"I apologize for my arrogance."
Senbonzakura glanced at the imposing Red-Haired Shanks, then thought back to Ben Beckman—the man who had cornered Sode no Shirayuki with a single shot. He lowered his head and apologized again, his voice heavy with genuine regret.
He wasn't afraid of death, but the thought of nearly dragging Sode no Shirayuki down with his own recklessness filled him with remorse.
After all, he was the one who insisted on taking on the Red-Haired Pirates alone.
"I'd rather see you apologize with your blade than with half-hearted words," Katen Kyokotsu said, her gaze sweeping over the enemy crew. "If you feel guilty, then choose a target. It's too much to ask you to face this entire crew alone, but taking down one pirate shouldn't be too difficult."
Hearing this, Senbonzakura understood perfectly. Katen was giving him a way out, but also a chance to prove he wasn't all talk.
"He's mine," Senbonzakura declared immediately, pointing at Ben Beckman.
Hana Ten remained silent.
What could she say? That Senbonzakura had excellent judgment? That he had chosen the strongest opponent after Shanks?
She knew better. With Senbonzakura's prideful personality, saying anything would only make him more stubborn. He'd charge straight at Ben Beckman just to prove her wrong.
"I'll handle Ben Beckman," Kyokotsu spoke up, her tone firm but gentle. Coming from her, it was easier for the tsundere Senbonzakura to accept without feeling looked down upon.
Senbonzakura hesitated. Hana's silence, combined with Kyokotsu's offer, made him realize her intentions. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Fine. I'll take Lucky Roux."
"Agreed," Hana said, nodding slightly.
If Ben Beckman was the vice-captain and Yasopp the third-in-command, Lucky Roux ranked fourth. With Senbonzakura's strength, he could hold his own, if not win outright.
"Leave Yasopp to me," Sode no Shirayuki stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the sniper. She chose an opponent even stronger than Senbonzakura's.
"No," Hana shook her head, speaking bluntly to her fellow Zanpakutō. "He's the second strongest in this group, second only to the one who shot you earlier. Even with your Bankai, you wouldn't be a match. When Rosen wields us, our power is incomparable. You understand that, don't you?"
Sode no Shirayuki nodded silently.
When Rosen controlled her, she functioned like a Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit—perhaps even surpassing Kuzan's power. That wasn't her own strength, but Rosen's mastery. Without him, her abilities were significantly weaker.
"So you're planning to handle both Ben Beckman and Yasopp alone?" Ben Beckman stepped in front of the grievously wounded Hongo, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"I already said—take care of Hongo," Hana replied, shaking his head. "Someone else will handle Yasopp."
He looked past Ben Beckman to the sniper himself.
Having been created by Rosen and materialized in the Judge Forbidden Zone, Hana had spent months studying everything in this world—including the power systems of the One Piece world. Physical techniques, swordsmanship, and Haki. Because of this, he understood Ben Beckman's strength perfectly.
"What? There are more Zanpakutō in the Judge Forbidden Zone?" Ben Beckman's expression darkened.
Initially, they thought conquering this base would be easy after Rosen started his war with Whitebeard. But the sight of Hongo bleeding out on the deck, combined with Hana's words, made them realize the base was far more complex than they imagined.
What happened next chilled both Ben Beckman and Yasopp.
Clang.
Hana flicked his sleeve. Five Zanpakutō rose from the shadows beneath his feet, materializing into humanoid forms.
"Eight versus eight," Hana said, a faint smile touching his dignified face. "Perfectly even."
Ben Beckman's eyes widened, his killing intent momentarily replaced by horror.
Is this really just a naval base? he thought. Or have we walked into a Zanpakutō sanctuary?
"Five more..." Yasopp swallowed hard, his throat dry.
Lucky Roux, Benn Beckman, Yasopp, Monster, and the others—all the Red-Haired Pirates present—wore solemn expressions. Including the three already present—Katen Kyokotsu, Sode no Shirayuki, and Senbonzakura—they now faced eight materialized Zanpakutō created by Rosen.
The Red-Haired Pirates, who initially held overwhelming numerical superiority, had lost their advantage entirely.
"Just how many Zanpakutō has Rosen hidden here?" Bendick Snake nearly cursed.
"Who knows?" Katen's lips curled into a mocking smile.
With a flick of his left hand, five Zanpakutō shot through the air, landing directly in front of each Red-Haired Pirate. Then, with a series of chilling metallic sounds, the remaining Zanpakutō materialized from the shadows.
