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

Chapter 658 Hunting

Meanwhile, in the lower coastal area, near where the Thousand Sunny is moored.

The slashing motions carved deep furrows into the sand, and the hard rocks were shredded like tofu by the aftershocks.

The battle between Zoro and Lucci was less a life-or-death struggle and more like a one-sided warm-up and amusement.

Zoro does indeed have the ability to defeat Lucci in a short time.

The Three-Sword Style's profound techniques, the rudimentary form of Conqueror's Haki Entanglement, and even the more advanced realm of "Demon Aura," are all enough to pose a fatal threat to Lucci, who has not yet fully mastered Conqueror's Haki Entanglement.

But Zoro's task at this moment is to watch the ship.

It's already a bit boring to be here all by myself.

Lucci, a formidable and murderous opponent, has delivered himself to our doorstep.

This will give him a good workout and... something to pass the time.

Therefore, Zoro did not go all out.

He used only the One-Sword Style, occasionally switching to the Two-Sword Style, combined with incredibly solid basic swordsmanship.

With his superb Observation Haki and well-timed use of Haki, he kept his strength at around 50% and managed to hold his own against Lucci.

Every move seemed dangerous, yet he always managed to dodge or parry Lucci's fatal attacks by the slightest margin, while simultaneously putting enough pressure on his opponent and... giving him hope.

Lucci, however, fell into a kind of anxious trap.

Relying on the powerful regenerative abilities and combat instincts brought about by his Zoan-type awakening, he minimized the impact of his injuries and mastered the enhanced Six Powers of the Navy.

Even though he clearly felt that Zoro's swordsmanship wasn't flawless, and that every time he launched a fierce attack, it seemed he was hitting Zoro's limit, Zoro's swordsmanship was actually hitting Zoro's limit.

But it was just that little bit short, preventing it from truly dealing a heavy blow to the opponent.

"Finger gun 'Huanglian'!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lucci's eyes. Seizing the moment when Zoro was sheathing his sword, he used "Shave" to get close to Zoro.

His right index finger bent strangely at the joint, Armament Haki coiled around the fingertip, fully charged, and then he unleashed a series of high-speed thrusts.

Furthermore, the stabbing trajectory changes rapidly up, down, left, and right within a very small range, making it impossible to defend against!

Zoro raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not take the hit head-on.

Instead, his footwork faltered, and his body, like a willow catkin, drifted backward with the force of Lucci's thrust.

At the same time, he activated his full Observation Haki, capturing the trajectory of each finger gun strike and dodging it with minimal effort.

Immediately while retreating, he slashed out with the Sandai Kitetsu in his hand!

"One-Sword Style: Thirty-Six Troublesome Phoenixes!"

A blue flying slash roared out, not aiming for maximum power, but rather sealing off Lucci's possible angles of pursuit and evasion space.

Lucci had no choice but to interrupt his continuous thrusting attacks, crossing his arms in Armament Haki to protect himself and withstand the slash.

He was thrown back several steps by the shock, and two shallow craters appeared on the sand beneath his feet.

"Tsk!" Lucci shook his slightly numb arm, his eyes flashing with even more ferocity, but he couldn't help but admit...

"I didn't expect... the second-in-command of the Four Emperors is also quite strong! He was able to fight me to this extent."

He cracked his neck, making a snapping sound, his pupils fixed on Zoro: "But I remember you should be a three-sword style swordsman, right?"

"Why do you only use one knife? Are you looking down on me?!"

Zoro hoisted the Sandai Kitetsu onto his shoulder, grinned, and said with undisguised casualness, "There's no need to hit you."

"Is that so?!" Lucci was completely enraged by this seemingly casual yet highly insulting remark, veins bulging on his forehead. "Then I'll show you... whether it's necessary!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lucci's leg muscles swelled instantly, and the sand beneath his feet exploded with a deafening roar.

Just as he was about to launch "Shave" again for a super-high-speed dash...

"Um?!"

Lucci's expression changed drastically!

He felt as if the space around him had instantly turned into an invisible vortex!

An incredibly powerful suction force came from his side and rear without warning, locking him in completely!

This suction force is not a physical pull, but more like a kind of "traction" at the level of rules, which makes the flow of power in his body stagnate!

"This...this is...?!"

Lucci tried to struggle in horror, but his body was completely out of his control, and he was lifted into the air towards the source of the suction force.

It sped towards the shadow of a reef to the side and rear!

He didn't even have time to see what was there.

Just as Lucci was being pulled by the suction force halfway through the flight...

"call out!"

A whooshing sound rang out.

It wasn't a whistling sound of a slash, but rather the soft sound of a blade cutting through air and flesh.

"Pfft!"

Lu Qi felt a chill in his chest as a huge, deep gash, revealing bone, suddenly appeared, slashing diagonally from his left shoulder to his right abdomen!

"Ugh... Ah!!"

Blood gushed out like a fountain!

The excruciating pain overwhelmed him instantly!

Only then did he see a figure emerging from the shadows beside the path that had pulled him away.

He was slowly sheathing a "Thunderstorm" weapon, which was wreathed in ominous blood energy.

The man, with a cigar dangling from his lips and eyes as sinister as a vulture's, was none other than Shiryu of the Rain, who, after acquiring the Devil Fruit, loved to launch sneak attacks!

“Flowing light,” Shiryu uttered.

Immediately afterwards, the sheathing motion didn't pause at all, using the recoil from the slash at Lucci and some kind of strange footwork.

