Chapter 27: A Lost Sorcerer.
—OoOoO—
Maki came face-to-face with a zombie with an overwhelming presence. Unlike other zombies, which appear dumb and simply follow the innate nature of their shadows, that creature seemed able to retain the original traits of his host body. However, what kept the grin on her face from disappearing was a black sword that emanated an overwhelming aura, reminding her of Stussy and Garp when they used Bushoshoku Haki.
“It’s interesting to see those zombies moving away to give you some space,” Maki said while giving you a fierce glare, “Perhaps, are you some kind of boss of these undead or something?”
“Yo.ho.ho.ho.ho.”
A familiar awkward laugh came from the zombie's mouth.
“From the way you talk and the look in your eyes, it seems we have an energetic lady here.”
“Well, it can't be helped. If you saw such a beautiful sword, with a zombie anomaly holding it, wouldn't that make you excited?”
“So, you want this sword even though you already have a unique sword yourself?” asked the zombie.
Maki glanced at the cutlass sword in her left hand as she lifted it and tapped the blunt side against her shoulder.
“It’s my hobby to collect nice weapons,” the girl replied with a grin.
Despite the face that only dried, rotting skin remained, the zombie let out an expressionless grin, sending a chill of death spreading across Maki's skin.
“Try me if you can.”
Maki's eyes widened as a maniacal grin spread across her face. Despite having no sheath, she placed the sword at her right hip as if about to draw it quickly. Her right knee bent forward, while her left leg shifted slightly back to shift all her weight to the front of her body.
On the other hand, despite his primary weapon being a katana, the zombie actually dropped his right arm, leaving the sword protruding low in front of him. Meanwhile, his left arm was folded back, providing balance for his upper body for a quick stab at any moment.
Unlike Maki, who possessed a rigid, sturdy structure, ready to deliver explosive power and speed whenever she moved, the zombie slightly rotated his body to the side, narrowing the target area. Furthermore, his slightly wider stance offers stability and flexibility, allowing him to respond quickly to any attack his opponent may throw.
“A rapier posture… with a katana on top of that?” Maki muttered in pure shock.
However, in the next second, she smiled with a disturbing sense of fascination.
“It's weird, but interesting.”
Without further ado, Maki planted her right foot into the ground to generate momentum. The floor beneath her cracked slightly as she used it as support, but the resulting force was genuinely incredible. In the blink of an eye, she had closed the distance with her opponent.
However, instead of a quick draw, she abruptly twisted her body to the side, attempting to throw the zombie off guard and slashed vertically downward with precision. However, the zombie was also relatively quick in the hand. He simply bent his right arm inward, allowing his sword to effectively block Maki's sideways slash without needing to change his stance.
But the zombie didn't aim to block the slash completely. Instead, he parried it by tilting his sword. It tilted Maki's attack slightly to the side, leaving a small opening for him to exploit.
The zombie only needed to pivot slightly with his right foot. With a slight push that made the girl take a step back, he swung his sword down forcefully, aiming for her left shoulder joint.
But Maki didn't flinch at all, and her expression didn't even show the slightest hint of surprise. She simply swung her body to the right, allowing the thrust to pass her by just a hair's breadth. Her feet then took a step inward, with her body leaning slightly forward, closing the distance, preventing her opponent from landing a strike.
Eventually, the girl aimed another diagonal slash, ready to rip apart the undead's stomach. Unfortunately, her opponent managed to dodge it by taking a few steps back.
“Fighting against a southpaw is a bit troublesome for a right-handed me,” the zombie said, “Moreover, it’s very annoying when your opponent deliberately switches to southpaw just to trouble you.”
Maki grinned at those words.
“Oh, you realise I ain’t a natural southpaw?”
“Young lady, I saw you fight very well earlier with your right hand,” the zombie replied.
“You're quite considerate for a rotting corpse, eh?”
"When you meet someone formidable, you can't help but pay attention. And even though we've only exchanged a few blows, I can clearly see that you're on a completely different level than all the swordsmen who've ever raided this place."
The zombie then casually walked around Maki, his gaze never leaving the girl.
“And seeing as you can use both your right and left hands equally well, I know you’ve dedicated those hands to swinging a sword your entire life. Or maybe it’s not just a sword?”
