Ryuma stepped forward, swinging a swift kick that launched the totally unprepared Hogback soaring through the air!
"Whoa... Did Ryuma really pack this kind of physical punch?"
Startled, Ryuma glanced down at his legs in disbelief.
Then again, since he had inherited the full physical stats of the ancient legendary samurai, sending a frail guy flying with a single kick made total sense.
He glanced at the sword in his hand. No wonder Shusui looked so average when Zoro used it, Ryuma mused. It wasn't the blade's fault—Zoro just lacked raw physical muscle back then to draw out its true power!
"Grave robber!" Absalom shouted, pointing an accusing finger. "You dare try to steal that sword?! Looking at your outfit, you must be a local from Wano!"
Ignoring the outburst entirely, Ryuma strolled up to Hogback, raised the blade, and brought it down without missing a beat!
In one fluid flash, Hogback was chopped clean in half at the waist. Blood painted the dark metal of the blade before instantly soaking away, leaving the surface pristine.
Even Ryuma scared himself.
He figured his current skill set was barely above average swordsman level, yet... he just oneshot Hogback like stepping on a bug!
"Who... who are you?" Absalom, usually a calculating coward, felt a wave of icy terror wash over him as he backed away step by step.
"I am Ryuma, Swordmaster of Wano," Ryuma declared, his voice echoing with steel. "Those who violate our lands shall be executed without mercy!"
Absalom swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "That's impossible! Swordmaster Ryuma died hundreds of years ago! How could he be some young guy like you?!"
"Who said I died? I was merely taking a nap in my coffin," Ryuma replied coolly. "And as fate would have it, you filthy trespassers woke me up."
Though Ryuma hadn't faced Absalom before, he knew the Clear-Clear Fruit possessed genuine tactical potential. With proper training, the user could easily become a top-tier assassin.
Unfortunately, Absalom was a total pervert who used his rare power primarily for peeping in hot springs, leaving his combat skills utterly undeveloped.
Still, on paper, Absalom wasn't a complete push-over. Ryuma suspected that if he fought him head-on without his sword techniques, he might struggle.
"Hmph... Nice trick, playing ghost!" Absalom scoffed, trying to mask his panic. "If you really were Ryuma, why haven't you kicked Kaido out of Wano yet?"
"Shut your trap, I literally just woke up!" Ryuma snapped. "Give me five minutes and I'll slice Kaido into eight equal pieces! Now, I'll give you one chance to scramble back to your ship. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Absalom broke into a cold sweat.
Ryuma's mythic status in ancient Wano was equivalent to Dracule Mihawk's today—an absolute wild card of lethal power.
"I'm going, I'm going!" Absalom stammered, gulping as he glanced at Hogback's fresh corpse. Talk about coming for wool and going home shorn.
Ding! Friendly notification from the System: Eliminating this target will grant you one Devil Fruit.
The robotic tone echoed in Ryuma's mind.
Wait, what? I can use Devil Fruits? Ryuma asked internally, taken aback.
Correct. Upon slaying an enemy, the Host absorbs the Devil Fruit they consumed. Fruits are categorized into standard grades: D, C, B, and A, alongside special S-tier abilities. Two identical-grade fruits can be synthesized.
A mischievous, almost villainous grin slowly spread across Ryuma's face.
What rank is the Clear-Clear Fruit?
Ding! Clear-Clear Fruit: Paramecia type, Grade B. Synthesizable.
"Deal!"
Ryuma agreed on the spot. Watching Absalom scramble away in a panic, his lips curled into a cold smirk. "Sorry, buddy. Nothing personal."
"God Slaying Hundred Dragon Slash!"
Ryuma roared, twisting the grip of Shusui. In an instant, he unleashed a fierce wave of compressed air!
The slash ripped through the air with the roar of an enraged dragon, tearing straight through Absalom and cleaving him clean in two!
"You..."
Absalom's eyes went wide with shock. He tried to force out a word, but his breath failed him as blood pooled across the stone floor of the tomb.
A spectral dragon roar burst from Absalom's body, followed by a shockwave that completely vaporized his remains into dust.
Maybe the ancient samurai Ryuma would have honored some strict Bushido code, but modern Ryuma didn't care about that. Besides, who was going to call him out for dishonorable tactics anyway?
Ding! Congratulations, Host has acquired a Grade B Fruit: Clear-Clear Fruit!
"So I need one more Grade B fruit to synthesize it, right?" Ryuma double-checked.
Ding! Correct, Host. Alternatively, you may choose to consume it immediately.
Ryuma nodded slightly. "How many fruit abilities can I hold in total?"
Ding! The Host can store up to five active abilities. Once all five slots are filled, acquiring a new fruit allows you to overwrite an existing ability, though the overwritten power will be permanently lost.
"Got it," Ryuma muttered.
That made sense. Since he was a swordsman first, he didn't need to swallow a fruit right away when his base sword skills were already solid. The invisibility power was kind of a novelty to him anyway, so holding onto it as crafting material was the smarter move.
He looked down at the dark blade in his hands. "Well, old buddy... Looks like it's just you and me for now."
In his merged memories, the original Ryuma had plenty of comrades once—though now, only Shusui remained by his side.
If he wanted to make a proper comeback, he'd have to tear through Kaido, overthrow Shogun Orochi, and take his place as the true pillar of Wano.
In the world of pirate lore, top fighters like the Emperors and Warlords grew stronger over time. Right now—years before Luffy would even start his journey—Kaido probably hadn't reached his absolute prime yet!
With confident strides, Ryuma stepped out of the dark tomb.
Having been stuck in the gloom for so long, the blinding sunlight forced him to raise a hand over his eyes.
After a few seconds, he squinted and opened them.
"Huh?"
Standing right outside the tomb was a small army of armed samurai!
Some held drawn katanas, while others carried unlit paper lanterns stamped with the word "Patrol."
"Halt, grave robber! How dare you steal the sacred Black Blade Shusui!"
Ryuma ignored the guard entirely, tilting his head toward the sea.
The massive Thriller Bark ship was still anchored off the coast, meaning Gecko Moria was likely still sitting on board, waiting for his two officers to return.
It fit Moria's lazy personality. He loved relying on external muscle like shadows, minions, and zombie armies to do his heavy lifting, making Absalom and Hogback indispensable to him.
Schwing!
A sharp blade pressed directly against Ryuma's throat.
The Wano samurai scowled, his grip tightening. "Grave robber, are you deaf?! Drop Shusui this instant!"