“Clang, clang, clang…” The two continued swinging their swords.
Sandai Kitetsu and Wado Ichimonji clashed again and again, producing sharp metallic sounds.
Their figures also moved constantly back and forth across the sword-testing arena.
“Good, good, good…” The owner, who was watching from the side, looked at the two of them giving their all, his eyes filled with excitement.
He, too, had once dreamed of becoming a swordsman.
Unfortunately, he did not have the talent for it.
But to be able to witness such a sword duel in his lifetime, he could die without regrets.
After another collision, the two of them were once again forced back several steps.
This time, neither of them charged at the other immediately.
Instead, they stared fixedly at each other, trying to find an opening.
At the same time, they were gathering strength for an even stronger attack.
“One-Sword Style: Flying Dragon Blaze!” Roronoa Zoro exerted strength through both legs and leapt into the air.
He placed Wado Ichimonji behind him, and then a dragon-shaped sword technique formed, wrapping around him.
In the end, man and dragon rushed toward Moke together.
Seeing this move, Moke’s pupils shrank slightly.
He had to admit, Zoro was truly Zoro.
Every one of his techniques was both domineering and dazzling.
He really deserved to be one of the most popular characters in One Piece.
Moreover, this move was not only impressive in appearance.
Its power was also extraordinary.
Once struck by it, the enemy’s wound would erupt with high-temperature blue flames, burning the target completely to ashes.
“One-Sword Style: Asura Slash!” Standing on the ground, Moke also became excited.
He took a deep breath, then bent his body slightly.
Holding Sandai Kitetsu in a reverse grip, he extended it behind him.
Demonic aura surged out from his body, then condensed into an Asura holding a long blade.
Just as Roronoa Zoro’s dragon-shaped sword technique was about to strike him, Moke decisively swung Sandai Kitetsu in his hand.
The Asura condensed from demonic aura also swung the blade in its hand.
“Boom…” Their attacks collided fiercely once again, forming a powerful burst of energy that swept outward from the two of them as the center.
The force made their clothes flutter violently.
As for the owner, it was as though he were standing in the middle of a level seven or eight typhoon.
His entire body nearly lost balance.
Fortunately, there was a wall behind him.
Even so, his eyes remained fixed on the two of them, afraid of missing even the slightest moment.
“Clang…” In the next second, Roronoa Zoro broke through Moke’s Asura, and Wado Ichimonji slashed against Moke’s body.
At this moment, Roronoa Zoro had already held back some of his strength.
After all, the two of them were only sparring, not fighting to the death.
Even so, if this slash landed properly, it would definitely still injure Moke.
At least, that was what both Roronoa Zoro and the weapon shop owner thought.
But unexpectedly, when Wado Ichimonji struck Moke’s body, it produced the sound of metal colliding with metal.
“How is that possible?” The owner could not help but cry out in shock.
Immediately after, he remembered.
The person before him was not merely a swordsman.
He was also a Devil Fruit user.
Roronoa Zoro was also filled with shock.
His gaze fell on the place where he had struck Moke.
The clothes there had been cut open, revealing Moke’s fair skin beneath.
However, there was not the slightest wound on it.
“I lost…” Although Moke had been defeated, he was not discouraged in the slightest.
He was even somewhat happy.
After all, how long had he been training?
And what about Roronoa Zoro?
This battle had allowed him to determine that he already possessed the swordsmanship strength to contend with Roronoa Zoro.
He believed that the next time they met, his swordsmanship would definitely have surpassed Zoro’s.
Moke sheathed Sandai Kitetsu, then smiled at Roronoa Zoro.
“I assume you’ll also be heading to the Grand Line.
I look forward to meeting you again.
When that time comes, let’s have another match.” “Good!” Roronoa Zoro agreed without even thinking.
Because Moke was the only swordsman in the East Blue who could fight him evenly.
Zoro was more than willing to have such an opponent.
Moreover, he did not think Moke’s swordsmanship was much worse than his own.
He could tell that what Moke truly lacked was combat experience.
Most importantly, if they were really fighting seriously, the one who lost might have been him.
Because the other party’s body was as hard as iron.
Even his strongest move just now had failed to injure him in the slightest.
It was simply unbelievable.
Could it be that, like Luffy, he was also a Devil Fruit user?
Moke left.
After all, he still had other things to do.
His duel with Roronoa Zoro had merely been to clearly understand what level his swordsmanship had reached.
And now… He quickly headed toward the execution platform.
Because no matter how the plot and characters had changed because of him, there was one thing that definitely would not change.
Luffy would absolutely still go to the execution platform.
And that was his opportunity.
As long as he suppressed Luffy on the execution platform, all the plot points would return to their original positions.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the execution platform, Bartolomeo and his childhood friend Desire were already in the square below it.
Especially Bartolomeo.
His highly distinctive appearance and outfit were simply too eye-catching.
He could be spotted at a glance.
Soon, Moke’s gaze fell on the execution platform.
He saw a guy wearing a straw hat climbing upward continuously.
“As expected…” The smile on Moke’s face could no longer be suppressed.
Moke touched the ground with his hand and activated his ability.
His body immediately began to change, entering a Logia-like mud state.
After all, when facing a guy like Luffy, whose protagonist aura was heaven-defying, using a Logia form felt much safer.
Then Moke softly said, “Mudstone Bind…” In the next second, the soil beneath the execution platform seemed to come alive.
It surged out wildly, wrapping around the entire lower section of the platform and rapidly climbing upward.
It looked as though it intended to devour the entire execution platform.
“Whoa…” At this moment, Luffy had also noticed the abnormality below.
He was so frightened that his eyes nearly popped out.
After all, this was not the Luffy from two years later.
His experience was still extremely limited.
Among ability users, the only one he had seen so far was that utterly weak clown, Buggy.
However, Luffy was an extremely stubborn person.
Until he accomplished what he wanted to do, he would never stop moving forward.
He increased his speed, climbing rapidly toward the top of the execution platform.
However, under Moke’s control, the mud rose even faster.
Just as Luffy reached the top section of the execution platform, the mud also arrived.
It directly swallowed the platform at the highest point, along with Luffy himself.
“Huh?
Ahhh!!!” Only Luffy’s head remained exposed.
Panic appeared in his eyes.
Because he discovered that no matter how he struggled, he could not break free.
It was as though his entire body had sunk into a swamp.
At the same time, the mud beneath Moke’s feet rose like a wave, lifting him to the same height as Luffy.
“You’re a pirate, right?
Then you should have already prepared yourself for death, haven’t you?” As he spoke, Moke slowly drew Sandai Kitetsu from his waist, assuming the posture of someone about to cut Luffy down.
“Who are you?!” Luffy panicked and struggled desperately, even though he knew that struggling was useless.
After all, this was the instinctive desire to survive.
But when Moke brought his blade down, Luffy suddenly grew calm and smiled at the people below.
And it was precisely this smile that shocked everyone present.
Moke also smiled.
Because this was exactly the effect he wanted.