"Such a detailed description… do you have any clues?" Ren asked, sensing something and trying to guide him.
"I don't know. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd have thought my teacher was lying to me." Zoro's voice grew faint. "But… I think breathing does exist."
A subtle change rippled through Zoro's aura. His eyes lost focus, as if his consciousness had drifted somewhere beyond.
He kept speaking — to Ren, and perhaps to himself.
"Every time I practice the Thunder Breathing Technique, I hear a sound.Like endless thunder galloping across the wilderness… or maybe it's the rhythm of my own life — my own breath.Honestly, I thought I was hallucinating at first."
His tone deepened as he went on.
"But as I continued my training — merging the useful methods of Thunder Breathing into my body — that sound became clearer. The contraction of my heart, the flow of blood, the rhythm of my muscles… countless subtle sounds blending together into one unified voice."
Zoro subconsciously pressed a hand against his chest, bowing his head as he murmured, "I can hear it — the breathing of life itself."
Enlightenment!?
Ren said nothing, though envy filled his eyes to the brim.
Damn it. People really do die comparing themselves to others.
Zoro remained lost in his trance. His hand moved from his chest to the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"The sword breathes too. It can even tell me things. I've felt this before — that strange connection. Even when I didn't know where my sword had flown, the instant I wanted to hold it, I just… knew where it was."
Wisdom gleamed in his eyes.Memories flashed one after another — fragments of battle and practice converging, shaping into something tangible in his grasp.
"Yes… swords breathe too. They have their own rhythm, their own life.
I remember now! The wails of Ryuen and Raichi when they shattered — those were their dying cries.Life has its own sound, its own breath. And so do blades."
He inhaled deeply, voice steady and resolute."Then — by infusing my will into the blade, I can perceive the 'breath' of all things… and let my own heart decide whether to cut or not!"
Zoro suddenly stood up and closed his eyes. One hand curved before him, the other swiftly drew Wado Ichimonji.
The blade flashed — a thin gleam of light slicing across his arm!
No blood spurted. No sound of flesh or bone being split.The impossibly sharp edge merely brushed his skin and slid away — without leaving a single mark.
"Cutting Steel!"
Zoro's eyes snapped open, cold light shining within. He swung again.
Shhh—!
Ren looked down.Between them, the floor — layered with thin steel plating — split open in a perfect, clean line.
Given Wado Ichimonji's legendary sharpness, cutting through thin steel wasn't impossible…But Ren could tell — Zoro hadn't used brute strength.
It was something else.A technique beyond his current understanding — the so-called Breath of Cutting Steel.
The strike had carried almost no force, the blade barely touching the surface — yet it sliced through the steel as if it were paper.
"How incredible… so this is Cutting Steel?"
Ren broke the awed silence first, clapping his hands.
"Congratulations — you've become a true swordsman."
"Hmm… I didn't expect it to happen this way." Zoro's expression was complicated as he fell silent again.
Ren didn't disturb him. He knew Zoro was reliving the experience, turning fleeting enlightenment into permanent strength.
A few moments later, Zoro exhaled, sheathed his sword, and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Thank you," he said suddenly.
"For what?" Ren asked, puzzled.
"For the breathing technique. Without it, I doubt I would've ever realized that 'breathing' truly exists. It made me aware that life has its own rhythm — and from there, I sensed the breath of the sword… then the breath of steel."
"Then I'll gladly take your thanks." Ren chuckled, waving it off without modesty.
"How far are you now from a Great Swordsman?" he asked curiously.
"I'm not sure. A Great Swordsman can unleash flying slashes. From what I understand, it means extending the sword's aura — not just ten or twenty meters, but hundreds — like Mihawk."
He shook his head. "I can't do that yet. I don't have the strength… or the technique.And I think mastering flying slashes might be connected to this Breath of Cutting Steel."
"Really?" Ren rubbed his chin, unsure what to say.
Though he knew the original timeline's story, he didn't know much about the actual path of a Great Swordsman. Even when Zoro later used flying slashes in the Sky Island arc, the manga never explained how they worked.
Logically, it might be about striking with immense power — sending compressed air forward as a blade. But creating slashes that travel hundreds of meters? That couldn't be mere strength.
CP0's Rankyaku techniques, the Tempest Kick variants — those were similar, but definitely required special control.
