Thriller Bark.
The first floor of the castle.
Swish, ding, swish!
A series of metal and iron strikes echoed continuously.
And there are continuous flying slashes leaping out from the direction of the sound, cutting scratches on the walls and windows.
Among them, the flying slash carrying flames caused many wooden furniture to be burned.
"Wow...so powerful, is this Vivi's way of swordsmanship?"
"She is actually on par with Ryuma."
"Also, this is without using her Logia Devil Fruit!"
Brook opened his mouth wide, looking at Vivi and Ryuma trembling in shock.
Just earlier, he and Vivi had approached Ryuma.
And he, as usual, took the initiative to fight Ryuma.
Of course, under the disparity in strength, he was quickly defeated by Ryuma.
Next, Vivi took the initiative to find Ryuma, hoping to use Ryuma to sharpen her sword skills.
Of course, it wasn't just Brook who was surprised.
That's because Hogback, who was aware of the battle in the castle, was one of the cadres of Moria, the ship doctor, and his beloved zombie, Victoria Cindry, who was brought by him.
There were also other combat zombies who showed extremely surprised expressions after seeing the battle between Vivi and Ryuma.
Of course, the one who was even more surprised was Zombie Ryuma fighting Vivi.
"Yohohohoho, really good sword skills."
"I never expected to meet a swordsman like you in this dark area."
"This is where I got lucky."
"To be able to acquire such kendo at such a young age, your talent is quite good."
"You should start practicing swords from an early age, right?"
"However, I'm curious, do you lack a suitable sword?"
"Otherwise, why would you fight me with this sword made of sand?"
Ryuma let out a deep laugh, and opened his mouth to look at the desert sword in the hands of Vivi who was fighting with him.
"Hee hee, after all, my main strength is Devil Fruit."
"Using the sword like this will also help my fruit ability."
"Even when using swordsmanship, I can freely change the length of the sword."
"like this!"
Vivi laughed, and Sand Devil Fruit's ability suddenly activated.
The slender sword that was originally three fingers wide and half a meter long in her hand changed into a thick sword that was one palm wide and one meter long in the blink of an eye.
However, under Vivi's impressive strength, the thick desert sword is easily handled like a child's toy.
She swung it at Ryuma vigorously, and a flying slash that was bigger than any previous flame slash leaped out from the blade and flew straight towards Ryuma.
Ryuma's expression froze, facing the flying slash that was more than two meters away, he quickly jumped back.
At the same time, Shusui, the great grade sword in his hand, continuously stabbed forward.
Its speed is so fast, it seems that there are many autumn rains slashing and stabbing at the flames.
However, although Ryuma's swordsmanship is powerful.
But he obviously underestimated Vivi's swordsmanship.
With just two touches, Ryuma knew that the strength he used now could not annihilate the flame slash.
In desperation, he could only choose to use the weight of his sword to send the flame slash to another place.
brush!
boom!
Vivi's Flame Flying Slash was thrown into the ceiling, which immediately caused an explosion on the ceiling and cut an extremely long trace.
"Hey, Ryuma, be careful."
"If you hurt Cindry, I will never forgive you!"
One of the three cadres of Moria, the ship doctor Hogback, stood under the ruins, roaring at Ryuma.
Then, he immediately turned around and looked at Cindry, the zombie he had specially created for himself, with concern.
It's just that Cindry didn't give him any care at all.
"Yohohoho, this is not something I can guarantee, Hogback-sama."
"This woman is a powerful and talented swordsman who has practiced swordsmanship for a long time."
"Perhaps, I will lose here, but I'm not sure."
Ryuma pointed his sword at Vivi, with a stern look on his face.
The long battle has made him understand that Vivi has a sword that is not inferior to his own.
And now, Vivi has shown her dangerous Devil Fruit abilities.
If Vivi is not obsessed with swordsmanship to defeat him, but is adding Devil Fruit's ability.
Ryuma felt that the time when he might be defeated was not far away.
"Hmph, stop pretending."
"I know you still have the power to display."
"This woman looks pretty good."
"If her shadow is taken down, Moria-sama will be very happy."
"Ryuma, I order you to knock her down!"
Hogback, who was rejected by Cindry, immediately turned around and looked at Ryuma to vent his anger.
Hearing this, Ryoma shook his head helplessly.
But Hogback's order, he can't disobey.
He could only pull out his posture and prepare to continue to deal with Vivi.
However, at this moment, Vivi suddenly showed a sunny smile, and looked at the back of Ryuma gently with a pair of eyes.
"Behind me? No, it's in the direction of Hogback-sama."
Ryuma frowned, and subconsciously glanced behind Hogback.
There, a slender figure with his back facing Hogback and the others slowly pull the demon sword from nowhere.
It was Rifan who came.
"Three-Verse Humming—"
Rifan lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.
"Who, who is behind me??!"
Hogback heard a strange voice and immediately turned around to look.
"Arrow Notch Slash."
Rifan didn't go to see Hogback, and the smile on his face was even bigger.
Seeing that Rifan ignored him, Hogback immediately wanted to let the zombies around him attack him.
Yet his words were not spoken.
He felt that many parts of his body were swept by waves of wind and waves, followed by piercing pain.
Not only that, but as far as his eyes could see.
