Ryuza, The Would Be Samurai

Ryuza, the young samurai, stirred from his sleep, his head pounding with a dull ache. He rubbed his temple and tried to sit up, but a wave of pain forced him back down. His limbs felt stiff from the awkward position he had slept in, and his mind was still hazy from the vivid dream he had just experienced. With a deep breath, he tried to push the discomfort aside and focus on the day ahead.

As Ryuza let out a quiet groan, his head continued to pound like a drum. He never expected his quest for fame to lead him to this point: stranded in the middle of the sea, broke, and starving. Pirates and swindlers had taken advantage of his naïveté, robbing him and his companion of their supplies. Even now, he had to keep a hand on his sword at all times, just in case.

All that remained of his gear was a small bag holding his remaining clothes, his bamboo hat, and the sword his beloved mentor had passed down to him. Oh, and the rickety boat that could barely hold two people, much less their dwindling sack of treasure.

When he and his companion had finally reached the strange restaurant known as "The Baratie," Ryuza had to plead with the skeptical workers to let them stay. He offered what little treasure they had left as payment, and eventually they relented. But the workers' hostility left him feeling uneasy, even as his stomach growled with hunger.

How could he have been so blind to the dangers of the sea? Ryuza berated himself for his foolishness. If only he had paid more attention to the warning signs, maybe he wouldn't be in this mess. But now, all he could do was hope that his luck would turn around, and that he wouldn't end up as shark food. Ryuza and his companion had nearly starved to death on that boat. Luckily, they were able to reach a very strange restaurant in the middle of the ocean.

Ryuza had a difficult time explaining to the workers at "The Baratie" that he and his companion needed to stay there for a few days. They insisted that their establishment was not a hotel. However, Ryuza managed to persuade them by bribing them with the rest of the treasure he had left and using it as payment for food. Even though they eventually allowed him to stay, they remained skeptical.

Despite his initial expectations, being at "The Baratie" wasn't as boring as Ryuza thought it would be. The cooks and workers there were an odd bunch, often getting into fights with each other and damaging the restaurant in the process.

One blonde cook in particular stood out to Ryuza. He was kind enough to provide a meal free of charge when Ryuza and his companion were on the verge of starving to death, despite the protests of some of the other cooks. This cook seemed to get into fights with his coworkers and even customers quite frequently.

And for some odd reason, this blonde cook was particularly kind to Ryuza's companion. Though he could not grasp why.

On that particular day, the blonde cook bestowed Ryuza's companion with another set of free meals for the day. One for her and one for her partner. The other cook with oversized arms began yelling and cursing at the blonde cook, who simply blew a puff of smoke from his mouth from his cigarette in response.

"Sanji! I told you not to give free meals to these two! They still owe us for the second day they stayed here!" The cook shouted, his voice rising with anger.

"Why should I let you charge for the stuff I cook, Patty? They're not even eating any of your shitty cooking," Sanji retorted, his tone casual.

"I won't let you call my cooking shitty, Sanji!" Patty growled back. "And you need to stop using our ingredients to give out free food just to impress- Hey, don't walk away from me!"

As Patty and Sanji continued to argue and walk away, the other customers seated at tables covered in white cloth watched on. Some laughed, finding the argument amusing. Others stared in shock, wondering how the two cooks could bicker in the middle of the establishment.

Ryuza scratched his black hair and rubbed his temples, trying to ignore the commotion going on around him. He put on his bamboo hat, hoping the shade would soothe his migrane.

He was trying to think of a plan. He had the resources to pay them back safely aboard their boat outside. But it wouldn't last very long at this rate. He and his companion would have to set sail soon. But there were two issues. One, their small boat was in no condition to sail anywhere. And two, they have little money to purchase any supplies for the long journey ahead.

"I hope I didn't cause that nice cook too much trouble. Hey, Ryuza-san. Eat your food before it gets cold!"

Ryuza let out a deep sigh and lifted his head to see his companion sitting across from him. Yamato, an oni about twice his size with long, voluminous white hair that fades into green and blue further down, tied back in a high ponytail with two orange horns on her head, devoured her plate of food with the aggression and speed of a hungry animal. Her piercing orange eyes sparkled with excitement as she ate. Ryuza couldn't help but notice the dirt and smudges on her white kimono, which contrasted starkly with her headstrong and tough demeanor. Despite her intimidating height, Yamato had a youthful energy about her that was infectious.

