𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐍 (胡蝶) | Roronoa Zoro x Shinobu Kocho

3 - A Swordswoman Who Uses Poison

— 3 —

"How do I slice a guy who is already in pieces?" 

They were in a tight spot. The Strawhat gang had managed to free themselves, but now they were up against Buggy. This odd pirate could split himself into pieces, making Zoro's slashing skills useless. Shinobu, observing from a distance, saw Luffy, Nami, and Zoro struggling against the quirky clown pirate.

She thought, If cutting him won't work, maybe THAT will do. 

With a strategy forming in her head. Shinobu moved silently, joining the fray. Leaping effortlessly, she landed beside Luffy, who looked surprised after his recent dunking in a huge glass of seawater. 

"Yoo-hoo~!" Shinobu called out, "Mind if I prick the clown?"

Luffy blinked, taking a moment to process, then grinned, "Sure thing! Think you can handle him?"

She smirked, "Let's just say I have something he might not expect." 

Without waiting for another word, Shinobu dived into the action, leaving Luffy in awe of her graceful jumps.

"So cool!" he said. 

The scene unfolded rapidly, with Shinobu seamlessly joining Zoro against Buggy. Both swordsmen moved in harmony, their techniques complementing one another. While Zoro's three-blade style cut and slashed, Shinobu's swift thrusts pierced, looking for opportunities to inject her deadly poison. Their combined efforts put Buggy on the defensive.

Buggy, had a deceptively sinister air about him. His ability to split his body into floating parts made him a formidable adversary, as his parts dodged and attacked from multiple directions. It was a sight to behold – a floating hand here, a leg there, all coordinated in a deadly dance of combat.

As Zoro moved, he wielded his three swords with intense precision. Each swing, parry, and thrust aimed to counteract the unpredictable movement of Buggy's detached limbs. But with every successful parry, another limb was waiting to strike. The usual strength of Zoro's three-sword technique, a barrage of slashes and cuts, seemed less effective against a foe who could simply scatter his parts to avoid them.

Beside him, Shinobu moved with grace and swiftness. Her nimble feet barely touching the ground, she leapt and twirled, her sword lunging forward in rapid thrusts. Each piercing motion was designed to immobilize Buggy’s detached parts, but her real intent was to inject her lethal poison. Buggy, realizing her tactic, was quick to retract any limb that came close to her blade. 

The battle was a dance of agility versus unpredictability. Shinobu would feint, drawing Buggy's attention, allowing Zoro a moment to close in. But Buggy was no novice. He countered, separating even further, making himself an even larger, more elusive target. 

At one point, Zoro managed to pin down one of Buggy’s hands with a sword, hoping to immobilize it. But a floating foot came to its rescue, kicking Zoro away. Shinobu, in response, darted towards the foot, trying to pierce it, but was intercepted by another of Buggy's floating hands.

Throughout the battle, there was a palpable tension between the three combatants. Buggy's laughter echoed, mocking them. 

"You think you two can beat me?!" Buggy yelled defiantly, attempting to separate his body parts to evade their relentless attacks.

As the swords clanged and sparks flew, Zoro grunted, "He's tough. Any ideas?"

Shinobu's eyes flashed, "Let's try a pincer attack. I'll go high, you go low."

Before they could execute their plan, Buggy sneered, "You may have fancy swordplay, but it won't save you or your pathetic friends!"

That's when Luffy stepped in, his face stern. "You can dump seawater on me, and I'll let it slide," he said, adjusting his straw hat with a determined expression. "But don't you ever threaten my friends."