Chapter 496 - 335

Chapter 336: Three Sword Style Secret Technique"Heat Breath!!"The purple-red torrent of destruction tore through the dark night, carrying the high temperatures and pressure of total annihilation as it crashed down toward the center of the arena.That was the breath of Kaido of the "Beasts", the manifestation of destructive energy condensed in his Azure Dragon form.Before the pillar of light even touched the ground, its radiating heat had already scorched the air above the arena into a distorted haze.The blinding purple-red light swallowed all other light sources, dyeing every horrified face in the arena with a hue of despair.Bartolomeo's barrier expanded to its limit, the surface of the transparent wall fluctuating violently.His eyes stared fixedly at the pillar of destruction, death reflecting in his pupils as it drew closer.King's posture became even more respectful, but his eyes behind the mask didn't blink once, burning with an almost pious fanaticism.He firmly believed that no one could face the Governor-General's breath head-on; that arrogant swordsman would be turned to ash in the next moment.The mochi around Katakuri stopped flowing as he concentrated most of his Observation Haki on his own defense, predicting the trajectory of the impact and thermal radiation that would follow the breath's fall.Tank it head-on? That would be foolish.His conclusion was that he had to relocate to a further distance immediately.Sabo held Rebecca even tighter, his left fist clenched as a white vibration halo rapidly spun and compressed at his knuckles.Everyone's hearts were in their throats.Destruction was close at hand.Below this torrent of destruction, the wado ichimonji in Zoro's hand buzzed excitedly in its scabbard, the crimson-gold lightning coiled around it leaping defiantly, countering the dragon's pressure descending from the sky.But with only one sword, facing this breath that was a hundred meters in diameter and condensed with extreme energy, how much could he cut?At the very moment the purple-red light was about to completely consume his field of vision—Swish! Swish!Two extremely sharp sounds of breaking air shot out from the edge of the arena at a tricky angle!They were incredibly fast, slicing through the heavy air and shooting toward Zoro with unerring precision!Zoro's Observation Haki captured them almost the instant the sound rang out.Without hesitation, without even time to think, relying entirely on battle instinct, he reached out with both hands to his sides and back—Snap! Snap!To his left and right, two long, thin objects wrapped in old canvas landed steadily in his palms!They felt heavy in his hands, with a familiar cold touch and a faint... calling.The moment his fingers closed, the canvas wrapping slid off.In his left hand was a cursed blade with a dark purple cold glint and a three-petaled tsuba—the sandai kitetsu!The moment he grasped it, a cold and ferocious aura traveled up the hilt, as if countless vengeful spirits were roaring in his ears, only to be swiftly subdued by Zoro's powerful will and transformed into surging malevolent power.In his right hand was a famous sword, pitch-black and with an elegant, smooth curve—the Black Blade "Shusui"!The beloved blade of the former dragon-slaying samurai Ryuma, a national treasure of the Wano Country.It lacked the restlessness of the kikoku, possessing only a deep, pond-like heaviness and the sharpness honed through countless battles; a layer of lustrous black light naturally flowed over the blade, as if it could absorb all light.At a hole in the wall, a few Tontatta dwarves poked their heads out, waving their arms vigorously at Zoro with faces full of tension and hope, before quickly shrinking back and disappearing into the dark tunnel."Ha!"Zoro's lips pulled back into a wide grin!All the pressure and exhaustion seemed to be dispelled at this moment by these two long-lost old friends in his hands!"Thanks, runts!"With a low growl, he swung Shusui in his right hand in a heavy arc before him, holding it in a reverse grip;He spun the kikoku in his left hand, switching to a standard grip.Then, he lowered his head slightly, opened his mouth, and clamped his teeth firmly onto the hilt of the wado ichimonji he had been holding!Three swords, in position!"Clang—!!!"The three swords seemed to resonate, simultaneously letting out a clear and spirited ringing!The crimson-gold Conqueror's Haki surged forth, fiercely coiling around the blades of all three swords!The complete Three Sword Style swordsman had awakened!Facing the purple-red breath that was already inches away, Zoro's eyes were as sharp as a quenched blade."Nine mountains and eight seas constitute one world—"His low, clear voice, carrying a strange rhythm and a determination to cut through everything, pierced through the hiss of the searing air, echoing just before destruction arrived.The crimson-gold light on the three swords compressed inward frantically, its color deepening."Gather a thousand worlds to form a 'Small Thousand World'—"The crossed twin blades began to vibrate slightly, emitting a high-frequency hum, while the wado ichimonji in his mouth guided the flow of power.Three forces, three sword intents, began to resonate and vibrate under Zoro's will, climbing toward a common peak!"This world multiplied by three—"The tip of the purple-red breath was less than ten meters from his forehead! The heatwave of destruction violently pulled his short green hair back!In Zoro's pupils, crimson-gold lightning exploded!"There is nothing I cannot cut!!!"The final word rang out like a clap of thunder!"Three Sword Style Secret Technique—"The crossed twin blades, moving at speeds exceeding the limit of the human eye, suddenly slashed forward toward the torrent of destruction!The wado ichimonji in his mouth guided the strike simultaneously, erupting with a chilling sword intent!"One Great, Three Thousand, Great Thousand Worlds!!!"Boom—!!!!!!Three crimson-gold flying slashes, condensed to the extreme and blindingly bright, detached from the edges of the three swords!The moment they left the blades, they were pulled by an invisible force, like three crimson-gold dragons, instantly intertwining, spiraling, and merging!A crimson-gold spiral slash storm, its diameter expanding and its edges jumping with fine black spatial cracks, took shape!The storm spun frantically, charging against the torrent of destruction falling from the sky!The collision happened.The crimson-gold spiral storm, like the sharpest and toughest drill in the