The young samurai watched as Yamato sloppily spilled some of her food on her pristine white kimono and red hakama pants, a mistake that his mentor would have scolded her for despite doing the same thing himself on a few occasions.

Despite Yamato's stubborn and headstrong nature, Ryuza was grateful to have her by his side on his journey. There were countless times when he would have perished were it not for her strength and brute force. Although they were on equal footing in terms of intelligence, Yamato's physical prowess made up for Ryuza's shortcomings in that regard.

Ryuza let out another frustrated sigh and looked across the table at his companion, Yamato, who he considered his closest friend. They had both been rescued and brought up by the same mentor, so it was only natural that they had grown close over the years. Their similar goals and aspirations had only strengthened their bond.

"Two days is too long to be stuck here," Ryuza grumbled, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "And we can't afford to stay any longer, our money is going down the drain and fast."

Yamato nodded in agreement, her expression turning serious as she quickly finished her meal. "Right. We can't stay idle," she said. "We need to find a way to make more money so we can fix our ship and continue our journey."

Ryuza frowned as he recalled the damaged state of their small vessel. "I'm starting to think that we need to get rid of that ship. It's too small for us and barely holding up," he muttered, frustration evident in his tone.

Yamato's eyes lit up at the suggestion of getting a bigger ship. "Maybe we could find a new one that's bigger, like the ones the pirates we met were using!" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

"Yeah!" Ryuza agreed with the idea with an equal amount of energy before shooting it down. "Wait…we shouldn't. It would be a waste of money. We don't need that much space for just the two of us."

Yamato's expression fell, but she quickly perked up again. "Then we should at least get a fast one!"

Ryuza shook his head, exasperated. "That's not the problem. We don't even know where we are or where we're headed. Those stupid pirates stole our map, and we've been lost at sea ever since." He dropped his head to the table, causing it to shake and a few curious customers to glance their way.

"Right, but hey! It's not all bad." said Yamato, trying to lift his spirits up. "At least we aren't starving anymore. And hey, when we get out of here, we can head right for the grand line everyone's been talking about! They've been saying there's a bunch of strong pirates there. We can both get a lot stronger taking them on!"

"Yeah, but the only problem is we don't even know which way the grand line is." replied Ryuza, shaking his head. "Even if we set sail right now, we'd probably end up going the wrong way, or get caught in a storm or something."

Yamato leaned forward, her eyes shining with determination. "We can't let a little setback like this hold us back. We've come too far to just give up now," she said, her voice ringing with conviction. "And besides, the grand line isn't going anywhere. We'll find our way there eventually. It might take some time, but we'll figure it out."

Ryuza nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "You're right. We've faced tough challenges before and we've always come out on top. This is no different."

Yamato grinned, her teeth glinting in the light . "Exactly. We'll just have to get creative and think outside the box. That's what true adventurers do, after all." She took a large bite of food and savored the taste. "And in the meantime, we can enjoy some good food and company. Who knows what kind of interesting people we'll meet here?"

"Yeah but nothing interesting has happened here so far. And I-…wait a second." Ryuza's eyes bulged in disbelief as he gaped at the plates in front of Yamato.

The half-eaten food on her plate was now gone, and his own plate was nowhere to be seen. He looked up at Yamato, who was chewing nervously, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger.

"You're eating my plate!?" Ryuzo exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face as he tried to grab the second plate. But before he could get a hold of it, Yamato's large hands wrapped around the plate

"I'm sorry!" She whined dramatically. "The food is just so good! I've never had anything like it before! Wait! Just one more bite!"

The two partners engaged in a tug of war over supremacy of the plate of remaining. Ryuza had to maintain a tight grip on the plate so that Yamato couldn't send him flying. She possessed the inhuman strength which made sense considering she was an Oni. The commotion made quite a scene as some of the customers had stopped eating, just to see how the scene would continue to unfold

"What?! One more bite?! Commit Harakiri!" yelled Ryuza, tugging the plate back in his direction. "I didn't even have a chance to eat any of it! Let go!"

"Don't tell me to commit Harakiri! That's rude, you know?! One more bite!" insisted Yamato, pulling the plate in return.

"I said no!"

