Just as Absalom was starting to doubt whether his Clear-Clear Fruit had stopped working… the Marine officer on the warship looked straight at him and spoke.
"Oi, monster over there,"Jin called lazily. "Mind showing us the way?"
"Nani?!"
Absalom's eyes bulged. He can see me?
Not good.
He started inching backward, ready to bolt—
"Hey hey hey, didn't you hear my boss talking to you?"
Jango flashed behind him, one big hand coming down.
"Danger!"
Absalom didn't even have time to react before his head was palmed and smashed into the deck.
Boom.
"You really creeped me out just now, you know?" Jin said from above, looking down at the beastman pinned to the floor. "The way you were staring at my subordinate disgusted me."
Absalom's face twisted.
"M–Marine! You can't kill me! I'm one of Lord Moria's officers! Lord Moria is a Warlord of the Sea!"
"I know," Jin said calmly. "That's why I'm letting you lead the way. Otherwise, the moment you made that face, you'd already be dead."
Ain, standing behind him, felt something warm settle in her chest at those words.
"I–I'll lead! I'll lead you there!" Absalom blurted, shivering as he felt the killing intent roll off Jin.
"Boring," Jin sighed. "Jango, slap some cuffs on him. If he acts up, kill him. Worst case, I walk a bit more."
"Got it, Boss."
Jango grinned and snapped a pair of cuffs onto Absalom's wrists.
Click.
A wave of weakness flooded Absalom's body. He stared at the metal in horror.
"S–Seastone…"
As they drew closer to Moria's massive ship, Thriller Bark, the fog grew thicker and heavier.
"Lord Moria! Lord Moria!"
A bat-like man flapped down the hallway and into the main hall of the gloomy castle.
"Huh? What is it…?"
Moria, five meters tall with a swollen gut and stitched-up face, sat sprawled on his throne, sounding bored.
The bat-man stammered, panic on his face.
"M–Marines! Marines have come! Absalom's been captured!"
"What?!"
Moria shot to his feet.
"Is the World Government breaking the deal?! Damn bastards… Take me there!"
"Whoa… what a fortress…"
"No, that's a ship," one of the Marines corrected himself, staring wide-eyed.
"Take us in," Jin said, feeling the presences gathered ahead.
"Aye, sir!"
The warship eased up alongside Thriller Bark. A group waited on the stone quay—Moria, Dr. Hogback, Perona, and others.
Moria watched the Marines disembark, eyes locking on Absalom in cuffs.
Hogback fidgeted nervously. "Lord Moria, they don't look like they're here to wipe us out."
"Horo horo horo…" Perona floated at his side in her gothic dress, hugging her umbrella."Lord Moria, how about I go out first and make them all super depressed~?"
Moria shook his massive head.
"Wait. Let's see what the Marines want first."
Jin jumped down onto the stone, looked Moria up and down… and couldn't help the disappointment in his eyes.
Yeah. This guy's already broken. Kaido beat the guts out of him.
"Marine," Moria rasped, frowning. "What business do you have here? Is the Marine planning to unilaterally tear up our agreement?"
"Relax, Moria," Jin said, looking genuinely bored. "I'm just here to see a swordsman. I couldn't care less about you."
"A swordsman?"
Moria's narrow eyes narrowed further.
"How do you know about that, Marine?"
Jin met his gaze head-on.
"How I know isn't your problem. Just let me meet that swordsman."
The air between them began to thicken. Shadowy darkness roiled faintly around Moria.
"Shi shi shi shi… You think anyone can just stroll in here and act however they like?" Moria sneered. "Who do you take me for?"
"Moria," Jin said mildly, "you'd better think this through."
"The moment you attack me, it becomes legitimate self-defense. Then I'm free to hit back."
"Shi shi shi shi! Marine, aren't you overestimating yourself? Or are you treating me like some stray mutt?"
Shadow power coiled around Moria's body, growing denser.
Jin sighed.
"Troublesome."
He drew his greatsword with one hand… and casually swung.
"Whoosh—"
"Danger!"
Moria's instincts screamed.
"Shadow Asgard—!"
No time.
"Shadow Mage!"
His body blurred into a spray of shadow and reformed several meters away.
"Tch… Damn Marine, you forced my hand. Shadow Lance!"
Shadow spikes shot toward Jin.
"Oh? A clone-type ability? Well, you are one of the Seven Warlords. None of you are cabbages."
Jin flicked his blade.
"Gale Slash."
Steel and wind howled together.
Moria barely dropped flat in time.
"Shrrrip—"
The forest behind them was neatly bisected. The blade of wind ripped through trees and kept going, cutting straight through the distant castle.
"Craaaack!"
The upper half of the castle lurched and slid askew.
"Th–That strong…"
The Marines behind Jin stared, slack-jawed. They knew he was strong, but seeing a single casual slash bisect a fortress made it real.
"A Grandmaster swordsman…" Ain whispered, watching the fading arc of sword aura. Her fingers tightened around her twin blades.
"Damn it—!" Moria braced himself, trying to gather shadow again—
"Lord Moria, look out!" Perona and Hogback shouted together.