The zombies standing beside him, except for Cindry, were also instantly dismembered and turned into dust.
Only Cindry, because Rifan knows that Cindry's body is the body of the person Hogback loves.
Therefore, he only maintained his slashing to the point where her shadow could be separated from her.
"That's... my swordsmanship!?"
Brook opened his mouth wide and looked at Rifan in disbelief.
"It's indeed 'Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash'!"
"Original, do you have a second shadow installed on his body by you?"
Ryoma held his weapon on his shoulder, and stared at Rifan who turned around with interest.
Both Brook and Ryuma heard clearly.
When Rifan used the slash before, he clearly chanted "Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash"!
"Captain Rifan, how can you use my sword skills?"
Brook ignored Ryuma's question and raised his head to ask Rifan in surprise.
You know, his swordsmanship belongs to him alone.
There is no other legacy.
Logically speaking, apart from Ryuma who obtained his shadow, no one else can use it.
What Brook didn't know was that many things about Rifan couldn't be justified by reasoning.
"Nothing, I'm "watching" you with my Observation Haki while I'm on the road."
"Watching you fight with Ryoma, and watching Vivi fight with him, I learned a little bit."
Rifan return the Sandai Kitetsu on it's sheath, and looked at Brook with a smile on his face.
"Y-you learned it by watching!?"
Brook rested his chin on both hands, fearing that his jaw would dislocate from the shock.
"Hehe, this is our captain, and also your future captain,"
"Brook, Captain Rifan is a genius."
Vivi threw away the desert sword in her hand, and said proudly with her chest out.
"My God... a genius? This is not something a genius can do!"
"How could it be possible to learn it just by watching it for a while?"
Brook shook his head, still in disbelief.
"Don't doubt it. When you get along with Captain Rifan for a long time, you will know."
"By the way, that Ryuma-san over there, I'm actually not a genius at kendo."
"I haven't practiced swordsmanship for a long time..."
"I just have a very good kendo teacher."
Vivi looked at Ryuma with a playful smile and said,
"Is that so, so this person here is the most powerful swordsman here?"
"That means you can also use the swordsmanship that burns flames."
Ryuma looked at Rifan with admiration.
How could this not be great?
Even if he used Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash, it would be impossible to smash all the zombies to pieces.
And Rifan did it with ease.
At the same time, the moment Ryuma saw Rifan, he felt his body throbbing instinctively.
It was as if the consciousness of the original owner of the body had been awakened by the appearance of Rifan.
Due to various conditions, Ryuma immediately understood that Rifan in front of him was a big enemy.
"You actually beheaded my Cindry!"
"I want to report you to Moria-sama!"
"I'm going to help Moria-sama turn you into a zombie!"
Hogback hugged Cindry's lying body, and shouted to Rifan with tears in his eyes.
"Yes, yes, as expected of Moria Cadres."
"All three of you said the same thing."
After Rifan casually glanced at Hogback, he raised his legs and walked towards Vivi.
Originally, he wanted to let Chopper and Hogback exchange medical skills, and at the same time help Chopper upgrade the ship doctor's level to the level of "expert".
But now, Chopper's ship doctor level has reached the expert level.
Then Hogback is of little use to Rifan.
He and Absalom, if it is not for the sake of accepting Moria as his subordinate.
Rifan didn't mind getting rid of the trash doctor in front of him on the spot.
"What!? What do you mean by that, bastard?"
Hogback struggled to get up and catch up to Rifan, completely unaware that he was not seriously injured now because of Rifan's mercy.
However, before he could take a step, Perona's voice sounded beside him.
"Hogback, if you don't want to die, you should stop."
"Huh? Perona?"
Hogback turned around in doubt, and was surprised to find that Perona was in a piranha bubble at the moment, and was held by a blond girl with twin ponytails.
"I remember you, you are the woman whose shadow was taken away by Moria-sama earlier."
"And you, you too."
"Perona, what the hell is going on here?"
"Where you playing again?"
"Since you are here, why don't you use your ability on those guys?"
Hogback looked at Marie Rose and Honoka suspiciously, his eyes passed over Kasumi, and finally fell on Perona.
"Stupid, if I could use it, I would have used it long ago."
"My ghost can't break through this strange bubble at all."
"In addition, that guy Absalom was also imprisoned in a dark space by that man over there, and he is probably dead."
"If you still want to live, I advise you to stay away from him."
Perona looked at Rifan's back with apprehension, and said while her body trembling.
"Absalom is dead!?"
"How is it possible?! His body has been transformed by me!
"And he's still a invisible devil fruit user!"
Hogback frowned, with a look of disbelief.
"Believe it or not."
"Don't blame me for not reminding you."
Perona herself was concerned about her own safety.
For Hogback, she was impatient enough to remind him many times.
Hogback gritted his teeth and urged Perona to use his ability again.
It's just that what greeted him was a fist and kick from the impatient Marie Rose.
As a ship doctor, Hogback doesn't have much fighting power.
Even Marie Rose could easily put him down on the ground.
"The world is finally quiet."
"You actually stuffed my shadow into the zombie."
"You deserve to be beaten too."
Marie Rose withdrew her right foot from stepping on Hogbak's chubby stomach, and said angrily.
Then, like Honoka and Kasumi, she focused her attention on Rifan.