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

Yamato pulled hard, yanking Ryuzo up onto the table. He stubbornly held onto the plate, unwilling to let it go. Suddenly, the whole restaurant shook violently, followed by a deafening crash from upstairs. The diners panicked, scrambling under tables or dashing for the exit. Meanwhile, the cooks started swearing and arming themselves with knives and meat cleavers.

"What the hell was that?" Yamato demanded, gazing upwards.

"I don't know," said Ryuza, grinning excitedly. "But it sounds like an adventure. I'm gonna go check it out!"

Without another word, Ryuza grabbed his sword and readjusted the bamboo hat covering his head, making sure that it was adjusted properly and then made his way to the kitchen. He could hear the cooks throwing a fit before he had even entered the room.

"What the hell was that?! Did someone fire on us?!" A cook yelled, waving his cleaver in the air.

"Of course someone did you idiot!" Another cook replied "What else could have made a noise like that?! Someone shot a cannon ball right at the restaurant!"

"I'm gonna kick the ass of whoever did this! I'll cut them up!" A third cook screamed.

While the cooks cursed into the air and shouted, Ryuza bursted through the door and dashed straight for the wooden stairs that led to the upper part of the ship. One of the cooks that went by the name of Carne, saw him through his black sunglasses.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing! Customers aren't allowed in the kitchen!" Carne yelled angrily.

As the cooks cursed and brandished their knives, Ryuzo bolted for the door, eager to investigate the source of the commotion. He ignored Carne's protests and charged up the wooden stairs, his sword glinting in the dim light as he used his thumb to lift it from its sheath. With each step, his heart raced faster. If this was a pirate attack, he would finally have a chance to prove himself in battle.

At the top of the stairs, Ryuza sprinted down the narrow hallway, his black boots pounding against the wooden planks and his blue scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and shoulders waving behind him. He kicked the door open and charged into the room, ready to face whatever foe lay ahead.

Unfortunately, the poor samurai was meant with a swift kick to the jaw by a wooden peg leg. Ryuza fell to the floor, pain shooting through the lower half of his face.

"Ow ow ow! What the hell?!" shouted Ryuza, rubbing the spot that throbbed in pain.

Ryuza's eyes snapped open to a bloody sight as he came face to face with his attacker. His hand instinctively reached for his sword, but he froze when he saw that it was the head chef and owner of the restaurant, Zeff. Blood trickled down from beneath Zeff's chef's hat, staining his blonde mustache and uniform.

Initially, Zeff was against letting Ryuza and Yamato stay at the restaurant for more than a day. He made it abundantly clear in a rude and gruff manner. However, after learning that the duo nearly starved to death and had their money stolen by pirates, he reluctantly changed his mind, ensuring they had a way to pay him back.

"You little punk. You come barging in with a sword, then act confused when you're attacked?" Zeff grumbled, settling back onto his bed as if nothing had happened. "If you weren't a paying customer, I'd have taken your head off."

"Jeez old man, I was just trying to investigate that loud noise!" Ryuza retorted, the pain of the blow finally subsiding.

Ryuza's gaze wandered around the room and came to a sudden stop when he spotted a gaping hole in the ceiling. The sunlight streamed through it, and he could hear the sounds of seagulls and sea water.

"What happened here?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"You tell me," growled Zeff, pointing to the cannonball resting in the corner of his room. "Whoever did this will pay for the damages. You didn't have a hand in it, did you?"

Ryuza was taken aback and indignant. "Of course not! Do you know how dishonorable that would be? It's the lowest a person can get to kill someone who saved you from starvation!"

Zeff grunted and wiped away the blood from around his eyes. "If you had nothing to do with it, then get out. Customers are not allowed up here," he snapped, gazing through the hole in his room.

"W-wait a second! You're bleeding. And someone must have fired on this ship!" Ryuza argued, rising to his feet and bowing his head humbly. "If it's pirates, then let me defend the restaurant! It's the least I can do! You and your cooks saved me and my friend from starvation. It's a debt that I believe can be repaid with more than just money. I would defend this restaurant, even if it costs me my life."

With a confident smile, Ryuza lifted his head and recited the words of his master. He would carry the teachings with him, no matter where he went. "Allow me to repay you this way! It's only fair!" he declared.