Pure muscle couldn't achieve that. There had to be hidden technique involved.
Still, that was all too distant for now.Ren had his own barrier to overcome — the level of a Swordsman.
Zoro must've realized the same, for he laughed and said, "Thinking that far ahead is pointless. Better to focus on the present."
He grinned. "By the way, I've been organizing some insights about Armament Haki. Want to hear them?"
"I'm all ears," Ren said eagerly.
Of course he wouldn't refuse — Haki was one of the powers he longed for most.With Zoro as a guide, his path toward mastering it would be much easier.
In fact, this wasn't even the first time he'd heard Zoro share his experiences.Ren just… wasn't exactly a genius, so his progress was slow.
If only I could spin the Dimensional Roulette and get a Haki aptitude boost, he thought wistfully. But judging from the prize pools, that kind of thing would only show up in the billion-level draws…
An hour later than usual, Ren finally left the training hall, exhausted to the core. His steps wavered slightly, his mind ringing like a gong.
It wasn't just today's "overtime" that drained him — this had been his routine for days on end.He knew exactly what kind of enemies awaited his dream.And he knew — without power, everything else was just talk.
So even with the Dimensional Roulette, even with the Calabash Brother system propping up his early and mid-game strength, even with miraculous skills that required no training to grant power —he never slacked off for a single day. His dedication was nearly on par with Zoro's.
And maybe because of that…he'd developed a little hobby: appreciating the beauty of a woman stepping out of the bath when he passed the second-floor bathroom.
After all, a man needed small pleasures — or the pressure might crush him. He wasn't like Zoro, who treated suffering as a lifestyle.
Besides, the two women being "admired" didn't seem to mind.
But today, he was late — he'd missed his window.
With a twinge of regret, Ren climbed to the third floor. As he opened his door, a faint fragrance drifted out.
He flipped the light switch — and his gaze fell upon a figure lying on his red-and-white bed.
Nami.
She wore a bathrobe, her freshly dried hair tied into a neat bun. Half her delicate face was buried in the pillow, her breathing soft and rhythmic. In her arms, she held something sleek and futuristic — the Medical & Martial Knowledge Infusion Machine.
Was she waiting for me until she fell asleep?
Ren could guess why. Recently, the plants in her Weather Plantation had been growing too slowly. Feeling unsafe without the Magical Clima-Tact, she'd gone to him — at Nojiko's suggestion — to ask for help.
Naturally, he'd solved it through the Dimensional Roulette.
The VIP-tier roulette had once yielded Bone Meal from Minecraft, capable of instantly skipping one plant growth stage. Its only downside: the price.
Each draw cost a fortune — and the result only worked on one plant at a time.Ren's last hundred million Beli chips had been nearly wiped out by the expense.
Nowadays, the crew more or less separated group and personal finances…and of course, the money-loving Nami hadn't paid a single Beli.Instead, she'd offered a week of massage and leg-tapping service as "payment."
Today was day three.
Unfortunately, thanks to Zoro's Haki lecture, Ren was over an hour late.
This girl… couldn't she have gone back to her room? he thought with a helpless smile.
He stepped closer and reached out to scoop her up gently — intending to carry her back.
But the moment his hand brushed her soft skin, her eyes snapped open.
Nami's gaze was still a bit hazy, but she instinctively pushed herself up. "You should go to sleep," Ren said softly, slipping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her closer.
A warm, humid breath brushed against his ear — followed by her teasing whisper.
"I wasn't asleep. I just wanted to see how you'd react."
She nestled her head against his collarbone, voice lazy and velvety.
"I wasn't dumb enough to wait all night. I came here just a little while ago."
Then why didn't you turn off the lights? Ren almost asked — but then remembered her reason and couldn't help but laugh.
"You really have nothing better to do, huh?"
"Not exactly," Nami said, sitting up and sliding aside to make room. "It's just that that girl — Bonney — snores so loudly."
She reached out a hand. "By the way, is she really only nine?"
"Wasn't sure before, but yes — she's truly nine.Bonney's Devil Fruit lets her alter the apparent age of herself and anyone she touches. It's complicated to explain, but changing herself into an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old isn't unusual."
Ren explained, glancing at the hand she'd extended toward him. "And… what's this for?"
"For your massage, obviously." Nami smiled matter-of-factly. "Why else do you think I'm here waiting?"
(End of Chapter)