Chapter 467 - 306

AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 307: One Strike Slashes Killer, the Name Zoro Shakes DressrosaThe midday sun hung high over the DressrosaArena.The cheers of a hundred thousand people boiled into distorted heatwaves, as the air filled with laughter, perfume, and the scent of impending bloodshed.The host Gaz's golden suit was already soaked with sweat; he raised his arms high, veins bulging in his neck, as he let out a raspy roar into the amplification den den mushi:"Open your eyes and look at these eight hundred and ninety-five names!"Four giant light screens crashed to life, names pouring down like a dense waterfall.The bounty figures behind each name burned into the eyes of the audience.Fifty-three million, eighty million, one hundred and twenty million, three hundred and ten million... finally settling on the crimson 'five hundred and forty million' behind 'Chinjo'."A four-group melee!""Those who fall into the water or lose their ability to fight are out! Only one person from each group will advance!""The winner among winners... will seize the power that shakes the world!""Woooooooh—!!!"The roar of a hundred thousand people merged into a soundwave, vibrating the sand off the ground and making the crystal pillars tremble violently.Before the voice could fade, a deafening mechanical roar erupted from below.The iron gate of Group A's cage pulled upward... and two hundred and twenty-three people flooded into the arena like a burst dam, roaring as they charged.Leading the charge was a giant man nearly three meters tall, his body wrapped in chains.He swung a meteor hammer the size of a human head, the iron ball tearing through the air with a ghost-like shriek."Everyone get the hell out of my way—!!"The meteor hammer swept across, and the chests of three participants who couldn't dodge in time exploded. Their bodies flew back like tattered rags, smashing heavily into the retaining wall, the crisp sound of breaking spines drowned out by the cheers.This was only the beginning.In the center of the arena, Killer moved.He was like a gray ghost, the twin scythes in his hands spinning into circles of death.The first to suffer was a pirate holding a scimitar; he was slashing at an enemy to his left when he suddenly felt a chill at his neck.His vision began to spin, and he saw his own headless body still maintaining its slashing posture, blood geysering three meters high from the stump of his neck. Then, darkness swallowed everything.The second was a one-eyed man wearing an eyepatch; he had just raised his flintlock to aim when a sudden, sharp pain shot through his wrist.Looking down, he saw his right hand and the firearm falling onto the sand, blood spraying wildly from the severed wrist. Before he could scream, another scythe blade had already slit his throat.A third, a fourth, a fifth... wherever Killer passed, bodies fell like stalks of wheat.Heads rolled, limbs flew, and intestines trailed long tracks. The moment arteries were severed, blood pressure turned the blood into a crimson mist."Wha—what is that...""The mask... the twin scythes... it's Killer! The Massacre Soldier of the Kid Pirates!""Run! Run quickly—!!"Fear spread like a plague.Within a thirty-meter radius of Killer, participants retreated frantically, pushing, shoving, and trampling one another.A thin, small man was knocked to the ground, and before he could crawl back up, the surging tide of people behind him crushed his ribs. He screamed, blood foam bubbling from his mouth, until he was eventually trampled into the bloody sand by countless feet, never to make a sound again.But Killer did not stop.A low, beast-like breath came from beneath his mask as the twin scythes spun once more.Three assassins lunging from the shadows were cut in half at the waist; their upper bodies continued to fly forward due to momentum, trailing intestines five meters long before finally twitching in a pool of blood."A demon...""This isn't a match... it's a massacre!"Blood stained the sand red, gathering into small streams that trickled toward the lower ground.At the other end of the slaughterhouse, Zoro held the unsheathed wado ichimonji in his right hand, the tip of the blade pointing diagonally at the ground.The first to lunge at him was a bald, burly man with a skull tattooed on his face, wielding two hatchets."Trash! Die for me—!"The twin axes swung down with the power to split mountains.Zoro didn't even look at him.A flash of blade light.The bald giant's body froze in place, the axes slipping from his hands. A thin line extended downward from the center of his forehead.A second later, his body slowly split along that line, falling to either side.The second to charge was a man as tall and thin as a bamboo pole, wielding twin swords that danced into an airtight net of blades."Take this—Tsubame Gaeshi!"The sword net descended upon Zoro.Zoro raised his hand and delivered a single horizontal slash.The sword net shattered.The tall, thin man looked