. It's time you moved beyond this realm."
He raised his blade high.
"Feel this strike. This is the bare minimum required to wield me!"
The sword came down.
A red slash a kilometer long erupted from the blade, moving faster than Zoro could react.
It shot past him and tore through the canyon behind him.
BOOM!
The mountains split in half. Boulders tumbled down the cliffs.
It was a long time before the dust finally settled.
Zoro stood, his face twisted in pain, sweat dripping from his chin.
He forced a grin. "So this… is what real strength looks like?
Heh… that's exciting."
Then his body crumbled into ash and vanished, as if he had never been there.
"…Was this really okay?" Kuina reappeared, staring at the spot where Zoro disappeared.
"Relax," the Beast said, also returning. "After all, he's the master of the three of us."
"Only by witnessing true power can he realize how far he has to go," said Asura, his voice calm. Then he turned and melted into the darkness.
"Now it's your turn. Help him grow stronger, fast."
A faint voice echoed through the void.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
In the real world…
"Whoa! We finally made it!" Luffy cheered as he clumsily docked the Arlong Pirates' ship at Loguetown's harbor.
In doing so, he accidentally bumped another pirate ship, knocking it askew.
==========
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