To Cut Iron

A large title reads "NO BRAKES." Monkey D. Luffy rides a surfboard across a blue ocean wave, body angled forward with one fist extended and the other raised. The Going Merry sails behind him on the water with two figures aboard. The scene is rendered in full color with bright skies and dynamic waves.

A tall bald man in a long black coat stands with arms crossed, declaring "Not a single swordsman, has even been able to leave a scratch on me." He continues, "I hate to rain on your parade, but since the day I've obtained my Supa Supa devil fruit, no swordsman could possibly defeat me." Below in a city street, Roronoa Zoro grips his swords and replies, "You might want to pack all those fond memories of yours into a pretty little album. Sure, sure. Because while I don't know what kind of swordsmen you've fought in the past..."

Roronoa Zoro crouches with swords drawn, stating "That you've never gone up against me before." Daz Bones answers, "It's a fact." In a close-up, Zoro calls him "Baldy." Daz Bones retorts, "I'll take that as a compliment." He then clashes with Zoro, warning "Hmph, you better hope your swords can cut half as well as your insults." The two cross blades in a powerful impact, sending debris flying.

The masked swordsman grins confidently and declares, "Oh, I'll finish you off quick, don't you worry." His bald opponent narrows his eyes and replies, "I wonder how many minutes this fight'll last for..." In a blur of motion the swordsman lunges forward, blades flashing as he drives the bald man down onto the wooden deck. Impact lines and debris explode outward. The bald fighter rolls with the strike, one hand braced on the planks. A large speech bubble announces the technique "SPAR CLAW" as the masked swordsman’s clawed strike rakes across the air, sweat flying from his face while the bald man watches with a grim expression. A small caption notes that all of Mr. 1’s attack names are a pun with the Japanese supa (sfx for a clean-cut) as well as being the name of his fruit.

The swordsman presses the assault with a furious overhead slash, blades crossing in a storm of impact stars and motion lines. Massive Japanese sound effects "ギギギギ...!!" and "キキキ...!!" burst across the panel as steel grinds against steel. The bald fighter is forced back, then lunges in return, shouting "CLUTCH" twice while his hands clamp onto the swordsman’s blades. The swordsman yells "SLIDE!" as he twists away, the clash sending sparks flying. A final close-up shows the bald man’s hands gripping tightly while the swordsman’s blades are locked in a desperate bind.

The bald fighter is hurled skyward, limbs flailing as he shouts "WHOA!" The swordsman spins violently in mid-air, cloak whipping around him while he yells "SPIN!" and then "FLIP!" The bald man is sent tumbling across the deck. In the next instant the swordsman lands in a low stance, blades drawn, as the bald fighter skids to a halt. A small panel shows the bald man’s intense glare while an off-panel voice begins "ONI-". The sequence ends with a close-up of the bald man’s hand reaching out as the word "CLAMP!" appears.

The bald man’s eyes widen in shock, sweat beading on his forehead as he stares upward. A massive impact erupts in the center of the page: the swordsman, back to the viewer, swings both blades in a devastating cross-slash. Enormous sound effects "ギュン...!!" and "キキキ...!!" explode outward with radiating speed lines. The bald fighter is blasted backward through the air. Large stylized text reads "GIRI! (demon slash)" beside the strike. The swordsman remains crouched in the follow-through pose, blades extended, cloak flaring dramatically.

Zoro is hurled violently through the air by a massive impact, swords flashing as he tumbles. A sharp "だんっ" rings out with the onomatopoeia "TORA-" as his body twists mid-flight. In the next instant he crashes down hard, blades scattering around him in a chaotic sprawl while a huge exclamation of shock erupts from an unseen observer. Close-ups reveal Zoro's gritted teeth and the tall opponent's stern face, sweat and tension visible as the swordsman lies momentarily stunned amid the debris.

A massive explosion of debris erupts as Zoro is launched skyward again, the enormous sound effect "レッドゴォォオオオ" dominating the panel with "GARI!! (tiger hunt)" beside it. Zoro twists in mid-air, swords gripped tightly, while the city street below is torn apart. Below, a black-haired man in a cap watches with wide eyes, huffing heavily as he grips his own weapon. The final small panel shows Zoro landing on his feet with "LAND" and the page number 154 visible.

