Confronted with Zoro's attack, Ikki remained completely unfazed.
With his current abilities, Zoro—who had not yet entered the Grand Line—posed no real threat to him.
[Host: Ikki Kurogane]
[Age: 25 years old]
[Weapon: Zangetsu]
[Life force: 600, Level C]
[Kendo Realm: Iron Cutting Realm]
[Special Abilities: Beginner Armament Haki, Beginner Observation Haki]
After confirming his personal attributes through the system, Ikki noticed Zoro's attack rapidly approaching.
"Three Sword Style: Ghost Slayer!"
Zoro's three blades swung toward Ikki with lightning speed, creating sword patterns that ordinary people could never hope to dodge.
Against Ikki, who could cut through steel, Zoro chose not to hold back. His philosophy was simple—once you commit to action, go all out.
This technique represented the pinnacle of Zoro's current strength in both speed and power. Yet Ikki casually struck the intersection of Zoro's three swords with his own blade, completely halting Zoro's forward momentum.
"No... no way! Brother Zoro's special move was blocked?!"
Johnny's jaw, who had already stepped aside to watch, nearly hit the ground from shock.
Zoro, caught in the clash, was equally stunned.
"You blocked me so easily?!" Disbelief filled Zoro's eyes as the three swords in his hands and mouth immediately transformed into a violent storm of slashes directed at Ikki.
However, all of Zoro's sword techniques were effortlessly parried by Ikki with Zangetsu.
'Zoro still needs experience,' Ikki thought to himself. 'In terms of Life force, he's probably only around 300.'
Ikki assessed Zoro's attack power and speed, mentally gauging his own strength relative to the pirate world. Then, suddenly increasing his sword speed, he blocked Zoro's three blades and swiftly thrust Zangetsu into Zoro's chest.
Slash!
Blood splattered as the fabric of Zoro's shirt instantly became saturated with crimson.
"Brother Zoro!" Johnny and Yosaku cried out in distress seeing their friend wounded.
"Hey, why don't you dodge?" Ikki raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious when confronted with this familiar scene.
"Well, if I dodge... my dream will be lost," Zoro replied through gritted teeth, his voice low but resolute.
"Impressive," Ikki nodded, truly admiring the swordsman's resolve.
Originally, those words were meant for Dracule Mihawk, yet now Zoro had spoken them to him instead.
"For that alone—for managing to interest me—I'll show you something special," Ikki said. "Witness my blade's true form."
Ikki withdrew Zangetsu from Zoro's chest and took two steps back.
"True form?" Zoro asked in confusion as he backed away, teeth clenched against the pain, yet still maintaining his fighting stance.
Ikki smirked, placing his left hand on his right wrist, and pointed Zangetsu at Zoro.
"Pierce the heavens, Zangetsu!"
Buzz!
As the words left Ikki's mouth, Zangetsu began to tremble as if alive. There was a brilliant flash of light, and Zoro watched in shock as the once slender Zangetsu transformed into a massive blade nearly as tall as Ikki himself.
The transformed weapon had no pattern or guard, just a slender white bandage wrapped around the end of the handle.
"What... the sword became bigger?" Johnny gasped.
"What's happening with that blade? How can it change shape? And what's this pressure I'm feeling?" Joseph added, struggling to remain standing.
'I can feel pressure from a sword?' Zoro thought incredulously. 'Is this what he meant by its true form?'
Zoro took a deep breath, and the two swords in his hands began to spin rapidly, generating a powerful whirlwind around him.
Seeing this, Ikki nodded at Zoro with respect and raised the massive cleaver above his head. Wisps of silver-white energy began to gather from Ikki's hand toward Zangetsu's blade.
After a moment, Zoro charged toward Ikki at tremendous speed. Wielding his three swords, he struck faster than in any of his previous attacks.
"Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!"
Facing Zoro's rapid assault, Ikki's right hand fell in a casual arc.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
In an instant, a silver-white crescent slash broke away from Zangetsu's blade, passing by Zoro's body. It not only shattered his attack but also sent him flying backward. The two swords in his hands shattered instantly on impact.
'It's over,' Ikki thought.
With a flick of his wrist, he deactivated Zangetsu's Shikai state and sheathed the blade.
Although the Zangetsu in his possession lacked the power to kill souls, and Ikki himself didn't possess Reiatsu, Zangetsu was capable of converting his Life force—his physical energy—into the power needed to unleash the Getsuga Tenshō.
With Zoro's current strength, not yet having reached the Iron Cutting Realm, blocking the Getsuga Tenshō was impossible. Ikki knew that if had he aimed the attack directly at Zoro, the world would have lost a swordsman destined to become one of the greatest.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for defeating the swordsman Zoro. You can now take the famous sword 'Wado Ichimonji' from his possession and upload it to obtain lottery permission.]
[Congratulations to Host for acquiring all of Three Sword Style swordsman Zoro's current sword techniques.]
[If Host wishes to challenge Zoro again, he must wait until his Life force or Sword Realm enters the next stage, and at least ten days must pass.]
'Hmm? I can gain sword techniques by defeating a swordsman?' Ikki thought in surprise. 'The system actually has this function?'
As Zoro's current sword techniques flashed through his mind, a spark of intrigue lit up in Ikki's heart.
'So I need to wait until his strength improves and some time passes before I can challenge him again?' Ikki contemplated. 'That means if he acquires certain famous swords in the future, I can defeat him again and upload those famous swords to the system.'
Ikki felt quite satisfied with the "All Great Swordsman" system that allowed him to exchange famous swords for lottery draws. However, the system only permitted him to obtain lottery permissions by defeating a swordsman who had possessed a famous sword for a period of time. Simply purchasing a famous sword from a shop wouldn't qualify for lottery exchanges.
'But defeating a swordsman also gives me the chance to acquire their mastered techniques,' Ikki realized. 'That makes defeating swordsmen even more beneficial.'
Ikki smiled to himself, contemplating the possibilities.