down and saw a blood line appear at his waist.The third was a woman holding a long whip with barbed tips."Entwine him—Viper's Kiss!"The long whip coiled toward Zoro's neck like a living snake.Zoro flipped his wrist, and the blade edge slashed upward.The whip snapped, the barbed tip flying into the air. Before the woman could react, the blade had already swept across her throat. She clutched her neck, blood gushing through her fingers, as she fell to her knees with wide eyes.Zoro's pace did not falter.He was like a walking god of death; wherever he passed, lives were extinguished like candle flames.In the audience, people gradually began to notice him."One strike for each... all fatal wounds...""The number of people he's killed... is no less than Killer..."In the VIP box, King's vertical pupils locked onto Zoro, his black wings vibrating slightly behind him."Swordsmanship refined to the absolute extreme. No redundant movements, not a shred of wasted strength. Interesting..."In another box, Katakuri had his eyes closed, but his Observation Haki already blanketed the entire arena... on the field, the situation was becoming clear.Six minutes into the battle, only 52 out of 223 people were still standing.Those still alive were either lucky ones who had stayed far away from the two, or powerhouses confident in their strength who had yet to make a move.Killer stopped his massacre and looked up.His mask was smeared thick with blood, and his twin scythes dripped blood in a steady line. Through the eye-holes of his mask, he looked toward the other end of the arena.For the first time, Killer's breathing beneath the mask became erratic.He remembered Kid's words before entering."Be careful, Killer! I smell... the scent of danger."He recalled the scenes he had glimpsed during the gaps in his own slaughter!The way that 'Zoro' killed, that swordsmanship that was simple to the point of cruelty, that gaze that remained utterly unmoved by death... he was no ordinary swordsman.Absolutely not.Killer licked his lips under the mask, the taste of blood spreading across his tongue."Hey—"Killer spoke, his voice coming through the mask as a muffled rumble.Everyone still alive on the arena floor looked toward him.Killer raised a scythe, pointing it at Zoro fifty meters away."You're strong! Give me your name."Zoro slowly turned around."Zoro.""Zoro?"Killer tilted his head. "Never heard of it. But it doesn't matter..."He lowered his body, twin scythes fanning out at his sides in an offensive stance."Once I kill you, your name will be just like your corpse... rotting in this sand."Before the words had finished, Killer moved.His feet kicked off the sand, his body launching like a cannonball! The twin scythes crossed in front of him, their edges coiling with dark red Armament Haki!"Cross Slash: Blood Cut—!!"The fifty-meter distance was closed in an instant!The scythe blades tore through the air, letting out a shriek like a wailing ghost! Wherever they passed, the sand was plowed into two deep trenches by the wind pressure!Zoro took a single step forward.In an instant, his entire presence changed.The wado ichimonji flipped in his hand, the blade reflecting the blinding sunlight.A silver-white arc bloomed in the air."One Sword Style: Lion's Song!"The blade light and scythe edges crossed.Time seemed to freeze.Killer saw that arc... it was so simple, so pure, yet so... perfect.How is this possible?!Killer's pupils beneath the mask shrank to pinpricks. His Observation Haki was screaming frantically, but his body was already too late to change its move.Then, time resumed its flow.*Squelch—*Killer's body passed Zoro, charging forward another fifteen meters before his knees slammed into the bloody sand.His mask split down the middle, the two halves sliding off to reveal a face distorted by extreme shock. From his left shoulder to his right abdomen, a blood line slowly emerged.The next second.*Splurt—!!!*Blood erupted like a waterfall!The twin scythes fell from his hands, stabbing into the bloody sand.The entire arena went dead silent.In the VIP box, Kid suddenly stood up."Killer... in one strike..."His voice was hoarse, his crimson eyes churning with disbelief.He knew Killer's strength well! Though not quite his own equal, he was a powerhouse with a bounty over a hundred million who had fought for years in the New World. Even for Kid, defeating Killerwould take more than ten moves.And now... one strike?Taken down in one strike by an unknown 'Zoro'?A hundred thousand people opened their mouths, but no sound came out.In the audience, King's vertical pupils narrowed into a fine line."That strike...""It was the pinnacle of an Iai Slash, a Great Swordsman..."On the arena floor, Zoro slowly sheathed his sword. He then slowly turned around.He glanced at Killer kneeling in the bloody sand, then scanned the surrounding participants who were still standing, frozen in terror.And then the audience, a hundred thousand faces blank with extreme shock.Zoro sighed in his