One Piece: Bai Ye Deputy Captain of the Straw Hats

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

"Hello." The old man, wrapped in bandages, greeted Luffy and Bai Ye. "You two were talking about defeating Moria and taking back a shadow, right?"

Luffy responded eagerly, "Yeah, that's right. That guy stole my friend's shadow, so I'm gonna beat him up and get it back."

Bai Ye chuckled to himself, musing that if the Navy ever interrogated Luffy, they'd get his whole life story by the end of lunch.

"Is that so?" The old man nodded, then added, "When we saw this young man tame the monster earlier, we guessed as much, but we hesitated to approach."

"Why?" Bai Ye interjected, puzzled by their caution.

The old man glanced between Bai Ye and Luffy, then admitted with a hint of reluctance, "Because, well, we thought he might be difficult to talk to."

Bai Ye burst into laughter at this.

"Let me explain," the old man continued. "We're the Rolling Pirates, loyal to Marriage Proposal Lola. We've also had our shadows stolen by Moria. We've observed your strength, so could you wait for our captain to arrive? She can explain the secrets of Moria's powers to you."

"Secrets? Powers?" Luffy looked puzzled. "What are those?"

From the thickets of the forest, a voice suddenly rang out, overriding the conversation: "That's not the most important thing!" Upon hearing this, the old man whipped around, his face lighting up with recognition. "Captain, you're here!"

The crunching of footsteps heralded the arrival of the figure they had been waiting for. Stepping out from the shadows was none other than 'Marriage Proposal' Lola. She was a robust woman with lively pink hair tied in ponytails, missing a front tooth that gave her smile a distinctive gap. Her ensemble was as colorful as her personality: a red dress over a beige jumpsuit, accented with purple high heels, and two swords crossed on her back—a true pirate in appearance.

Bai Ye thought to himself that Oda's choice in character design was certainly unique.

Without missing a beat, Lola marched up to them and blurted out, "Please marry me!!!"

Luffy blinked, taken aback. "Uh, no thanks."

"I refuse," Bai Ye added quickly.

The crew behind Lola burst into laughter, one of them calling out, "As expected! Captain was rejected again!"

"Rejected by two men at once, that makes it the 4445th time!" another crew member chimed in.

"You truly are our captain!"

Unfazed by the dual rejection, Lola shrugged it off—after more than four thousand rejections, one more hardly made a difference. "Well then, let's get down to business," she said, changing the subject. "Let's talk about Moria."

-----

In the dense woods near the castle, Brook, with rapier in hand, launched an aggressive attack:

Gavotte Bond Avant!

His rapier danced, casting numerous shadows that seemed to converge on his opponent, a figure wielding a dark blade.

Clang!

However, in a swift move, the figure parried, holding his black sword horizontally against the storm of thrusts. His voice was soft yet cutting, "Your swordsmanship is terrible." Shifting from defense, he mirrored Brook's technique.

Gavotte Bond en Guillotine!

The counterattack was swift and precise. The force of the blade sent Brook, light as he was, tumbling through the air.

Boom!

Brook struggled to regain balance, spinning helplessly before crashing to the ground. Before he could rise, the cold black sword touched his neck, a threatening promise of defeat.

"Though I wield your shadow and mimic your moves, the strength in this body is beyond your wildest imagination," the figure declared, raising his sword. "Now, witness the chasm that lies between us."

With no flourish, the figure slashed downward. Brook, pinned and powerless, braced for the impact he knew he couldn't withstand. But just as despair gripped him, a fiery slash tore through the air from the trees.

Ittoryu: 36 Pound Phoenix!

"Hmm?" The figure uttered a surprised hum but remained composed. In an instant, he adjusted his stance, swinging his blade in a swift, upward diagonal slash that effortlessly deflected the incoming attack.

Boom!

Despite some of the force being diverted, the remaining power of the strike caused a loud crash, stirring up smoke and debris. From the clearing smoke, a voice called out from the dense forest, firm and challenging, "Then let me be your opponent. I want to see how much I've closed the gap with my training."

As the dust settled, a figure emerged into the clearing. It was Zoro, having finally found his way out of the maze thanks to the sounds of battle.

Brook, recognizing the arrival of his ally, began to speak, "Mr. Zoro! Please—"

But before Brook could finish, Zoro cut him off, already understanding the plea, "Ah, I know what you mean."

He paused, tying a headscarf around his forehead as he continued, "But I'm really sorry. Every time I face an opponent like this, I can't help but get fired up!"

Zoro drew his Wado Ichimonji, holding it firmly between his teeth, his gaze intensely focused on the figure before him. In Zoro's eyes, there was nothing but the opponent holding a dark sword across from him.

"I see," he muttered, his determination clear.

Brook, recognizing Zoro's resolute demeanor, stepped back from the fray to give him room. The enemy, amused by Zoro's fierce look, chuckled lightly. "Yohoho, nice fire in your eyes."

After just a brief exchange, the figure could sense the caliber of the swordsman he faced. "You wield three swords?" he queried, a mix of curiosity and respect in his tone. "Yohoho, such an unusual style. Yet, I can feel that those swords aren't just for show."

Engaged by Zoro's unique style, the figure continued, "Tell me your name, young swordsman. It's only proper to introduce oneself."

As the figure poised himself for a serious attack, raising his sinister blade, Zoro responded with calm authority, "Roronoa Zoro."

His gaze never wavering, Zoro's presence seemed to intensify, filling the air around him. The opponent, intrigued, gave a slight grin. "Yohoho, so much of my consciousness is derived from that skeletal shadow. But this powerful body has allowed me to access some of its past memories."

He smoothly sheathed his black blade, adopting a stance that preluded a swift, lethal strike. "Roronoa Zoro... I'll remember that name."

"You face the body of a samurai who once defeated a dragon! This is Samurai—Ryuma!!!"

With those words hanging in the air, the figure launched into his attack, and Zoro readied his own response:

One-Sword Style: Three Verse Humming Slash!!!