Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me!

Even if this energy isn't used to "appease" Hollows, it can still enhance Rocks's regenerative abilities.

Similar to the Life Return technique in the Six Styles.

Don't let the fact that Rocks is only seventeen years old fool you; he is quite powerful.

He had never actually fought anyone, only battled wild beasts in the mountains.

Actually, Rocks was also very curious.

What level of strength have I reached now?

What level of opponent can he fight against?

I think we'll find out soon.

Even the East China Sea, the weakest of seas, is not entirely peaceful...

……

a few days later.

The merchant ship, after traveling to several islands, finally arrived at the island where Shimotsuki Village was located.

We had good luck along the way.

They didn't encounter pirates or storms.

It's so safe that even Rocks doubted if this was the world of One Piece...

Location of the dock.

Lockes paid the fare and food expenses and then disembarked.

I walked toward the location of the Isshin Dojo that I remembered.

Although it has been almost three years since I last visited, the roads haven't changed much.

Rocks wasn't some green-haired, directionally challenged guy, so naturally he wouldn't get lost...

"Oh, it's you? What brings you here?"

As he walked, Rocks heard a voice coming from his left. He turned around and saw a familiar green-haired man: "It's you, Zoro..."

The green algae head is none other than...

It is none other than Roronoa Zoro, the "Pirate Hunter," who will become one of the future members of the Straw Hat Pirates!

Zoro was just a sixteen-year-old teenager at the time, his short green hair standing out in the sunlight. He looked Rocks up and down and asked, "How did you end up here?"

"Let's fulfill a promise," Lockes said.

"Agreement?"

Zoro paused for a moment, then realized something: "Your promise with Kuina?"

"Ah."

Lockes nodded, then asked, "I remember your house isn't in this direction. You're not lost again, are you?"

"How...how is this possible!?"

Zoro's face instantly turned bright red: "I've lived here for over ten years, how could I possibly get lost!"

"Your words don't carry much weight."

Lox's lips twitched.

If being directionally challenged by someone with green hair is a medical condition, then it's clearly a terminal one...

Zoro: "..."

This guy is still as annoying as ever!

After a pause, Zoro continued, "I remember your agreement was that whoever won would have to listen to you, right? That only applies to swordsmanship. Your swordsmanship... uh..."

Zoro stopped there.

He was truly impressed by Rocks's swordsmanship.

He's hard to judge...

Zoro changed the subject, saying, "Kuina is very strong. If it's just about swordsmanship, you wouldn't stand a chance against her."

"How many times have you lost to her over the years?"

Rocks glanced at Zoro and asked curiously, "I remember when I left, your record against her was 0 wins and 2,889 losses, right? Has it broken 4,000 yet?"

Zoro: "..."

This guy is just as annoying as ever.

I hit his sore spot the moment we met!

Chapter 4 The Three-Year Agreement!

"Alright, you don't need to say anything more, I understand."

Seeing Zoro's expression, Rocks knew he understood.

This kid must have lost a lot lately.

Life is tough, don't expose it.

He stopped attacking the other party...

Zoro's face darkened, and he said unhappily, "What do you know? I will defeat Kuina fair and square one day."

"Instead of being like you used to be!!"

"Fighting is not like hosting a dinner party, writing an essay, painting, or embroidering. It cannot be so elegant, so unhurried, so refined, so gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest. Fighting is a skill, the skill of slaughter."

Rocks said calmly, "Going all out to catch your opponent off guard is a skill, a tactic. You still have a lot to learn, Zoro."

Upon hearing this, Zoro fell into deep thought: "..."

That seems to make some sense?

Rocks patted Zoro on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Work hard, Zoro! I believe you will become a strong man in the future, and the title of the world's third greatest swordsman will definitely be yours!"

Why is it third?

Because he is first, and Guina is second.

Zoro can only strive for third place...

Zoro's expression was a little strange: "You don't mean to say that you will be the world's greatest swordsman in the future, and Kuina will be the second, do you?"

Rocks glanced at Zoro in surprise: "Not bad, you've gotten smarter in the years I haven't seen you."

Zoro: "..."

Where does this guy get his confidence from?

He admitted that his opponent was very strong, but not because of his swordsmanship.

He really couldn't give a proper assessment of the opponent's swordsmanship...

"Alright, I'm not going to chat with you anymore. I'm going to Isshin Dojo to see Koushirou-sensei and Kuina. Want to come along?"

"I want to go to the dojo too."

"You still say you're not lost? Don't worry, I won't laugh at you. Everyone here knows you have no sense of direction."

Zoro: "..."

I really want to fight this guy for three hundred rounds.

He secretly made up his mind that he would definitely show his opponent the power of his Three-Sword Style later!

that's it.

The two, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, chatted casually as they walked toward the Isshin Dojo.

The two arrived at the Isshin Dojo in just over ten minutes.

Looking at the familiar building, memories flooded back to Locke: "It's still the same, not much has changed."

After a sigh, Rocks' eyes flashed red, and his Observation Haki spread out, enveloping the entire Isshin Dojo.

I sensed two familiar presences in one location...

After consuming the Mythical Zoan type Hollow form Blackwing Daima no Mi, Rocks awakened Observation Haki.

Haku was born with the ability to detect spiritual pressure.

This ability is presented here in the form of Observation Haki.

That's why Duke believed Rocks was someone who was born with Observation Haki...

"I'll go find Mr. Koushirou and Kuina first."

After saying something to Zoro, Rocks tapped his feet and disappeared from the spot as if by teleportation.

This is one of the abilities of the Void—Sound Resonance!

"So fast!"

Upon seeing Rocks vanish in an instant, Zoro's pupils constricted sharply, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

He didn't even see how the other person moved; he just felt a blur before his eyes, and the other person disappeared right before his eyes...

That's incredibly fast!

If you were fighting yourself, would you be able to react at that speed?

"How can this guy be so strong? Has his swordsmanship improved so much?"

Zoro muttered to himself, feeling an inexplicable pressure in his heart.

His current target is not only Kuina, who has never lost to him, but also Lox, who once defeated Kuina...

……

at the same time.

The backyard of the Isshin Dojo.