While it may seem trivial, switching from orthodox to southpaw could drastically change the flow of a fight. While not entirely the same as striking-based martial arts, when fighting with a one-handed sword grip, and that was a thrusting style, your attacks would have a harder time landing if you were right-handed while your opponent was left-handed.
It was simple because with a southpaw stance, your opponent's sword was closer to yours due to your parallel stance. In other words, when you attempt to land a strike, your opponent would easily parry it and quickly close the distance. It made orthodox fighters a bit awkward when facing a southpaw. Therefore, if he didn’t want to look like an idiot any longer, there was no choice but to adapt to his opponent.
The zombie shifted his katana from his right hand to his left. As a swordsman, it hurt his pride to have to change his signature fighting style even slightly. However, his opponent wasn't just any swordsman, but someone who had lived and been destined to live alongside swords since birth.
“You can combine fencing with kenjutsu techniques so well,” Maki commented upon seeing the change, “And now you’ve changed your stance to southpaw? I never imagined that living skeleton would be this skilled.”
“Yo.ho.ho.ho.ho,” the undead laughed softly and calmly, “Don’t compare me to him. He’s just a creature who happens to have slightly above average fighting abilities, and happens to choose a sword as his weapon.”
"You're talking big, but in reality, you're just as much of a living corpse. Do you even remember your past life?" Maki said mockingly.
The zombie grinned, though no one noticed. Without any intention of engaging in further conversation, it vanished in a flash and stabbed Maki in the back of the neck. She managed to avoid it, of course, by twisting her stance and pivoting with her right leg.
But the zombie didn't let her off the hook. He twisted his wrist, aiming the sharp blade of the katana at Maki's neck. With a swift movement, he swung his sword in a circular motion. However, the girl parried it by tilting her sword to the side, absorbing the impact and redirecting the attack upward with a slight push.
Some space was created, and in less than a second, it was Maki's turn to counterattack with a diagonal slash aimed at the zombie's chest. As if reading the movement, the zombie shifted backwards, allowing the blade to pass him.
“Aubade Coup Droit.”
A powerful, lightning-fast stab shot from the zombie, its explosive sound seemingly ripping through the air. Maki's eyes widened slightly, but she dodged it by ducking to the side. However, the attack continued, puncturing several zombies behind her who were attempting to ambush her.
“Should I thank you for cleaning them up for me?” the girl asked sarcastically.
“Don't need that crap. I just don't like it when people try to ruin my fun.”
“Heh, you're quite cocky, ain’t you?” Maki said again calmly.
Although the girl appeared calm, inside she was starting to feel a little uneasy. No, it wasn't because of the opponent before her. If anything, she was pretty excited and wanted to learn more about him through a swordfight. However, her ever-active Kenbunshoku began to detect strange activity deep underground, something that had been a bad feeling for her since she set foot in this castle.
'Luffy, you jerk. What exactly are you doing? I cleared the way for you to chase Moria, but why did that crazy giant wake up?'
As those thoughts swirled, a small earthquake shook the entire island. It wasn't difficult for Maki to maintain her balance. However, she let out a groan of annoyance as she knew what was coming.
—OoOoO—
Moments before the earthquake occurred, the Straw Hat Pirates, along with Brook, who had previously regrouped, finally reached their ship after running at full speed. And just as the skeleton had said, those whose shadows had been stolen would be returned to the ship unconscious. Therefore, when they arrived, the sight that greeted them was the figures of Zoro and Sanji tied to chairs with their eyes tightly closed.
Though it didn't take any significant effort to wake them up due to Ussop's ingenuity.
“Shit. So, you're saying we were kidnapped, and our shadows were taken by force without us being able to do anything?" Sanji groaned in his chair, his hands roughly rubbing his face.
A look of fatigue and annoyance was clearly etched on his face, and it didn't get any better when he glanced at the figure sitting next to him.
“And I was kidnapped before this green thing? That makes me look like I'm weaker than him.”
“Well, that’s because you are.”
The green-haired boy's curt reply sent Sanji's anger to the top of his lungs. However, before it could explode, Nami intervened with equally obvious annoyance.
“Please, can you all just shut the fuck up for a moment?! Maki-chan and Luffy are currently struggling on the island without any help! We don’t even know if they’re okay or if the enemy has already done something to them!!”
Everyone fell silent upon hearing the scream. It was a rare sight to see Nami crash out. Their mouths felt dry. Even the words Sanji was about to utter were swallowed back down roughly.
