"This… what is this?!"
Zoro gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing instinctively. This guy—this Marine—was even more monstrous than anything they had faced in East Blue.
But what stood out the most was his blood-red right eye, where the pupil bore a distinct "六" (six) character.
It wasn't just an eerie sight—it was an undeniable omen of overwhelming power.
Above, a terrifying crimson specter loomed in the sky, its fierce roar sending a wave of pressure crashing down on them.
Sa!
Carl's figure vanished.
The next moment—
BAM!
He appeared right in front of Zoro, so fast that even Sanji, trained in the Observation Haki of Kamabakka Kingdom in the future, wouldn't have reacted in time.
"Boy, your strength doesn't seem to have improved much."
Carl's tone was lighthearted, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes.
"Zoro! Watch out!"
Luffy's warning came too late.
"Run, Zoro!"
Usopp's voice trembled, his hands gripping his slingshot despite the futility of the action.
Zoro exhaled sharply. Damn it. He was nearly gritting his teeth into dust.
His Haki-infused willpower flared—hot, unyielding.
"Then let me show you my strength now!"
A fire burned in his sharp gaze.
The unwavering steel-like will of a swordsman severed the invisible chains of the crushing aura weighing on him.
He adjusted his stance, his two swords raised horizontally, perfectly aligned with the Wado Ichimonji clenched in his mouth.
"Three-Sword Style: 108 Pound Phoenix!"
A massive, crescent-shaped blade of compressed air shot forward, tearing apart Carl's suffocating aura with sheer force.
CLANG!
A deafening collision rang out—metal against something that should never be caught bare-handed.
Zoro's heart sank.
Carl stood unmoved, his left hand raised in an effortless grip around all three of Zoro's swords.
Dark, crackling liquid lightning danced along Carl's fingers—Armament Haki.
Not a scratch.
Zoro's pupils dilated.
Damn! I can't move!
It was exactly like the helplessness he had felt against Mihawk.
Carl had seen through every node of his attacks, every flaw in his stance.
"This guy… he's not someone we can handle right now!"
The realization crashed into him like a tsunami.
The gap—no, the abyss between them was no smaller than before. It was even more despair-inducing.
"How can you escape?"
Luffy bared his teeth, struggling against the crushing weight pressing down on his body.
"We're the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Sanji clenched his fists, cold sweat trailing down his forehead.
Carl took a slow, measured drag from his cigar, then exhaled, a smirk of amusement curling on his lips.
"So, this is how far you've come?"
His gaze flickered with recognition.
Zoro had finally grasped the essence of cutting iron—not bad.
When Carl had first met him in East Blue, he wasn't even a true swordsman yet.
But now—
Zheng!
Sparks erupted as Zoro pulled his blades back in a swift motion, unleashing a relentless flurry of slashes.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each strike was intercepted—effortlessly.
Carl's red eye glowed ominously.
The "六" (six) symbol within his pupil suddenly shifted—
"一" (one).
"A swordsman's spirit, huh? A perfect test for Hell's power."
Zoro's instincts screamed.
A terrifying invisible force crashed into his mind.
A black void—filled with agony.
A realm of unending torment.
The world warped—his own hands, his own swords—became shackles, trapping him inside an abyss of suffering.
[Hell Road].
BUZZ—
Zoro's body seized up.
His grip weakened—the blades in his hands nearly fell.
"What… the hell is this?!"
His knees buckled.
He hit the ground, his swords barely propping him up. Cold sweat drenched his body.
A voice called out—distant, muffled.
"Zoro! Marine bastard, what did you do to Zoro?!"
Luffy's rage erupted, but no matter how much he struggled, his feet might as well have been nailed to the ground.
Carl waved dismissively.
"Nothing much. Just a little experiment."
Zoro trembled.
Then—
CHOMP!
He bit his own tongue.
The sharp, searing pain jolted him back from the abyss.
A fresh trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes—fierce.
"I… AM GOING TO BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN!"
Zoro pushed himself up, gritting his teeth through the agony.
Nightmares wouldn't break him.
Not now. Not ever.
"Solomon Carl! I will defeat you!"
Carl raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? That again?"
Zoro's battle aura surged.
"Three-Sword Style: Ultra—Tiger Hunt!"
Carl scoffed, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Fine. Show me."
BOOM!
The ground beneath Zoro shattered.
Like a tiger descending the mountain, Zoro lunged.
Carl's Sakura Ten slid from its sheath in one fluid motion.
CLANG!
Zoro's first slash struck true, but—
Carl merely took a step back.
The entire battlefield trembled.
The suffocating aura that had enveloped them—shattered.
Carl's eyes glimmered in understanding.
"So that's your goal… Not bad, green-haired brat."
His smirk deepened.
"But strength is what matters most."
THWACK!
Carl's leg struck Zoro's side like an iron whip.
The swordsman soared through the air, smashing through a nearby building.
"ZORO!!"
Luffy's roar echoed.
Carl exhaled another smoke ring, turning toward the remaining Straw Hats.
"Oh, right. I forgot about you guys. My bad."
His right eye shifted again.
"四" (four).
A purple-red aura—thick with murderous intent—poured out.
For a moment, he looked less like a Marine and more like a demon king.
Usopp's trembling fingers fumbled with his slingshot.
"M-monster…"
Brook, unnoticed, attempted a stealth attack.
CLANG!
His blade met—nothing.
Carl didn't turn.
"Too weak."
The despair set in.
Luffy, Zoro, Sanji—defeated.
The rest? Hopeless.
Then—
A golden light flickered in the sky.
Admiral Kizaru descended.
Carl smirked, taking the cigar from his lips.
"You're late, old man."
Kizaru sighed, pockets deep in his coat.
"Oh my~ You really went overboard, Carl."
The Straw Hats stared, their blood running cold.
One monster wasn't enough. Now there were two.
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