"It's starting, huh?"
"Genrou, you're going to let Zoro choose a Heroic Spirit's power too, right?"
The moment Genrou spoke, Luffy looked over excitedly.
Even though he had already chosen a Heroic Spirit template, his last experience made him especially interested in Genrou's Heroic Spirit Space.
Now that Genrou seemed to be opening that space for Zoro, he was naturally thrilled.
"That's right! Zoro, if you're ready, I'll take you into the Heroic Spirit Space."
Genrou nodded slightly, turning toward Zoro.
"Heroic Spirit, huh? I don't know exactly what that power is… but I'm ready."
Zoro gripped his katana tightly, his expression firm and resolute.
"Good answer. Then let's begin."
With that, Genrou raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
In the next moment, Zoro felt the space around him tremble. In a flash, they were inside a pitch-black void.
Between him and Genrou, a translucent panel floated in mid-air.
"Let me see, let me see!"
"Zoro's three attributes are… Swordsman, Heavy Drinker, Hopeless Navigator."
"Huh?! Hopeless Navigator?! That's an actual trait?!"
"Ahahahaha! Zoro, look! Even the Heroic Spirit Space recorded your terrible sense of direction!"
Luffy clutched his stomach and laughed hysterically.
He didn't notice at all the darkening expression on Zoro's face.
"You bastard! I am not a hopeless navigator!"
"Genrou! Is this thing broken or something?!"
Zoro grabbed Genrou by the collar, shouting in irritation.
Genrou could even see a faint blush rising on Zoro's face.
"I don't think it's wrong. I mean, back at the Marine base, you tried to go inside and ended up running out instead, didn't you?"
"That was an accident! This system is messed up—I'm not a hopeless navigator!"
Hearing that, Genrou regretfully shook his head.
"Give it up, Zoro. We all know the truth."
"Don't worry, we won't judge you."
"If you still don't believe it, you can try tapping on the 'Hopeless Navigator' trait."
"Maybe you'll get a nice little highlight reel of all your directional failures."
Zoro's eyes widened. "Wait, you can actually see that?!"
Luffy: "That sounds fun! Let's try it, Zoro!"
Without waiting, Luffy grabbed Zoro's hand and slapped it onto the words "Hopeless Navigator."
"Wait—!"
Before Zoro could protest, a screen popped up from the trait panel.
On it played a montage of Zoro's finest moments… of getting lost.
"Ahahahaha! Look, it's you, Zoro! Still think you're not directionally challenged?!"
Luffy burst out laughing again.
As the clips played on, showing one embarrassing moment after another, he laughed so hard he was rolling on the ground.
"D-Damn it! Make it stop!"
Even Zoro, usually thick-skinned, couldn't handle having his old failures broadcast like this. He swung his arm toward the screen—only for it to phase through and land on another trait: "Swordsman – Kokushibou."
The space trembled again.
A few seconds later, the three of them were standing in the middle of a desolate desert.
Dozens of meters away stood a man with long black hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a purple snakeskin-patterned kimono with a long katana at his waist.
"Where is this place? Genrou, who's that guy?"
Zoro's brows furrowed. His hands instinctively reached for his swords.
His swordsman's instincts were screaming at him about the killing intent coming from the man ahead.
"You just tapped on the 'Swordsman' trait—specifically, Kokushibou."
"This is the demonstration ground for Kokushibou's swordsmanship, the man also known as Tsugikuni Michikatsu."
"Watch closely, Zoro. This is Upper Moon One, the Demon Moon of the Night—behold the sword style known as Breath of the Moon!"
As Genrou's words fell, Kokushibou swiftly drew his blade and swung it through the empty air in front of him.
"First Form: Dark Moon – Evening Palace!"
A blindingly fast Iaijutsu slash swept across, creating a blade arc like a crescent moon.
That arc was ringed with spinning mini crescent blades orbiting it.
"What a fast draw… This guy's no joke!"
Zoro's eyes locked onto Kokushibou. Just that one strike already made Zoro feel a slight sense of danger.
"Breath of the Moon is a killing style. It's a swordsmanship built purely for slaughter."
"It focuses on unleashing countless blade waves in a short span of time."
"Each wave is surrounded by smaller crescent-shaped blade fragments."
"If someone without ample battle experience faces it… they're done for."
"Zoro, open your eyes and see clearly. Understand the true power of Kokushibou."
As Genrou spoke, his hand rested on Konpira.
He knew that once Zoro inherited Kokushibou's Heroic Spirit template…
He himself would also learn this swordsmanship called Breath of the Moon.
While Genrou explained, Kokushibou had already moved into his next technique:
"Sixth Form: Perpetual Night – Lonely Moon – Incessant!"
A flurry of tightly packed, cross-slashing blows burst forth like a hail of crescent arcs, all zeroing in on Zoro.
Zoro instinctively raised his sword to block the illusionary barrage.
"Heh… Breath of the Moon, huh? He can launch flying slashes with that?"
"Don't worry, Genrou. I'll master this sword style soon."
Zoro looked up, his eyes full of determination.
The earlier blade waves hadn't physically hit him, but their overwhelming force had left an undeniable impression.
For Zoro, who hadn't yet mastered flying slashes, this was a glimpse of a higher level of swordsmanship.
"Keep watching, Zoro. Now comes the real showcase."
Genrou spoke just as Kokushibou's sword transformed—becoming longer and sprouting jagged, branch-like protrusions.
"Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune – Moonlit!"
Kokushibou swung his evolved demon blade, unleashing five massive crescent-shaped shockwaves that surged across the ground.
Compared to the Sixth Form, the speed had more than doubled.
"Incredible! But why did his sword change?"
Luffy tilted his head in confusion.
"Kokushibou isn't human. He's a demon."
"He has tremendous vitality and regeneration."
"Even his blade is forged from his own flesh and blood."
"When he unleashes his full power, that blade—called Flesh Katana: Shukukōshinge—transforms into this twisted form."
"From the Seventh Form onward, all Breath of the Moon techniques are performed with his full strength."
Genrou explained as he stroked his chin.
"A demon, huh? That explains the six eyes…"
"Genrou, if Zoro inherits Kokushibou's power, will he turn into a demon too?"
Nami asked with concern.
"If I can gain that kind of strength, I don't care if I grow six eyes."
Zoro said without hesitation, eyes still locked onto Kokushibou's bladework.
"Don't worry. If Zoro chooses Kokushibou, he'll inherit his power, but not become him."
"You'll gain the Heroic Spirit template—and possibly even his regenerative abilities."
"But you won't get his immortality."
"Still, while you won't be immortal, you also won't have the demon's weakness of being unable to walk under sunlight."
Genrou smiled, sharing the info he'd just received from the system about Kokushibou's Heroic Spirit template.
The word "immortality" naturally caught everyone's attention again.
But Kokushibou's display didn't stop due to their surprise.
With a leap, Kokushibou soared over ten meters into the air, and his killing intent instantly intensified.
"Sixteenth Form: Moonbow – Half Moon!"
With a fierce shout, Kokushibou swung his blade downward.
Dozens of massive blade winds, accompanied by countless crescent blade fragments, rained down from above—blanketing a hundred-meter radius.
And among that range… was Genrou and his group.
…
(End of Chapter)
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