Suddenly, an idea struck Zoro. Saul had once mentioned knowing a group of people in the Marines who used seemingly superhuman moves. He'd called them the Six Powers or something like that. One of them was the Rankyaku, if he remembered correctly. Supposedly, it was some kind of flying attack. It was Saul who had given him the crazy idea, too. Perhaps the old man was trying to help him more than he realized...
At that moment, Zoro dismissed the blacksmith's words, not entirely believing them, but now he understood how absurd it had been. He was so accustomed to normality that he believed the impossible didn't exist. He had to stop. Luffy had already shown him impossible things, and the giant wolf was proving him right. He wouldn't be surprised by impossible things anymore. It was a promise he made to himself.
Returning to the matter at hand, the swordsman opened his eyes. He was going to try his own version of the Rankyaku. If it didn't work... Well, he'd just look ridiculous for a while. If it did work... He'd find out when the time came.
Zoro approached the wolf once more and stopped when he felt he was close enough. The beast made no move to attack, observing him from its perch at the entrance of the peculiar cave. The teenager returned its gaze for a moment before closing his eyes and imagining what he wanted. He would need to use all his strength for a single attack.
As he lifted Wado Ichimonji above his head, holding it with both hands, Zoro felt it almost begin to vibrate. It seemed he was on the right track. He didn't know exactly what he was doing, but now that he believed he could do it, half the battle was already won. The swordsman took a deep breath, his eyes still closed, before opening them abruptly, letting out a grunt of exertion.
His katana descended in such a swift arc that the blade created its own slightly purple slash. The projectile flew through the air at dazzling speeds toward its target, who had begun to growl the moment the swordsman raised his blade. Just as it seemed the air sword was about to strike, the image of the enormous beast vanished, and the slash continued its trajectory toward the cave wall. With the wolf no longer blocking its path, the slash struck the rock and ricocheted, hurtling toward the floor and creating a gaping gash.
Zoro didn't even have time to celebrate the success of using his sword to create a projectile, as he was suddenly enveloped in shadows. The green man immediately turned and found himself face to face with his opponent. He had no idea how he had managed to move so fast despite being so large, but he didn't have time to think about it.
The beast's enormous paw descended with blinding speed, and Zoro managed to dodge it, narrowly missing being crushed. Seizing the opportunity, the swordsman unleashed a flurry of slashes on the leg he had just dodged, blood spurting with each strike and beginning to stain the ground beneath his feet. The wolf howled and reared up on its hind legs, momentarily escaping the bite of his blade. Zoro used the opportunity to back away from the beast and attempt another flying slash. As soon as he was out of the wolf's reach, he whirled around and swung his sword through the air with one hand.
Nothing came out of his katana… 'SHIT'.
The wolf returned to its four-legged position and quickly moved toward Zoro. It looked... furious. It gripped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji with its other hand and slashed the air again with desperation.
Unlike before, the movement was accompanied by a flying purple slash of air as sharp as a blade. The purple arc flashed as it flew, and once again, the enormous animal vanished from Zoro's sight. The teenager spun around as fast as he could, sheathing his katana, before launching himself forward toward where the great animal had been. It all happened in the blink of an eye. "Ittōryū," Zoro said, and the sound of a sword being sheathed echoed through the clearing. "Lion's Song."
The loudest roar of the night erupted from the black wolf as a red spray splattered its paws. Zoro had managed to cut the inside of all four of its legs quite deeply. "Perhaps I can't move as fast now ," he thought, immediately drawing Wado Ichimonji and preparing to deliver another flying slash to his opponent.
The swordsman lowered his katana again, and another purple arc materialized with the force of the wind from his attack. Although the beast managed to move its head in time, it didn't vanish as before; the slash struck the left side of its neck, leaving a large, bleeding wound. Well... large for any human of normal size. More like a pinprick for the monster Zoro was facing. However, the beast didn't seem to enjoy the pain, as it roared ferociously. It must have been quite a deep cut.
Zoro ran towards the beast once more.
The swordsman only wanted to take advantage of the wolf's distraction. However, this would lead to his downfall. As soon as he began to move, the creature lunged at him. The image of a claw screaming death consumed Zoro's vision, and he held his sword up in front of him in a futile attempt to block some of the damage he was sure to receive.
A sharp pain shot through the swordsman's body as the paw struck him, sending him flying across the clearing. He was definitely going to suffer after this... if he survived. The boy rolled and rolled and rolled until he finally stopped, motionless. He winced, pain coursing through his body. He definitely had some broken things. He shifted slightly and hissed to himself. Forget it. He had a lot of broken things. The teenager raised his head to see what the monster wolf was doing, protesting vehemently.