About five minutes later.
Two new cuts appeared on Zoro's body, and he collapsed to the ground, covered in blood, with his three swords scattered around him.
Yes, he had been defeated by Vivian once again, even after using his Three-Sword Style secret technique, "Three Thousand Worlds."
However, just as his blades were about to strike Vivian, Vivian dodged with blinding speed and then defeated him with a lightning slash.
"Completely... not on the same level..."
Zoro couldn't help but marvel.
That guy not only completely outclassed him in speed but also in strength...
Despite all his strength training since childhood, why was there such a huge gap?
This guy looked just like him, an ordinary human...
Was it because he wasn't working hard enough?
"To have such physical prowess, he must have undergone training far more rigorous than mine," Zoro thought, starting to reflect on his own efforts.
"Do you admit defeat, Roronoa Zoro?" Vivian asked.
Zoro squinted at Vivian and replied, "One day, I will definitely defeat you."
"Wow, ambitious, aren't you, kid?" Vivian couldn't help but laugh, sheathing his sword, Blood Demon, and walking over to heal Zoro's wounds with a Star Infusion.
"Since you've been defeated twice, you should be convinced by now. So, do you want to learn my sword technique?"
"Huh?"
Still shocked by his wounds being healed instantly, Zoro was taken aback by the question.
"What, don't you like my lightning sword technique?" Vivian asked.
"Lightning sword technique..."
To be honest, such a cool technique was impossible to resist.
In the past, Zoro might have stuck to his own swordsmanship, aiming to create his own techniques. But now…
After the battle at Sabaody Archipelago, he desperately needed to get stronger.
Not for himself, but to protect his friends.
So, before Vivian could continue to persuade him, Zoro got up and knelt before him, "Please teach me your sword technique!"
Vivian: (⊙o⊙)?
Now it was Vivian's turn to be surprised.
But then he remembered how Zoro had chosen to train under Mihawk, whom he had always seen as a rival, to become stronger. It wasn't so surprising after all.
"Very well... let's start right now."
Vivian said, putting Blood Demon back into his capsule.
Before Zoro could be amazed by Vivian's trick of making the sword disappear, he asked, "Training sword techniques... without swords?"
"No." Vivian shook his head, "Before learning my sword technique, I have a question for you. Aren't you curious why I can slash lightning without eating a Devil Fruit?"
Zoro: (°ゝ°)
"You're not a Devil Fruit user?"
Vivian: "..."
"No."
"I see."
Zoro's mouth dropped open.
He had thought Vivian was a Devil Fruit user like Enel.
"So, I can slash lightning like that too?"
"Exactly."
Vivian nodded, pleased that Zoro finally got the point.
"But before you learn my sword technique, you need to master something called the Breathing Method."
"Breathing Method?" Zoro tilted his head.
Vivian turned his back, hands behind him, "The Breathing Method is a technique that can only be mastered through continuous, special training day and night."
"It can enhance heart and lung function in a short time, allowing the blood to absorb a large amount of oxygen, thereby greatly improving physical abilities, not just speed, but also strength and resistance to impact."
To put it bluntly, with Vivian's current physical condition, accumulated over time, combined with the breathing technique, he even felt he could withstand a direct hit from Kaido's Thunder Bagua without passing out.
But that was just about not passing out.
After all, in his own view, his current strength was still far from being comparable to that of a Yonko.
"What special training method?"
"Come on, without using blades or Haki, break that giant rock with your bare hands," Vivian said.
Following Vivian's finger, Zoro saw a round boulder, about five or six meters high, standing alone in the corner of the open space, as if beckoning to him.
Zoro: "…"
Break the boulder with bare hands?
Having just reached the level of cutting iron, Zoro was a bit troubled.
If I really have to do it, with my current strength, it might be very difficult, right?
He thought to himself, but his eyes were filled with determination as he resolutely walked towards the boulder.
"Take your time. When you break it, come find me," Vivian said, leaving the playground without looking back.
But he thought to himself: Can Zoro really break that thing?
Probably not, right?
"Forget it, let him train for a month or two, then I'll teach him the real secrets of the breathing technique."
A disciple needs to suffer a bit and face setbacks to respect the master more.
With that, Vivian happily walked back to his two-story villa.
…
Inside the villa.
Hannyabal was reading a newspaper, while Domino brought tea to Vivian, saying, "Vivian, the whole world is reporting about you now."
"About me?" Vivian paused, holding the teacup.
"Yes, see for yourself." Hannyabal said, flipping the newspaper and tossing it to Vivian.
Vivian took a look: "Navy rising star, a man who can rival the Yonko's right-hand man, the Phoenix Marco." "Thunder Swordsman Vivian, a single sword strike can make the Whitebeard Pirates tremble."
Such headlines appeared in the newspaper, making Vivian's mouth twitch.
"These articles must have been written by government-affiliated newspapers, right?"
Muttering to himself, he turned to another page.
"Sharpshooter, Loget Larvin appeared at Marineford, rescuing Whitebeard single-handedly!"
"Fighting against the three Admirals, how terrifying is the strength of Sharpshooter Larvin?"
Vivian: "…"
These unscrupulous media are really exaggerating.
"Loget Larvin, suspected to have joined the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Possibly replacing Portgas D. Ace, the new second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates is Loget Larvin?"
"Loget Larvin, bounty of 1.25 billion Berries, a strong candidate for the future Yonko?"