The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

"So... of course there's no movement."

“After all, their heads…” He tilted his head slightly, recalling a trivial detail, and added…

"It's still hanging at the entrance of Kuri and Nozomi's mansion."

"Roronoa".

The last sentence was uttered.

Almost at the same instant the murderous aura was revealed...

"Clang!!!"

The clear, resonant sound of the blade being drawn echoed throughout!

Zoro's figure had already disappeared from under the tree!

Only a small ripple of dust remained in the spot!

He didn't waste any words, nor did he give Jhin any chance to explain or continue to provoke him!

The moment Jhin uttered "Kill them," his murderous intent and rage reached their peak!

As if sensing its master's thoughts, Enma's blade began to greedily draw out Zoro's Haki the moment it was drawn from its sheath!

The jet-black cherry blossoms, like living vines, instantly wrapped around the dark red blade, giving the entire Enma a strange and terrifying aura!

"One-Sword Style Iaijutsu - Black Blade - Death - Lion's Song!!!"

This is Zoro's ultimate Iaijutsu, combining speed, power, Haki, and Enma's characteristics to the extreme in his current state!

Without any probing, the first move was a fatal blow!

The blade light condensed to its extreme, a cold glint so fast it surpassed visual perception, piercing straight for Jin's vital throat!

Wherever it passed, the air was silently sliced ​​apart, leaving behind a subtle yet persistent slashing trajectory!

This strike is enough to instantly kill Jhin, the "Firestorm," in his current state!

Unfortunately...

clang!!!!!!

A deafening, muffled thud, far louder than any previous clash of swords, suddenly erupted in the courtyard!

A violent shockwave exploded outwards in a ring from the point of impact, sending rubble tumbling through the courtyard.

The ancient cherry tree trembled, and even the bamboo tubes used for adding water in the distance shook violently!

Jin remained standing still, letting out a long-held breath slowly.

Zoro's figure solidified before him, remaining in the posture of having just completed a slashing attack.

And the Enma sword in his hand, adorned with flowing cherry blossoms...

At this moment... it's blocked!

It wasn't blocked by Jhin's blade or his body.

Instead, it was another knife, a knife held in one hand, that was precisely blocked from the side, less than an inch from Jin's throat!

The knife was entirely black with double blades, its design was ancient, and its surface was covered with dark red cracks!

Zoro's right eye was fixed on the suddenly appearing black sword, and for the first time, a look of shock appeared on his face.

The left eye, which had been tightly closed, opened as well.

Not only because the knife appeared without warning, but also because...

In his eyes, he saw the man who had appeared out of nowhere behind the black knife, holding the knife in one hand, his face terrifyingly calm.

Gern Reginald Sigmar.

Gern stood beside Jhin, as if he had been there from the very beginning.

He didn't even glance at King, who had narrowly escaped death and was breathing heavily beside him, nor did he look at Zoro.

Instead, his gaze fell upon the Yama sword in Zoro's hand, which was clashing with the Eight Desolations.

Then, he slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze meeting Zoro's shocked eyes.

A smile played on his lips, and his tone carried the teasing tone of an elder seeing a younger person suffer a loss.

“What you’re doing…” Gern shook his head, his voice not loud, “is a losing proposition, you green algae head.”

“Although they are all ‘Twenty-One Great Swords’…” Gern tilted his head slightly, as if he were seriously evaluating them.

"But 'Autumn Water'... that's a 'black blade' forged over countless years and battles."

"Use a readily available top-tier black sword..." He paused, emphasizing his words, "to exchange it for Oden's 'Enma'?"

Gern chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in his laughter.

"They're treating you like a fool!"

Gern extended his free left hand and gently shook his index finger.

“At least…” Gern’s gaze deepened, as if he were seeing the back of someone wielding twin swords.

"Wouldn't it be barely fair if they gave us an extra 'Heavenly Feather Blade'?"

"What do you say?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gern's right wrist, which was holding the knife, trembled slightly.

A surge of pure power flowed from Enma's blade and surged into Zoro's arms!

Zoro groaned, feeling a violent tremor and numbness in his arms, and a tearing pain in his tiger's mouth.

He staggered backward uncontrollably, his feet carving two shallow tracks across the stone slabs of the courtyard.

It wasn't until his back hit the ancient cherry tree that he barely stopped his backward fall, causing cherry blossoms to flutter down from the treetops.

He knelt on one knee, using the Yama (Enma's Demon) to support his body, breathing heavily, and staring intently ahead.

Gern had already retrieved the Eight Desolations and casually tucked the sword back into his waistband.

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Chapter 616 Yamato

"Hmph." Zoro slowly straightened up again, his chest heaving violently a few times before he forced himself to calm down.

