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Chapter 17: Zoro vs. Buggy
1,129 Words
Whoosh!
Before Zoro could fully draw his sword, Buggy struck first, throwing a small knife.
This attack served primarily to test Zoro's strength.
As a pirate who had sailed the seas for many years, Buggy never underestimated an enemy.
If Zoro had easily dodged this attack, Buggy would have turned and run without hesitation.
Such a person would very likely be a powerful individual who had mastered Observation Haki.
Unlike the pirates in the East Blue who never set foot on the Grand Line, Buggy himself had come from it. More than twenty years ago, he was even an apprentice on the ship of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
He knew better than anyone in the East Blue just how terrifying a powerhouse who had mastered Haki could be.
Buggy breathed a sigh of relief. Although his opponent dodged the flying knife, his movements were somewhat clumsy, and a bloody scratch appeared on his cheek.
It was confirmed. He was just a hothead with some talent.
Buggy grinned easily. "Kid, I'll show you what happens when you offend me."
Zoro did not respond, but stared intently at the clown.
Having seen that attack, he was certain this was a formidable opponent.
Facing such an opponent, he shouldn't rush. But the footsteps outside were getting closer, and Zoro's heart grew impatient.
Finally.
He suddenly exploded forward, the sharp blade stabbing straight at Buggy like a venomous snake emerging from its hole.
He was incredibly fast, like a wild beast pouncing on its prey, the blade like fangs, biting down hard on its target.
A look of surprise flashed in Buggy's eyes, realizing this hothead's strength exceeded his expectations.
But when his gaze fell on the weapon in Zoro's hand, a hint of mockery couldn't help but appear in his eyes.
Swordsmen were the opponents he feared the least.
You could even say he was every swordsman's nightmare.
The Devil Fruit he ate was called the Chop-Chop Fruit, which allowed him to split his body at will.
In other words, a swordsman's slashes were completely ineffective against him.
However, Buggy had no intention of revealing his abilities so soon.
He suddenly raised his foot and kicked the table in front of him away.
Crack.
The sharp blade cleaved the table in two, but Zoro's figure froze.
He was gone.
The person he was about to stab had disappeared.
"Over here!"
A sound came from above, along with a series of whooshing sounds.
"Ugh…"
The knives sliced through his body, tearing clothes and skin. Blood flowed as five or six bloody gashes opened.
Zoro merely grunted and frowned slightly.
Immediately, he expressionlessly swung his knife upwards.
A faint aura of energy traced a crescent shape in the air.
Rip!
The tent's canopy tore open, revealing an increasingly gloomy sky.
But.
Buggy, who was originally above, changed his position again, landing on the ground ten meters away from Zoro.
He toyed with a bloodstained dagger, leisurely sizing up Zoro.
"You. You must be that legendary 'Pirate Hunter,' right?"
After several brief encounters, Buggy had confirmed Zoro's identity.
He hadn't paid much attention to the pirate hunter before.
But the major incident in Shells Town more than ten days ago had been widely discussed in this part of the East Blue.
A man and a woman had actually defeated the highest-ranking Marine officer at a naval base.
This was not something an ordinary pirate would dare to do.
"Are you interested in becoming my subordinate? If you agree, I will forgive your earlier offense."
Buggy set his sights on recruiting Zoro.
Although he never showed it, he harbored great ambitions and believed strong subordinates could be of great help.
"I have no interest in working for anyone."
Zoro coldly refused, reaching out to draw his third sword, Wado Ichimonji, and biting it in his mouth.
He had only used two swords against Buggy so far.
Using the third weapon meant he was in his strongest form.
"What a pity. Then I, the great Buggy, have no choice but to send you to your death."
Buggy suddenly revealed a sly smile and waved in one direction.
"Are you ready, boys?"
"Ready!"
"Huh?" Zoro suddenly turned, feeling a deadly threat.
It was a pitch-black cannon, which had been pushed out by Buggy's men at some point. The muzzle was pointed directly at him.
"Try my special 'Buggy Ball'!"
Buggy waved his hand and shouted.
"Men, fire!"
The moment the words were spoken, a muffled cannon blast rang out.
Zoro's pupils contracted sharply as he watched a black projectile, far larger than a regular cannonball, hurtle towards him.
Oh no!
They were too close. There was no time to dodge.
In desperation, Zoro gritted his teeth and swung his swords straight at the projectile.
He might have been able to cleave a regular cannonball in two.
But Buggy's special cannonballs were completely different. They exploded the instant Zoro's blades made contact.
Bang—!!!
The deafening explosion echoed through the sky.
Amidst the exploding sparks, Zoro was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing headfirst onto the ground more than ten meters away.
His entire body was blackened, as if he had been charred.
"Idiot! Trying to cut my Buggy Ball is suicide!"
Seeing Zoro in such a miserable state, Buggy laughed loudly at his subordinates.
Just as he was about to send his men to examine the "body," Buggy suddenly widened his eyes.
"Wha… What…"
He lowered his head in astonishment and saw a blade protruding from his chest.
Behind him, there was the sound of extremely heavy breathing.
"I never said… it was over."
Buggy knew without turning around that the thing that pierced his chest from behind was the "corpse" he thought was dead.
Under the horrified gazes of Buggy's men.
Zoro, covered in black char, rose from the ground and stabbed Buggy through the chest.
With such a fatal blow, he was certain his opponent had no chance of survival.
Therefore.
Zoro suddenly drew his sword, shoved Buggy to the ground, then sheathed his blades. He turned around and faced the straw-hatted boy who had just arrived.
"Luffy. You're too late."
Zoro's lips curled into a smile. Even with his blackened appearance, it was clear he was in a good mood.
Despite the difficulty, he still managed to defeat Buggy before Luffy arrived.
In other words, he was the victor in this contest.
"Watch out, Zoro!"
However.
To Zoro's great surprise, he didn't see any annoyance on Luffy's face. Instead, Luffy shouted at him in a panic.
It was Luffy's shout that made his completely relaxed body tense up again.
Shlick.
Zoro's expression suddenly froze. A sharp, blinding pain shot through his lower abdomen.