On the deck, Carina had her purple hair tied in a ponytail draped over her shoulder. Her gaze was incredibly solemn as she looked ahead, her bare feet sliding rapidly across the deck.
She wasn't using much force. Instead, she used the chaotic flashes of the blades to sway and dance like a fish in water.
Sweat appeared on Zoro's forehead. He went from using the back of his blade at the start to now facing her with the edge, and from being eager to try to now being solemn and silent.
He once again witnessed just how bizarre a so-called Devil Ability could be.
Even though Carina's strength was far inferior to his, and even though she couldn't even see the process of his slashes, she was able to dance freely within the sea of slashes he unleashed, relying on the power of the Smooth-Smooth Fruit.
"Aren't you going to get a bit more serious?" Carina asked, panting.
Her expression was provocative, but her eyes were full of determination.
The pressure was immense, very immense, but it was precisely because of this that she spoke up.
She could feel that with just a bit more, she could further develop her techniques.
Her captain was strong, a complete monster, destined not to be ordinary. To follow such a person, she had to be strong enough.
Perhaps climbing into his bed was also an option, but Carina was unwilling to do that. She had her own pursuits and dignity.
She could do it because she liked him or because she was interested, but never for profit.
The things she wanted, she would take with her own power.
Seemingly reading the look in Carina's eyes, Zoro's gaze slightly changed. He then retreated and took up his Three Sword Style stance.
"I don't know what will happen next either."
With the backs of his blades facing his opponent, Zoro started with Three Sword Style: Oni Giri.
Carina still couldn't see it, but she just raised her hands and reached forward, having already calculated in her mind.
Her strength wasn't as great as Zoro's, and her Devil Fruit Ability was more functional. To defeat Zoro, she needed to use her brain. She had to maximize the use of her Smooth-Smooth Fruit ability to achieve even the slightest result.
Her answer was to use her opponent's strength against them.
The first slash touched her but was slid away by the Smooth-Smooth Fruit's power. Her stamina was being consumed frantically as she pushed her Devil Ability to the limit.
Carina twisted her waist and spun, relying on instinct to throw a punch with her other hand.
The second slash touched her body and was then slid away. Everything was within her expectations, but a sudden, unexpected sense of exhaustion surged forth.
Even though her heart was determined, she couldn't conjure something out of nothing after squeezing her stamina-depleted body to the limit.
Oh no!
Zoro's expression changed as he caught the change in Carina.
However, the third strike of the Oni Giri had already been unleashed.
'I see it...'
Under the crisis, Carina saw the trajectory of Zoro's blade for the first time. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't squeeze out even a sliver of stamina.
'Looks like I'll be lying in bed for a while.'
Carina realized the fact that she was exhausted and could only helplessly accept it. The third slash almost instantly filled her field of vision.
Swoosh!
A sharp sonic boom swept across the deck, followed by an explosion of white air currents.
Clap!
Palm and fingers glinting with a pitch-black hue gripped the back of Hanazuru's blade. Amidst the surging air currents, a figure stood in front of Carina.
It was Hiroto, who had swept across the deck using Soru in less than a second.
"Captain..."
Carina looked at the broad back blocking her, and couldn't help but daze for a moment, her heart skipping a few beats.
"So fast!"
This was Zoro, he looked at the abruptly appearing Hiroto in surprise.
Hiroto had been fast before, but it hadn't reached the point where he couldn't even react.
Has he gotten stronger again!?
What a monster of a guy.
But as his captain, if he weren't such a monster, he would probably have to leave the ship soon, wouldn't he?
Fortunately, Zoro himself was also making progress, though this speed was indeed terrifying.
But he hadn't been paying attention just now. If he focused, he should still be able to react.
He just didn't know when he would be able to catch up to Hiroto and have another duel.
Zoro thought so, and then felt the power on the blade recede.
Hiroto let go and helplessly rubbed Carina's head. "I can understand wanting to get stronger through adventure, but you must act within your capabilities."
"I understand, captain."
Carina didn't resist, she even seemed to enjoy the head rub.
Nami, I'm already so many steps ahead of you.
Zoro sheathed his sword and asked, "Can Devil Fruit Abilities actually fail?"
"Of course, it's impossible for them to be without cost. It's just that Carina is too weak, so it's more obvious. Someone like this Logia user might not run out of stamina even after fighting for a day and a night." Hiroto pointed at Smoker.
Smoker remained expressionless, but a look of contemplation flashed in his eyes.
He was, after all, an elite from the Marineford training camp and had naturally seen a lot.
What Hiroto had just shown... seemed to be Soru from the Six Powers?
No...
He really wanted to deny it because he had encountered the Six Powers, and they were extremely powerful. Not just anyone could learn them, the basic physical fitness requirement alone filtered out countless people.
Even after leaving the Marineford training camp, he was still far from meeting the standards according to Zephyr. Although it was largely because he relied too much on his Logia ability, it also showed how difficult the training conditions for the Six Powers were.
But Smoker remembered that Hiroto had shown Armament Haki, which was also a power with extremely high requirements.
With no one to teach him, in this incredibly barren East Blue, he had self-taught himself Armament Haki and Soru, one of the Six Powers.
'In other words, is it pure talent?'
Smoker's heart felt heavy. 'He really is a bastard pirate who must be eliminated early.'