A Marine butcher? I’m just fighting to live with everything I’ve got. Chapter 31 31: Zoro “Do You Guys Have Midnight Snacks Here?”

"Lieutenant Commander Hawk…"

Zoro's voice was low and steady.

"Is he here? In this branch?"

"…?"

Dane didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked in return,

"You looking for my brother?"

"Uh…"

Zoro hesitated, then laid everything out — his entire grudge with Renn Hawk.

His voice carried an almost resentful weight.

Once, he had been a bounty hunter with a decent reputation in East Blue.

Now, he was a man so broke he couldn't even afford a proper al.

And the culprit behind it all… was that bastard, Renn Hawk.

If Hawk had just let a few small-ti pirates slip through his fingers, Zoro wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state.

"Haha—"

Dane couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.

So that was the reason.

He had never considered that his brother cleansing East Blue of pirates so thoroughly would drive bounty hunters into unemploynt.

But what could be done? To execute pirates and sweep away evil… was the Navy's duty.

"… …"

Soon, both n had eaten their fill.

"Burp—"

Zoro let out a loud belch, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"Strength and stamina, fully restored. That's the stuff!"

The feeling of no longer being hungry was pure bliss.

"Then let's go. Ti for a duel between swordsn."

"Let's do it!"

They left the ss hall together and stepped into the brightly lit training grounds.

Marines who had just finished their drills quickly gathered around, eager for the show.

"Major Dane's about to spar!"

"Who's his opponent? Doesn't look like one of ours."

"I know him — the bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro. He's got a decent na in East Blue."

"A decent na? Doesn't matter! The Major's going to win."

"Of course! He was trained personally by Brigadier Hawk!"

The chatter rose all around.

"… …"

Zoro ignored the voices.

He bit down on Wado Ichimonji, gripping his other two blades tightly in his hands.

"Sorry…"

"But I'm a three-sword-style swordsman."

His words ca through clenched teeth.

"In terms of numbers and quality of blades, I hold the advantage."

"No… Zoro."

Dane shook his head, hand tightening around the hilt of his black blade, Night Calr.

"My brother once told —"

"The strength of a swordsman cos from within."

"The blade itself matters the least."

"It is the man who gives the sword its power… not the sword that makes the man powerful."

"!!!"

Zoro's pupils shrank sharply.

Those words…

The strength of a swordsman cos from within.

It is the man who gives the sword power…

Not the sword that makes the man powerful.

Like thunder crashing in his heart, they struck deep into his path of swordsmanship.

The man who had spoken such words… Renn Hawk.

Could it be was he already a true Great Swordsman?!

"Hoo—"

Zoro exhaled heavily, forcing down the turmoil inside him.

No matter what, he had to finish the duel before him.

He focused, muscles tensing.

"Three-Sword Style… Oni Giri!"

The twin blades in his hands crossed in a deadly arc, while the sword in his mouth sealed off Dane's escape.

Dane did not dodge.

"One-Sword Style… Iaijutsu!"

Night Calr flashed from its sheath, a silver arc slicing through the night.

"Clang—!!!"

The clash rang out like a thunderclap, sparks bursting in midair.

Night Calr t Wado Ichimonji head-on, their collision fierce and dazzling.

"Clang—!!!"

"Clang—!!!"

"Clang—!!!"

Strike after strike, the swords collided, each blow sharper than the last.

Finally, both n slid back a step, evenly matched.

"Strong!"

Zoro's hands trembled from the impact, his palms numb.

This Marine Major wasn't just a swordsman — his physical strength was extraordinary too.

"… …"

Dane's expression carried the sa surprise.

No wonder Zoro was famous in East Blue. His swordsmanship was leagues above ordinary fighters.

But then Dane glanced at the moonlight overhead.

"Sorry… my shift starts soon."

"Zoro, your swordsmanship is impressive."

"But…"

As he spoke, his right arm darkened.