He then jerked his right hand, pulling the Yama sword out of the ground. The dark, flowing cherry blossoms had not completely dissipated and flickered on the blade.

Immediately afterwards, his left hand reached to his waist, and with an even more sinister sound, the Sandai Kitetsu Youki, which was swirling with soft chirps, was also grasped in his palm.

With his twin swords in hand, Zoro's aura suddenly changed.

The shock and frustration from before were forcibly suppressed, replaced by a more refined and resolute will.

Then, he slightly bent over, holding his two swords in opposite directions, adopting the most explosive offensive starting stance of the dual-wielding style, and locked his gaze on Gern.

"Hey, Fleet Admiral," Zoro's voice was deep, carrying a fierce, defiant edge, "you dare to critique my sword?"

"What you said... does make some sense!"

"but....."

Before he finished speaking, his aura suddenly exploded!

"I'm not the same person I used to be!"

"Dual-wielding style - Double Slash..."

Just as he was about to announce the name of his move and launch an attack.

"Tsk."

Gern clicked his tongue in extreme impatience, though the sound was not loud.

He didn't even give Zoro a proper look, only slightly tilting his head and glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

The tone was so flat, as if stating a very simple fact.

"If it's from here..."

He raised his hand and pointed to the courtyard of the Flower Capital General's Mansion at his feet, then gestured towards the distant horizon where the sea was faintly visible.

"Kicked into the sea..."

Gern paused, turned his gaze back, and finally looked directly at Zoro, slowly uttering the second half of his sentence.

"But, you really can die."

"..."

One sentence brought Zoro to a complete halt.

The sword's momentum, about to erupt, froze instantly, as if its throat had been grabbed.

My pupils dilated slightly, and an image flashed uncontrollably through my mind.

A sinister and eerie three-masted sailing ship, shrouded in thick fog, and that man... an unstoppable kick.

I felt like a kite with a broken string; my vision spun, and the cold, salty seawater instantly swallowed all my senses…

That was the first and, so far, the only time he had come so close to death, and been defeated so utterly and helplessly.

That absolute sense of overwhelming power, even though he is not what he used to be, even though he injured Kaido and defeated King in single combat!

But when the man in front of him mentioned it, it was like a cold brand, causing his body to instinctively stiffen and hesitate for a moment.

Gern seemed completely unconcerned about Zoro's brief pause and the shadow that flashed in his eyes.

Seeing that Zoro did not immediately continue his attack, he seemed to lose interest and turned around, exposing his back to the Straw Hat crew's swordsman without any defense.

His gaze fell on Jin, who stood behind him like a statue.

"Hey, 'Wildfire'," Gern spoke, his tone devoid of emotion, "Is Kaido... really dead?"

This question caused Jhin's body to tremble almost imperceptibly, and his eyes to shift away from Zoro.

His complicated gaze fell on Gern's calm face, then he turned his head away.

She lowered her eyes, avoiding Gern's gaze. She remained silent for a full two or three seconds.

He then forced out a hoarse, dry reply from his throat:

"I can no longer feel Mr. Kaido's domineering aura."

The voice was suppressed, filled with confusion and a final, unwilling despair.

Gern listened without any surprise on his face, only letting out a soft "oh," the last syllable of which was drawn out and carried an indescribable meaning.

"Is that so..." he murmured to himself, his gaze drifting to the sky above the courtyard.

“Me too…” Gern’s voice was very soft, almost carried away by the wind, “I can’t feel it anymore.”

This statement seems to contain more than just confirmation of the enemy's whereabouts.

It also carries a hint of resentment towards the "world's strongest creature," who was once its "rival"...

A certain degree of recognition and regret is the subtle resonance among top-level experts.

However, this brief, slightly melancholic atmosphere was quickly shattered by a sudden, loud shout!

"Thunderous Eight Trigrams!!!"

A figure wreathed in dark red, domineering lightning leaped down from the top floor of the tall castle tower behind the courtyard, spinning as it went!

It was so fast that it left afterimages in the air!

The massive spiked club, "A-Jian," entwined with an imposing aura, tore through the air, creating a terrifying sonic boom, and crashed down towards Gern's head!

The timing of the sneak attack was extremely tricky; it was precisely the moment when Gern was talking to King with his back to Zoro, and his mind seemed to be slightly distracted!

Same move name, different sense of oppression.

Faced with this sudden and incredibly powerful sneak attack, Gern didn't even turn his head.

He simply raised his right arm, which was wrapped in jet-black Armament Haki, and casually lifted it backward and upward.

"clang!!!!!!"

Another deafening explosion!