Chapter 3 - Duel

No one had told him anything, and he didn't know what to do. He only found it troublesome, but to him, it wasn't much of a big deal. In his eyes, these things weren't that important.

As long as he kept asking, he was sure to learn what was going on. It couldn't be that he couldn't understand what the people here were saying, right? That should be impossible. Since it was impossible, there was no need to worry too much. He believed that the world would still give him a chance.

So, he kept asking, until he encountered a swordsman. He thought that the people here must be from the area and likely knew something about the situation, so asking someone like him might lead to some answers.

"Do you know where this place is? Do you know where the Sabaody Archipelago is on the Grand Line? I got separated from my companions!"

Zhuo Luo approached and asked, because he felt this swordsman's strength was ordinary, so he wasn't afraid of him. He thought he could easily deal with this person.

"Hey, what are you saying? I don't understand. Don't bother me!"

But the swordsman clearly didn't want to talk to him. And it made sense. Talking to someone who didn't even know what he was saying could be very stressful. This wasn't a good thing!

"I'm just asking for directions, what's your problem? Do you want to fight?"

Zhuo Luo's expression darkened because he could see the impatience in the swordsman's eyes. He was just asking for directions—he didn't understand why the swordsman was acting like this! Even if he couldn't understand him, this wasn't the way to react!

"I said I don't know! What's with that look? Do you want to test my swordsmanship?"

The swordsman's temper flared, and Zhuo Luo was equally annoyed. Was this guy trying to pick a fight? That look in his eyes—this was about to turn into a brawl!

Suddenly, Zhuo Luo's expression turned terrifying. His eyes now resembled those of a wild beast—eerily intense and frightening. The swordsman, seeing this, was taken aback. He could feel a terrifying aura coming from this seemingly weak person.

Zhuo Luo glanced at an axe nearby. It seemed like a fight was inevitable. Although he wasn't sure how much power this body could wield, he wasn't someone who would let others look down on him. If the swordsman wanted to fight, then let's do it!

"This kid… Why do I feel so terrified? Well, I heard that he's from the Zhuo family, and if I accidentally kill the wrong person, I might get hunted down!"

After some hesitation, the swordsman didn't strike. But by then, Zhuo Luo had grabbed the axe. It felt somewhat heavy, but not because the axe was particularly weighty—it was because this body was so weak!

"What are you trying to do?"

Finally, the swordsman drew his sword, sensing that this person was ready to fight. This gave him the impression that this was no ordinary individual.

"You want to fight? It seems like I'll never be able to stay out of trouble!"

Zhuo Luo assessed the situation. He realized that this body probably only had enough stamina to launch one move. He needed to be cautious and plan his actions carefully.

"Little guy, I can't feel any Qi from you! But you want to fight me? I may be stronger, but I still have to take you down!"

"Stop speaking nonsense! You want to fight, then bring it on!"

Zhuo Luo made the first move. He wanted to test the swordsman's abilities while conserving his remaining strength for the crucial moments ahead!

Clang!

The axe collided with the sword, but the swordsman didn't even budge. Instead, Zhuo Luo felt the tremendous force from the swordsman.

"Is that all you've got? Seems like you're just an ordinary person, but you're still going to die! In a swordsman's duel, only one can survive!"

The swordsman's strength pushed Zhuo Luo back, sending him flying several steps. He finally stopped, but his hands were numb. The swordsman's power was overwhelming!

"Damn it! If that's the case, then let me show you my Flying Slash! I don't believe you can block this!"

This strike would be Zhuo Luo's final attempt. If it hit, the swordsman would likely be incapacitated! Zhuo Luo positioned himself, planting his feet firmly and raising the axe at a forty-five degree angle, focusing his energy. A strange aura began to build up around him, and the swordsman could sense the terrifying energy coming from him!

"What's going on with this kid? How does he have such a terrifying aura?"

The swordsman now realized that this person was different. The power he felt emanating from him made it clear that this was no ordinary person. Zhuo Luo had become a serious threat.

"One Strike, Thirty-Six Troublesome Phoenix!"

At that moment, a shocking sword qi shot out from Zhuo Luo's axe! This was a sword qi emanating from a person who lacked Qi—an unbelievable phenomenon!

"What?! Sword Qi? How can a person without Qi produce such powerful sword qi?"

The swordsman was clearly stunned. He hadn't expected a mere ordinary person to unleash such force!

"Tch, it's so small, and the axe even broke. Looks like this body really needs some training. This is much harder than I thought!"

Zhuo Luo felt the strain of his actions. This body wasn't suited for him at all! If he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to train this body, or else he'd have no face to meet his companions again.

The swordsman wasn't taking any chances either. He struck back with his own sword, and another sword qi appeared—this one quite different from Zhuo Luo's, as it seemed to carry some additional power with it!

Boom!

The two sword qis collided, canceling each other out. However, Zhuo Luo felt a wave of exhaustion. His strength was spent, and it seemed his body was even weaker than Usopp's!

"This is terrifying. I can't let this person live. If it's a duel, then there's no need for him to survive!"

The swordsman could feel the danger. If he gave Zhuo Luo a chance to live, he might surpass him in the future. That would be disastrous for him. Therefore, he couldn't leave him alive!

Click the link to read ahead 20 chapters! patreon.com/Nico515