Zoro stands with his back to the viewer, facing the tall opponent across the ruined street. The opponent spreads his arms wide, declaring "...Futile, just as I told you." Zoro replies in shock, "Not even a single scratch... That's a bit of a shock. This is my first time seeing someone stand up after taking all those attacks." The opponent smirks and answers "Naturally..." while Zoro gives a short "...Heh!" and states "It's a fact that you and I have never fought before."

The tall opponent lunges forward with a powerful slash, shouting "WHOA!" as his arm transforms into a blade. Zoro is sent flying once more amid heavy impact lines and the massive SFX "ズギャキィィン". Multiple panels show the clash: Zoro blocking desperately, the opponent pressing the attack with "HMPH" and "オッ", while Zoro cries out "AHH!" as he is driven back. The sequence ends with Zoro skidding across the ground, swords raised in defense.

Zoro clashes fiercely with the blade-bodied opponent. Realization hits as he swings his swords: "NOW I GET IT... HE'S A 'HUMAN BLADE' SO ANY PART OF HIS BODY CAN BECOME THE EDGE OF A BLADE..." The enemy counters with rapid strikes. Zoro is sent flying backward, shouting "WHOA!" as he tumbles through the air. He lands hard, skidding across the ground amid debris and impact lines while the opponent presses the assault.

The blade-man unleashes a spinning cross-slash attack. "SPARKLING DAISY!" he yells as his limbs become whirling blades. Zoro blocks desperately, swords crossed, but the force hurls him backward through the air. He crashes into the side of a large building, shattering windows and stone. The structure cracks and begins to collapse around him as dust and debris fly everywhere.

The opponent grabs Zoro mid-air, snarling "Fly away... DAMN IT, HE'S..." and hurls him violently. Zoro is launched through the air with tremendous force. "GAHHH!" he cries as he smashes into the building's upper floor, shattering walls and sending rubble flying. The entire structure begins to crumble. Below, the blade-man stands amid falling debris while the town square fills with dust and destruction.

In a training flashback, young Zoro hangs upside down from a tree branch, thinking "SO WHAT IS IT THAT I'M STILL LACKING...!I" He recalls surviving countless life-or-death battles. His sensei appears and confirms, "Yes, it's true. I hear there are people in this world who can even cut through iron!" Zoro reacts with shock: "SENSEI!" The sensei holds up a sheet of paper and instructs, "Look carefully at this sheet of paper, Zoro..." as Zoro attempts a slash and fails, the paper remaining intact.

A young man with glasses stands on a wooden walkway, sword drawn, addressing Zoro. "Listen well, Zoro. There are swordsmen in this world who can't cut anything," he says. In a flashback panel, the same swordsman explains, "But those same people can cut through iron. All the while using the same sword..." He smiles confidently and continues, "IN MY OPINION, A BLADE THAT CUTS WHATEVER IT TOUCHES CANNOT BE CONSIDERED A 'SWORD'... THE 'STRONGEST SWORD' IS A BLADE THAT CAN PROTECT WHAT IT WISHES TO PROTECT AND CUT WHAT IT WISHES TO CUT." Zoro, sweating, asks, "ZORO, DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO WHAT I WANTI" The swordsman replies, "ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA BECOME A SWORDSMAN THAT CAN CUT EVERYTHING!" From a distance on the building, he asks, "UnderstandI"

The large bald man in ornate robes declares, "IT'S A SHAME YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE ME BEAUTIFULLY CUT THROUGH IRON... You won't get anywhere if all you do is take my attacks. Hurry up and try to cut me if you can." Close-ups show intense glares and gritted teeth with sound effects "ガラ..." and "ガラ...!". The massive dojo building suddenly explodes outward in a huge blast of debris and smoke. The robed man stands amid the rubble as the structure collapses around him, with large impact SFX and "RUMBLE" visible.

A close-up shows a bald man saying "I see..." Zoro grins fiercely, declaring, "WILL BE THE SAME MOMENT YOU DIE...! BECAUSE THE VERY MOMENT I CUT THROUGH IRON," followed by a loud "HAHH!" as he leaps. In a dramatic panel, Zoro's silhouette stands against the destroyed building edge. The large man responds intensely, "FIRST, A SWORD THAT CAN'T CUT THROUGH ANYTHING...! I'll cut your entire body up right down to the very last atom...!" with heavy impact SFX "ドンッ!!!" and "ドンッ!!!" surrounding the exchange.

No description for this page.