"Hmph, I'm not interested in you defending this restaurant with your life. The only thing you need to repay us with is money," retorted Zeff, crossing his arms. "Whoever fired at us, we will handle them without your help."

The bluntness of the head chef caused Ryuza's windpipe to nearly close. Zeff had just refused his honorable vow.

"What are you still doing here?! I said customers belong downstairs!" shouted Zeff, growing more frustrated and throwing another kick with his peg leg at Ryuza's head.

Ryuza barely had enough time to duck this time, bracing himself for the impact that he thought would send him flying through the wall.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and two of the cooks walked in, carrying a boy with shaggy black hair and black eyes wearing a red vest and blue shorts. The boy also seemed to be wearing a straw hat on his head. The cooks carried him in by the back of his collar like a cat they had just caught causing trouble.

"Sir! We brought the one responsible for firing at us!" One of the cooks announced, shaking the boy by the collar.

"Yeah! This is the culprit alright!" added the second cook.

As the boy with the straw hat and shaggy black hair was dragged into the room by the cooks, Ryuza couldn't help but feel disappointed. This boy didn't look like a fearsome pirate or a hardened criminal - he looked like an ordinary guy. How could he have fired a cannonball at the restaurant? And why?

Zeff's expression was thunderous. "This is the one, huh?" he growled, glaring at the boy.

"It was an accident! I swear... GYAH!" The boy yelped when he saw Zeff's peg leg. "You lost your leg because of me?! Damn it! I'll fix it somehow!"

"How are you going to fix a missing leg?" one of the cooks snapped.

Zeff silenced the bickering with a sharp command. "Enough. Both of you leave the boy here and get back to work. And you," he glared at Ryuza, "what are you still doing here? Leave, or I'll make you pay double what you already owe."

"D-double?!" Ryuza exclaimed, his heart sinking.

He knew he had to leave before things got worse. He squeezed past the cooks and bolted through the exit, his mind racing with worry over the doubled debt.

As he walked back to his table, Ryuza couldn't help but feel disappointed. His dream of heroically slaying pirates to protect the restaurant was nothing but a fantasy. He was in the same gloomy mood he had when he woke up from his dream.

"Hey! You're back!" Yamato called out, a wide smile on her face and an excited glint in her eyes. "What happened? How many pirates are there?"

Ryuza could see the black steel kanabo mace, studded, blunt and gripped tightly in Yamato's hand. The weapon was heavy, and he couldn't imagine anyone else wielding it with as much force as she did. Anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path would be sent flying over the horizon.

Yamato eagerly awaited Ryuza's answer, but he only frowned, shoulders slumping as he let out a deep sigh.

"There aren't any pirates…" He groaned, slamming his head on the table once more as he retook his seat. "No thieves, or bandits, or anything…."

Yamato's excited look shifted into disappointment. "No sea monsters either?"

Ryuza shook his head in response, and Yamato's eager anticipation turned into frustration. She rubbed her white hair angrily, disappointed that they wouldn't be able to fight any pirates. Despite the delicious food at the restaurant, waiting around had never been her strong suit. She longed for the adrenaline rush of battle, the feeling of bashing in her enemies' faces with her mace. For her and Ryuza, the only way to get stronger was to face strong opponents.

Letting out a deep sigh, Yamato dropped her mace to the ground. The heavy weapon hit the floor with a resounding thud, leaving a small dent in the wooden surface. Diners who had been enjoying their meals looked over in shock at the unexpected noise, their mouths dropping open in disbelief.

"Sheesh. And I thought that the marine ship outside was a sign of bad pirates being nearby." said Yamato, crossing her arms. "I don't understand how things can be so quiet for this long in the middle of the ocean. Something should have happened by now.

Upon hearing Yamato's words, Ryuza lifted his head up from the table with enough speed that there was an audible cracking sound in his neck.

"Marine ship?" repeated Ryuza, his eyes widening.

Yamato nodded her head "Yeah. There's a marine ship just outside. I checked after we heard that loud noise upstairs."

The Marines were the world government's military force that kept order and law on the seas. They had a presence in nearly every town or city where there was civilization. With their goal of maintaining law and order, their natural enemies were pirates, bandits, thieves, or any criminal with a bounty on them.

Each marine enlisted in the navy had one goal. To bring justice to all criminals, or any pirate that dared break the law. When the pirate era had begun after Gold Roger's death, the marine navy had become more active than it had ever been throughout known history. With so many pirates running about, there were simply even more marines to chase them down.