Zoro glanced at the short-haired girl, then turned his attention back to stare at the ocean shrouded in thick fog.
"Luffy and Maki are strong, much stronger than you think. If they're not here, it means they can hold their own just fine," the man said.
“I know! But it’s just like you and Sanji-kun. You two are strong too, but look at this? You’re here because you underestimated that island!!” Nami exploded again with her hands clenched tightly, “Besides, look over here when you’re talking to me, you bastard!”
No, Nami didn't mean to say those harsh words. Upon arriving at the ship and confirming that Zoro and Sanji were indeed there, she intended to immediately open up a discussion and discuss the plan. However, the boys' indifferent reactions, even though two of them were fighting tooth and nail, made her blood boil, and her anger overwhelmed her sanity.
“You need to calm down too, Nami,” Robin said, patting her shoulder gently.
The short orange-haired girl turned to stare at the black-haired woman who stepped up beside her. She bit her lower lip tightly as her right hand gripped her left wrist. As if embarrassed by her seemingly childish behaviour, she turned her face to the side. However, it didn't take long for her to steady herself enough to look at the two boys who were still sitting gloomily.
“Sorry. Just imagining Maki-chan and Luffy fighting alone there makes me feel depressed, and I can't control my emotions."
Just like the girl, Zoro and Sanji turned their faces away from each other, both with sour expressions.
"No, we are the ones who should apologise," Sanji said after looking at Nami, "I shouldn't have complained about our carelessness while the two of them were still fighting in the middle of the enemy base."
Zoro, even though he didn't say a word, his expression alone showed deep regret and that he had understood his mistake.
“I appreciate your understanding of the situation,” Robin took over the conversation again, “Since our time is limited, we will immediately discuss the situation, and the plan to defeat Moria.”
The black-haired woman turned to Nami and Brook. While she was technically the one who had broken up the small argument just now, she didn't want to take credit for the intelligence Nami and her group had gathered, or for Brook's years of experience.
“Well, if you suddenly throw that topic at me, I’m a little confused about where to start,” said the orange-haired girl.
Nami didn't mean to be annoying. However, she really didn't know what to say. Leading the discussion on the plan while Zoro, Sanji, and Robin were present made her a little nervous. She had previously told Robin everything, hoping she would pass it on to the boys. However, the black-haired woman seemed to have other intentions.
“What about starting with our meeting with Lola?” Usopp whispered in Nami's ear.
Thus, the girl sighed at the suggestion and immediately began forming words in her mind.
“In short, we split up with Maki-chan as she wanted to attack the base while she asked us to gather information, including finding out the whereabouts of other survivors on the island.”
Zoro furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing this explanation. However, he chose to remain silent for a moment, allowing his partner to finish his sentence.
"I don't know if Maki-chan was already aware of the other survivors or not using Kenbunshoku, but we encountered a group that had used an old building on the island's outskirts as their headquarters. Her name's Lola. She's the leader and the one who planned this, but couldn't find the right executor."
“So, what’s the plan?” Sanji asked.
Nami stared at the blonde boy for a moment before continuing her explanation.
“Apparently, we can capture the shadows that have been freed from those zombies, and she has collected, at least, a hundred shadows,” the girl said with a serious look, “Originally, with those hundred shadows, we planned to infuse them into one of our heavy hitters, giving us the additional strength equivalent to a hundred people.”
“One of the heavy hitters, that means either me, this curly-eyebrow, Maki, or Luffy, right?” It was Zoro’s turn to ask for confirmation.
Nami nodded slowly at the question.
"Lola said not just anyone could handle the weight of a hundred shadows. However, Robin thought Maki-chan wouldn't be a good fit because of her special body, while Luffy is the prime candidate."
This time, both boys furrowed their brows simultaneously. They were naturally competitive, but not jealous. However, hearing their names immediately removed from the equation made it sound like they weren't strong enough to handle it.
“This isn’t just about being strong or not. We’re not talking about something that simple,” Robin interrupted the conversation, “What we need is a suitable body. With his rubber abilities, Luffy would be the perfect vessel, knowing his abilities would prevent his body from breaking even if it had to accommodate a hundred shadows.”
After hearing the reasoning, Zoro and Sanji understood the decision. However, something about Nami's previous explanation intrigued them.
