One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

"If I am killed by him like this, it means I am nothing special."

"No, no! I can't watch you go to your death." Usopp activated his "motherly love" spell.

Just then, V's voice suddenly came:

"Hey, Zoro."

His voice was soft, yet it was like a bucket of ice water poured on a hot iron block, instantly freezing the tense atmosphere.

Zoro turned his head, his eyes burning with an almost obsessive flame:

"Are you going to stop me too, V?"

"Prevent?"

V suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with a greedy anticipation.

"Are you kidding me?"

"How could I stop my friend from pursuing his dream, which is within reach?"

As he spoke, he took a step forward, his blue prosthetic eye locking onto Zoro, his voice suddenly turning cold:

“But Zoro, you should know very well... at your current level, you have no chance against that guy.”

"so……"

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Just when everyone thought V was going to dissuade Zoro, he suddenly grinned, revealing his white teeth.

That smile was both encouraging and commanding:

"Sword with the resolve to die!"

"This may be the last battle of your life!"

"It doesn't matter if I bleed to death, it doesn't matter if I get stabbed to death..."

"Burn everything you have, and pull the distant horizon to your feet!"

"I have only one request!"

V looked up, his azure eyes meeting Zoro's directly:

"If we're going to fight, then fight to the very last moment!"

"Don't stop until you're completely dead!"

"Don't embarrass... the Straw Hat Crew!"

Zoro's pupils contracted slightly, but then the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

"Hey……"

"Of course!!!"

Chapter 31 Why Not Avoid? (Thanks to the generous donor, Valley of the Wind, for the donation!)

"Is this really a good idea, V?"

Upon hearing their conversation, Usopp's expression froze, and his limbs involuntarily loosened, causing him to fall off Zoro.

Nami, standing nearby, had a similar expression, looking at Luffy with concern.

"Luffy, say something!"

"Zoro is going to fight that monster!"

"Huh?" Luffy turned his head blankly, his mouth still full of fried rice, and mumbled incoherently:

"Isn't this a good thing!?"

"Good, good news!?" Nami couldn't understand.

Luffy pounded his chest and swallowed the food in his mouth.

In an instant, the playful man seemed to transform into a different person, his gaze calm and unwavering as he looked at Hawkeye.

Luffy chuckled softly, "Yeah, what could be more joyful than seeing your dream right before your eyes...?"

"Are you all... idiots?!"

Nami sighed, but ultimately said nothing more.

She knew that both Luffy and Zoro were the kind of people who would do anything for their dreams, without considering the realities of life.

However, what Nami didn't expect was...

Even the most pragmatic V was letting them do whatever they wanted at this moment.

"Fine, I'm not going to bother with you guys anymore!" Nami said, but her eyes remained fixed on Zoro and Mihawk.

"What...what are they going to do!?"

Sanji, who was walking out of the restaurant, overheard this conversation and immediately asked a question in confusion.

Zeff, walking behind him, crossed his arms and said in a deep voice:

"Maybe it's... a dream."

“Dream…” Sanji’s hand gripping the door frame trembled involuntarily, his eyes widening as if he were lost in thought.

……

……

"I'm off then, V!"

With the support of his companions, Zoro grinned, exuding an imposing aura.

V responded with the same relaxed smile: "Go ahead."

tread!

A figure suddenly darted out from the deck of the Going Merry, moving like a green lightning bolt through the wreckage of the Krieg Pirates' warship.

In the blink of an eye, Zoro was standing in front of Hawkeye.

"Hey!"

Zoro suddenly shouted and took off the bandana from his arm.

"The world's greatest swordsman, 'Hawkeye' Djokovic."

"You look like you have a lot of free time. How about we have a match?"

Swish!

Three long swords were suddenly drawn, their sharp tips pointing directly at the man sitting on the small coffin boat.

"Ok?"

Hawkeye slowly raised his head.

Beneath the top hat, a pair of golden eyes, like those of a hawk, swept over Zoro with an almost indifferent scrutiny.

"A contest?"

Hawkeye gave a disdainful look.

"Hmph, pathetic weaklings."

"If you are truly a first-rate swordsman, even without a direct confrontation, you should be able to see the difference in strength between us."

Whoosh!

Hawkeye's figure was even faster than Zoro's, appearing suddenly in front of Zoro at a speed that no one could catch.

"To dare point a knife at me, should I call you brave, or ignorant?"

Zoro's heart clenched suddenly.

The moment the man stood up, he didn't even catch any movement.

This was simply unbelievable for him, who had already mastered the Silent Step technique.

The more you understand, the more you fear.

"The difference..."

Zoro clenched his teeth into the Wado Ichimonji, but a smile played on his lips.

"Someone already told me about that before you did!"

"But every time I meet you, I have to think about the gap between us, and fear the unknown and powerful forces..."

"I think I'll remain stagnant for the rest of my life, and I'll even find it hard to muster the determination to challenge you."

Thud~ Boom~

The exquisite scabbard fell to the ground.

Zoro assumed an attack stance.

"At least, I will maintain this passion to swing my knife at you, and then..."

"One day, I'll defeat you!!!"

"A good answer."

Hawkeye was surprised to see an expression of approval on his face, and even the corners of his usually calm mouth curved slightly.

However, in the next instant, he still reached for the cross on his chest.

"But unfortunately, we met too early."

“I don’t have a smaller knife than this.”

"You really look down on people!"

Zoro chuckled, his anger burning fiercely within him.

But then he remembered that V had said he "wouldn't be a match for Hawkeye," and now he couldn't even manage to injure V...

The difference in their minds allowed Zoro to quickly regain his composure, like a clear, icy lake.