Chapter 318: The Challenged King Luffy!

Chapter 318: The Challenged King Luffy!

There was no surprise—before the current Nami, Luffy was like a newborn baby, completely at her mercy.

He lost thoroughly, without even a single redeeming point to his performance.

"Damn it!"

"One month from now, I'll challenge you again!"

This time, Luffy accepted his defeat, but his stubborn spirit wouldn't give in.

He spat out his determination, vowing to reclaim his dignity.

"Nami, as terrifying as ever!"

Watching Luffy's confident declaration, Zoro couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

He recalled how he had once said something similar, only to endure two and a half years of endless torment without ever managing to turn the tables.

That foolish kid Luffy would soon taste the bitter despair too!

"…"

Kuina, also having experienced similar struggles, remained silent, sharing Zoro's sentiment.

"Hey!"

"Luffy, still have any strength left?"

"Want to spar with me?"

Seeing that Nami and Luffy's battle had ended, Zoro couldn't resist the urge to bully the newcomer a bit.

He immediately stepped forward, issuing a challenge.

"Sounds good!"

Hearing that, Luffy raised his head without much thought and eagerly agreed.

"Then I'll let you make the first move!"

Zoro stood with his arms crossed, exuding a cool demeanor.

"Then I won't hold back, green-haired guy!"

Luffy grinned and shot out a Rubber Pistol straight at Zoro.

"You bastard, my name is Zoro!"

"Don't give me weird nicknames!"

Zoro easily sidestepped the punch, his face showing annoyance as he yelled back.

It was clear he didn't appreciate jokes about his hair color.

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"

Ignoring Zoro's anger, Luffy focused entirely on his attacks.

Judging from Zoro's previous dodging moves, Luffy could clearly sense that his opponent's movements were exactly the same as Nami's—

It was as if they could predict his attacks ahead of time.

Luffy had no idea how they were pulling this off, but he knew that if things continued like this, he would undoubtedly lose again!

He had to find a way to counter this ability.

"Hey, did his moves change?"

"This guy Luffy looks like a fool, but his fighting instincts aren't bad at all!"

Nami's eyes widened in surprise as she noticed the shift in Luffy's fighting style.

He wasn't just recklessly charging anymore; instead, he left some room for adjustment, anticipating Zoro's counters.

He made use of his rubber abilities in clever ways, creating techniques that were actually impressive.

"I have to admit, he's developed the Rubber Fruit's potential quite well."

Kuina was similarly impressed, seeing Luffy showcase a variety of rubber-based techniques.

She knew that if it were her, she wouldn't have thought of using the fruit's powers in such creative ways.

"Not bad at all!"

"He's got what it takes to be my crewmate!"

Nami smiled as she evaluated Luffy's progress.

The clash between Luffy and Zoro grew more intense, with shockwaves from their blows scattering rocks around them.

Of course, Zoro hadn't even used his full strength yet.

He was only testing his swordsmanship without resorting to his Wind Fruit abilities or Armament Haki.

He wanted to use this opportunity to gauge his progress after enduring countless beatings from Nami.

Over the years, constantly pressured by Nami's monstrous strength, Zoro's desire to become stronger never diminished.

Thanks to that motivation, his current strength far exceeded what it would have been at this point in the original story.

Feeling that the time was right, Zoro finally decided to step up his game.

With one swift move, he unleashed a One-Sword Style: Oni Giri, using the back of his blade to knock Luffy down in one clean strike.

"Luffy, can you still move?"

"If so, I want a turn to spar with you!"

After Zoro withdrew with a cocky grin, Kuina couldn't resist stepping forward as well.

The atmosphere was already so fired up that not participating would seem out of place.

"Alright!"

Luffy gritted his teeth and nodded.

Even though he had just suffered two consecutive defeats, his fighting spirit wasn't broken.

His pride as a man wouldn't allow him to say he was done.

Luffy's determination impressed even his opponents.

Although he wasn't yet on par with Zoro and Nami, his indomitable spirit was undeniable.

---

When it came to Kuina, the battle was slightly different.

Unlike Zoro and Nami, her swordsmanship had been surpassed by them, and her physique was inherently weaker.

She had only managed to awaken Observation Haki due to her initially poor physical condition.

But now, with the power of the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, her body had grown significantly stronger, eliminating her previous weaknesses.

This newfound power rekindled her determination to reclaim her dream of becoming the world's second greatest female swordsman (with Nami being the first in her mind).

This time, Luffy performed noticeably better, having learned from his previous fights.

His growth was visible as he adapted to Kuina's fighting style, managing to hold his ground rather than being outright overpowered.

"Luffy's really a freak!"

"With his rate of growth, he might actually surpass you someday, Nami!"

Zoro commented, genuinely astonished at how quickly Luffy was evolving.

It reminded him of how rapidly Nami herself had grown when they first started training together.

"Hmph!"

"A stronger, crazier opponent is just what I need!"

"That way, I can keep pushing myself to get even stronger!"

Nami smirked at Zoro's comment, not feeling threatened in the least.

She knew that being strong wasn't enough—she had to become invincible.

She hadn't forgotten how Uchiha Yi had repeatedly warned her about Imu's overwhelming power.

Nor had she forgotten everything Nojiko had done, sacrificing herself to gain strength.

All the clues seemed to point toward Imu, the King of the Celestial Dragons.

One day, she would find the real answers.

And to do that, she had to keep getting stronger—strong enough to confront whatever came her way.

"If Luffy can keep up, it's better for all of us!"

Nami whispered to herself as she watched the intense sparring match between Luffy and Kuina.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she imagined the epic battles yet to come.

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