215 Chapter 215

215

Zoro's eyes were hazy, and yet it was focused and held a look of determination. A green light shone behind them, and Swift felt his world turn.

It was as if a giant skull was coming out from Zoro's shadow, which in his eyes stretched far beyond the horizon. There was nothing but him, Zoro and the skull. A skull that was smiling maniacally towards him, opening its jaw and trying to eat him! Death!

Swift, for the first time, felt fear… A shiver ran down his spine as he quickly took a few steps back. But just as he blinked, the scene was gone. In its place was a suffocating pressure that he knew well, the pressure of overwhelming will.

"I. Am. Not. Weak!" Zoro said, as his green blazing eyes covered around his body, and the flames from Nozarashi turned green, as an avatar of a smiling green demonic oni. The oni's head looked monstrous to Swift, it had two small horns sticking out its skull and a thin horizontal scar on its left side which ran down from the forehead towards the chin going through his left eye. "I. Will. Be. The. Strongest. Swordsman!"

Sanji didn't know what Swift was seeing, but he knew what Zoro was doing. And recognized it immediately, "Conqueror's Haki! The Color of the Supreme King…" he muttered, a small smile on his face. The pressure of a King.

Even though Sanji's body was close to giving up, he couldn't give up. Not now, not never.

So with his own will he pulled on any fire that was in the surrounding area, into his body. Trying to mend back his wounds, with the support of his knee he stood up.

A small grin was on his face. He didn't like to admit it, but Zoro had surpassed him in strength and skill. But damn, if he would let Marimo get one up on him!

As Sanji walked to Zoro's side, flames also started covering his feet. Sanji passively took in Zoro's flames as he started getting stronger himself. He wouldn't let Zoro surpass him that easily.

He pushed in more flames into himself, as he tried to enhance his recovery, but unknowingly some of the flames started gathering on his back. The injuries on his face and stomach started to fix themselves. Sanji fixed what remained of his already-tattered suit.

"Y-You.. what are you?" Swift asked both of them, as he unconsciously took a few steps back. His playful demeanor from his face was gone, replaced by fear and worry.

"We are the Straw Hat Pirates," Sanji said, cracking his neck, as he stood by Zoro's side. "The crew that will be the Strongest in the Sea!"

"You forgot the Pirate King part," Zoro grinned a frail one, as he leaned forward, his Armament Haki getting pulled in by Nozarashi to the rest of his blades. With that he dashed towards Swift, leaving a trail of green flames in his wake. "Purgatory…"

"Don't have all the fun without me!" Sanji said as he jumped to the sky, using the flames on his feet to propel him forward alongside Soru and Geppo.

Swift saw his two opponents and his jaw tightened, sparks of electricity started coming out of his body as he went into full speed. He needed to give it his all if he wanted to survive now. But the problem is even he couldn't fully control his fruit's abilities.

He saw Zoro's green flaming figure nearing him before it suddenly disappeared. It seemed even with all that speed, he was still slow.

"...Oni Giri!"

Zoro appeared right behind him in blinding speed as three large sword wounds carved into his chest, in a star-like pattern, but no blood was spilled as the green flames on the wounds cauterized them immediately. "Aghhh!"

Swift's body shot off into the sky due to Zoro's attack. His chest was still covered with green flames that were eating away at his flesh. Before the ex-CP agent could fix himself, Sanji suddenly appeared right on him, his feet covered in flames.

It might have been Swift's imagination as he saw two wings made out of flames on Sanji's back, but he had little time to think as Sanji's feet dug into his already injured chest.

"Brochette!" [Buroshietto = Skewer] Sanji called out.

And with the combination of green and blue flames, Swift's body inflated as if the flames went inside of his skin, before he burst open, Sanji going through him.

Swift's body was now separated in the middle, before it exploded into flames.

The battle was won.

And almost instantly both Sanji and Zoro lost their last bits of strength. Sanji's figure crashed onto a nearby building, and Zoro dropped to the floor after sheathing his blades.

No one saw a certain blond-haired guy with a plague mask casually sitting on top of a rock. Before his figure blended into invisibility, it seemed his help wasn't needed here as well.

A small smile dawned on his face as he moved toward Zoro, picking him up over his shoulder before going towards Sanji.

First Luffy, now Zoro and Sanji. A crew that didn't even sail for one year, and yet three members of the crew were already this powerful. But then again, what else could he expect from the people Luffy chose to bring along on his journey?

Sabo shook his head, as he checked through the rubble before picking up Sanji. It seems that curly brow didn't notice that he had awakened his Observation Haki.

In a way, he felt proud of the both of them. They were kind of his first students after all.

Almost all the slavers and kidnappers amongst the pirates had been taken care of. With Sparky, Usopp, and him working together it didn't take that much time.

More so when some other marines, along with Vivi and Nami came for help. Even though some of the pirates were still fighting the Marines, it became obvious who won the war. Still, it made Sabo sad that they were this late, many civilians had died, some lost limbs, while others lost their dignity.

But at least with his brother, Sabo was able to do something. Sabo didn't say it out loud, but at first he had some doubts on whether his brother could beat Jack or not. He didn't want to reveal himself, Dragon prohibited him. But he could always apologize later rather than ask permission.

But it seems like it wasn't needed.

Speaking of brothers, he wondered how Ace would feel after seeing him again. His thought quickly vanished away when the ground beneath him shook.

Sabo knew it was Luffy's doing, he could clearly see it from his Observation Haki. His brother had grown strong, and he was proud of that.

Heck, if he didn't pull himself together his brother might soon overtake him in skills as well. And as a big brother, it was his duty to be stronger.

With Zoro and Sanji on his back, he moved towards where he could feel Sparky's Haki was. The last time he checked, the six-armed monkey was tinkering with some marine transponder snail and also giving first aid to those who were harmed.

Most of the doctors on the island who stayed for first aid were with Sparky for their safety. Chopper and the others were left on evacuation ships, but with Kuina there, Sabo doubted anything bad would happen.

Sabo's musing was cut off when he heard Zoro's painful coughs. He really needed some medical attention. Sabo almost forgot that the swordsman had a punctured lung and a damaged liver. Sanji wasn't any better either, the cook might have mixed most of his wounds, but he required some much-needed recovery.

---------------------(So basically Zoro and Sanji's abilities complement each other. Mainly Sanji's flame Vinsmoke biology, him gaining more strength from absorbing heat and flames.

Zoro unlocked C. Haki and A. Haki.

While Sanji gained O. Haki and something else. Though it won't play a part in the story for quite a while.)