“You’re saying Maki-chan’s body is too special to fit into this plan? I don’t get what you mean,” Sanji said.
"I suspect his body will reject any external presence or influence. That's why she never gets drunk, no matter how much alcohol she drinks. Furthermore, Stussy's Devil Fruit power, which can render someone unconscious for a long time with just one bite, didn't seem to have much of an effect on her either, as she could wake up in just a few seconds."
Ever since Maki arrived in this world and happened to fall near their ship, Robin had been paying close attention and curiosity to the girl. It wasn't just sympathy or a glimpse into the girl’s past that reminded her of her own. A story about her fate adrift in an entirely unfamiliar sea from a young age. However, more than that, her inner researcher was intrigued by the desire to learn more about the girl.
"That is just my guess. If we put a hundred shadows into Maki's body, they literally wouldn't be able to take over. Her body is strong enough that it would rewrite them, leaving her alone without any effect."
Heavenly Restriction, that was what Maki called it when she explained her power. She was destined to be born a sorcerer with cursed energy, but her body rejected it, and now leaving her without a single drop of cursed energy. In exchange, she gained a pure superhuman body.
'She said it is like heaven is placing limitations on her body. But it does not sound like that to me. Instead, it is more like heaven itself is taking away the human limitations on her body, giving her access to be a perfect embodiment of a superhuman.'
Robin closed her eyes as the girl's figure flashed through her mind.
'In a universe where sorcery reigns supreme, such talents would not develop properly due to the lack of learning resources. But in this world, where people can unlock the full potential of the human body, it is the perfect environment for her to flourish.'
“Putting aside Maki-chan and Luffy, there’s another matter we need to address," Ussop opened the conversation with a new topic.
People's attention shifted to the long-nosed boy.
"We haven't confirmed it, but according to Lola, there's a big threat on this island that's no less dangerous than Moria. Like, literally, a big threat."
“You’re not joking, are you?” Zoro asked.
Ussop shook his head while crossing his arms.
“Seriously, do you think I can joke at a time like this?”
Sanji seemed to sigh. He combed his hair back with his fingers, revealing a glimpse of his rarely seen eyes, which were always hidden by his blond mane.
“So, do we have a plan to deal with this threat?” asked the curly-browed man.
“Facing this creature head-on is useless. At least, that's what one of Lola's comrades said,” it was Chopper who replied this time.
"Technically, there's no sign that Moria ever used this creature. However, if we managed to pressure him, or if he found the shadow he wanted, it's not impossible that he would awaken this creature," Nami added.
In other words, they could either hope for that little miracle or aim for a quick victory, preventing their opponent from using his strongest weapons. At least, that was the deal. However, of course, pinning hopes on something so thin was a foolish decision.
“Therefore, we’ll use Brook's method to defeat the creature,” said Nami to conclude the long explanation.
With those words, all eyes were now fixed on the living skeleton. Due to the lack of flesh and skin, it was unclear what expression the figure was wearing. However, they could sense the tension surrounding it.
“Yohohohoho~,” Brook began with his trademark laugh, “It’s simple. If our opponent is a giant zombie, then we just need more salt.”
Zoro frowned.
"Salt?"
“Apparently, it’s a natural counter to those zombies,” Franky said quickly, “It’s hard to believe and sounds ridiculous, but we’ve witnessed it ourselves.”
Devil Fruits generally have natural weaknesses that could be explained logically. However, everything on this giant island-like ship simply didn’t make sense. If they only focus on what their brains could accept and process, especially in this case, they would miss their chance to strike back against Moria and his gang.
Sanji stood up from his chair and reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes. With a simple shake, a cigarette popped out of the hole in the pack. He bit the end of the cigarette with his lips, letting the taste of the filter stimulate his tongue. With a drag, a cigarette was out and lodged in his mouth.
“I’ll go to the kitchen and get as much salt as I can,” the blonde boy said with a slight sigh.
He was actually reluctant to do this. Salt was one of the most essential ingredients in his kitchen, and wasting it on a fight made his chest ache.
"Do you have a rough idea of how big this thing is or how much I need to prepare?" Sanji continued with a question, "Our salt is limited to begin with. If we just throw it all away, we won't have any left, and there's no guarantee when we'll be able to resupply it on land."
"Moria has abundant treasures and food supplies. If we can beat him, we can take them all for ourselves," Brook replied casually.
