Looking at the beautiful young woman standing before them, everyone froze.
Wasn't this supposed to be some terrifying giant Marine or something?!
And at this moment, Zoro himself looked completely shaken.
After all, ever since childhood, he had never once beaten this senior sister of his.
Although Kuina later joined the Marines and they rarely met again, the psychological trauma from those years still lingered deep in his heart.
His body instinctively trembled.
"Why would the Marines send a girl here?" Usopp whispered quietly.
But Sanji was no longer paying attention to the Marines or pirates at all.
His eyes had already transformed into giant hearts.
"Beautiful lady!!!"
Usopp: "…"
Zoro finally snapped back to reality as he watched Kuina slowly approach.
He swallowed nervously.
"Stay sharp. She's strong."
Carina tilted her head curiously.
"Oh? You know her, Zoro?"
Zoro nodded with a serious expression.
"Yeah. We haven't seen each other in years, but I know her well."
"Because…"
"She's my senior sister."
The entire group was stunned.
"What?! That Marine is your senior sister?!"
Sanji shouted in jealousy.
Why didn't he have a beautiful senior sister too?!
"Hey! That's not the important part right now!!" Usopp and Chopper yelled together.
Zoro nodded grimly.
"He's right. The real problem is…"
"She's insanely strong."
Robin looked at Kuina carefully.
"She doesn't seem much older than us. How strong could she really be?"
Zoro answered without hesitation.
"From the time I was a kid until now…"
"I've never beaten her once."
Everyone inhaled sharply.
This was Zoro they were talking about.
The Straw Hat crew's strongest swordsman.
And he was openly admitting he couldn't defeat this woman?!
At that moment, Kuina finally stopped in front of them.
Her beautiful eyes swept across everyone before landing on Zoro.
"Long time no see, junior brother."
Zoro's expression stiffened.
"…Senior sister."
Kuina snorted coldly.
"I leave home for only a few years, and you become a pirate?"
"Do you even still respect Master and the dojo?"
"How could you betray the teachings of the man who taught you swordsmanship?!"
Zoro instantly fell speechless.
How was he supposed to know he'd become a pirate one day?
Blame Luffy's ridiculous charisma…
After a moment, Zoro sighed softly.
"I'll return to the dojo someday and explain everything to Master personally."
Kuina raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So you think you can continue being a pirate and walk away freely?"
Knowing he couldn't win an argument against her, Zoro turned toward Sanji and the others.
"I'll hold her off. Go help Luffy!"
The others nodded immediately.
They trusted Zoro's strength.
But before they could move, Kuina's cold voice rang out again.
"Discussing plans right in front of me?"
"Isn't that a little too arrogant?"
The next moment, she waved her hand.
Hundreds of Marines suddenly emerged from the surrounding forest.
"None of you are leaving today."
Everyone's expressions darkened.
"Damn it! Where did all these Marines come from?!"
"It's fine. They're just ordinary Marine soldiers!" Sanji scoffed.
A faint smile appeared on Kuina's lips.
"Ordinary Marines?"
Her expression made everyone uneasy.
Then suddenly, several sharp sounds cut through the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, several Marines appeared directly in front of the Straw Hats.
Bang! Bang!
A series of clean, powerful kicks exploded into Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper, instantly scattering the group apart.
The battlefield was separated immediately.
Sanji groaned while clutching his stomach.
"Tch… that kick was heavy…"
He looked up sharply at the three Marines standing before him.
"These aren't normal Marines!"
Not far away, Robin shouted in alarm.
"They're troops trained by the Zero Division!"
Everyone's faces changed instantly.
The Zero Division?!
Before they could think further, the Marines attacked again.
Each Straw Hat was surrounded by at least ten enemies.
Even Zoro had ten Marines around him.
"Leave him to me," Kuina suddenly said.
"Yes, Rear Admiral Kuina!"
The Marines immediately withdrew to the edge of the battlefield, sealing off every escape route.
Zoro stared at Kuina seriously, all three swords already drawn.
Kuina slowly stepped forward.
Then she gently unsheathed Wado Ichimonji from her waist.
"When Father chose not to give this sword to you…"
"He made the right decision."
Her voice was calm.
The blade gleamed with a cold light.
Kuina pointed Wado Ichimonji directly at Zoro.
"Junior brother…"
"Are you truly determined to continue down the path of a pirate?"
Zoro said nothing.
But the determination in his eyes gave her the answer.
Kuina nodded slightly.
"In that case…"
"I'll capture you in the dojo's name."
The instant her words fell, Kuina disappeared from sight.
Zoro's pupils shrank.
His Observation Haki expanded instantly.
In less than a second, he located her position.
"Right side!!"
Without hesitation, Zoro slashed toward his right.
And Kuina appeared exactly there.
She showed no surprise at all.
Instead of retreating, she stepped forward.
Clang!!!
Sparks exploded into the air.
Using only one hand, Kuina blocked all three of Zoro's swords with Wado Ichimonji alone.
"What?! This strength…!"
Zoro's eyes widened in shock.
How had Kuina become this strong?!
But thinking during battle was a fatal mistake.
A sharp light flashed through Kuina's eyes.
With a sudden burst of force, she knocked all three blades away.
Then she slashed straight toward Zoro's abdomen.
Zoro immediately kicked off the ground, barely dodging the attack.
Kuina snorted coldly.
"Thinking about unnecessary things during a fight…"
"Who taught you to do that?"
Zoro could not even argue back.
Kuina raised her sword again.
"It seems your swordsmanship has improved over the years."
"But…"
"You're still far from enough."
She slowly raised Wado Ichimonji beside her head.
"Zoro."
"Try surviving this sword strike."
"Water Breathing: Seven-Sealed Dragon Breaker!!!"
-----------------------------
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