A bone-chilling cold erupted like the collapse of the heavens themselves, sweeping through the pirate ship.In the blink of an eye, every pirate aboard was frozen solid into ice sculptures.
Even the enormous crocodile captain, transformed by his Devil Fruit power, could only endure a few breaths longer before his body was sealed in frost.The freezing aura was so intense it solidified half the surrounding current, forming an undersea iceberg that pierced up toward the surface!
In the small town beneath Whiskey Peak, Igaram—his golden curls trembling—stared wide-eyed at the man before him.
Marine Admiral—Aokiji Kuzan!
Beside him, Mr. 9's voice quivered as he voiced the question both of them shared.
"Why would a Marine Admiral be here!?"
No one answered them.Reality was simply beyond comprehension.
On the nearby battleship, the gun turrets were already shifting.Thunderous cannon fire erupted, blasting through the frozen sea to carve a passage.
"Admiral Aokiji! Because of some… accident, we'll need time to reopen a route!"The adjutant's report came with an embarrassed tone—he dared not mention that this "accident" was caused entirely by Kuzan himself.
Kuzan knew that perfectly well. He didn't bother to explain.He only gave a mild smile. "Sorry about that—guess I caused you some trouble."
"If it weren't for you, many of our men would've died in that fight. The Crocodile Pirates' total bounty exceeds one hundred million Beli, after all," the adjutant hurried to add.
"Then keep at it. Push the pace."
The tall man's gaze turned distant, his tone heavy."I'm afraid I won't make it in time. Shanks used a bubble coating to dive beneath the sea and—luckily for him—rode several undercurrents.Even at full speed, we can't catch up.Now, we can only rely on Vice Admiral Garp… hopefully, he's already reached Loguetown."
"Uh… sir…"
A communications officer appeared hesitantly. "Pardon the interruption, but a message just came from the East Blue branch."
"What is it?" Kuzan asked, turning.
"Unit 77 sighted Mihawk. From his course, he seems on track to cross paths with Vice Admiral Garp."
"What!?"
At that same moment—
Aboard the Dog-Head battleship, Garp suddenly rose from his nap. His expression grew grave as he gazed toward the far horizon.Across the endless blue, a sharp, swordlike aura split the sky.The clouds parted with a rending crack that seemed to divide the heavens themselves.
"Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"
Bogard's pupils shrank; through gritted teeth, he hissed, "How dare he!"
While chaos stirred across the seas, Loguetown remained as calm as ever.Smoker's return had utterly suppressed the restless pirates.
The Marine prison was now filled with captains carrying bounties in the millions.Of course, Loguetown was still the final supply point before the Grand Line—pirates lurked everywhere.
Ren and his group were among them.
The Pipi Shrimp slid quietly into port. The ship had never been seen by the Marines before and looked utterly ordinary.And to the eyes of the Marines, only a fragile young woman disembarked.
In truth, three others walked unseen.
Ren had used two bottles of Invisibility Potion; Zoro wore the Invisibility Cloak; and Nami hid beneath her Arcane Ring.Docking went smoothly, thanks to Nojiko—who rarely appeared but handled negotiations deftly.The port guards never realized that the Demon Pirates—a crew marked by Marine Headquarters for elimination—had just slipped into Loguetown without a ripple.
Fortunately, Ren had no intention of causing trouble today.He headed straight for a local weapon shop.
The owner was a man named Ipponmatsu, a middle-aged shopkeeper with a reddish nose and wings of hair that tried—and failed—to conceal his bald crown.
Of course, that last observation came from Nami, who had just removed her ring.
"What bald crown!? I'm in my prime, you brat!"Ipponmatsu's face darkened. Were she not a pretty girl, he might have rolled up his sleeves then and there.
"Alright, boss, I'm here to buy a sword. Where are the cheapest ones?" Ren interjected.
"What? A cheapskate, huh?"Ipponmatsu pointed impatiently at a wooden barrel in the corner. "Fifty thousand Beli each. No haggling!"
Ren gestured at Zoro. "Go on. Pick one. If you find something good, I'll let you have it."
Zoro raised an eyebrow but did as told.As he rummaged through the barrel, his hand froze—and he slowly drew out a long, ominous blade.
Its hilt bore cross-shaped guards, plain sharkskin wrapping, and a fiery hamon pattern across its curved edge.A strange, sinister aura clung to it.
What's a sword like this doing here?Even a brief glance told Zoro it wasn't some fifty-thousand-Beli junk weapon.At the very least, it was a Grade Sword—worth millions.
Did Ren notice that too?Was he letting Zoro seize a treasure under this clueless owner's nose?
But there was something… peculiar about this sword.Its aura felt eerily similar to Ren's own cursed blade—though more restrained.A demon blade, perhaps?
Before Zoro could think further, Ipponmatsu barked, "Hey! You'd better put that back! I'm not selling that one!"
"Then why is it sitting in a fifty-thousand-Beli barrel?" Nami asked in disbelief.
The shopkeeper glanced at her but didn't answer. "Not for sale. That's all."
The truth was simple:He'd kept that blade only for people who didn't know swords—those who might buy it on impulse.That way, the demon sword wouldn't bring harm to a true swordsman.
Because anyone who could sense its nature… would be the one it kills.
"A cursed blade, huh?" Zoro murmured, his eyes narrowing.