world, wedged itself firmly into the center of the purple-red pillar of destruction!Screech—!!!!Under everyone's disbelieving gazes, the part of Kaido's breath—which seemed capable of destroying islands—that touched the crimson-gold spiral storm actually began to be forcibly cut, torn, and pushed aside!The purple-red violent energy flow was forced to divert, as if encountering an insurmountable reef!The crimson-gold storm was unstoppable, surging upstream along the axis of the breath; everywhere it passed, the breath was split in two, turning into two torrents of destruction that deviated from their original paths and grazed past the sides of the arena!Rumble—!!!The split aftermath of the breath slammed into the buildings outside the arena and the rock walls at the edge of the Kings Plateau!Deafening explosions rang out one after another, flames soared into the sky, and rubble poured down like rain as large sections of buildings melted and collapsed in the high temperatures!However, the central area of the arena, the ruins where Zoro stood, and most of the grounds behind him were miraculously protected from the world-ending breath!After completely splitting the main body of the breath, the crimson-gold spiral slash storm dimmed in size and light, but it still charged toward the massive Azure Dragon's head in the high clouds with indomitable momentum!In Kaido's dark-gold dragon eyes, a flash of surprise flickered.He casually raised a dragon claw covered in thick blue-black scales and gave a light flick toward the incoming crimson-gold radiance, as if swatting a fly.Bang!The crimson-gold storm hit the dragon claw and exploded into a sky full of scattered crimson-gold light points, finally dissipating into the night sky.On the scales of the dragon claw, a few tiny, almost invisible white scratches were left, vanishing in an instant.But that was irrelevant.What mattered was that the breath of destruction had been split head-on!The arena fell into a dead silence even more profound than when Zoro had one-shotted Lucci.Only the crackling of burning buildings in the distance and the hum of energy that had yet to dissipate echoed in the air.Everyone's brains fell into a brief blankness because of the scene that had just transcended common sense and shaken their souls.King, the "conflagration" who held himself in high regard and had absolute confidence in Kaido's power, had his mouth open unconsciously behind his mask, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks.'Split... it was split? With a slash... he split the Governor-General's "Heat Breath" head-on?''That crimson-gold spiral... what kind of swordsmanship was that? What kind of Haki? Roronoa Zoro... this swordsman... he already...'He couldn't find the right words to describe the shock in his heart.That wasn't just power; it was a realm that no ordinary Four Emperors' officer could ever hope to reach!Katakuri slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, the expression on his face under the scarf becoming solemn to an unprecedented degree.His Observation Haki operated frantically, repeatedly "replaying" every detail of the collision between the crimson-gold storm and the purple-red breath."It's not a simple stacking of power... it's a perfect fusion of Haki, sword intent, and even Oni Aura!""That cursed blade and the Black Blade... they are both top-tier famous swords, greatly amplifying his power.""A swordsman like this, even under Mama's command, would be enough to rank at the very top of the Sweet Commanders, or even... have the potential to challenge Mama herself?""Just what kind of monsters has the Straw Hatgathered?"He felt a chill.His original designs on the Tremor-Tremor Fruitwere now replaced by a deeper wariness.Sabo plus Zoro, plus that Straw Hat Luffy who had yet to show his face... the waters of Dressrosawere too deep.Sabo's arm protecting Rebecca relaxed a bit as he looked at Zoro's back, standing proudly with his swords and gazing at the sky, his eyes erupting with heartfelt admiration and joy."Nicely done, Brother Zoro!"He said softly, a smile tugging at his lips.This slash hadn't just split Kaido's breath; it had also split the dark clouds of despair looming over everyone's hearts!"Luffy, your partner is so reliable it makes one's blood boil!"And the most excited and frenzied of all was none other than Bartolomeo."Aaaaaaaah—!!!!!"He suddenly jumped up from the ground, tears, snot, and even saliva spraying out due to his extreme excitement, completely disregarding his image.He gestured wildly, pointing at the sky and then at Zoro, roaring incoherently:"Did you see that?! Did you guys see that?! Three Thousand Worlds! Great Thousand Worlds! Senior Zoro's secret technique!""He even split the breath of one of the Four Emperors! Right down the middle! Cut in two! No, it was three swords!""So cool! So strong! Invincibly strong!""This is the true strength of the Straw Hat Pirates' Vice-Captain! I, Bartolomeo... what right do I have to witness this scene with my own eyes!""I can die with no regrets! No regrets in this life!!"He shouted until he was hoarse, his face turning bright red, and the barrier around him flickered due to his intense emotional fluctuations.He desperately wanted to rush forward and hug Zoro's legs, but his remaining sanity only allowed him to kneel on the ground, prostrating himself toward Zoro as tears streamed down."What is Kaido! What are the Four Emperors! Before Senior Zoro's blades, they're all paper tigers!""Long live Senior Luffy! Long live Senior Zoro! Long live the Straw Hat Pirates—!!!"His fanatical shouting was particularly abrupt in the deathly silent arena, but it also diluted that extreme, heavy fear.High in the sky, Kaido's massive dragon eyes slowly narrowed.After the surprise faded, it was replaced by an even thicker, more burning interest, and a rising... rage after being provoked by an ant!"Wororororo..."The low laughter rang out again, and the dark purple lightning in the clouds crackled frantically along with his laugh."Interesting... how very interesting! Green-haired brat!"The dragon's head turned slightly, the dark-gold vertical pupils locking onto Zoro as if to see right through him."This slash of yours... is much more 'interesting' than what was described in King's report or what I just saw!""To think you could actually split my 'Heat Breath' with a slash... even if it was just a casual strike...""Then... next... can you still use your swords...""To split this for me?!!"The energy of destruction began to roar once more!...