Luffy embraces the chaos within the marine base, and upon witnessing the shattered statue, Morgan becomes furious and vows to kill him. Luffy seizes Helmeppo, demanding to know the location of Zoro’s sword. Eventually, Luffy finds the sword in Helmeppo’s room and promptly returns to the execution site. There, Zoro and Coby find themselves surrounded by Marines armed with rifles, prepared to execute the supposed bringer of injustice.
Morgan commands his soldiers to open fire. Just as they are about to pull the triggers, Zoro experiences a surge of memories from his past. He recalls a promise he made with his rival, Kunai, to become the world’s strongest swordsman. Kunai was the daughter of Zoro’s sensei, and their record stood at Kunai’s 2001 victories against Zoro’s zero. One fateful night, they made a pledge to each other, aspiring to become the most powerful swordsmen in the world. Tragically, she slipped and fell down a flight of stairs, resulting in her untimely demise. Zoro believes that his time has come, but in that very moment, Luffy rushes in and shields them with his rubbery body, deflecting the bullets that fly wildly. The soldiers are left speechless, frozen in terror.
Luffy proceeds to hand over the three katanas to Zoro, asking him to identify his own. Zoro breaks the silence by declaring that he wields all three of them simultaneously. He accepts Luffy’s invitation to become a pirate, rather than meeting his end on this remote island.