A sheen of jet-black spread over his hand, then along the hilt, before coating the blade of Night Calr.

The sword glead like obsidian, radiating suffocating pressure.

"… …"

Zoro's breath caught.

What was that?!

That black aura… what was it?!

"I've just begun to grasp Armant Haki," Dane said calmly.

"One-Sword Style — Ard Iaijutsu!"

The blackened blade lashed out like a streak of ink lightning.

Instinctively, Zoro brought all three swords up to block.

"Crack—!!"

"Crack—!!"

Two sharp snaps echoed in the night.

The ordinary blades in his hands shattered.

Zoro was sent flying, tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop.

When he looked down, he saw only two bare hilts in his hands.

The broken blades lay scattered nearby.

…

Zoro's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with shock.

Why?!

Why had Dane's power surged so suddenly with that single strike?!

What was that black force covering his sword?!

"Zoro, that was an excellent duel."

Dane slid Night Calr back into its sheath, stepping forward.

"I look forward to our next match."

"For the next half month, I'll be stationed here."

"If you want another fight, just tell in advance."

With that, he turned and left for his duties.

This man, Roronoa Zoro…

He was the strongest swordsman Dane had yet encountered in East Blue.

In half a month, Dane would be headed to the G-3 branch.

The enemies there would be far stronger than those of East Blue.

Until then, sparring with Zoro would sharpen his own swordsmanship.

"… …"

The gathered marines broke their silence, bursting into excitent.

"Did you see that?!"

"Of course! That was Armant Haki!"

"No wonder—Major Dane, personally trained by Brigadier Hawk, has already begun mastering it!"

"So… are we still resting?"

"Resting my ass! I'm going to master Armant too!"

"If you're working a hundred tis harder, I'll work two hundred!"

"… …"

Zoro watched Dane's back fade into the night, lost in thought.

By pure swordsmanship, he was evenly matched with Dane.

By the quality of his blades, he even had the advantage.

But Hawk's words echoed again:

The blade mattered least.

So what was it then?

That black power Dane had wielded…

According to the marines, it was called Armant Haki.

Zoro's curiosity flared like dry tinder catching fla.

He had to know the answer.

He glanced at the marines who, after witnessing Dane's power, had thrown themselves back into training with renewed determination.

His mind was made up.

He would train with them — and when Dane's shift ended, he would demand answers.

Stripping off his shirt, Zoro strode toward the massive weights used to test strength.

Gripping the barbell with both hands, he lifted it cleanly above his head.

The heavy plates clanged, but his movent was effortless, as if he were raising nothing more than a stick.

"… Not bad."

"… …"

The marines froze, dumbfounded.

That barbell… besides Brigadier Hawk and Major Dane, only their strongest man could barely lift it three tis.

Yet this green-haired outsider hoisted it like it was nothing.

"Oi… are we really going to let so outsider show off like this in our own yard?"

"Of course not!"

Their eyes burned with battle-lust.

They were Hawk's soldiers—

the elite of East Blue's Navy!

How could they be outdone by a bounty hunter?!

"Bench press him into the ground!"

"Deadlift him into dust!"

"Squat him into the dirt!"

A silent contest began.

But against the monster that was Zoro's stamina…

Bench presses were crushed.

Deadlifts destroyed.

Squats annihilated.

Before long, the training grounds were littered with marines sprawled out in defeat.

Damn it! Physically, they were no match for this green-haired freak!

"Thud—"

Zoro set the barbell back on its rack and wiped the sweat from his forehead, grinning.

Not bad at all.

The facilities here were excellent.

He hadn't trained this comfortably in ages.

"Grr—"

His stomach growled again, thunderous after the duel and heavy training.

Zoro glanced at the exhausted marines around him.

"Hey. You guys have midnight snacks here?"

One marine, half-conscious and rolling his eyes, muttered weakly,

"Of course we do…"

Then he jerked awake, realization hitting him.

"Wait—why the hell would that matter to you?!"

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