Konoha's Mission Master

Everyone stood up one after another, the most excited of all being Kakashi, who had long wanted to have a swordsman's duel with Zoro.

A mist stretching for miles surrounds Mori Island. It is the gas exhaled by the plants on Mori Island when they breathe. Because it carries Yakumo's chakra mark, it appears as a perpetual slumber mist covering the surrounding area.

Good news! Nami is a very skilled navigator. She confirmed the direction of Mori Island in the fog in five minutes. The Thousand Sunny then began to emit steam to accelerate, and in less than a minute, it had reached the edge of Mori Island.

Luffy straightened his straw hat, then suddenly exerted force with both legs and landed less than three meters in front of the group. The others also quickly jumped off the ship.

Yakumo didn't know what kind of hardships or battles Luffy had gone through after Wano Country, but he felt that Luffy was more mature and composed than he remembered, and possessed the aura of a king.

It's not just about that passionate young man.

"Thousand-Faced Demon Emperor - Jing Yayun".

Luffy has a two-finger-wide white ribbon wrapped around his right arm, and he is paying tribute to the deceased Shanks with his actions, which represents his identity as an avenger.

His gaze toward Yakumo carried a hint of hostility. Although he and Shanks had not met often, their relationship was that of mentor and friend.

Shanks is dead, and he must find out why.

"Long time no see, Rubber Boy Luffy."

Yakumo seemed oblivious to Luffy's hostility and greeted him with a smile.

"Hahaha, it really has been a long time."

Luffy scratched his head and replied that the last time the two met was at Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, when their goal was the same: to save Ace.

"But...why did you kill Shanks?"

"Because many people in this world have died because of him."

Yakumo answered matter-of-factly, without any change in tone.

The atmosphere between the two was subtly tense. Yuuki Chiyuki had already gripped the Nile River's Sorrow in her hand, her eyes locked on Zoro. If a battle were to break out, she would instantly behead him.

Nami trembled slightly, a hint of fear in her eyes, but she still clutched the Clima-Tact tightly. Usopp, standing beside her, looked at Yakumo and the others with a hint of hatred in his eyes.

Although there was anger towards those who abandoned their yashamont.

But they are father and son after all.

"That guy, Ryu, once explained to me why you killed Shanks. Although I couldn't understand it... they all said you were doing something beneficial for the whole world."

Luffy suddenly grinned, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"I'm glad you understand."

Yakumo didn't seem to sense much hostility from Luffy, which suggests that Dragon spent a considerable amount of time trying to change his mind.

"I came here this time... because Zoro wants to challenge you."

"And also..."

Luffy voluntarily gave up his position, leaving the rest of his sentence unfinished.

Yakumo nodded thoughtfully.

Zoro took two steps forward and tied the green bandana around his head, his single eye becoming extremely sharp.

"Hawkeye said that only by defeating you can I become the world's greatest swordsman, so I came." Zoro's voice was somewhat cold, but more so it was filled with confidence in his own strength.

"How about you defeat him first, and then I'll fight you?"

Yakumo did not refuse, but pushed Yukotsu Chiyuki aside with a smile on her face.

"no problem."

Zoro agreed without hesitation.

The two stopped in the center of Morishima Island and looked at each other.

Let's decide the outcome with one move.

Yukotsuki tied her long pink hair into a ponytail with a hair tie, deciding on the mode of their sparring. She had to wash the dishes later and didn't have time to spend on Zoro.

"it is good."

Zoro drew three swords, gathering his strength.

On the other side, Yukotsu Chiyuki looked at Zoro with some curiosity, sensing an unwavering will in the enemy's sword.

That's certainly a worthy opponent.

"Zoro, beat him up!" Luffy shouted, clenching his fists.

........

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Chapter 433 The Straw Hat Crew Arrives (Part 2)

In the central area of ​​Morishima Island, Yukotsu Chiyuki and Zoro faced off, each beginning to gather their strength. Zoro's twin swords spun rapidly, and deep purple gas spread backward, forming an image of hellish chaos.

Behind him stood the three-headed, six-armed demon god, Asura.

A terrifying pressure swept over everything around, and the lush green grass gradually turned yellow and withered, as a powerful will to die was stripping away life.

"You also wield the power of death? That's truly interesting."

Yukotsuki gripped her weapons with both hands, assuming an attack stance, her right hand holding the sword, its blade pointing directly at Zoro.

Most of the Straw Hat crew were in a spectator's mood, having absolute confidence in Zoro, since Yuuki Chiyuki's reputation in the pirate world was not prominent.

How could the Pirate King's right-hand man lose to the Emperor's apprentice?

When a king arrives, the four emperors should yield; this is the proper course of events.

"That guy named Zoro is doomed to lose."

Kakashi commented calmly that, judging from the pressure that person was exuding, his strength was about the same as his own, and he had no chance of shaking Yukotsu Chiyuki.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Zoro is the strongest swordsman!"

