den downpour from the skies.
Nami raised her hand, a soft green sigil glowing in her palm.
With a flick of her slender arm, the symbol expanded, and a fierce gust of wind burst forth.
The swirling gale struck the falling rain, dispersing it before it could even touch the deck.
Not a single drop dared stain Nami's elegant, princess-like dress.
She gave the fading waves a small, disdainful glance.
With a graceful lift of her hand, she was just about to cast another spell,
When an unexpected voice called out
A plain, round pellet flew from Usopp's drawn slingshot, whistling through the rain.
Under everyone's stunned gaze, the lead bullet shot straight toward the lingering wave.
Pft…
The instant it struck, the impossible happened.
The roaring wave suddenly froze midair, calm and still like a tranquil lake, then quietly fell apart, spilling back into the sea without even a ripple.
Silence returned.
Everything… was still.
Nami smiled faintly and pointed upward.
The remaining gust blew the last traces of rain away, leaving only clear air and soft quiet.
In the distance, the grand clash between Luffy and Mihawk was finally drawing to a close.
Mihawk's strength was fading fast; the slash he'd conjured was no longer as fierce as before.
Zoro watched as the crimson flames from Luffy's hands pushed the dying attack aside.
Then, with a weary sigh, he sheathed his swords and said, as though explaining, or perhaps consoling himself,
"I could've defeated him…"
Luffy didn't respond. His calm eyes stayed fixed on Mihawk, who was now collapsing behind the dissipating slash.
The scene fell silent for a long, long time.
Clang…
The blades quivered faintly. Reflected in the three swords were three angles of Zoro's own face.
He gritted his teeth, trembling slightly, and whispered:
"I was wrong…"
At those words, Luffy's expression finally changed.
His cold composure softened into a faint smile. With a quiet snort through his nose, he said, teasingly,
"I don't want to replace my first mate just because of something like this."
As Luffy's voice faded, Zoro lowered his head, his posture heavy with remorse.
With the strange power of his Zanpakuto-like blades, Zoro could have broken through Mihawk's supreme slash.
Defeating the wounded Mihawk would have been easy.
But debts must be repaid, and wounds never truly vanish.
The damage Zoro had already sustained was enough to bring him close to death.
Had he taken just one more hit… his survival would've been left to fate.
If I'd held on just a little longer…
I could've become the world's greatest swordsman.
That temptation was impossible to ignore.
If not for Luffy stepping in and blocking Mihawk's desperate blow, the battle would already be over.
The result would simply have been… different.
Luffy spread his hands and tore apart the lingering energy in the air.
The heavens and earth returned to peace.
The oppressive aura faded. The divine flames dimmed.
Mihawk stood battered upon a fragment of ice, drifting like a fragile insect upon the waves.
Zoro slowly sheathed his three swords, then looked at Mihawk calmly.
"I lost."
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