Chapter 544: Shiliew's Death
To be honest, during his fight with Zoro, Shiliew had actually been distracted the entire time.
What occupied his mind more was how to escape from this prison, not to keep tangling with this green-haired brat in front of him.
He knew that Ian truly wanted to kill him; otherwise, he wouldn't have thrown him in with the Level 6 prisoners to fight to the death earlier. Since Ian wanted him dead, he naturally had to resist, didn't he?
So, he incited the remaining Level 6 prisoners to start a fight with Ian and his group.
Fighting was one thing, but he was well aware that these prisoners, all wearing Seastone Handcuffs, posed little threat to Ian and his crew. Still, his goal was achieved—chaos was all he needed. As long as things got chaotic, he would have an opportunity.
Shiliew had noticed that among Ian's group, there were two beautiful women. Generally speaking, such attractive women mixed in with a pirate crew were likely important figures.
If he could take one of them hostage, he could force Ian to let him go.
Although Shiliew had been fighting Zoro the whole time, he had been quietly observing these two women, trying to decide which one would be easier to kidnap.
However, what Shiliew never expected was that this green-haired brat in front of him was actually growing stronger and fiercer as the fight went on!?
The bleeding sword wounds on his body, instead of bringing him down, seemed to be unlocking his potential.
When he saw Zoro unleash the "Enbima Yonezuna" technique, with the female demon illusion appearing behind him, Shiliew couldn't help but narrow his eyes. He realized he had truly underestimated this green-haired kid. The guy's spirit had completely merged into his sword techniques!?
This was a man with the eyes of a wild beast!
Swinging his blade rapidly, Shiliew's killing intent also surged. He felt a threat from Zoro.
Swish! The two of them passed each other in an instant. Shiliew stepped forward with one foot, maintaining a downward slashing stance, while Zoro knelt on one knee, head lowered, holding his swords in a similar slashing pose.
But the next second, a huge wound suddenly split open on Zoro's chest, blood spraying out instantly, and he collapsed face-first to the ground.
"Hmph, trying to beat me? You're still too green!" Shiliew sneered, cigar in his mouth, as he watched Zoro fall.
Unexpectedly, Zoro, lying on the ground, let out a laugh and said with some difficulty, "Is... is that so?"
Drip. A drop of blood fell to the ground. As that single drop landed, Shiliew suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest!
"Wh... what!?" Shiliew looked down and saw that, without him knowing when, two crossed sword wounds had appeared on his chest. The cuts had torn through his clothes, carving shameful scars into his flesh.
When... when did this happen!? Could it be that, in that moment of their clash, this kid's speed had already matched his own!?
Shiliew spun around abruptly, only to find Zoro staggering and standing up from the ground again!
With such severe injuries, he could still get up!?
By now, the blood flowing from Zoro's body had completely soaked his pants, but his aura hadn't diminished at all—it had only grown stronger. With his headband tied around his head, his eyes hidden in the shadow beneath it, he fixed a beast-like gaze on Shiliew. Raising his right sword, he pointed the tip at Shiliew and said, "Come on, I can still take one more hit!"
Crack! The cigar in Shiliew's mouth was bitten clean off and fell to the ground!
He sheathed his sword, placed it at his waist, and crouched slightly, assuming the stance of a iai draw.
Although Zoro was pointing his sword at Shiliew, his consciousness was already fading. Shiliew, having killed countless people, could naturally tell Zoro's current state, but he remained unmoved. His figure suddenly vanished from the spot!
"Slaying the Guilty!"
But just as he appeared beside Zoro and drew his blade in an instant, Zoro's fading consciousness suddenly snapped back to clarity.
At that moment, a faint black coating covered the blades of his three swords. Simultaneously, a three-headed, six-armed demon god illusion appeared behind Zoro. As his body spun, he slashed directly at the nearby Shiliew!
"Asura: Mist Silver!"
The next second, a whirlwind of blades erupted from the ground, engulfing Shiliew!
Clang!!! A tremendous clash of metal rang out, and both Zoro and Shiliew were sent flying!
Bang! Zoro's body fell backward, hitting the ground. As he landed, he coughed up large mouthfuls of blood.
On his abdomen, a terrifying wound that nearly cut him in half was visible. Shiliew's iai draw was no joke—if not for Zoro's counterattack at the last moment, Shiliew would have sliced him clean in two at the waist.
Even so, Zoro was now fatally wounded. Half of his waist had been severed by Shiliew, with only the other half still connected by flesh and skin. That was why he was coughing up blood like this after landing.
Battles between swordsmen were always perilous life-or-death struggles, especially when one's strength was outmatched, like Zoro's. It was even more dangerous.
Shiliew was also sent flying, but he quickly got back up.
However, even though he stood, Shiliew wasn't in much better shape. His body was covered in numerous wounds. Zoro's earlier "Ghost Qi Nine-Sword Style" had been unleashed in a desperate, life-or-death state. Now, Shiliew was drenched in blood, looking just as miserable. The only difference was that his injuries weren't as severe as Zoro's.
Though furious, seeing the massive wound he had carved into Zoro filled Shiliew with a bloodthirsty pleasure. He stuck out his tongue and licked the blood dripping from his forehead. The taste of blood spread in his mouth, bringing him immense satisfaction.
This feeling... it was just like the thrill of killing in the past...
"That kid is done for!" Shiliew muttered to himself. "Indeed, killing is a damn satisfying thing..."
But before he could finish, a voice suddenly rang out above his head.
"He won't die, but I can say for sure—you're the one who's done for!"
Shiliew's heart jolted. In the heat of his fight with Zoro, he had unconsciously become too absorbed, momentarily forgetting that Ian was still watching nearby.
The shock of Ian's voice sent cold sweat pouring down his back. He looked up sharply and saw Ian, who had somehow appeared directly above him.
In Ian's hand was a blade burning with black flames. The moment Shiliew looked up, Ian drove it straight down through the top of his head!
Chirp! A soft sound. The flaming blade pierced through Shiliew's skull with ease, the fiery tip emerging from under his chin.
Shiliew's expression froze in that instant...
His brain had been completely burned through...
Boom! As the high-temperature flames spread, Shiliew's body ignited from the head down, engulfed in black fire. His rigid form turned to charcoal in the black flames, then to black ash.
Without even glancing at him, Ian sheathed Thousand Cherry Blossoms back into its scabbard and walked over to Zoro.
Kneeling down, Ian looked at Zoro, who was still coughing up blood, and placed his hand over Zoro's abdomen.
A faint, glowing membrane enveloped the massive wound on Zoro's waist. The special effect of the Twin Heaven Return Shield began to take hold, and Zoro gradually stopped coughing up blood.
"Hang in there," Ian said to Zoro. "This guy's sword is the Second Generation Kitetsu—a cursed blade! Wounds from this cursed sword are hard to heal. A wound like yours will take a while to treat!"
Zoro lay sprawled on the ground, turning his head to look at Ian, and said, "You... you still... interfered!"
"No kidding!" Ian rolled his eyes at him. "If I hadn't stepped in, you'd be dead. A dead man can't become the world's greatest swordsman!"
"Hmph!" Zoro snorted, coughing up two more mouthfuls of blood, and said, "I wasn't going to die!"
"Still talking tough!" Ian laughed and scolded him, pointing at him and saying, "But I have to give you credit. I didn't expect you to use Armament Haki at the end!"
"Is that so?" Zoro raised his sword shakily, pointing it at the sky. Staring at the blade, he murmured, "So that power from before... was Haki..."