THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

Zombies were being cut down left and right, their numbers rapidly dwindling. Eventually, the remaining ones realized that the three figures before them were far from ordinary prey. In a panic, they turned and fled into the shadows.

"Don't chase them. Let them run."

Alastor's calm command echoed across the deck as he followed the retreating zombies at a leisurely pace.

The fastest zombie scrambled to reach its master, Absalom, one of Gecko Moria's three loyal lieutenants.

"Why the panic?" Absalom asked, irritation evident in his gruff voice. "What happened?"

"E-Enemies have invaded!" stammered the zombie, trembling.

"Enemies? Can't you imbeciles just capture them?"

"W-We tried! We can't! Even Cyberus is dead!"

The mention of Cyberus—the massive, three-headed zombie dog, one of the strongest creations in Moria's army—made Absalom's eyes widen. Moments earlier, Onimaru had decapitated all three heads with unerring precision.

"Cyberus... dead?" Absalom murmured, his unease growing. Realizing the severity of the situation, he decided to investigate for himself.

With a flicker, his body vanished into thin air—not through stealth, but through his Suke Suke no Mi (Clear-Clear Fruit) ability, which rendered him invisible. Confident in his transparency, he crept toward the source of the chaos.

From his unseen vantage, Absalom spotted the invaders: three individuals, one of whom he recognized almost instantly.

The man at the forefront was tall and imposing, his aura commanding attention. Behind him was a ship bearing the unmistakable flag of the Beast Pirates.

Absalom's heart raced. "That's Alastor! One of Kaido's Flying Six! The one with a bounty of over 600 million berries!"

Panic gripped him. He knew too well the history between Kaido and Moria. The overwhelming defeat Moria had suffered years ago still haunted their crew. Absalom turned and ran, his mind racing.

"I have to warn Lord Moria! The Beast Pirates are here!"

He hesitated, glancing back. "Wait… no. They're following me! Are they trying to use me to find Moria? Damn it!"

Loyal to his master, Absalom quickly formulated a plan. Turning to a nearby zombie, he barked, "You! Go to Lord Moria immediately! Tell him the Beast Pirates have invaded!"

After dispatching the messenger, Absalom rallied an army of zombies, pulling from Hogback's most elite creations. These undead warriors included several legendary figures reanimated by Moria, such as Captain John, the infamous pirate whose greed was legendary.

The zombies stood ready, but without the shadows of truly strong individuals, their power was limited. Still, Absalom resolved to buy time for his master.

When Alastor and his companions arrived, Absalom reappeared briefly, shouting:

"Stop right there! If you want to advance, you'll have to get past this zombie army!"

The undead let out a collective roar, charging toward the invaders. At the same time, Absalom turned invisible once more, hoping to find an opening for a sneak attack.

Alastor remained unfazed. His gaze swept over the charging zombies before locking onto a single figure at the back of the army.

The man stood out, clad in a samurai's armor, with a traditional topknot and a katana in his hand. The blade gleamed ominously—it was a fully blackened sword, a kokutō—a rarity in the world. Alastor recognized it immediately: Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords (Ō Wazamono) and the national treasure of Wano Country.

The samurai's identity was undeniable.

"Knew it," Alastor muttered. He turned to Onimaru, who stood beside him. "You've noticed, haven't you?"

Onimaru's voice trembled slightly, filled with a mixture of awe and resolve. "Yes… That's my ancestor, the legendary Dragon Slayer—Shimotsuki Ryuma. Even in this zombified state, I can feel his presence."

Alastor nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Then go. Show him what his descendant is capable of."

Onimaru bowed deeply before stepping forward, his grip tightening on his sword.

Sai, watching from the side, whispered, "Isn't that... Ryuma? The legendary samurai? What's he doing here as a zombie?"

Alastor responded calmly. "Ryuma's body was stolen from Wano by Moria and turned into one of his pawns. But this isn't just about a fight. For Onimaru, this battle is a rite of passage."

Satisfied with his explanation, Alastor addressed Sai. "While Onimaru handles Ryuma, the rest of the zombies are yours. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course!" Sai declared confidently, brimming with determination.

"Good. Then awaken your potential and make it count."

Sai charged into the fray, unleashing his full strength against the horde.

Onimaru approached Ryuma, step by deliberate step.

Ryuma, who had initially been expressionless, seemed to react as Onimaru drew near. His face took on an almost human quality, and his voice—raspy and faint, yet filled with emotion—spoke a single word:

"You…"

Onimaru stopped, bowing his head respectfully. "Shimotsuki Onimaru, your descendant, stands before you."

A flicker of recognition passed through Ryuma's undead eyes. "Shimotsuki… That name… It stirs something in me."

Even with Brook's shadow animating him, Ryuma's original will, forged through years of unparalleled strength, began to surface.

He raised Shusui and smiled faintly. "So, you carry my bloodline. Let's see if you're worthy of wielding a blade like this!"

Onimaru steadied himself, his nerves calming as he drew his sword. "I will prove myself, Ryuma-sama."

The two samurai faced each other, and the clash of their blades would soon echo across the deck—a battle not just of strength, but of legacy and honor.

A clash of generations began—a duel spanning centuries between the legendary ancestor Shimotsuki Ryuma and his determined descendant Onimaru. The battlefield was alive with sparks of steel and the will of warriors.