"You can tell?" Ipponmatsu asked sharply.
"I can feel it—an ominous presence."
"Then drop it," the owner warned. "That sword is Sandai Kitetsu. Every one of its past owners met a grisly end.Even those who tried to sell it off early usually… lost something first."
He snorted, his gaze flicking to Ren.He could tell—the black-haired man was the leader among the three.
Ren met the stare calmly, ignoring it. "So? How does it feel?" he asked Zoro.
"Compared to your cursed sword, its malice is weaker," Zoro said frankly. "Yours feels like it could devour its master any moment. This one's… subtler. But definitely a demon blade."
"Got the confidence for it?" Ren asked again.
Zoro grinned. "Who do you think I am? The man who'll surpass Mihawk and become the world's greatest swordsman!"
"Then convince him," Ren said, glancing at Ipponmatsu. "He's got a point—this isn't for amateurs."
The shopkeeper scoffed. "I've heard a hundred swordsmen spout that line. Most crawl back later missing an arm or a leg, begging me to buy Kitetsu back.Why do you think it's in that barrel?"
"Is that so? Then…"Zoro drew Sandai Kitetsu and raised it high, blade gleaming."Let's see whether my luck is stronger than its curse!"
"What are you—!?"
Ipponmatsu leapt up, alarmed, as Zoro tossed the sword into the air—its edge spinning downward—and calmly extended his arm beneath it, eyes closed.
"That blade's sharp enough to take your arm clean off!" the owner shouted in panic.
Too late.Everyone froze, watching.
Nami instinctively drew her small Ruyi Staff, but Ren clasped her hands gently—interlacing his fingers with hers, pressing the staff between their palms.
His calm gaze never wavered as the demon blade spun down.He had already seen the ending.
Sandai Kitetsu seemed to possess a will of its own—or perhaps Zoro's luck truly prevailed.The sword's edge grazed a strand of hair, then curved perfectly around his arm—clink!—and plunged into the floor to the hilt.
Its sharpness left no doubt.
Ipponmatsu's voice choked mid-shout like a duck strangled at the neck.
"Looks like his luck won," Ren said, stepping forward. "So, can we buy it now?"
"Y-yes! Your swordsman's a fine one," Ipponmatsu stammered, eyes fixed on Zoro as he calmly pulled the blade free.
A real swordsman, he thought.Not one of those braggarts who talked big and folded at the first hint of danger—but a man with resolve. A true swordsman.
For an instant, the shopkeeper saw his younger self reflected there—back when he too had dreamed of sailing the seas, carving out his own legend.Before his father's illness, before his wife, before the duty of inheriting the family shop…Before the fire in his chest dimmed into this comfortable, tedious peace.
He knew he'd never leave Loguetown now.But there was something he could still do.
"Wait here!"He dashed upstairs, footsteps pounding like a man chasing his lost youth.
Nami blinked, still feeling the warmth of Ren's hand intertwined with hers."What's he doing?"
"Who knows?" Ren smiled faintly. "Maybe chasing what he once dreamed of."
"...?"
Before she could ask, Ipponmatsu returned—lugging a covered stand.With a heavy thud, he set it on the counter.
"What now?" Zoro asked, sheathing Sandai Kitetsu.
The man lifted the dusty cloth, revealing a gleaming, black-lacquered katana.
"This blade—'Yubashiri.'"He drew it with a practiced, almost nostalgic motion. "A Grade Sword. The best my humble shop has."
"You're selling that too?" Zoro asked, surprised.
"No."Ipponmatsu's voice turned solemn. "I'm entrusting it to you.This sword was once mine. I meant to take it to sea and carve my name into legend.But… I inherited this store instead."
"Then shouldn't you treasure it even more?" Nami asked incredulously.
He shook his head. "A sword's purpose is battle. To lock it away is to let it rust in shame."His gaze softened, then hardened again as he held the sheathed blade out with both hands."So please—take Yubashiri. Show it the world I never could. Let it see the sights I couldn't give it!"
"But we just met. You don't even know what kind of person I am," Zoro said, stunned.
"So what?"Ipponmatsu stepped forward, eyes blazing with conviction."What's wrong with a man entrusting his dream to another man!?"
Zoro's eyes widened. Instinctively, he glanced at Ren.
Ren only smiled, pulling Nami back. "Your choice. It's not my burden to carry."
"...Is that so?"
After a moment of silence, Zoro stepped forward, bowed slightly, and accepted the blade."Then I'll take it—with gratitude."
"Hahahaha!"Ipponmatsu's laughter burst forth, light and free.It felt as if a great weight had fallen from his heart.
That was enough.He would entrust his long-lost dreams, his ambitions, and his hopes—all of it, together with Yubashiri—to this green-haired swordsman.Perhaps they barely knew each other; perhaps they were just passing strangers.But so long as that spark of manly spirit was carried onward, it was enough.
He would stay here, in his quiet little life, watching the man who carried his dream sail toward the horizon.
Maybe one day, the world would speak of the legend of the green-haired swordsman and Yubashiri.
That would be enough.
Of course, only Yubashiri was entrusted. Zoro still paid for Sandai Kitetsu.
He wasn't broke—Ren always slipped him money anyway. Over time, he'd saved about a million Beli.
(End of Chapter)