It had been two days since the fall of Blacktooth.
The port of Shellshade, once soaked in blood and fear, had begun to breathe again—cautiously, like a man recovering from a deep wound, unsure whether the pain would return the moment he relaxed. Burned homes were patched with fresh wood, children played along the empty wharves, and laughter occasionally slipped into the wind, though never without a glance over the shoulder.
Kazuha stood at the far end of the training field that had been carved out of rubble and broken crates behind the old barracks. His shirt hung over a railing, sweat running down his back as he moved through sword forms in near silence.
Each swing was deliberate. Each step exact.
There was no audience this time—no pirates to cut down, no civilians watching from the shadows. Just the sound of his breath, the weight of the blade, and the wind brushing across the field like a rhythm meant only for him.
"System Sync: 64%."
System Integration Update: Flash Step – Level 4 Reached
Zanjutsu Mastery: 47%
"Observation Haki Status: Stable. Expansion Available."
"Reiryoku–Haki Convergence: Initiate Trial?"
Kazuha stopped mid-swing, holding his katana horizontally in front of him. His reflection stared back faintly in the polished steel, eyes calmer than they had been days ago, but no less cold. He whispered a single word.
"Begin."
The shift was immediate.
His body felt suddenly weightless—yet filled with tension. The air thickened, pressure building invisibly around him. Sparks of energy danced along his fingertips, not just the blue arcs of Thunder Veil, but a new sensation—deeper, warmer. His breath slowed as his vision sharpened. The sound of a leaf falling twenty feet away registered in his hearing like a drop of water in a well.
A surge of heat pulsed through his limbs. And then—
A presence appeared. Not physical. But undeniably real.
"Combat Trial Initiated: Shadow of Zoro (Manifested Construct)"
"Parameters: Convergence – Haki vs Reiryoku."
Kazuha blinked once, and when he looked forward again, there he stood.
A doppelgänger of the world's greatest swordsman.
Not exactly Zoro—but an illusion forged by the system, one shaped by his memories of the manga and the data drawn from the energy he had absorbed since entering this world. The copy wore the iconic green haramaki, twin earrings glinting in the sun. Three swords, perfectly sheathed at his hip.
The construct's eyes opened slowly.
And then it moved.
The first strike came without warning.
Steel screamed through the air as the construct's sword cut in from the right in a high arc, the pressure of the swing alone enough to kick up a spray of dust. Kazuha leapt back, landing light on his feet, raising his katana just in time to catch the follow-up slash—a horizontal sweep aimed directly at his ribs.
The impact rattled his arms. This wasn't like fighting pirates. This construct fought like a swordsman—a real one. No wasted movements, no theatrical swings. Every strike was measured, disciplined, lethal.
Kazuha shifted left, deflecting the next blow, only to feel the weight of a second blade come in from below. The illusion wasn't holding back.
He was being pushed back with every clash, foot by foot.
Then Kazuha activated it.
Thunder Veil.
Electricity burst across his arms and shoulders as his spiritual pressure surged outward. The next parry wasn't defensive—he met the construct's blade head-on and countered with a fast low cut aimed at the legs.
It missed.
The Zoro-construct spun out of the way, twirling its third sword into its mouth and stepping into a stance Kazuha recognized instantly.
Three-Sword Style – Oni Giri.
His instincts screamed.
Kazuha threw himself to the side as the illusion lunged forward, slashing in three simultaneous directions. The edge of the attack grazed his shoulder, slicing through skin and drawing a hot line of blood.
He hit the dirt, rolled, and rose again, now breathing harder.
"Damage Threshold Reached – Reiryoku Boost Triggered."
New State Initiated: Reactive Reiryoku Flow – Converts spiritual pressure into reflexive movement bonuses. Duration: 10 seconds."
The next few seconds unfolded in a blur.
Kazuha dashed forward, using Flash Step in rapid succession. His movements left streaks of static in the air. He feinted left, ducked a diagonal strike, and countered with a sharp uppercut slash to the illusion's ribs. Metal rang against metal, and for the first time, he saw the construct recoil.
He pressed the advantage.
Strike. Parry. Step. Pulse.
Getsuga Tenshō – Short Arc!
The condensed crescent wave burst from his blade in a tighter radius, crashing into the construct and throwing it backward. He didn't stop. He charged into the smoke and slammed his elbow into the illusion's chest, knocking it to the ground.
He raised his blade—
But the construct twisted, sliced upward, and grazed his ribs again.
Kazuha stumbled back, blood soaking his side.
They stood apart now, both wounded, both breathing heavily.
But something had changed.
He wasn't losing anymore.
He was learning.
"Observation Haki Enhanced: Predictive Thread Sync – 0.8 Seconds Ahead."
"Reiryoku Control Level Increased."
"System Update: Convergence Stage One – Complete."
The Zoro construct nodded.
Then it rushed him again, this time faster, more refined.
But Kazuha met it fully.
They clashed in the center of the field, exchanging blows with dizzying speed. Sparks flew with every strike, their blades becoming blurs of motion, their feet digging into the dirt as they shifted angles and momentum with surgical precision.
Kazuha caught a rising slash and pushed the illusion off balance, pivoted under its next swing, and drove his shoulder into its torso. As the construct staggered back, he gathered his energy, focused it, and finally shouted—
"Thunder Veil: Pulse Crescent Slash!"
The blade glowed with compressed lightning and spiritual force as he swung downward. The arc of energy ripped through the air in a roaring surge and exploded against the illusion with a blast that lit the training field in blue-white flame.
When the light faded, the construct was gone.
The field was quiet.
He fell to one knee, panting, sword tip in the dirt, blood running from his shoulder and side.
But he was still upright.
And he had won.
"Combat Trial Concluded."
"System Sync: 67%."
New Passive Unlocked: Haki-Reiryoku Overlap – Enhanced prediction, spiritual pressure recovery, and energy precision during combat.
"Technique Progression: Thunder Veil (Stage II) – Complete."
"Zanjutsu Level 5 Achieved."
"New Sword Form Unlocked: Echo Cross Step – Uses Flash Step to strike from two delayed afterimages."
Footsteps approached slowly.
Lysara stood at the edge of the field, arms folded, watching him with an unreadable expression. "You've been out here since sunrise."
He didn't look up. "The system pushed a trial. I needed it."
She stepped closer, crouching beside him. "You also needed someone to tell you that your shoulder's a mess and you need actual bandages."
Kazuha gave a dry, breathless laugh. "I'll take that under advisement."
Lysara pulled a cloth from her pouch and pressed it against his wound. "You push yourself like this every time something goes quiet, don't you?"
"Quiet makes me nervous," he admitted. "It never lasts."
Her hands paused. Then she said, almost too softly, "Maybe it doesn't have to."
They didn't speak after that.
They didn't need to.
The sea, for once, was calm.
And Kazuha could feel deep in the marrow of his spirit that something had just shifted inside him.
He wasn't just adapting to this world anymore.
He was beginning to bend it.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!