One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen Chapter 5 5: Knights, Kings, and the Sword That Cuts Steel

Pokal Street, Southern Alubarna

—BANG! BANG! BANG!

Two figures, one dressed in black and the other in pink, flashed across the street at incredible speed.

Their kicks collided with trendous force.

Each clash made the air explode. Stone tiles shattered beneath their feet, and broken fragnts scattered across the street.

Then—

BOOM!

Sanji and Mr. 2 Bon Clay kicked each other in the face at the sa ti.

Both of them were sent crashing into nearby walls, sending bricks flying through the smoke.

"You're not bad," Sanji said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

As expected of one of Baroque Works' top officers.

Even under Sanji's relentless attacks, Mr. 2 had managed to endure for quite so ti.

But—

That was all.

If Mr. 2 had no other tricks hidden up his sleeve, this fight would be over within thirty minutes.

"What kind of kicking technique is that...?"

"It's actually stronger than my Okama Kenpo?!"

Mr. 2 struggled to stand.

His injuries were clearly worse than Sanji's.

The fight had been mostly one-sided.

"What technique?"

Sanji sneered.

"I just practiced a little."

Did this guy focus entirely on skill without training his body properly?

On the seas, one rule always held true.

Overwhelming power could break through anything.

"Well then!"

"If kicks won't work..."

"Try my Okama Fist Style!"

Mr. 2 threw a punch.

Sanji stepped lightly to the side and dodged with ease.

But suddenly—

Mr. 2's arms twisted like serpents, whipping toward him like a violent storm.

"Okama Kenpo: Swan Ballet!"

This is getting annoying...

Sanji frowned slightly.

He seized an opening and kicked out.

"Flanchet!"

Mr. 2 was blasted away.

Before he could even fall, Sanji appeared above him like a phantom.

His long legs moved like flashing blades.

"Shoulder!"

"Back!"

"Saddle!"

"Chest!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Mr. 2 was kicked around like a soccer ball in midair.

Then—

Sanji gathered power into his leg.

"Mutton Shot!"

BOOM!

The downward kick smashed Mr. 2 into the ground, creating a massive crater.

A shockwave erupted outward.

"That's enough!"

Mr. 2 spat blood as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Now I'm getting serious!"

"Co on," Sanji replied calmly.

He was not surprised that Mr. 2 could still stand.

The gap between them was not large enough for an instant knockout.

"You haven't seen my true ability yet."

Mr. 2 grinned.

"My greatest strength... is my mory."

"With it, I can create composite faces!"

"Then you'll laugh so hard that your guard will drop!"

Mr. 2 activated his power.

"World's strangest head!"

"World's strangest eyes!"

"World's strangest nose!"

"World's strangest mouth!"

"Today's special—"

"Clone-Clone Composite Face!"

Suddenly—

Usopp's long nose grew from his face.

Sanji stared blankly.

"...Ninety percent of that face is still yours."

Then he kicked Mr. 2 square in the face.

BOOM!

Mr. 2 flew nearly ten ters.

"I don't have ti for your circus act."

"You're so heartless!"

"I'm not here to watch a cody show."

"This isn't cody!"

Mr. 2 shouted angrily.

"I once fought soone who refused to attack because of friendship!"

He touched his face.

Instantly—

He transford into Usopp.

Then he danced in front of Sanji.

"Go ahead, hit ! Hit !"

Veins twitched on Sanji's forehead.

Without hesitation—

He kicked Mr. 2 in the face over a dozen tis.

"How could you?!"

"This is your friend's face!"

Mr. 2 groaned in pain.

Sanji replied calmly,

"No matter whose face you copy..."

"You are still you."

"The most important thing about a person... is their heart."

"Oh?"

"Then what about this?"

"For you... she should be special."

Mr. 2 touched his face again.

In an instant—

He transford into Nami.

"NAMI-SWAAAAN!!"

Sanji imdiately dropped into a dramatic sliding kneel before her.

His eyes sparkled with admiration.

"...Wait!"

Sanji suddenly froze.

His handso face turned bright red.

"Damn it—my instincts kicked in!"

"Idiot," Nami-faced Mr. 2 sneered.

Alubarna Palace

Vivi finally reached the palace.

Standing before her was a tall, dark-skinned man with a jackal-like appearance.

It was Chaka, one of Alabasta's royal guardians.

"Who are you...?"

Chaka looked at the exhausted blue-haired woman.

"Chaka... it's !"

"I'm Vivi!"

"Princess Vivi?!"

Though he asked, his heart had already recognized her.

"Princess Vivi, Alubarna is extrely dangerous right now!"

"The king has disappeared!"

"You must remain inside the palace. We will defend it with our lives!"

Chaka opened the palace gates.

But Vivi shook her head.

"No."

"Chaka..."

"I want you to blow up the palace."

"...What?!"

Chaka thought he had misheard her.

"Blow up the palace?!"

The surrounding soldiers erupted into whispers.

This palace had stood for four thousand years.

Countless kings had been crowned here.

The royal palace had never even been moved, let alone destroyed.