After all, plundering was part of being a pirate. Of course, the group never plundered from civilians. Even when they took treasure from Skypiea, it was technically a forgotten treasure trove that had lain dormant for centuries. So, it couldn't be said to belong to civilians, even though it was historically within their protected territory.
“Fine, I'll grab as much as I can.”
However, just before Sanji could leave his spot, the waves in the sea suddenly became wild as if something was stirring them up.
“What is this? An earthquake?”
Zoro muttered with his eyes wandering to take in the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Nami immediately ran to the edge of the ship and stuck her head out to see what was really happening.
“No, it’s not!” the girl shouted, “The waves seem to only be on the surface, but there are no signs that the depths of the ocean are also being shaken.”
Nami then immediately turned her gaze to the island. Her face looked pale, and her eyes were wide open.
“It came from there,” the girl said.
All eyes followed Nami's gaze. No one moved, just standing at attention. Their breaths were even held, as if they were trying to maintain the silence. Zoro prepared himself, gripping the hilts of his three swords. Meanwhile, Sanji lowered the cigarette he hadn't even had time to light.
“This can't be serious, right?” Ussop muttered, his eyes trembling.
Roughly speaking, Thriller Bark had a radius of at least one kilometre from the harbour to the main mansion or castle. Nami estimated that number based on their journey at a normal pace for thirty minutes in a straight line, barely reaching the centre of the island due to several zombie hordes. Still, it was an immense size for a ship.
The ship's highest point, besides its vast sails, was, of course, the main castle, whose structure alone reaches 350 metres, without factoring in the land elevation. It was the structure visible from the dock, despite the island's inner wall and dense jungle, which lent a sense of eeriness.
And yet, as they felt the tremors, something emerged from the castle. More precisely, a monster burst out from underground, standing tall with its right hand gripping one of the towers.
“That's way bigger than I imagined,” Franky said, his eyes wide.
Its figure was obscured by the thick fog. However, from the silhouette, it was clearly much larger than any giant they had encountered before. Its bloated belly and massive arms were monstrous. But what was truly terrifying was the shadow of a pair of sharp horns protruding from its head.
“But why is he just standing there? Did the ritual not work?” Chopper muttered.
“That’s impossible,” Ussop quickly refuted, "Just by standing here, you can feel the atmosphere around the monster is tense."
It was a strange feeling. Terrifying, yet familiar. His presence not only conveyed the aura of a true monster but also exuded the aura of a cold-blooded hunter that could make even his opponents' legs tremble with just a glance.
An intense, murderous aura. Terrifying, yet so familiar.
Ussop's eyes widened even more, his throat tightening as if he had just realised something. He immediately turned to the green-haired boy who, for some unknown reason, had been standing next to him.
“Zoro, don’t you think that was your shadow?” the long-nosed boy asked in a trembling voice.
—OoOoO—
Thriller Bark has a diameter of approximately two kilometres. That was a vast area, comparable to a small city. Compared to that, the monster that had just crawled out of the ground was nothing. However, its reappearance to the surface, destroying everything in its path, was powerful enough to shake nearly the entire island.
Despite the destruction of an annexe of the castle, the battle between two swordsmen in the throne chamber continued. As if oblivious to the chaos outside, the two swordmasters continued their fierce battle of skill.
It wasn't just a clash of subtle techniques like before. The intensity of the fight had increased dramatically. Speed and power clashed, confirming that this duel was on a completely different level.
“Let's do this, young lady. Let's go crazy!”
The samurai zombie planted its foot on the ceiling and stomped down hard, attempting to strike Maki with its sword. However, she deflected it, causing a powerful shockwave and cracks in the floor.
Maki pushed the creature away and immediately struck him with a diagonal slash to the chest. It wasn't much of a problem for the zombie, as it slipped behind Maki, its hand ready to draw its sword.
“Prelude Au Fer.”
A swift slash, undetectable to the naked eye, was executed by the zombie. Unlike the original version, which focused solely on its target, this attack was a circular slash that sliced through everything in its path. Zombies watching from afar were also torn to shreds, and even the wall was sliced cleanly apart.
It should have been a swift, circular slash before sheathing the sword. However, when the attack was only halfway through, Maki blocked the blow with the broadside of her blade. She didn't bother turning or facing back. She simply raised her hand, letting her sword dangle down to block her opponent's attack.