heart."I can't keep up the disguise anymore.""In that case..."He closed his eyes.When he opened them again, an invisible pressure awakened from the deepest part of his body.At first, it was just a breeze, blowing the green hair on his forehead.Finally—BOOM!!!!!!!!!!Red-gold lightning exploded from all around Zoro!The lightning raged like ten thousand wild dragons, instantly swallowing the entire arena and spreading frantically toward the audience!On the arena floor, the thirty-eight participants still standing had their eyes roll back, blood spraying from their mouths and noses as if struck by an invisible sledgehammer, falling in unison.In the front rows of the audience, eight thousand ordinary people lost consciousness simultaneously, their bodies falling like mown stalks of wheat. Slightly stronger pirates and bounty hunters clutched their heads in agony, kneeling on the ground and vomiting wildly!In the back, the protective glass of the noble section shattered with a 'bang,' shards raining down like a storm!The red-gold lightning lasted for five full seconds.On the arena floor, besides Zoro, not a single person remained standing.In the audience, over fifty thousand people were unconscious, and those remaining were as pale as corpses, their teeth chattering.Zoro sheathed his sword and turned toward the exit tunnel.His pace was steady as always, his black hair swaying slightly behind him as the afterglow of the red-gold lightning slowly dissipated around him.The host Gaz had long since fainted at the commentary booth, the amplification den den mushi foaming at the mouth.No one announced the result.But it was no longer necessary.Group A, Winner—It was twenty minutes after 'Zoro' left the arena that the medical team finally dared to enter, trembling with fear.The audience section looked like a scene from the apocalypse.The unconscious were piled like mountains, the conscious were shivering, and the air was thick with the smell of urine, blood, and fear.In the VIP box, King stood before the shattered window, his black wings slowly folding."One strike to slash Killer... Haoshoku to stun fifty thousand people... a Great Swordsman... this kind of strength is rare indeed!"He repeated in a low voice, his vertical pupils reflecting the area of the arena stained red with blood.Behind him, several Beasts Pirates lackeys were kneeling on the ground, their crotches soaked: "King, King-sama... should, should we report to the Governor-General...""Report it."King said coldly."Also, mobilize all intelligence networks. Investigate everything about this Zoro.""Ye-Yes, sir!"In another box, Katakuri slowly sat down, his scarf moving despite the lack of wind.Perospero used his ability to reform a candy staff, but his hands were shaking:"Th-That strike... Perorin... Killer was..."Katakuri closed his eyes."There is a clear difference in realm between the two. Killer's combat relies on instinct and killing experience, but that Zoro has clearly reached the level of a Great Swordsman!""A-A Great Swordsman?!""Yes."Katakuri opened his eyes, a trace of wariness flashing in his crimson pupils.Perospero swallowed hard. "Then should we still...""Wait and see! The Tremor-Tremor Fruit is the most important; until the fruit is in hand, do not provoke such a monster."Meanwhile, in Luffy's box, the atmosphere was entirely different."Hahahaha! That was so cool!"Luffy slapped his leg, laughing until he doubled over.Nami held her forehead, looking helpless."Cool? How is that cool... now everyone knows there's a monster swordsman named 'Zoro'... our infiltration plan is completely ruined..."Nami tilted her head back and took a large gulp of wine. "The Group B match isn't until the afternoon... are we supposed to just wait here?"Before she could finish, Luffy had already jumped up."Then I'm going out for a walk!"His eyes sparkled, and he grinned, showing a brilliant smile."Since we have to wait until the afternoon anyway, I'll go check out the city!""Now?"Nami frowned. "It's so chaotic outside...""It'll be fine!"Luffy waved his hand, already walking toward the box door."I'll go alone and be back soon!""Luffy! Wait—"Nami tried to chase him, but Luffy had already pulled the door open and slipped out.She chased him to the doorway, looking at the empty corridor, and stomped her foot in anger. "That idiot!"Robin rose elegantly and walked to Nami's side. "Let him go. A Captain needs freedom, just as a bird needs the sky.""But...""And besides—"Robin looked down at the arena floor being cleared."By staying here, we might be able to gather more intelligence. There are already many people discussing 'Zoro'."Nami sighed and walked back to sit on the sofa.She picked up her wine glass, her gaze drifting out the window.The streets of Dressrosa gleamed gold under the midday sun; the flow of people was like a woven tapestry, with toys and humans mingled together, appearing peaceful on the surface.But Nami knew that in the depths of this island, undercurrents were surging...