Ryuza could not help but hold his breath at the mention of the marines. Memories of his home began to fill his mind. There, he had very close friends. Close enough to the point that they considered him their little brother. He knew both of them from a very young age who set sail earlier than he did to join the navy and become marines. Well, he never considered them as siblings, but they watched over him like he was. To this day, he had no idea why.

He recalled memories of them constantly trying to convince him that whenever he set sail, he should move to apply for the navy. Ryuza insisted that joining the marines was not his dream. He had completely different goals. One of them being a dream that Ryuza's mentor wished to come true.

Despite his poor position, the young samurai planned on seeing his goal through, no matter what anyone else said.

As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, the doors to the restaurant suddenly swung open, interrupting his musings. A man with pink hair and a neat striped suit strode in, escorting a woman in a beautifully crafted dress by her arm. Behind them followed a group of marines, who were escorting the couple to a free table. As the customers watched in admiration at the sight of the marines, most of them seemed to be staring at the man with purple hair, their curiosity piqued.

"Is that Lieutenant Fullbody? Of the Navy?" One of the customers said out loud.

"No way! What's a famous lieutenant of the navy doing here?" Another asked, his voice full of admiration.

The man known as Lieutenant Fullybody smiled confidently at the looks being thrown in his direction.

Meanwhile Ryuza sighed in relief as the marines soldiers returned outside. Despite this, he was still slightly uncomfortable. Not only because of the marines, but just new arrivals in general. The remainder of the money he and Yamato had left was still outside, stowed away inside a bag that was tucked underneath the seats of their ship.

"Hey, do you think we should go make sure that the rest of our loot is still safe outside?" asked Ryuza, shifting around in his seat.

Yamato looked at her surroundings and nodded her head. She shared a similar look of worry. It was obvious to them both that they could not allow their money to be stolen for a second time. Otherwise they will just end right back to where they started.

The two got up from their seats and made their way outside. The open sea was as blue as ever. It sparkled and glistened like a diamond due to the sunlight's reflection. It was a particularly sunny day today. For that, Ryuza was thankful. A storm might have done away with what was left of their damaged boat.

While the two walked on the deck of the ship, which was considered the entrance to the restaurant. The cook known as Carne, barged through the doors from the restaurant to chase them down.

The cook Carne called out to Ryuza and Yamato, waving a butcher's knife in hand. "Hey, you two! You aren't planning on leaving, are you? You still owe us money, you know!"

Ryuza and Yamato were both annoyed by the question and quickly approached Carne, yelling together, "Of course not! That's dishonorable!"

Their unified voices startled Carne, causing him to stumble back and his black glasses to go crooked. However, he quickly regained his composure, readjusted his glasses, and smiled.

"Good, because at this point, we have 3 people in debt now. You guys and that boy who fired a hole into our ship and nearly killed our captain." He explained. "We need every scrap of money paid to us. We can't afford anymore handouts. Now we need to repair the damages that were made."

"Everything we owe you will be paid back." Ryuza nodded, bowing his head, with Yamato following suit.

"Good. And I noticed you two had extra dishes today as well. I hope you plan on paying that off as well."

Yamato tensed up at the cook's words. Ryuza shot a glare in her direction, and she avoided his look. She stood up straight and laughed a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her white hair.

"Uh, the nice cook there said those two dishes were free of charge." laughed Yamato with an unsure tone.

"What?! There's no way one of our cooks would-" Carne's voice dropped and his eyes practically shot out of his skull in realization. "Sanji….that damn bastard!"

"Yeah! That was his name!" said Yamato, smiling widely. "The cook named Sanji said those two dishes for me and my friend were free of charge and that I wouldn't have to pay!"

"I didn't even get to eat any of it!" shouted Ryuza to the side, irritated at the conversation.

"Fine! We'll discuss that later." growled Carne, wanting nothing more to give Sanji a good thrashing. "For now, just gather the money you already owe us. We need the full amount today."

While the three held conversation over debt, three more people had docked their ship and boarded the ship with the intention of dining there. One of them was a man with green hair wearing a white plain t-shirt. He carried at his waist not one, not two, but three swords. To his right walked another man with black hair underneath the green bandanna he wore on his head and a particularly long nose. And to the green haired man's left was a woman with orange hair wearing a pink shirt and a yellow mini skirt.

