Inside the Alley
Luo stared at Mr. 1 and slowly unsheathed his blade, Kikoku.
"Daz Bonez, the infamous assassin from West Blue. He ate the Dice-Dice Fruit, allowing his entire body to turn into blades. A nightmare for any swordsman," Luo muttered to himself.
Daz Bonez remained expressionless. "Since you know my name, and you're a swordsman, do you still intend to fight me?"
"It's true that I use a sword, but I'm not a pure swordsman," Luo replied. He let out a sigh. "And to make things worse, I was specifically told not to use my Devil Fruit abilities to defeat you. Looks like this will be a tough fight."
There was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Carl had told him to try cutting steel, but without any proper guidance on how to do it, how was he supposed to break through?
Daz Bonez didn't understand what Luo was talking about, nor did he care. Without wasting any more words, he charged forward, his fingers transforming into razor-sharp blades as he slashed straight at Luo's head.
"Master Cut!"
Clang!
Luo quickly raised his sword to parry the attack.
Daz Bonez' raw strength was overwhelming, pushing Luo back slightly.
For a moment, Luo considered using his Op-Op Fruit ability, but Carl's words echoed in his mind. He gritted his teeth and held back. He could easily end this fight in an instant, but now he was forced to restrain himself—was this what it meant to be tied down by his own power?
Still, Luo had confidence in his ability to adapt.
Daz Bonez didn't let up, launching a relentless assault. His fists, feet, and fingers all morphed into blades, attacking with incredible speed.
This was why he was called the Killer of Quick Cuts. With his unique ability, he didn't have to worry about whether he was using the sharp edge or the back of the blade—every strike was lethal. Luo found it incredibly difficult to deal with.
"I see now… No wonder Carl wanted me to fight you."
Luo finally understood Carl's reasoning. It wasn't just some random challenge—Daz Bonez was the perfect opponent for him right now. If he could defeat this man without relying on his Devil Fruit, his swordsmanship would improve drastically.
Even so, the situation still frustrated him.
Carl had once said that Daz Bonez wasn't strong enough to defeat Zoro.
That meant, as the captain of his own crew, Luo was currently struggling against someone weaker than the Straw Hat's swordsman. That realization stung.
Then again, if he were being honest with himself, he doubted he could even beat the Lion King right now.
Fighting a massive beast like that… it'd be like going up against Jack from Kaido's crew.
No time for distractions.
"Dust Slash!"
Inside the Alley
Daz Bonez crossed his arms over his chest, transforming them into massive blades before swinging down in a powerful chop.
Luo hurriedly raised his sword to parry but suddenly felt multiple slashes tearing into his skin, leaving him with fresh wounds. The house behind him was also cut cleanly into uniform pieces.
Had Luo not reacted fast enough, he would have been buried under the rubble.
"You had the nerve to get distracted while fighting me. I have to say, you're bold," Daz Bonez remarked. "Let me give you some advice—swordsmen can't defeat me. If you don't want to die, run away now."
It was rare for Daz Bonez to speak this much.
Luo, however, smirked. "As I thought… mastering the ability to cut steel and advancing as a swordsman really doesn't suit me. Carl never taught me that. But… in the days I've spent in Alabasta, I've learned something even better—enough to take you down!"
He stood his ground, holding Kikoku horizontally across his chest as if something was gathering on the blade.
"You're asking for death, huh? Fine, I won't hold back—Silent Strike!"
Daz Bonez lunged forward.
Luo still didn't move.
Just as Daz Bonez reached him, Luo suddenly slashed in a backhand motion.
Daz Bonez, confident as always, charged in without hesitation, as if daring Luo to cut him. But this time… something was different.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Daz Bonez' entire body trembled, his movements freezing on the spot.
Luo slowly withdrew his sword.
"I may not have grasped the secret of cutting steel," he admitted, "but I do know how to deal with Devil Fruit users." His smirk deepened. "That's right—I just unlocked Armament Haki."
Upon hearing this, Daz Bonez collapsed to the ground.
He had no complaints. He had lost fair and square.
Luo glanced down at him. "Thanks, Daz Bonez. I owe my growth to you."
With that, he turned and walked out of the alley.
What he didn't realize was that mastering Armament Haki was actually quite similar to learning how to cut steel. But with Carl gone, there was no one around to explain that to him.
Trafalgar Law vs. Mr. 1—Complete Victory!
The Battle with Ironfoot Lake
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Sanji planted his hands on the ground and spun his legs like a windmill, kicking away the underlings of the Ironfoot Pirates one by one. In just a short time, only their captain, Ironfoot Lake, remained standing.
"Tch, a bunch of small fry wasted my time when I should be saving a lady in distress," Sanji muttered, biting down on his cigarette in frustration.
Ironfoot Lake clapped his hands in amusement. "Good, good, good! As expected of Black Leg Sanji, with a bounty of 100 million Berries. Your skills are indeed impressive—far stronger than my men."
Then, Lake grinned. "But tell me, Black Leg… with that level of talent, why are you just the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates? It's beneath you. Join me instead! I'll make you my vice-captain. We'll share the riches and the glory."
He chuckled. "And if it's women you're after, you'll have plenty."
Sanji shot him a contemptuous glance. "Yeah, I do love beautiful women. But I hate forcing them to submit. That goes against my code as a gentleman."
"Code…?" Lake scoffed.
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke. "Besides, trash like you wouldn't even qualify to be an errand boy for the Straw Hats. Where do you get the nerve to ask me to join you?"
Lake's expression darkened. He was a pirate with a 60-million-Berry bounty—only a few million below Sanji's. There was no way this skinny cook was that much stronger than him.
In his eyes, Sanji was just a scrawny guy who could be knocked down with a single kick.
"You should've taken the offer while you had the chance," Lake growled. "Now, I'll send you straight to hell!"
With that, he lunged forward, swinging his steel-plated foot straight at Sanji.
Sanji didn't flinch. Instead, he met the attack head-on with a powerful kick of his own.
CLANG!
The impact echoed as Sanji's foot dented the steel plate.
Lake staggered backward, his leg trembling from the shock. Pain shot up his calf.
"Tch. Too weak," Sanji muttered, clearly unimpressed. "I should've fought someone stronger."
If he'd known this guy was this weak, he would have picked a fight with Mr. 1 instead.
Now that Sanji could dent steel plates with his kicks, he figured he would've stood a decent chance against Daz Bonez. But instead, he was stuck wasting his time on some low-tier pirate.
Lake was in shock.
His leg hurt. His leg—wrapped in real steel—had been damaged by a guy in leather shoes.
'What the hell are his feet made of?!' he thought, cold sweat running down his temple.
"Enough talk," Sanji said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's wrap this up quickly. Kicking Skill Set—First Course!"
Lake hurriedly raised his foot to defend himself.
As a pirate known for his powerful kicks, he was confident in his ability to hold his ground against Sanji in a kicking contest.
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