“Oh? Impressive,” the zombie muttered.
He was screwed. He could feel it. Without bothering to look at him, Maki spun around and delivered a high kick so fast that it sent the zombie crashing into the wall. However, thanks to the fact that the body was literally a living corpse, he was able to stand up without feeling a single ounce of pain.
“Please, don't need to hold back, young lady.”
With those words, the zombie charged at Maki at high speed. He thrust his katana straight at her shoulder, but Maki deflected it by changing the blade's trajectory. However, the creature continued to advance, closing the distance until it was only half a step away from her.
Maki narrowed her eyes, sensing something was amiss. Her kenbunshoku alerted her as the zombie suddenly spun around and executed a horizontal slash towards her neck. Maki blocked the slash with her sword.
The girl possessed a solid defence and structure. Furthermore, with her Kenbunshoku, it was impossible for a mere corpse far from his prime to penetrate her defences. However, Maki lacked one thing, and that was experience.
As their gazes met for the umpteenth time, alarm bells suddenly went off in her head. Maki wanted to take a safe distance, thinking a massive attack was coming. However, what she didn't anticipate was the zombie wrapping his right arm around her with an underhook, while his legs tripped her from the outside, throwing her off balance.
The zombie turned around with his hips slightly raised, which automatically dragged Maki along with him, as her arm had been caught in an underhook. And with a slight push combined with the right momentum, the creature threw Maki to the ground, causing the girl's eyes to widen.
"Harai Goshi? Did I get thrown? Me?"
A black sword was poised to stab Maki, who was on the ground. However, the girl's grappling skills were no joke. Her right hand immediately grabbed the sleeve of his yukata, pulling the zombie slightly off his balance before he could even stab her. And with her foot perfectly placed in her opponent's stomach, she threw the zombie with a Yoko Tomoe Nage.
Maki intended to stab the zombie with her sword right after throwing that thing. Unfortunately, the creature managed to stand up quickly.
“That throw, where did you learn it?” Maki asked.
She clearly remembered using judo techniques against Lucci and Stussy. She managed to land clean throws, as they had never seen such grappling techniques before. Through Franky's explanation and Robin's historical knowledge, Maki confirmed that wrestling existed in this world. However, it was more similar to the Greco-Roman style. Therefore, a grappling style that tended to rely on momentum and emphasised technique, like Judo, didn’t exist in this world.
"That should be my question, young lady. I… no, this body… doesn't remember ever teaching Jujutsu to my followers."
Maki furrowed her brows at the strange-sounding answer. It was as if the body were slowly swallowing the shadow, awakening old memories embedded in its information.
However, that wasn't the only thing that caught the girl's attention. Instead, it was the name of the technique he had just mentioned.
“Jujutsu, you say?”
Of course, Maki realised that the Jujutsu he was referring to wasn't Jujutsu Sorcery, nor was it Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jujutsu was the parent of Judo. In short, if Judo was a martial art with a structured curriculum and taught to anyone, then Jujutsu was a combat art used by samurai to complement other fighting techniques such as Kenjutsu, Soujutsu, and Naginatajutsu.
Jujutsu itself encompassed more than just throwing, sweeping, and submission techniques like those found in Judo. It also encompassed striking, hand-locking, and executing an opponent with a weapon after successfully taking them to the ground.
“In this world, grappling has almost no fans, which is why its techniques haven’t developed at all,” Maki said, tightening her grip on her sword.
The girl stared intently at the creature. Her eyes seemed as if she wanted to skin the zombie to satisfy all the questions that had suddenly arisen in her mind.
“However, even though you didn’t call it Judo, you clearly said that it was Jujutsu,” the girl continued.
Maki didn't want to get her hopes up, especially on a practically non-existent chance. However, even if it were only a one per cent chance, even if she might ultimately be betrayed by her expectations, she didn't care at all.
“Who the hell are you?”
The question finally came out of that mouth, miraculously lowering the tension in the fight drastically.
The zombie even lowered his guard, letting his arms dangle. Like the girl, the sword in his hand seemed to have lost its will to fight. However, that desire was replaced by curiosity.
“If you want to know someone's name, isn't it common courtesy to introduce yourself?”
Maki frowned at the insinuation.
“It's Maki. Zen'in Maki.”
