On the deck, almost all the members were there, keeping watch.
Zoro asked curiously, "What's wrong? "Didn't you say you'd watch the day..."
He stopped mid-sentence, as if he had thought of something, and suddenly stared at Hiroto with wide eyes.
In the next second, Hiroto spoke the incredibly familiar words, "I've gained some insights, I've come out to try my hand."
"..."
Zoro's lips twitched.
This scene was incredibly familiar or rather, he was well-acquainted with it.
After every battle, Hiroto's strength would always skyrocket. This wasn't actually strange, he himself could improve rapidly after experiencing a tough battle.
But that was after a tough battle!
Which of the opponents Hiroto met had actually given him any pressure?
He was almost always unscathed. Yet he could still improve rapidly, which left Zoro a bit dazed.
Perhaps this was the monster that stood above geniuses, someone who could improve rapidly just through simple combat.
But... he wasn't a pushover either.
"What a coincidence, I've also made some progress."
Zoro picked up the conversation stiffly, "I don't know what you've improved in, but in terms of Flying Slash, I've made a little bit of progress. Why don't we compare?"
At the end of his words, Zoro curled his lips, his eyes showing a bit of high spirits.
That's right, through the hard training during this period, as well as the sparring and experience sharing with Hiroto, he had also figured out Flying Slash.
After all, when one day is used as fifty, Hiroto wasn't the only one improving.
Although Zoro knew he certainly couldn't match Hiroto, he wanted Hiroto to see that he had already caught up to his footsteps. It wouldn't be long before the latecomer surpassed the predecessor.
This guy...
Hiroto grinned, but he didn't refuse.
After all, Zoro was different from others. The more he was struck down, the harder he worked. And the harder Zoro worked, the greater Hiroto's gains would be.
"Fine."
Hiroto agreed and looked toward the dark sea in the distance.
Ahead, as the searchlight was raised, the blurry outline of a small island was gradually emerging.
The small island was not large, looking more like a small hill. From high above, its shape resembled a human palm. At the center of the palm was a towering hill, with five fingers extending out like mountain ridges.
The Going Merry was currently passing through the waters near the edge of the palm.
The searchlight flickered on, its beam revealing barren, jagged rocks rising in succession until they stood a head taller than the ship.
"Flying Slash... Now, I can do it too."
Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji and walked solemnly to the bow, holding his breath as he took his stance. His left arm was bent and raised slightly, his right hand gripping his left forearm from the inside, the veins in his arm muscles bulging visibly.
"Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind—the six roots of man, plus good, evil, and neutral, each possessing purity and defilement..."
He chanted in a low voice, his own realizations surfacing in his mind.
The Six Roots and Three States were all about the self, Purity and Defilement were about one's emotions.
In fact, when discussing the Flying Slash with Hiroto, what Hiroto called the 'extension of one's own will' followed the same principle. However, he had transformed everything into wind—into the wind of worldly desires.
One Sword Style: Sanjuroku Pound Ho!
Wado Ichimonji slashed out abruptly, and a pale blue slash wave shot from the blade.
Whoosh!
The spinning, dancing pale blue slash wave whistled through the air, heading straight for the 'pinky' of the five fingers.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, dust filled the sky and the ocean waves surged.
When the dust settled, everyone on the Going Merry discovered that the 'pinky finger' of the palm-shaped hill had been cleanly severed. The cut entered from the side, slicing through dozens of meters of rising rock and only stopping at the base of the 'palm' hill.
"This kind of strength..."
Carina couldn't help but stare at Zoro. If nothing went wrong, he would likely be the Vice-Captain of this ship.
After all, she had seen Zoro's strength at the start, and it hadn't been anywhere near this level. His rate of progress was simply staggering.
Of course, he still couldn't compare to her Captain. Hiroto was the true monster.
Only Hiroto could make Carina follow him to the end with such wholehearted devotion, and even hope for something beautiful to...
She subconsciously glanced at the only person on the ship who could compete with her.
Nami's gaze was currently fixed on... Hiroto!
Whether it was because the searchlight was at full power or not, she seemed to see stars in Nami's eyes. A sense of anticipation was surging within them.
She wasn't looking at things as rationally as Carina was.
"Hmph."
Carina curled her lip, and for some reason, she actually felt a bit nostalgic for the way Nami was at the very beginning.
Clatter... Clatter...
A massive amount of rubble fell into the sea.
"It... it was cut open!"
"My god!"
Yosaku and Johnny both stared with wide eyes.
They stared fixedly at the fragments of rock sliding into the sea, any single piece was as large as a person.
And that incredibly exaggerated visual—that was a 'ridge' extending from a hill, yet it was actually sliced open by Zoro's Flying Slash!?
As expected, Zoro was as strong as a monster, but...
The two couldn't help but look at Hiroto nearby.
The brilliance of that strike just now was still fresh in their memories. A sea beast as large as a mountain had been slain with a single blow. The blood that sprayed out was like rain.