In an instant, they transformed from blades into their humanoid forms.
"What is this?" Yasopp stared intently at the eerie figure before him.
One moment it was a blade, the next it was a bizarre entity draped in a pale green cloak, its face and body completely obscured.
"It's... Minazuki," Hongo gasped, struggling to lift his head from the pool of blood. His gaze fell on the blade held by the cloaked figure.
"A Zanpakutō that swallows people and heals their wounds?"
Hearing the name, Yasopp immediately recalled its ability. Rosen had used Minazuki publicly numerous times; neither its appearance nor its function was a secret.
"That's true, but not necessarily," Hongo panted. "Zanpakutō have Shikai and Bankai. Shikai unleashes a portion of their power, while Bankai unleashes the full power. Healing is Minazuki's Shikai ability; Bankai is unknown."
He glanced at the other four materialized Zanpakutō, his heart sinking. Besides Minazuki, he recognized only one of the remaining four. The other three were completely unknown, meaning their abilities were a mystery. This made it impossible for the Red-Haired Pirates to prepare.
Having personally experienced the terror of Katen Kyokotsu and nearly dying on their first encounter, Hongo understood that facing Zanpakutō with unknown abilities was far too dangerous. Even if one's raw strength surpassed the opponent's, insufficient information could easily lead to defeat—or death.
"That must be Divine Punishment," Hongo said, looking at the burly figure spitting flames and holding a blade. He recognized the weapon's shape from when Rosen defeated Douglas Barrett. "Rosen used this Zanpakutō to defeat Douglas Bullet. Combined with his Armament Haki, it possessed the ability to cleave through anything."
"Now that Rosen isn't here, its power will be reduced, but don't underestimate it. As for the others... they're all Zanpakutō we've never seen before. Be careful. Stay fully alert."
"Leave the rest to us, Hongo," Ben Beckman said, his gaze fixed on the enemy. "Go back to the ship and rest."
"Understood!" Hongo nodded, retreating with his Observation Haki vigilant, watching every materialized Zanpakutō—especially the shadows beneath his feet. Having suffered from Shadow's abilities, he was extremely wary.
In fact, the Red-Haired Pirates weren't particularly afraid of Logia-type Devil Fruits—devastating, natural disaster-like powers. They were most wary of the sinister, unpredictable abilities like those of Katen Kyokotsu. After all, Katen's first attack had instantly killed an executive and wounded their vice-captain.
"Perfect," one of the materialized Zanpakutō said. "We're both two people. Let's have a two-on-two battle."
The Zanpakutō transformed into chains, binding a man and a woman together. The man wore a white long-sleeved shirt, his expression arrogant, with two fangs protruding from each corner of his mouth. The woman wore a green bodysuit; tall, voluptuous, with brown hair, exuding a wild, untamed aura.
After materializing, they immediately targeted Benk Binge and Monster.
"You... no," Benk Binge stared at the duo. "Who are you?"
They were both materialized Zanpakutō, but it seemed the boy with snake fangs was the weapon, while the voluptuous woman was the wielder. He sensed their personalities weren't as dignified and composed as Hana's; they were mysterious and sinister.
"Oh, right!" The boy with snake fangs grinned, looking up at the brown-haired woman beside him. "If we don't even tell you our names, even if we kill you both, this world won't know or remember our existence."
"Our name is Zabimaru," the man and woman spoke in unison. "Before you die, do your best to remember this name, Pirate."
They both saw through Benk Binge's intentions but didn't care. Having finally come out, Zabimaru only wanted this pirate world to know his name. Like the renowned Zanpakutō such as Zangetsu, Ryūjin Jakka, and Hyōrinmaru, they wanted to be known and remembered by the world.
What they truly desired was for Rosen to remember them and use them more in the future. The best way was to use the Red-Haired Pirates' invasion of the Judge Forbidden Zone, using the corpses of Benk Binge and Monster—two high-ranking pirates—to make the name Zabimaru famous throughout the world.
This wasn't just Zabimaru's thought. All Zanpakutō, after materializing, harbored this same idea. If ONE PIECE is the ultimate dream of pirates, then becoming Rosen's strongest sword is the ultimate dream of all Zanpakutō. Including Katen Kyokotsu, which Rosen specifically kept behind to control the materialized Zanpakutō, every Zanpakutō was now determined to prove its strength by stepping over the corpses of the Red-Haired Pirates.
—-
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