As Ms. All Sunday retreated, Giyu Tomioka, without the slightest hesitation, immediately rushed towards the direction of the fighting.
When he arrived at the battlefield where the sounds erupted, the scene before him made his gaze sharpen.
In a clearing in the jungle, Zoro was fiercely battling a tall, muscular man. Zoro's three swords, as always, swung with extreme ferocity!
But the man didn't dodge at all; he actually took Zoro's slashes directly with his body!
Clang! Clang! Clang—!
Each collision sparked dazzling flames, yet Zoro's slashes couldn't leave even a single scratch on the man.
"It's useless!"
Mr.1, the Dashing Man who ate the Dice-Dice Fruit, his voice deep and cold, scratched his own body: "I told you, since I gained the ability to dice, no swordsman has ever beaten me."
Zoro's veins bulged on his forehead; he tied his bandana: "Less talk!! Again!!"
"Tiger Hunt!!"
He charged forward again, more determined, faster, and with greater force, but still, he couldn't break through Mr.1's body, which could transform into blades at any moment.
Giyu Tomioka watched Zoro fall into a bitter struggle. He could see that Zoro's stamina was rapidly depleting, while the guy opposite, who could turn into blades, showed no reaction at all.
He placed his left hand on the hilt of his Blade, stepped forward, and prepared to intervene.
Just then, a fragrant breeze suddenly rose beside him, and a tall figure landed in front of him, blocking his path.
"Two against one isn't very fair, is it?"
It was a fiery woman with hair as wild as sharp thorns. She tilted her head, a light smile on her face, carelessly twirling a strand of hair with her fingers.
Giyu Tomioka's steps halted, his deep-sea-like gaze coldly fixed on her.
"Move aside," he uttered two words, his voice steady.
"Oh, how cold you are~" Ms. Doublefinger feigned sadness, but her eyes instantly turned dangerous, "Big sister here was just being kind, wanting to play with you!"
Before her words finished, her fingers suddenly transformed, becoming a thorny whip covered in sharp spikes, whistling through the air, striking directly at Giyu Tomioka's face!
"Thorn Finger!"
Giyu Tomioka's body shifted slightly, showing no panic. His Blade instantly unsheathed, drawing a dark blue arc of light.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust."
The tip of his blade precisely struck the weakest point on the thorns, deflecting them with a flowing, gentle force, even utilizing their own momentum. Each ripple precisely neutralized the deadly thrusts.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In a few breaths, Ms. Doublefinger's rapid, successive thrusts were all neutralized! Not only did her thorns fail to touch Giyu Tomioka's clothes, but Giyu Tomioka's swordsmanship also threw her rhythm into chaos.
The frivolous expression on Ms. Doublefinger's face finally vanished completely.
What the hell... My attacks were completely seen through? Is this guy... really a rookie from the Grand Line!?
"Thorn Flail!"
She gritted her teeth, both arms simultaneously sprouted spikes, then attacked from various angles like a flail, but she still couldn't break through Giyu Tomioka's impenetrable sword techniques even a little.
"I'll say it again, move aside."
Watching Zoro still caught in a bitter fight, Giyu Tomioka could feel that Zoro didn't seem to be a match for that guy right now, and he needed to go over there.
"Don't look down on me!"
Giyu Tomioka's utterly calm words made Ms. Doublefinger even angrier, but she knew that the guy in front of her was difficult to deal with, even more so than she had imagined.
Looking at the woman who refused to back down, Giyu Tomioka knew that if he didn't resolve this quickly, Zoro might be in danger.
"Water Breathing, Full Concentration..."
He took a deep breath, and the surrounding air seemed to condense with it, then rolling water vapor wrapped around his Blade.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide."
His Blade swung out in an instant, transforming into a wave-shaped slash. Water currents suddenly surged in the air, engulfing his blade, and rushing forward!
Whoosh—!
Ms. Doublefinger's expression instantly froze. She only saw a wave cut through her thorn defense, and the next second, the cold glint of the blade had already arrived.
Immediately after, an intense pain shot through her left arm!
"Ugh ah—!"
She let out a short cry of pain, leaping backward abruptly, clutching her left arm tightly with her right hand.
Giyu Tomioka's figure stood where she had been a moment ago, the water currents around his blade quietly dissipating, the tip of his Blade pointing diagonally at the ground.
He remained silent, just watching.
Ms. Doublefinger panted heavily, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Her previous composure was completely gone, replaced only by anger and a hint of disbelief.
"You... you bastard..." She gritted her teeth, her voice distorted by pain.
"Damn it..." Ms. Doublefinger clutched her arm. The intense pain and the oppressive feeling forced her to call for help, "Mr.1! Stop fighting that guy! Come help me deal with this troublesome one first!"
Not far away, Mr.1, who was dueling with Zoro, heard this and instantly changed his movements.
"Understood," he responded in a low, deep voice.
The moment he was distracted, Zoro's three swords had already struck!
"Still daring to be distracted, you octopus bald-head! Oni Giri!" Zoro roared, his blades striking directly at Mr.1's vital points.
However, Mr.1 did not dodge or evade!
"Clang—!"
With a loud bang, Zoro's swords seemed to strike the hardest steel, then were violently repelled, only leaving a few shallow marks on Mr.1's skin.
"He can even take that head-on?!" Zoro's pupils constricted, revealing an expression of disbelief.
"I told you already, a swordsman cannot defeat me," Mr.1 said coldly. Then, the palms of his hands, connected to his wrists, opened, launching a rapid slash at Zoro.
"Sparkling Daisy!"
An incredibly fierce wave of slashes enveloped Zoro! Zoro only had time to cross his three swords in front of him to block before he was violently struck by the furious slashes!
The enormous impact sent Zoro flying, slamming heavily into the thick roots of a tree, unable to get up for a long time. Mr.1 didn't even glance at Zoro, rushing directly towards the battle circle where Ms. Doublefinger was.
An aura far more ferocious than Ms. Doublefinger's suddenly pressed down from above Giyu Tomioka! Mr.1's hand-blades, transformed into sharp edges, chopped down at Giyu Tomioka's head!
The situation instantly reversed!
The two top assassins of Baroque Works formed a deadly pincer attack!
Giyu Tomioka showed no panic. He used his left foot as an pivot, his body suddenly twisting sharply to the side and back!
"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool."
He swung his blade using the momentum of his twist! His Blade, with his body as the center, drew a circular slashing whirlpool wrapped in surging water currents!
This whirlpool was not just the blade in his hand, but the rotation of his entire body.
Clang! Clash!
Two explosive sounds, almost simultaneous!
Mr.1's powerful downward hand-blade chop and Ms. Doublefinger's finger thrust were both violently deflected by this rotating force almost at the same time!