A dead silence fell over the heavily damaged room as Maki spoke her name. Luffy's screams outside, still battling the giant, were the only sounds that filled the silence between the two swordmasters.
The zombie approached Maki, his every step creating a faint echo in the room. However, there was no sense of malice emanating from the creature. Instead, a feeling of nostalgia, loneliness, and hope seemed to envelop him as his body began to ignite with blue flames.
“Zen'in, huh? It's been a long time since I've heard that name.”
Maki widened her eyes at the remark she had just heard.
“Wait, what? You know about Zen'in?”
"An ancient sorcerer family. They have the noble bloodline of Taira no Masakado, a true warrior, who, despite coming from a branch family in Kanto and far from the clan's heartland in Kyoto, strived to fight for the justice he believed in," said the zombie.
Initially, Maki held back her hopes, assuming this world had another Zen’in. However, what she heard was undoubtedly a glimpse into the life of Taira no Masakado, considered to be of great renown in the Heike Monogatari epic, as well as her ancestor.
“If Abe no Seimei united the sorcerers of the Heian Period under one banner, the Taira and Fujiwara literally controlled the central politics in the imperial court, ignoring the clans in other regions who were fighting desperately to protect their lands, both from the threat of cursed spirits and other social and economic problems.”
The zombie was finally right in front of Maki, but he showed no signs of continuing the fight.
"That was the main reason Taira no Masakado rebelled against the central government. Unfortunately, despite his noble figure, he lacked cursed techniques, and even his cursed energy capacity was minimal. Heavenly Restriction Physically Gifted, a stain on the Jujutsu Society since the Heian Period. Because of that, his struggle was easily crushed by the imperial palace under Taira’s influence."
Maki smirked as the creature told the story he had heard many times.
“You really know a lot about my clan, eh? Are you a Zen'in devotee or something?”
“On the contrary, I despise them to the core,” the zombie replied while shaking his head, “Unlike your noble ancestor, you, the Zen'in, are contaminated by the disgusting values of the Taira who killed him.”
Maki appreciated the sentiment. Although she had accepted herself, made peace with her past, and was determined to truly change Zen'in after returning to her world, she always welcomed anyone who shared her hatred for her clan. However, that wasn't the story she wanted to hear right now.
“Relax, young lady. I know what you want,” the zombie chirped.
Maki sighed softly.
“If you already know, cut that crap and tell me who you really are.”
“Yo.ho.ho.ho.ho,” the zombie laughed casually, “First of all, I want to thank you. Fighting you seems to have allowed me to regain control of my body. The unique power that people outside Wano call Devil Fruit is, after all, very vulnerable to the powerful Ryuu-Ou. But more than this, this shadow will be swallowed by my body and disappear forever.”
'Ryuu-Ou? Something that could overpower Devil Fruit. From his explanation, it sounds like Bushoshoku Haki.'
Maki wanted to ask the figure about that, but she saved it for later. At least, until she got the answer to her main question.
“The name's Shimotsuki Ryuma, the greatest samurai from Wano,” the zombie trailed off, “But back in my past life, I was Sakamoto Ryouma, the great revolutionary who brought down the Bakufu, as well as the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer from the land of Tosa.”
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hi friends, how are you? I hope you're doing well this year-end so you can enjoy the upcoming holidays. Even though there's nothing to look forward to in the future, I hope you all stay motivated and stay healthy. I mean, as long as you stay positive and healthy, whatever you're looking forward to will eventually come true.
There's nothing in particular I want to say. But if there is one, it's Ryuma. I've said it in the author's notes a few chapters back. I love One Piece and how Oda builds the entire story. However, there's one thing I don't like, and that's how Shusui was returned to Wano. Even though its replacement is an equally powerful sword, Shusui is still deeply embedded in the story.
Because of that, you can probably already guess where this chapter is going. And yes, Maki will be the new owner of Shusui. That's why, in the Ennies Lobby arc, all of Zoro's swords were saved because the man who could rust the swords was defeated before he could act. I mean, if Shusui was going to be replaced in the end, why not just have Maki have it? But don't worry, Zoro will still get Enma because I've prepared a narrative, which I think would make sense for Maki to have Shisui, and Zoro gets Enma in Wano.
Okay, that's all from me. Once again, thank you for your continued support. I hope you all stay healthy, and I'll see you next time.