Cover Page: Enel's Great Space Operations, Vol. 32: "Strike (the City) Now, Ask Later".

In jubilation, Enel discharges thunderbolts all throughout the underground city.

Roronoa Zoro combats the samurai Ryuma using One-Sword Style and Two-Sword Style. The intensity of the battle causes the destruction of Dr. Hogback's laboratory, moving the fight to the roof of the tower. Franky and Brook watch on as Zoro defeats Ryuma using "One Sword Style: Hiryu: Kaen". Brook finally receives his shadow back, and Zoro acquires a new katana, the Shusui.

The sheer force of Ryuma's thrust leaves a large hole in the wall of Dr. Hogback's laboratory, as the zombie jokes that he's provided some ventilation. Brook finds himself awestruck at the physical strength Ryuma possesses to be able to launch an attack from his sword. Ryuma however notes that his clash with Zoro was a draw, as a deep slash suddenly appears above the doorway behind him. Franky is confused over just when Zoro launched a counterattack, and Brook replies that it was at almost the same time as Ryuma's attack. Brook goes on to explain that Zoro is also capable of making his attacks "fly" as well, and surmises that the two warriors possess similar levels of physical strength. Because of this, Brook doesn't believe that the fight will last very long.

Ryuma rushes Zoro with "Prelude: Au Fer", a series of thrusts which he recognizes as a weapon-breaking technique. Zoro counters with "Nigiri: Hirameki-Magura", two powerful attacks that force Ryuma backwards and cause the wall around him to crumble. Ryuma puts Zoro back on the defensive with a flurry of thrusts, before ultimately following up with "Gavotte Bond en Avant". Zoro responds in time with "Two Sword Style Iai: Rashomon", resulting in a clash where neither warrior appears to receive any damage. The shock waves from the attacks however cause one of the pillars supporting the laboratory to fall, and Franky realizes that this will completely destroy the floor. All three parties escape the collapsing room with force: Ryuma with "Polka Remise", Zoro with "Two Sword Style: Nanajuni Pound Ho", and Franky with "Weapons Left". Zoro and Ryuma land on opposing sides of the tower roof, while Franky and Brook fall to a different location below on the corner of the roof.

Zoro and Ryuma continue their battle, engaging one another before jumping back to their respective sides of the roof. Zoro runs to the other side and combats the samurai again, however this time Ryuma gets the better of him and causes him to lose his footing. Zoro uses the Sandai Kitetsu blade to stop his descent, and runs back up towards the tip of the roof with Ryuma in pursuit. Zoro then jumps down, engaging the samurai once again with a powerful downward strike. As the two swordsmen continue to duel, Brook wonders how they can keep up a battle this intense with such terrible footing.

With a brief pause in the battle, Zoro muses to himself that his katana may break if he keeps this up any longer - convinced that the samurai's strength is truly the real deal. He sheathes the Sandai Kitetsu, now solely wielding the Wado Ichimonji. Ryuma takes advantage of the slight pause, sending a slash so powerful that it completely slices off the tower roof. Brook and Franky show concern for Zoro's safety, but he is shown to have driven his blade into the roof so that he could hold on without falling to his doom. Zoro runs to the top of the falling roof, and jumps high into the air. As he descends, Zoro prepares "Hiryu: Kaen", while the samurai readies "Hanauta Sanchou: Yahazu Giri". In the final clash of the battle, Ryuma is sliced across the stomach. As both warriors fall, Ryuma's wound bursts into flames. Zoro crash-lands atop one of the windows, and the samurai admits his defeat. Ryuma expresses that Shusui has been at the side of a legendary swordsman, and that it would be blade's long-cherished ambition for Zoro to be its master. Unable to hear the dialogue, Franky asks Brook what the samurai has said. Brook affirms that the battle is now over, and is convinced that Ryuma never actually took him seriously in any of their duels. Dropping the Shusui down to Zoro, the zombie expresses remorse that he has allowed the great samurai's body to suffer defeat. Zoro is content with the zombie's sentiment, and states that he wished to have met Ryuma in the era he was alive. As the zombie's body becomes engulfed in flame, the shadow inside departs and returns to Brook, much to his delight. Zoro is quite content with his new blade, and resolves to pretend as if his match with the zombie never occurred.

Chapter Notes:
Zoro defeats Ryuma and gains the sword Shusui.
Brook regains his shadow.