"Please reconsider, Princess Vivi!"

"We cannot beco the sinners of Alabasta!"

Chaka dropped to one knee.

But Vivi stared at him firmly.

"Sinners?"

"Does destroying the palace make us criminals?"

"And if we destroy it, will the country disappear?"

"Alabasta has survived for thousands of years not because of its palace..."

"...but because of its people!"

Her voice echoed through the courtyard.

"But right now, the people of Alabasta are killing each other!"

"This country cannot exist without them!"

"So I have to stop this war."

"Even if it only gives us a few seconds!"

"If we can draw everyone's attention for just one mont..."

"...I'll do the rest."

Her voice was filled with unwavering resolve.

"Blow up the palace."

Chaka froze.

At that mont, he suddenly rembered the king's words.

"The most important thing in a country..."

"...is its people."

"If there are no people, the country has no aning."

After a long silence—

Chaka knelt before Vivi.

"...I will obey your command."

Northern Alubarna — ndi Assembly Hall District

A green-haired man with three swords at his waist ran through the streets.

"Where did that idiot woman go?"

"I told her to hide!"

"All she does is get in the way!"

Roronoa Zoro complained as he ran.

Nearby—

A beautiful woman with orange hair and a tangerine pinwheel tattoo sprinted down the street.

It was Nami.

Her face was filled with fear as she kept glancing behind her.

"Where did that stupid swordsman go?!"

"I'm so sick of this!!"

Behind her ran two figures.

One was a bald, muscular man with dark skin and the kanji "壱" tattooed on his chest.

The other was a tall woman with blue afro hair, smoking a pipe.

They were Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger of Baroque Works.

As the saying went—

When a man and a woman worked together, the job beca easier.

Baroque Works truly believed in teamwork.

And their assassination rule was simple.

Kill the weak first.

"Let show you what a professional assassin is."

The two of them suddenly accelerated.

"The ga of cat and mouse..."

"...ends now."

Mr. 1 leapt high into the air.

His arms transford into sharp blades.

SLASH!

He brought them down toward Nami.

Nami froze.

Fear locked her body in place.

She could not move.

CLANG!!

The expected strike of death never ca.

Instead—

tal clashed violently.

A powerful wind surged through the street.

Nami opened her eyes.

Standing before her was a green-haired swordsman.

His twin blades blocked Mr. 1's attack.

"Zoro?!"

Nami shouted in excitent.

This entrance was undeniably cool.

"Move!"

Zoro gritted his teeth and pushed forward with imnse strength.

Mr. 1 was blasted backward.

At that mont—

Several nearby stone pillars were suddenly sliced apart.

The cuts were perfectly smooth.

"They split in half?!" Nami gasped.

"No..."

Zoro frowned.

"That sounded like steel hitting steel."

"So your body isn't normal."

Mr. 1 landed several ters away.

Strong...

He isn't weak.

Then he rembered an intelligence report.

A cold grin appeared on his face.

"You're the swordsman who defeated a hundred bounty hunters in Whiskey Peak."

"And years ago, in the East Blue..."

"The Pirate Hunter who refused to join Baroque Works and killed Mr. 7."

"That was you, wasn't it?"

Zoro scratched his head.

"Oh, that?"

"I told your recruiter sothing simple."

"If I could beco the boss, I'd join."

"He refused and attacked ."

"So I killed him."

Zoro shrugged.

"You trying to recruit too?"

"Too bad."

"I'm not interested in your stupid boss anymore."

"Sharp tongue..."

Mr. 1's killing intent erupted.

He crouched slightly.

CRACK!

The ground shattered beneath his feet.

BOOM!

He shot forward like a cannonball.

His arms transford into giant blades and slashed toward Zoro.

So fast!

Zoro stomped the ground and countered with both swords.

CLANG!

tal rang violently.

Both n were blown backward by the shockwave.

"What strength..."

Zoro's expression beca serious.

He imdiately rushed forward again.

"My turn now!"

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Zoro's powerful strikes slamd into Mr. 1's chest.

Sparks exploded everywhere.

The force blasted Mr. 1 backward—

But caused no real damage.

"...What kind of body is this?!"

Zoro was stunned.

This was the first ti he had t an opponent his blades could not cut.

"Surprised?"

Mr. 1 rushed forward again.

"I ate the Supa Supa no Mi."

"I am a Blade Human."

"Every part of my body can beco steel blades."

"In other words..."

"I possess a steel body that naturally counters swordsn."

He did not even try to dodge.

Zoro's attacks only produced sparks.

"Oh?"

Zoro suddenly grinned.

Instead of retreating—

His aura grew even stronger.

"So that ans..."

"If I cut you down..."

"I'll have cut steel itself."

"And beco a true master swordsman."

Mr. 1's expression finally turned serious.

No swordsman had ever reacted like this before.

Most fled.

So surrendered.

Others simply waited to die.

But none had ever charged forward like Zoro.

"Then I'll kill you," Mr. 1 said coldly.

Zoro smirked.

"Try it."

Their blades clashed again.

The battle between the swordsman and the man of blades had begun.