Wild Beast

While Sanji guides Tashigi's men deeper into the lab, he spells out for them the gap between his own code and Zoro's: he will never strike a woman, but his crewmate operates by no such rule. The reassurance lifts the Marines, who imagine the praise awaiting them. Back in the snowbound room, Zoro grumbles that Tashigi is in his way, yet she stands firm, certain he will not cut a woman after their old clash in Loguetown. He sits and lets her have the fight.

Reading his refusal as weakness, Monet grows cocky and buries Tashigi under a storm of snow attacks, eventually sinking her teeth into the swordswoman's shoulder. Tashigi clamps onto the harpy's head to keep from losing the arm. Just as the bite is about to turn fatal, Zoro slashes Monet's cheek with hardened Haki, freeing his rival and stepping toward the frozen enemy with quiet menace.

Admitting there are things he would rather leave whole, Zoro asks Monet whether any wild creature can be trusted not to bite. Paralyzed by terror, she cannot stop him as he cuts her clean in two. Because no Haki rides the blade, her Logia body endures the strike and she survives, though fear keeps her from reforming properly. One half rises to stab him from behind, and Tashigi finishes her off, ending the snow harpy at last.

The duel marks the first clear use of Armament Haki by Zoro in the series, applied to wound Monet while she held her Logia state. Tashigi displays the Soru technique of the Six Powers and, for the first time, calls out a named attack. Zoro also debuts a new single-blade move during the exchange.

The title "Wild Beast" echoes Zoro's warning about untamed animals. The cover continues the Caribou side story, showing him abandon his crew and brother to flee on their ship, while Yarisugi takes down Coribou. Sanji and the G-5 force, meanwhile, press on toward where Nami and Robin are headed.