His figure blurred again, and in the next instant, he appeared in front of Zoro, who had just blocked Lucci and had not yet fully recovered from his attack!

Lei Yu drew his sword once again!

This time, it wasn't a swift, sneak attack, but a direct, vertical slash!

Before the blade even arrived, the chilling killing intent and domineering sword aura had already completely locked down the space around Zoro!

Zoro's pupils constricted slightly!

This time, there will be no holding back!

"Clang! Clang!"

Two clear, resonant sword cries rang out almost simultaneously!

Zoro instantly drew his Sandai Kitetsu in his right hand and Enma in his left, crossing them above his head. The jet-black Armament Haki and the swirling infant spirits that Enma exhaled entwined around him!

"clang!!!!!!"

Shiryu's thunderbolt struck heavily at the point where the two swords crossed, and a deep crater exploded in the sand beneath Zoro's feet!

The force propelled him backward, carving two deep furrows in the sand, until his back finally came to a stop against a huge rock!

Shiryu did not pursue, but slowly sheathed his sword, a hint of amusement curving his lips as he smoked his cigar.

Those sinister eyes scanned Zoro from head to toe, lingering for a moment, especially on the Enma and Sandai Kitetsu in his hands.

“Roronoa Zoro…” Shiryu’s voice was hoarse and slow, “has he… already reached the level of a great swordsman? Interesting.”

He sensed the indomitable will, the refined domineering aura, and... he was beginning to faintly touch upon a higher level of "severing" from Zoro's blade.

This is no longer an ordinary swordsman, but a true powerhouse who has begun to expand his territory on his own "Way of the Sword (Way of Asura)".

Zoro brandished his twin swords, and simultaneously drew all three swords—Wado Ichimonji—in front of him, assuming an offensive stance, his eyes fixed on Shiryu.

"You are... from the Blackbeard Pirates..."

He didn't finish his question because the answer was already obvious.

Because on the other side, the "culprit" who sucked Lucci away has also fully revealed its face.

Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, along with Van Augur, Gizzas Burgess, Samuel Kronos, and Kuzan, slowly emerged from the shadows of the reef.

Blackbeard's left hand, wreathed in a dark vortex, was gripping Lucci's neck tightly, lifting him off the ground.

Lucci's face turned purplish-red, his eyes bloodshot, and he felt all his strength receding like a receding tide.

His Devil Fruit power was completely suppressed, giving him the feeling of facing Seastone!

He was forced to regress from his awakened beast form back to his ordinary human form, and the bleeding from his wounds became even more profuse.

“Black…beard…you…!” Lucci squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his voice filled with anger and disbelief.

He never expected to encounter his most dangerous "ally" here, in this way.

"Hahaha!" Blackbeard laughed triumphantly, shaking Lucci, who was struggling like a chick in his hand. "CP0 again? They're like a persistent ghost."

However, while the last one (referring to Kaku) was 'cooperating' with the Straw Hat crew, this one is getting along very well with the Straw Hat family here..."

"Tsk, Samuel, isn't that strange?"

Samuel Kronos's eerie green eyes behind his mask flickered, and his voice carried its usual sinister laughter: "Indeed strange, Captain Teach."

"It seems that even the world government's most loyal dog isn't so obedient after all."

Blackbeard grinned, shifting his gaze from the dying Lucci.

It landed on Zoro, who was on high alert, and on the uniquely designed Thousand Sunny behind him.

"It seems... there's an unexpected gain here." A greedy glint shone in Blackbeard's eyes once more.

"The Straw Hat Boy's ship, and his 'first mate'..."

"Hahaha!! My luck is really good today!"

Chapter 659 Zoro: Invisibility? Sorry, Instant Kill

Faced with Blackbeard's mocking gaze, Zoro's brows furrowed deeply, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly.

He caught the key information in Blackbeard's words.

"What do you mean by 'the previous one'..." Zoro's voice was icy, his gaze sweeping over Blackbeard and Lucci in his hand.

"What do you mean?" Blackbeard just grinned, without giving a direct answer.

On the contrary, Shiryu, who was very close to Zoro and had just fought him, slowly exhaled a puff of cigar smoke, a playful look on his sinister face.

"Of course it means... literally, Roronoa."

"That is... what you understand it to mean."

He paused, took a step forward, and slightly raised the "Thunderstorm" blade in his hand, its edge reflecting the cold light of the sea.

"Speaking of which... I hope you don't end up as fragile as your other two companions." Shiryu grinned, a cigar dangling from his lips.

"Black-legged Sanji and Knight of the Sea Jinbe... Ha, they're not enough for me to play with."

A cook who only kicks around aimlessly, an old fishman... what a disappointment.

The moment the words fell, Shiryu's figure seemed to merge into the air, suddenly becoming blurry and transparent, and finally disappearing completely from the spot!

Even his presence seemed to have been completely erased, with only the faint smell of blood and cigar smoke remaining on the beach as proof of his existence.

After obtaining the Devil Fruit, Shiryu, who became "invisible," loved to use unpredictable and difficult-to-defend techniques!

"Hahaha! This is going to be good!" Blackbeard was even more excited when he saw this, instead of stopping it.

And he casually tossed the barely alive, almost unconscious Lucci to Bages, who was standing nearby, like trash.

Burgess caught it with one hand in disgust, then stomped on it.

He found a relatively flat rock, sat down with an air of nonchalance, and looked ready to watch the show.