Chopper retorted somewhat discontentedly, saying that while it couldn't afford to offend Yakumo, it wasn't about to be easily intimidated by a mere lackey.

"Then see for yourself."

Zoro started running, and the suit jacket on his arms was torn off, leaving only strips of cloth about the width of a finger. The muscles on his arms were bulging with veins, and his forearms were covered with jet-black Armament Haki.

A terrifying pressure descended like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down. The enormous gray phantom resembled a peerless demon god roaring at Yang Tian. This was Zoro's ultimate limit, a domineering slash carrying a heavy aura of death.

"Demon Aura - Nine-Sword Style - Asura - Sword Draw - King of Hell!"

"One style: Dark Slash."

Yu Gu Qianxue did not move in the face of the attack. Instead, he began to activate the power of his Devil Fruit. His whole body was covered with a dark golden luster. He was noble and majestic, like a god or Buddha enshrined on a mountaintop. In his eyes, there were no enemies, no mercy or compassion, and no emotions whatsoever.

In addition... the luster on his body was extremely restrained.

A powerful and dynamic energy flowed rapidly, and the Nile River trembled slightly with sorrow.

After approaching the enemy, Zoro began to swing his sword continuously. The so-called King of Hell unleashed eighteen overlapping slashes the moment he made contact with the enemy. Even if someone could block the first few blows, they would be severely injured by the following blows.

This is the pinnacle of his swordsmanship, an indestructible spiral drill!

The dead man who broke through Kaido's defenses only had twelve cuts, but it still made Kaido question his existence and tentatively ask if he possessed Conqueror's Haki.

Now, compared to before, he has six more strikes, but the power of the moves has actually increased several times, making them potentially deadly.

Zoro's thinking was actually quite simple: since the outcome would be decided in one move, he needed to use his strongest technique, regardless of whether it would kill his opponent outright.

“Ying Jian.” You Gu Qianxue uttered two inexplicable characters.

With a whoosh, the Nile's sorrowful color turned pitch black, and You Gu Qianxue thrust forward her long sword, as if a reef had suddenly appeared on the sea, standing tall and imposing.

One slash... ten slashes, countless attacks landed on the black blade, but Zoro suddenly realized that the enemy's weapon was advancing at an extremely fast speed, like a terrifying steamroller, crushing everything in front of him.

The two locked eyes, and Zoro saw clearly those beautiful eyes, devoid of any emotion, like those of a cold and ruthless fighting machine.

The pure blackness overwhelmed the roar of the demon god of hell, the blade sliced ​​through the tall, gray phantom, and the simple slash made the king of hell cry out in agony.

With a step forward, Yougu Qianxue unleashed a perfectly round slash.

Whoosh... The sparring between the two continued without any surprises.

Zoro was sent flying backward at an even more terrifying speed, like a meteor or a cannonball, his clothes were torn to shreds, and his weapon flew out of his hand.

It is true that he possesses extremely strong death power, but the weapon in You Gu Qianxue's hand was forged from all the divine power of the God of Death.

At the same time, the pride of the Straw Hat crew was also shattered.

Chopper and Usopp stared wide-eyed, their eyes losing their sparkle, as if astonished by the enemy's terrifying strength, with copious amounts of saliva drooling from their mouths.

Boom... Zoro's body slammed into the giant tree that the two of them could hug, leaving a dent, before sliding to the ground. Blood flowed unnaturally from his face, and the bones in his arms were broken in the collision.

In fact, this was already the result of Yukotsu Chiyuki holding back; otherwise, Zoro would have undoubtedly died in the previous clash.

"I told you he would lose."

Kakashi suddenly spoke, and Chopper realized that the annoying silver-haired boy wasn't boasting, but simply stating the inevitable outcome.

"Go get him treated quickly. Although my apprentice held back, Zoro's physical strength is still too weak."

Yakumo suddenly turned to Chopper and reminded him, who immediately grabbed his medicine box and started running. The rest of the Straw Hat crew also left, leaving only Luffy and Robin in the stands.

“I can feel that my life is coming to an end, but my father said that you are the best doctor in the world and that you might be able to extend my life.”

Seeing that his crewmates had been drawn to Zoro's attention, Luffy spoke to Yakumo, his tone calm as if he were talking about the lives of others when he mentioned that his own life was coming to an end.

"So this is the real reason you came to find me."

Yakumo suddenly sighed, then realized something was amiss.

"You really do want to avenge Shanks, don't you?"

"I've thought about it, but you saved Ace's life back then. I owe you that day. I'll consider it as repaying it if I don't avenge Shanks."

Luffy answered naturally, without making a fuss or acting recklessly; his demeanor was truly that of a king.

"You've changed a lot; maybe that's what growing up is all about."

Yakumo stared at Luffy, smiling and shaking his head. He couldn't tell whether this change was a good thing or a bad thing.

For someone with Luffy's personality to grow into this kind of person, he naturally needs to undergo an indescribable transformation, growing from a passionate youth into a solitary and composed king.

What kind of hardships and suffering will they have to endure along the way?