Onimaru's weapon was a simple, unremarkable sword—not among the famed blades of legend. However, it gleamed with the black aura of Armament Haki, reinforcing its edge. Without this mastery of Haki, his sword would have shattered instantly against Ryuma's legendary blade, Shusui.

As one of the only two kokutō (blackened blades) in existence, Shusui was a weapon of unparalleled sharpness, forged in countless battles and hardened into legend.

When Ryuma noticed the black sheen on Onimaru's blade, his undead eyes flickered with recognition, his expression momentarily contemplative. "Haki… This body recalls something about it," he murmured, his voice rasping with the echoes of his former self. "But the memory is incomplete."

As a zombie animated by Brook's shadow, Ryuma lacked knowledge of Haki. Yet his warrior instincts were intact, and his body carried the experience of countless duels, including his legendary battle with the dragon that once terrorized Wano.

Ryuma smirked, his voice tinged with anticipation. "Even so, this duel awakens something within me. I hope you won't disappoint me, boy."

The air grew tense. A fierce aura radiated from Onimaru, wild and untamed. It was almost feral, reminiscent of the aura Ryuma once felt while facing the dragon he had slain centuries ago.

"Impressive," Ryuma said, gripping Shusui. "You remind me of a beast… No, something even greater. Let's see if your spirit matches your blade!"

At Ryuma's challenge, Onimaru moved.

"Shimotsuki Ittōryu: Black Serpent!"

With a burst of speed, Onimaru struck, his blade slicing through the air like a venomous serpent aiming for its prey. The strike was precise, targeting Ryuma's throat with lethal intent.

But Ryuma, guided by his body's instinctive memory, sidestepped the attack effortlessly. His deep voice carried a hint of amusement.

"You wield a fierce sword, but your defenses are riddled with openings. A true swordsman never abandons balance."

Ryuma countered immediately.

"Kagerō no Uta: True Thrust!"

Shusui lunged forward, its immense power sending a shockwave through the air. The force of the sword strike created a piercing Jianbo (sword energy blast) that tore through Onimaru's shoulder, leaving a deep wound. The blast continued, punching a hole through a wall several meters away.

Behind the wall, a skeletal figure yelped in alarm.

"Gyaaah! That was close! If I had been just a step closer, I would've been sliced in half!"

It was Brook, the very shadow that animated Ryuma's body. He peered through the hole, watching the battle in awe.

"That technique… It's mine! But Ryuma used it with far more force—several times stronger than I ever could!" Brook muttered nervously. His soul quivered at the realization: Ryuma had never fought him seriously in their past encounters.

On the battlefield, Onimaru staggered slightly, blood dripping from his wound. Yet he ignored the pain entirely, his fiery determination unwavering. He launched another assault, every strike aimed at Ryuma's vital points.

Ryuma noticed the unrelenting nature of Onimaru's attacks. "You aren't reckless after all," he murmured, parrying a strike. "You're not defending because you've chosen to fight like this."

Onimaru's fierce offense came at a cost, as Shusui inflicted another deep wound on his side. Despite this, Ryuma himself wasn't unscathed. A shallow cut on his arm oozed a dark liquid, evidence of Onimaru's precision and raw power.

Ryuma stepped back, examining the wound with mild surprise. "This is no ordinary fighting style. It's not Shimotsuki-ryu swordsmanship…" He paused, his undead eyes narrowing. "Wait. Shimotsuki-ryu… Why does that name feel so familiar?"

Onimaru, catching his breath, responded. "Ancestor, I've altered our family's swordsmanship to suit my own path. It's no longer the same style you once knew."

"Ancestor?" Ryuma's lips curled into a grin. "So, you are of my bloodline. The name Shimotsuki lives on… and so do its traditions, it seems."

The flicker of recognition in Ryuma's voice grew stronger. "Good. That makes this duel all the more exciting!"

Onimaru advanced again, but this time his movements shifted. The air around him rippled as the mythical Zoan power of his Yamata no Orochi Devil Fruit manifested. From his wounded shoulder, a snake's head emerged, its fangs gleaming like blades.

"Shimotsuki Nitōryu: Twin Serpent Strangle!"

The serpent lunged alongside Onimaru's blade, their attacks synchronized in a deadly dance.

Ryuma's undead smirk widened. "A swordsman with a Devil Fruit ability… Rare, indeed."

He raised Shusui and countered with blinding speed.

"Prelude: Blade Waltz!"

Shusui blurred as Ryuma unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes, each blow creating afterimages. The sheer speed forced Onimaru onto the defensive for the first time, his serpent head snapping at the incoming attacks.

The clash of steel and the hiss of serpentine movements filled the battlefield, neither side willing to yield.

Despite his injuries, Onimaru refused to back down. The mythical power of the Yamata no Orochi fruit granted him incredible endurance, and his attacks grew fiercer with each exchange.

Ryuma, though a shadow of his former self, felt a thrill he hadn't experienced in centuries. "You've modified our swordsmanship to suit your own style… and you fight with the spirit of a true warrior. It seems the Shimotsuki legacy is in good hands."

As the battle continued, it became clear that this wasn't merely a fight—it was a clash of ideals, a bridge between past and future, where the will of ancestors met the determination of their descendants.

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