"Bang!"
A deafening crash echoed as Zoro's body was struck with immense force, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
It was Hody Jones, mercilessly assaulting him, his attacks ferocious and relentless.
"Why aren't you talking anymore, huh?" Hody sneered.
"Where's all that pride? That fighting spirit?"
Zoro, battered and bruised, could barely hold onto his swords. His strength was waning, yet he refused to surrender.
With a sharp dodge, Zoro narrowly evaded a deadly strike.
"Hm?" Hody's face twisted in surprise.
"What? You dodged?"
Though Hody had aimed to finish him off, Zoro's instinct and resilience allowed him to narrowly escape.
"Impressive," Hody remarked, acknowledging Zoro's unyielding spirit.
"But it's pointless. I'll end this soon enough."
A wicked grin spread across Hody's face as he revealed a handful of pills.
"Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!"
He consumed them ravenously, his body undergoing a grotesque transformation. His eyes turned bloodshot, veins pulsing wildly, and his hair turned stark white, as if aged decades in seconds. His muscles swelled unnaturally, bulging with inhuman power.
"Zoro," Hody growled.
"You're a true warrior, a man among men. But it's a shame... You're human."
He lamented mockingly, "If only you were a fish-man. Then... perhaps I'd let you join me. Together, we could rule the world and eradicate humanity."
"Too bad," Hody sneered. "Such a waste."
Zoro, however, simply laughed, his expression icy.
"Eradicate humanity? Fish-men ruling the world?"
With sharp derision, he said, "You really know how to make a guy laugh."
Hody's smile faltered, his expression darkening as he glared at Zoro in silence.
"Human strength," Zoro continued, "isn't something fish-men like you can understand. Even if you defeat us here, do you think you could handle the countless human warriors of this world?"
"Your vision is pitifully narrow."
"Shut up!" Hody roared, his grip tightening, the sound of his knuckles cracking echoing in his rage.
Zoro paid no mind to Hody's growing fury. Instead, he slowly tied his bandana around his head and declared, "Hody Jones, enough. I've seen your strength. Now it's time for you to witness mine."
Suddenly, Zoro's aura surged dramatically, his killing intent washing over the battlefield like a tidal wave.
Hody hesitated for the first time, a cold chill creeping into his heart.
"What... What is this feeling?" Hody stammered.
"Why do I feel a sudden dread? Fear? What am I afraid of? Damn it!"
With a feral roar, Hody lunged forward, his body a blur of motion as he attacked.
Zoro stood firm, gripping his swords tightly, the third clenched between his teeth.
"Three-Sword Style!" Zoro shouted, his voice reverberating with power.
Their figures collided in a violent exchange, the resulting shockwave tearing through the air.
"BOOM!"
The explosion of their clash rattled the surroundings.
From afar, spectators strained to see the outcome.
…
Meanwhile, Luffy sat calmly in a distant kitchen, inspecting something intently. He nodded with satisfaction.
"This is it," Luffy murmured. "The taste is spot on."
He took another bite, savoring it, and said to himself, "This is even better than I remember. The flavor... it's perfect."
Chuckling, Luffy mused, "I wonder how everyone's doing on Fish-Man Island. They should be fine. Hody Jones doesn't pose much of a threat."
Confident in Zoro's abilities, Luffy laughed heartily. "That's Roronoa Zoro for you. His skill, his strength, his experience... there's hardly anyone in the world who can compare, except maybe me."
Still, Luffy's thoughts quickly shifted back to his current joy. Standing up, he announced with glee, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my Great Snack Festival!"
Luffy sat at the center of the gathering, exuding his usual carefree confidence.
The hall was filled with over a hundred people, all seated in orderly rows. At the front, a striking beauty with pink hair sat closest to Luffy, while others took their places along two rows of seats. Among them were several officers and a group of navy soldiers, each holding a stick of spicy dried snacks in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
Raising their glasses in unison, they cheered loudly:
"Long live Lord Luffy!"
Luffy, clearly satisfied, nodded approvingly.
"Not bad for a celebration," he remarked with a smile. "So, how does it feel? I'm guessing you've never hosted anything like this in your lives, have you?"
His words hit a nerve, and several navy members visibly choked up.
One officer stepped forward and admitted, "That's right, Lord Luffy! For us, the lower ranks, hosting such an event was unthinkable. These kinds of gatherings are reserved for the higher-ups, not us."
Others chimed in eagerly:
"Exactly!"
"We're not allowed to hold banquets like this."
"It's against regulations! We'd be punished if we even tried."
Luffy burst out laughing, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, really now? Then why are you all here, enjoying this feast, without fear of reprisal? Aren't you worried about what your superiors will do to you?"
The room fell silent, his question striking a chord with everyone present. After a moment, someone finally spoke up.
"Why? Because you, Lord Luffy, opened our eyes!" one soldier declared passionately.
"We've come to understand things we never realized before."
"Punishment? Let them try! We'll stand together and fight back. From this day forward, we refuse to be pawns, controlled and discarded at will."
Another chimed in, "Exactly! Take that Akainu, for example. All he cares about is his twisted sense of justice, forcing everyone to conform to his ideals. Does he even think about the people under his command? Are we not human? Don't we deserve personal lives?"
A third voice added, "Thanks to you, Lord Luffy, we've learned so much. Your patience and guidance have shown us what the world is really like—or at least, what it should be. Without your insight, we would've blindly continued sacrificing ourselves. Thinking back, it's pathetic how we used to mindlessly follow orders, oblivious to the bigger picture."
The soldier's impassioned speech resonated deeply, stirring the crowd. Many seemed eager to share their own thoughts, but Luffy raised a hand to silence them.
"Alright, everyone," Luffy said, his tone calm yet commanding. "For some time now, I've been explaining things to you, helping you understand the world and your place in it. You've done well, grasping these truths so quickly. I'm impressed."
He paused briefly, then broke into a grin.
"But enough talk about the future for now! Tonight, we drink! Let's have some fun and enjoy ourselves!"
~-------------------------
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