On the beach,
Swish!
A figure moved like a blade, leaping high into the air as several sword slashes tore forward with dazzling force.
"Two-Sword Style: Seventy-Two Pound Phoenix!"
The compressed air blades ripped through the air, heading straight for the man seated on a boulder.
"A very fierce slash."
The man sat there with a cigarette burning slowly between his lips. His gaze remained steady as he lifted the muzzle of his rifle.
"However, it is still not enough to reach the peak of the strongest swordsman."
Bang!
A single bullet coated in Armament Haki fired out.
Whoosh!
The bullet traced a smooth arc through the air, leaving behind a faint trail as it struck the incoming slash.
Crack...
The powerful attack broke apart layer by layer, completely dismantled by that single shot.
The slash vanished.
But the bullet did not stop.
Whoosh!
It continued forward, curving sharply as it shot toward the back of the green-haired swordsman's head.
"To destroy the Seventy-Two Pound Phoenix with one bullet... that is impressive."
Zoro lowered his head slightly, muttering to himself.
At the last instant, he tilted his head just enough.
The bullet grazed past his hair and flew into the forest behind him.
"Ahhh!"
A scream echoed from within the trees, some unlucky victim caught in its path.
On the boulder, Beckman held his cigarette between his fingers, his expression unreadable.
"Good Observation Haki. You have been training well."
"As expected of the vice captain of a Yonko crew..."
Zoro raised his head, his eyes sharp with excitement as he locked onto Beckman.
"You are the perfect whetstone. Once I defeat you, my swordsmanship will rise even higher!"
Before his sentence ended, his figure vanished.
Only an afterimage lingered.
"Hmph. You want to defeat me? That is a fine ambition."
Beckman exhaled smoke as he looked up calmly.
Zoro had already appeared above him, three blades descending at once.
"But you cannot do it."
Clang!
Beckman pushed off the ground, his rifle coated in Armament Haki as it met Zoro's strike head-on.
"Pirate Hunter Zoro, you are a sharp blade."
His gaze studied Zoro carefully.
"But your killing intent overwhelms your sword intent. A blade that cannot be sheathed will eventually break."
"Break?"
Zoro smiled faintly.
He closed his eyes.
The darkness coating his swords deepened.
Boom!
His Armament Haki surged violently. A terrifying aura formed behind him, taking shape as a three-headed, six-armed figure.
The presence roared as six blazing blades descended like something from hell.
"Strong fighting spirit."
For the first time, Beckman's expression shifted.
He no longer treated Zoro as someone to guide.
His rifle was reinforced with stronger Haki. He fired a shot and used the recoil to propel himself backward, distancing himself instantly.
"Your opinion means nothing to me."
Zoro opened his eyes.
They were blood-red, steady and controlled.
"If others say my blade is too sharp, should I dull it? If they say it is too heavy, should I lighten it?"
His stance tightened, three swords crossing as he aimed directly at Beckman.
"Then it would no longer be my sword."
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Asura, Dead Man's Blade, Nine Flashes!"
Silence followed.
The cigarette in Beckman's mouth went out instantly.
He tilted his head back slightly, as if avoiding something invisible.
"Interesting..."
Swish!
Zoro remained standing in place, frozen in his stance.
Clang! Clang!
Yet Beckman moved rapidly, dodging attacks that could not be seen with the naked eye.
Clang! Clang!
Black figures flickered into existence around him, appearing and disappearing in an instant, above, below, and all around.
Zoro's slashes had surpassed visual perception.
Each strike came at a speed beyond comprehension.
Anyone else would have been torn apart instantly.
But this was Beckman.
The right-hand man of the Red Hair Pirates.
A monster feared across the seas.
Benn Beckman.
Even against such an overwhelming technique, his movements remained precise.
"Zoro, I acknowledge your strength."
He continued dodging, his eyes tracking every invisible strike.
"But now..."
His rifle glowed with intense Haki.
"I will counter."
He aimed ahead of Zoro's attack path and fired.
"Hundred Shatters: Thousand Leaves!"
Boom!
The bullet exploded midair, splitting into hundreds of needle-like fragments coated in Armament Haki.
They spread outward like a deadly storm.
Swish!
A dark flash cut through them.
Zoro swung all three swords.
"Three-Sword Style: Crow Demon Hunt!"
Every fragment was shattered instantly, reduced to dust under his blades.
But Zoro's eyes widened.
"So fast... I cannot sense him!"
He reacted instinctively, slashing downward.
Too late.
Bang!
Beckman appeared beneath him in that instant.
His leg, coated in Armament Haki, struck directly against Zoro's swords.
The impact sent Zoro flying into the air.
Beckman smirked slightly, lowering his leg.
"Zoro, do not assume I only fight with a gun. I am just as skilled with my kicks."