One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 462: Kuina and Zoro’s Combined Attack? Shiryu’s Death!

As soon as Zoro spoke, he lowered Shusui, its tip pointing toward the ground. A powerful aura surged around him.

For an instant, the battlefield seemed engulfed in a spectral mist, and behind Zoro, the phantom of an Asura loomed.

At the same time, Kuina lowered Wadō Ichimonji, mirroring his stance. Her presence intensified, and behind her, the image of an angry king gradually took form.

The combined pressure of their auras overwhelmed Shiryu. For a brief moment, his mind cleared, his bloodshot eyes faded, and the madness consuming him weakened.

"This is…?" Shiryu muttered in shock. But he had no time to think—Kuina and Zoro were already moving toward him. Though their speed was not extreme, their measured steps carried the feeling of immense power building up.

Gripping the cursed blade Thunderstorm tightly, Shiryu forcibly suppressed its influence once more. He still wanted to escape, but even running required an opportunity. And this—this was his last chance!

"Nine Mountains and Eight Seas…" Zoro's voice was low, his aura rising with each syllable.

"Three Thousand Worlds…" Kuina murmured in unison, her presence sharp as if ready to cut through everything.

As soon as their voices fell, their blades moved not with elaborate techniques, but with a simple, direct upward slash aimed straight at Shiryu.

Then, without any signal, both fighters accelerated simultaneously, their footwork exploding with force. Two figures—one from the left, one from the right—rushed at Shiryu at lightning speed.

"There's nothing left to hold back!" Zoro and Kuina declared in unison.

In the next second, they converged into a single streak of motion, appearing before Shiryu in an instant.

A flicker of panic crossed Shiryu's eyes. He swung Thunderstorm forward, desperately trying to block their attack.

But it was too late.

Just as Shiryu raised his sword, Wadō Ichimonji and Shusui struck Thunderstorm in perfect synchronization. Sparks erupted as the three legendary blades clashed, but only for a fleeting moment.

In the next instant, their voices overlapped once more.

A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield. In a split second, Thunderstorm—a blade once feared across the world—was shattered into three pieces.

The impact sent Shiryu stumbling backward. From a distance, Crocodile watched as if Shiryu had walked directly into the hands of Kuina and Zoro.

A heartbeat later, blood erupted into the air.

Kuina and Zoro dashed past Shiryu, emerging on opposite sides of him.

Neither Wadō Ichimonji nor Shusui bore even a single drop of blood.

Zoro raised his left hand, lifting his blade toward the sky. Kuina raised her right hand, mirroring him. Then, with a subtle yet deliberate motion, they tapped their sword hilts together, a silent acknowledgment between comrades.

The moment their blades met, Shiryu's body finally collapsed to his knees.

Blood poured from the X-shaped wound carved into his chest—so deep that his internal organs were faintly visible.

His clothes quickly became soaked in red. The former Impel Down warden, now a traitor, gazed down at the broken fragments of Thunderstorm in his hands. A weak chuckle escaped his lips.

"A traitor… will always be betrayed in the end. And the soul… will fall into hell."

His expression was a mix of relief and loneliness.

In his final moments, he whispered to his shattered blade, "I suppose… this is a fitting end for both of us, old friend."

As he spoke, droplets of water seeped from the broken handle of Thunderstorm, washing away the blood that had tainted it. It was said that Thunderstorm was a blade that never drank the blood of its enemies perhaps, even in its destruction, it wept for its fate.

Was it mourning its master? Or lamenting its own tragic end?

"…Such a shame," Shiryu murmured in his last breath.

With that, his body lost its final strength. He toppled forward, hitting the ground face-first. His breathing ceased completely.

Zoro and Kuina turned to look at the fallen swordsman.

Kuina showed no emotion. With a practiced motion, she flipped Wadō Ichimonji and slid it effortlessly into its scabbard.

Zoro, however, hesitated for a moment before softly remarking, "Seems like… he finally understood something at the end."

Kuina raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Zoro smirked slightly, his gaze lingering on the fallen Shiryu. "Whether he admitted it or not… he was a swordsman."

Kuina scoffed. "Maybe. Not that it matters to me." She had no interest in debating Shiryu's legacy.

Then, a glint of excitement flashed in her eyes. She clapped Zoro on the shoulder and grinned. "Gotta say, kid—you've gotten stronger. You should swing by Marine Headquarters sometime. Let's have a proper duel."

Zoro shook off her hand, scowling. "Don't get cocky. Next time, I'll be the one who wins."

"Oh?" Kuina tilted her head playfully. "Right now, my win record stands at 2,752 to 1. Even if you win next time, it's still not much of a change."

Zoro's eye twitched. "Doesn't matter. A single win is the start of a comeback. I'll even out that record and surpass you."

Kuina looked at him like he was an idiot. "And if you do even out the score? Why would I keep challenging you after that? Wouldn't it make sense to stop when I'm no longer the stronger one?"

Zoro froze. "…You make a good point, but I refuse to accept it."

"Too bad. If I stop challenging you, you'll never get the chance to even things out."

Zoro's face darkened. "Oi, have some pride! If I beat you, you should get stronger, fight me again, and take your revenge! That's how this works!"

Kuina shrugged nonchalantly. "Why would I? You're the one with something to prove, not me. I've already beaten you over two thousand times. I have nothing to prove."

"You… damn…!!" Zoro gritted his teeth, his frustration growing.

Kuina simply laughed. "Hahaha! Your reactions are still the best!"

Finally, she dropped the subject and changed the topic. "Anyway… the fight here is over."

She paused, glancing toward the storm-filled sky in the distance. Thunder roared as Enel and Shiki continued their battle.

"We could join the fight over there," she mused. "Or… what's your plan?"

Zoro shrugged. "I'm going to find Ace. We got separated earlier, and I ended up here by accident. Now that this fight is done, I need to regroup. My mission is to take down Big Mom's crew."

"Ah, Ace?" Kuina stroked her chin. "Vice Admiral Smoker invited me earlier, but I was looking for you. Now that we're done here, I might as well join the battle against the Big Mom Pirates."

"Just don't slow me down," Zoro muttered.

"If you keep running your mouth, I might just refuse to lead the way," Kuina said, pouting.

Zoro opened his mouth to argue but hesitated—he had no real comeback. In the end, he just huffed in annoyance.

Kuina chuckled again. "Hahahaha, you're too easy to mess with!"

(To be continued.)

***

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