[Note: Seems like nobody noticed chapter 234 has been skipped. I already uploaded it and adjusted the sequence. If you haven't read it yet, its available now.]
"Edo Tensei Jutsu! Release!"
Shin narrowed his eyes slightly and directly lifted the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
Shimotsuki Ryuma instantly turned into a pile of dust, his soul slowly drifting away. But at that moment, behind him, an ethereal image of an eight-headed serpent emerged. One of its heads suddenly shattered, and Ryuma, who had been nothing more than a soul moments ago, solidified, regaining his physical form.
"I... I'm alive?" Shimotsuki Ryuma stretched out his hand in surprise and clenched his fist. The real sensation made him feel like he might cry.
The feeling of the wind brushing against his skin, the warmth of the sun overhead, the salty taste carried by the sea breeze, and even the lingering stench of the uncleaned zombies aboard the ship—everything overwhelmed Ryuma with exhilaration.
But most importantly…
Ryuma slowly gripped the handle of his black blade, Shusui. The familiar cold and smooth texture sent him into a state of absolute focus.
A faint hum resonated from the blade as if the sword itself rejoiced at being reunited with its master.
After a moment of silence, an incomparably sharp aura surged from Ryuma, completely changing the atmosphere around him.
"Dragon Slash!"
A golden arc of sword light flashed, and Ryuma calmly sheathed his black blade. A deafening rumble followed as the entire Thriller Bark split apart, sending massive waves surging across the sea.
"Perfect! Even when I was alive, I never wielded my sword so flawlessly!" Ryuma said with a satisfied smile.
"At last, I can continue to pursue my swordsmanship! I wonder how many great swordsmen roam the seas today?"
"I don't know how many swordsmen are out there, but I do know we should leave now," Shin remarked, shaking his head.
The massive ship, despite its island-like size, was still just a ship. Without support, it was already starting to sink.
Had it not been for its sheer scale, it would have sunk entirely by now.
"Ahhh! My ship! You damn swordsman!"
A furious voice erupted as Moria stormed out with bloodshot eyes. "My treasures are still on that ship! You bastard—" his words dissolved into incoherent curses.
Ryuma scratched his head awkwardly at the devastation he had caused.
"So, you plan to set sail and challenge the world's greatest swordsmen?"
Aboard the Azure Dragon, Shin looked at Shimotsuki Ryuma and asked.
"Yes! I've heard the strongest swordsman now is Dracule Mihawk. His cross-shaped sword is a rare weapon, one I never encountered in Wano. Naturally, I must challenge him."
"Also, I wish to see Shimotsuki Village, the place you mentioned. I want to see how my descendants have honed their swordsmanship."
"Then I wish you good luck," Shin said with a nod. "But don't forget our agreement."
"Of course—overthrowing the World Government," Ryuma said with a grin. "Back in my time, I often clashed with their forces, but once I mastered my sword, they stopped coming."
"Yet because of them, I could never leave Wano… Now that I am free, it's time to settle the score!"
Shin nodded and handed him a transponder snail with an unusual marking on its shell.
"Take this—it's a Flying Thunder God transponder snail. If you ever find yourself in trouble, use it to contact me, and I'll come to you immediately."
"Oh? The transponder snails from the outer seas seem more advanced than those in Wano," Ryuma said, inspecting the snail with curiosity. Then, with a wide grin, he waved at Shin.
"From this moment forth, the legend of the great swordsman Shimotsuki Ryuma begins anew!"
With that, Ryuma leaped onto a small boat and sailed away, riding the waves.
Shin watched as the boat disappeared into the horizon, an amused expression on his face.
"Speaking of which… these swordsmen who travel the seas alone, without Devil Fruit powers—do they all just row their boats manually?"
Despite Ryuma's dramatic departure, the true reason for his boat's astonishing speed was clear: he was furiously rowing with his black blade, Shusui, as an oar.
"Well, it's none of my business," Shin muttered, recalling a certain hawk-eyed swordsman who traveled the seas in much the same way. "At least Shimotsuki Ryuma has a more lighthearted personality, or else those who witness him rowing might need to be silenced..."
Even though it was purely human effort, in this extraordinary world, it was nothing short of miraculous.
At the same time, another member of the Rumbar Pirates, Brook, approached Shin with a solemn expression.
"Brook, where are you headed?" Shin asked.
The afro-haired violinist scratched his head. "Back then, all my crewmates from the Rumbar Pirates perished… But on the other side of Reverse Mountain, our friend, Laboon, should still be waiting."
"I don't know how Laboon is doing now. He was too large to cross Reverse Mountain, so we left him behind at Twin Cape."
"We promised him we'd travel the world for a few years and return to reunite… but that promise… I couldn't keep it. Still, I want to see him again. I just hope he's still there."
Shin nodded, recalling what he had read in the history logs. Laboon was indeed still at Twin Cape, endlessly ramming his head against the Red Line, desperately trying to break through and reunite with the crew he had lost.
"Then I wish you luck. Laboon is probably still waiting for you at Reverse Mountain," Shin said sincerely.
"I'll take your blessing then," Brook said, his eyes reflecting the weight of five decades lost to time. The disconnect from the world made him apprehensive, but only for a moment. He quickly snapped out of it, brandished his sword to sever the mooring rope, and with a wave to Shin and the others, set off on his own journey.
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