"Mm?"
Moria looked up.
Jin was standing right in front of him, sword leveled at his forehead.
"So?" Jin asked mildly. "Thought it through yet?"
"Grr…"
Feeling the steel and killing intent just centimeters away, Moria grit his teeth. He knew he was outmatched.
He slowly, slowly relaxed his shoulders.
"Smart choice."
Jin sheathed his sword in one smooth motion and closed his eyes for a moment, extending his Haki.
"Over there. In the woods."
He took the lead, walking away without looking back. His people followed immediately.
"Lord Moria!" Perona floated after him in a panic.
Moria dusted off his coat.
"I'm fine," he said. "We're following them. That bastard isn't here for anything good."
Hogback pushed up his glasses.
"Lord Moria, I remember now. That Marine is the one who killed Golden Lion not long ago."
Moria froze.
Then his jaw clenched.
"…Tch. I knew he looked familiar."
"Lord Moria, are we really going after them?" Perona squeaked.
"We are," Moria growled. "He's a Marine. He won't kill us."
"If he does, that's the Marine breaking the Shichibukai agreement. They can't afford that."
They hadn't walked far into the foggy forest before they saw him.
A swordsman in armor sat on a stone, black blade resting in his hands, head slightly bowed.
"Found him," Jin said softly.
The zombie raised his head.
"Yohohohoho… A truly impressive swordsman,"Ryuma chuckled. "Even here, I could feel that slash of yours just now."
"Don't know if it's good or bad," Jin said, smiling faintly. "Being praised by the former 'Sword God' of Wano."
"Wano, huh… A distant memory," the zombie murmured, looking up into the oppressive black fog. "I'm just a dead man now. I can't even wield the strength I had in life."
"You're too modest, Ryuma."
Jin shrugged.
"Even if you can only bring out thirty percent of your old strength, that's still terrifying."
He ignored Moria and the others watching at the edge of the trees and turned to Ain.
"Go," he said. "That's the wall you have to climb to become a Swordmaster."
Ain had been staring at Ryuma from the moment they arrived. At his words, she drew a steady breath and stepped forward.
"Yohohohoho… So I'm to be used as a whetstone," Ryuma chuckled, watching her stop five meters away.
"Call it making the most of your afterlife," Jin said, lighting a cigarette. "You don't want to sit around like this forever, do you?"
"Bastard…" Moria finally understood why they'd come.
Using my zombie as training? What do you think this place is, a dojo?
"Yohohohoho… Are you prepared, young swordswoman?" Ryuma asked.
"Come," Ain said, drawing both blades.
"Fine weapons."
"In that case, I shall begin."
He blurred forward.
Ain gathered every bit of concentration she had and met him head-on.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Ching, ching, ching!"
Steel rang against steel, sparks flying.
Even with her months of training, Ain was being beaten back. Ryuma's sword was everywhere—clean, precise, pressure relentless.
"Yohohohoho… Good foundations," Ryuma commented. "One step away from Swordmaster."
"In that case—be on your guard."
His speed spiked.
Ain gritted her teeth, parrying faster and faster, arms burning.
The two fought with basics only—footwork, timing, edge control. No flying slashes, no flashy techniques. Ain couldn't even reliably project sword aura yet.
"Yohohohoho… What's wrong, girl?" Ryuma asked. "Your heart isn't calm. How can you take that step forward like this?"
"Swallowtail—Swift Slash."
"Clang! Clang! Rrrrip!"
Several fresh cuts opened on Ain's arms and thighs.
Seeing his zombie pressing the attack, Moria's mood started to lift.
"Shi shi shi shi… Looks like your girl's going to lose, White," he taunted.
Jin dug at his ear.
"Too early to say. And if she does lose, who do you think I'm going to vent on, Moria?"
Moria's face darkened.
"No wonder everyone calls you a thug in uniform," he snapped.
Jin grinned.
"Come on. Since when do Marines have to be 'gentlemen' in front of pirates? I've never pretended to be that kind of man. I like things simple."
"You bastard!"
Moria glared at Jin's insufferably smug expression, feeling his blood pressure spike, then forced himself to look back at the fight.
"Boss… Ain's okay, right?" Jango couldn't help asking, watching her get tagged again and again.
"She's fine," Jin said.
"Ain's path is different. Most people reach Swordmaster naturally. Her foundation is still fresh. She needs this kind of pressure."
Ain remembered Jin's words during countless training sessions.
You don't grow just swinging at air. You grow by fighting—again and again—until your body and blade remember what your head can't explain.
"Yohohohoho… Your understanding of the sword is growing sharper," Ryuma said, aura shifting subtly.
"Looks like half your foot's stepped into that realm already."
"In that case, I'll send you the rest of the way."
"Be careful now, young swordsman. Nose Song Three Verse—Soaring Swallow Slash."
A thin, deadly crescent of sword aura cut through the fog, aimed right at her.
So this is… sword aura that only a Swordmaster can release…
Ain's twin blades crossed in front of her. She lowered her center of gravity, breath slowing.
She closed her eyes.
And swung.
"Gale… Slash!"
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