With how closely the three walked together, they were definitely a group.

"Is it really a good idea to go in there?" Ussop asked, nervously fidgeting with his green bandanna as if he might need to use it to cover his face.

Nami rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Ussop's nervousness. "Relax, Usopp. If the Marines really wanted to take us out, they would have sunk us already. And besides, I'm not going to sit out here all day while Luffy gets scolded."

"But the guy that went in there just shot a cannon at us!" Ussop protested.

Nami smirked, rolling her eyes. "And we're still alive. We'll be fine. Just keep your wits about you and stay on your guard."

"Pipe down, will you?" said Zoro, walking with his arms relaxed behind his head. "You're just drawing attention to us by yelling. Besides, I'm starving. We might as well get something to eat while Luffy sorts out his mess."

As the scent of delicious food wafted out from the restaurant, Ussop's resolve began to crumble. "It does smell good in there. I say we eat here," he said, taking a deep breath and letting his stomach do the talking.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you're the substitute captain," she chided. But secretly, she was tempted by the tantalizing aroma.

As they walked toward the entrance, they passed by Ryuza, Yamato, and Carne who were deep in conversation about their debt. "Just making sure our loot is safe," Ryuza explained to the cook, hoping to ease his concerns.

Inside the restaurant, the scent of freshly cooked seafood filled the air. Zoro, Nami and Usopp couldn't help but smile in anticipation, their earlier worries forgotten for the moment.

As Ryuza turned around, he noticed three strangers walking past him. He didn't pay much attention to them, until he felt a sensation that nearly stopped his heart.

CLINK

Ryuza's sword, still sheathed and attached to his waist, collided with Zoro's two swords also sheathed at his waist. The metallic sound was quick, but to Ryuza, it echoed in his mind. Zoro had walked past him with his two companions, completely unaware of what had just happened. However, Ryuza stood still, not moving an inch.

Yamato's orange eyes slowly widened as she realized what had caused that sound. She quickly looked at Ryuza and saw him visibly shaking. A vein appeared on his forehead, showing his rising anger, and his hand twitched rapidly. Yamato had seen that look from him many times before.

"Oi, green-haired guy! Hold up a minute!" Ryuza bellowed, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Zoro came to a halt at the sound of someone calling out to him. None of the people milling around had green hair, and it was clear that Nami and Usopp weren't the ones Ryuza was shouting at. That meant it had to be him. He turned to face Ryuza, his expression a mixture of confusion and wariness.

"You talking to me?" Zoro asked.

"Yep, that's right," Ryuza replied, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Just now, your sheath touched mine."

Zoro frowned. "So what? It was an accident."

But Ryuza didn't look like he was going to let it go that easily. He continued to stare down at Zoro, his grip tightening on his sword. Usopp and Nami watched the exchange nervously, unsure of what was going to happen next.

"Ryuza, calm down," Yamato said quietly, sensing the tension in the air.

But Ryuza wasn't listening. He was fixated on Zoro, and Zoro knew that he needed to be ready for anything. He tensed up, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. It looked like a fight was about to break out, and he wasn't about to back down.

"Huh? Hey! Wait a second! It was just an accident!" pleaded Nami, seeing the look within Ryuza's eyes. "What's the problem?"

Nami's question hung in the air, but Zoro remained silent. He sensed the tension rising and watched as Ryuza's hand inched towards his sword. With a measured move, Zoro placed his hand on the hilt of one of his own blades, ready for anything. He knew that Ryuza was not the kind of person to let a slight like this pass without consequence.

Ryuza's face darkened with anger, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword as he slowly unsheathed it from the scabbard. This was not just any fight for him, it was a matter of honor.

"I hope you are ready to face the consequences. You will pay for this insult," Ryuza growled under his breath, his eyes locked onto Zoro's with a fierce intensity.

Zoro tensed, ready for the challenge that was coming. Ryuza's words rang out, echoing through the air as he declared his intent.

"A touching of sheathes means a challenge for a duel!!"

Author's Note: Hello again. I hope Ryuza has captured your attention. I am an active learner when it comes to writing, so feel free to leave comments of any criticisms, advice, or questions that you may have as the story progresses. I will try to update regularly. Stay tuned.