Chapter 85

Bleeding heavily and aware he could black out at any second, Zoro stands firm against Hatchan. Johnny and Yosaku hurl their swords toward him, yet he lets them sail by, alarming the pair, before dropping under Hatchan's three-blade jab at the final moment to seize the weapons and open a vertical cut across the fish-man's chest. Hatchan argues that six swords against three makes a Zoro victory impossible, but Zoro, remembering Mihawk, replies that the blades differ in weight. When Hatchan gathers his swords and thrusts them as one, Zoro turns them aside; the octopus then flings his arms wide to wrench Zoro's guard open, headbutts him into the air, and spins his blades to shred him on the way down. Zoro instead balances atop the spinning swords and slices Hatchan's hands. Refusing to faint, he meets the enraged fish-man head-on, snaps his swords apart to prove his point about weight, and ends the bout with a whirlwind slash that drops Hatchan flat.

Kuroobi then lunges at the spent Zoro, but Sanji blocks the strike. Surprised the cook survived one of his punches, Kuroobi grows insulted when Sanji shrugs it off as something any Baratie cook could endure. Underwater, Genzo and Nojiko strain to break the rock trapping Luffy, who has already gulped down a great deal of water. With their air nearly gone, the two suddenly think of a way out.

Keeping the promise he swore after his earlier duel with Mihawk, Zoro pushes through severe wounds and brings down Hatchan. Sanji steps in to resume the battle against Kuroobi. Genzo and Nojiko, almost out of breath down where the pool floor traps Luffy, settle on an idea to keep him from drowning.

The cover advances the Diary of Koby-Meppo storyline, its third volume titled An Off-Base Break. Near the 153rd Branch, Rika serves Koby homemade onigiri and tea while Helmeppo vents on a voodoo doll shaped like Luffy. A flashback links Zoro's determination to his defeat by Mihawk. Each of Hatchan's six blades weighs three hundred kilograms, which fuels his belief that Zoro stands no chance.