As a seasoned swordsman, Zoro's instincts warned him the moment he laid eyes on the man before him—Gawain.
The gap between them was vast. He could sense it.
Yet, even braced for it, but the reality still shook him to his core.
A dagger? He called that thing a toy—and it blocked my finishing move like it was nothing?!
"Are you even human?!"
"Can swordsmanship alone really reach this level?!"
Zoro's disbelief echoed, joined by the stunned voices of Yosaku and Johnny watching from afar.
The difference between Zoro and Gawain—they could accept that. After all, Gawain carried the highest bounty in the East Blue, surpassing even Fire Fist Ace.
But this… this was unfathomable.
"No matter how strong someone is," Yosaku muttered through clenched teeth, "there has to be a limit…"
Johnny, beside him, was too shocked to even speak.
Hwoo~!
A gust of sea breeze swept over the shore.
Zoro's soaked vest clung to his skin, and a chill crept up from his feet.
The man standing before him—calm, unmoved—spoke with quiet authority:
"Are you still going to force me to draw my sword?"
"Zoro Aniki!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted in alarm.
Zoro, however, remained steady.
"Of course," he replied.
The confusion in his eyes vanished, replaced by a heat brighter than the midday sun.
"I get it now.
If you're not as strong as a monster—how could I make my name echo across the heavens?!"
"Good eyes," Gawain said with a nod.
In the next instant, Zoro charged forward.
Three blades swept down like a violent storm—each strike more furious than the last.
Having accepted the overwhelming gap between them, Zoro chose not to hesitate anymore. He let go.
This man—this swordsman—was like no one he'd ever faced. Even combined, his past opponents couldn't hold a candle to Gawain.
And yet... the long, plain sword Gawain carried—it sparked a vague memory in Zoro's mind.
But now wasn't the time to think.
Only the fight mattered.
Zoro's swordplay erupted like a tempest, a relentless barrage that seemed to offer no opening at all. Any ordinary swordsman would've already been overwhelmed.
To Gawain, however, it was child's play.
He didn't even need to use Observation Haki.
His LV-5 swordsmanship was more than enough.
The small dagger in his hand moved like rain—quick, light, inevitable. It blocked Zoro's every strike, no matter how frenzied.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
A symphony of blades rang out across the beach.
Zoro's swordsmanship was already lightning-fast to most onlookers, but to Gawain, it was simply slow and predictable.
Nami, watching from afar, couldn't help but gasp. "Is this... Captain Gawain's true strength? He's like a monster…"
Only now did she truly grasp why Gawain had been able to kill Arlong—a pirate who had dominated Cocoyasi Village and suppressed the local navy for five years—with a single stroke.
His swordsmanship had transcended human limits.
Kuro folded his arms, expression unchanging. "If he couldn't at least do this, he wouldn't deserve to be captain."
"And honestly," he added casually, "this is just a little warm-up for him."
Gin nodded in agreement, then cast a glance toward Yosaku and Johnny in the distance.
"I'll deal with the two rats."
"Yeah," Kuro replied simply.
On the battlefield, Zoro was drenched in sweat.
Swing after swing drained his strength rapidly. His movements began to slow, just slightly.
That was all Gawain needed.
Like a venomous snake, his dagger slipped through the smallest gap—piercing Zoro's clothes and stopping precisely at the skin.
"The winner has been decided," Gawain said flatly.
But Zoro smirked through the pain.
"No," he growled. "It's not over yet!"
Tsk!
With reckless resolve, Zoro lunged forward, the dagger slicing into his chest—but he didn't care. His three swords continued their arc.
Fight to the death!
"You look like a wild beast," Gawain laughed.
Abandoning his dagger, he drove forward with a burst of speed that split the air.
One solid punch crushed into Zoro's abdomen.
The force bent Zoro's body like a bow, knocking the wind from his lungs.
"Gah!"
He fell to one knee, coughing up blood—but in the next breath, he forced himself upright again.
His eyes, though blurred with pain, still burned with pride.
"A man doesn't kneel to power!"
"Well said," Gawain nodded approvingly.
"Would you consider joining my crew?"
"We're heading for the Grand Line—and beyond that, the New World. There are countless mountains left to climb."
Zoro shook his head.
"Not until I fulfill the promise I made to my friend. Until then, I can't kneel to anyone."
Gawain sighed. "A shame, really."
He turned, walked to the sword embedded in the sand, and pulled it free.
Clang!
Under the moonlight, the silver blade gleamed—slender, unadorned, but exuding a sharpness that made the air hum.
Zoro's eyes widened.
"That's… Koshiro-sensei's sword!"
"How did it end up with you?!"
Gawain smiled.
"It chose me."
As he spoke, the sword—Seikō Masamune—trembled softly, resonating with joy.
Zoro could feel it.
"There's… a soul in that sword?"
"Every blade has its own will, its own personality," Gawain replied. "Seems like you haven't found the one that truly matches you yet."
"Wouldn't it be a shame to die without finding it?"
"That man, the Strongest Swordsman in the World is still out there, in the New World."
At the mention of Hawkeye, Zoro's mind wavered. Blood loss clouded his thoughts, but he managed to look up.
"How big is the gap... between you and him?"
Gawain looked down at him.
"It's a hundred times greater than the one between you and me."
Zoro let out a soft chuckle.
Then darkness took him, and he collapsed.
After a moment of silence, Gawain quietly sheathed Seikō Masamune.
He raised a hand and called for the ship's doctor.
A gold-tier seed like this—Gawain wasn't going to let it go so easily.
As long as Zoro lived, there was still hope of recruiting him.
Elsewhere, Yosaku and Johnny had already been subdued by Gin.
They stopped resisting and let the crew bind them.
"Thankfully, that man sees potential in Zoro Aniki," Yosaku said with a bitter smile. "At least... his life is safe for now."
"With our strength, we never stood a chance…"
He clenched his fists, blaming his weakness for the first time. Johnny remained silent beside him.
The battle had ended.
It was over—like a farce on a stage.
But then, the sky howled.
Fat raindrops as big as beans began to fall from the clouds above.
A storm was coming.
Gawain ordered the crew to secure the ship and led everyone toward the island.
Suddenly—
From the jungle ahead, a chilling voice rang out:
"Leave this place…"
"Take one more step—and misfortune will befall you."