Loguetown Procurement Preparations

"Hahaha, we've become wanted criminals."

Holding the newspaper Nami had bought from the newsbird, along with the Bounty Posters tucked inside it, Luffy laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"And there's a thirty-million-Beli bounty on us."

"See? I made it into the picture too~~~"

Sanji was utterly speechless at Usopp's words.

"It's just the back of your head showing beneath the Bounty Poster. What are you so proud of?"

"Could you all be a little more serious? People have their eyes on our heads now." Nami covered her forehead, beginning to understand Roman's suffering.

"With such a high bounty, those Pirate Hunters and even Marine Headquarters will take action. Now is not the time for us to be taking it easy..."

"We'll charge straight into the Grand Line in one go!"

Luffy was brimming with heroic spirit.

"Yeah!" x2

Usopp had somehow infected both Sanji and the other man with his enthusiasm, and their raised-arm cheers made Zoro, who had been resting nearby, open one eye.

"Land ahead, at two o'clock."

Roman, who sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed, slowly spoke.

Several paper cranes circled and danced around the Golden Merry. Roman was training his scouting ability. At the same time, a figure in white armor stood before the helm, keeping the Golden Merry on course.

There was no need to say it—this was Roman's Devil Fruit ability as well.

Paper Dance—Paper Crane

Paper Dance—White Knight

He really didn't leave himself even a moment to rest... Zoro glanced at Roman. Even while his body rested, Roman did not waste a single second he could spend training his Devil Fruit ability. Why was he working so... hard?

Forget it. If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it!

If he wanted to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, what was there to say if he could not even match the diligence of a Devil Fruit user?

He rolled over, got up, and continued training.

"That should be Loguetown, the Town of Beginning and End."

After carefully studying the chart, Nami found their coordinates and explained why that land was famous.

"Loguetown is where Gol D. Roger was born, and it was also where he was executed. That's why it's called the town of 'Beginning and End.'"

"And it's the last town before the Grand Line, so~~"

Faced with Luffy's eager expression, Nami smiled and tilted her head.

"Well? Want to take a look?"

"Of course!"

"Wow, this is Loguetown?"

"It looks pretty prosperous~~"

Though it was the last town before the Grand Line, its streets were crowded and lively. Naturally, that was because—

"You all listen up, the Marines here aren't—"

"I'm going to see the execution platform~~~"

Before Roman could finish, Luffy vanished in a flash.

"I'm going to see if they have any good ingredients~~"

That was Sanji, looking thoroughly excited.

"I need to restock some equipment too."

That was Usopp, who fought using tools.

"I have things I need to buy as well."

That was Zoro, touching the one remaining katana at his waist.

"Then I'll lend you money, at double interest~~"

That... was undoubtedly Nami.

"The Marines here are very..."

"Forget it. Luffy's already disappeared."

Roman truly had a headache. He could only send several paper cranes into the sky to search for Luffy. At the same time, he pulled out a stack of Beli.

"Then everyone can take one hundred thousand Beli in spending money first."

?

"Roman, where did you get so much money?"

"Could it be—?!"

"What are you thinking?" Seeing everyone look at him as though they were saying, So you're that kind of person, Roman's face darkened.

"Do you think I can already use my Devil Fruit ability to make counterfeit Beli?"

"Think about it. You people have no concept of money at all..."

No, Nami had an excessive concept of money!

"That shipload of weapons of mine—I didn't charge Cocoyasi Village, but I won't give them away for free to other villages and towns."

"Give someone a small favor, and they'll be grateful; give them a great favor, and they'll resent you..."

Looking at the four blank faces before him, Roman waved a hand.

"Anyway, do you want it or not?"

"Yes!" x4

"Nami, don't you have money yourself?"

"But I have things I need to buy too~~"

After handing out the "spending money," the group split up. As for Roman—

"How about this outfit?"

Nami emerged from the fitting room in a fur coat, a tight tube top underneath, and a short fur skirt. Leaning against the door at an angle, she looked down from on high, radiating an air of wealth and nobility.

"Very good. It suits your temperament perfectly~~"

"What about this one?"

Now wearing a scarlet qipao, Nami turned sideways into an S-shaped pose. Her smooth legs beneath the dress, along with the newly tattooed windmill and tangerine on her shoulder, added a hint of wildness.

"Ah, so elegant, my customer~~"

"Then how about this one~~"

"Fantastic!"

"And what about this outfit?"

"Very good..."

????

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Sitting beside her, Roman could not help but have those three philosophical questions arise in his mind. More importantly, why had he agreed to go shopping with Nami!? Wouldn't lifting weights on the ship have been better...

"Does it look good, Roman?"

"Ah... g-good... good..."

—!

"Hmph."

"Customer, these clothes..."

"I don't want any of them!"

Watching Nami storm out the door, Roman snapped back to his senses. He had been carefully folding the paper in his hands into paper cranes. Seeing the shopkeeper's disappointed expression, he casually pointed at one of the outfits Nami had tried on.

"I'll take this one. Wrap it up for me."

"Certainly, customer~~"

Meanwhile, Zoro—

"I want to buy two swords. Here's one hundred thousand Beli."

"Tch, only one hundred thousand..."

One hundred thousand Beli was actually not a small amount, but weapons had always been in short supply in this world. After all, a single weapon could create even more "wealth." Thus—

"The swords on that rack are fifty thousand each. Pick whatever you want~~"

Zoro did not get angry at the owner's lazy words. They were only for making do, anyway. If he truly needed them, he could have Roman use his ability to make better swords...

Come to think of it, if he had known swords were so expensive, he might as well have picked two from the ones Roman had sold.

"Wow, that sword of yours is..."

A voice beside him interrupted Zoro's thoughts. It belonged to a girl with glasses and a plaid shirt. Yet the most important thing was—

"What are you doing here?"

Zoro's brow twitched. As for why—this girl named Tashigi looked... not merely similar to Kuina, the girl he had made a promise with in childhood. She looked exactly the same!

If he had not personally attended Kuina's funeral, and if he had not just witnessed Tashigi's swordsmanship, Zoro might have suspected that his memory was confused.

"I came to pick up my sword. My Shigure is being maintained at this shop."

As she spoke, she pushed up her glasses and stared excitedly at Wado Ichimonji at Zoro's waist, her longing obvious.

"One of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords... I can't believe I get to see it here~~"

"Ah... is that so..."

Even Zoro, whose heart held only swords, found dealing with that face somewhat difficult.

As they talked, Zoro gradually learned that Tashigi was devoted to collecting famous swords. Don't misunderstand—she was not some collector. She simply did not want to see these famous swords used by bad people to make names for themselves and slaughter countless others...

What a naïve girl!

"Only bad people need weapons."

The weapon shop owner grumbled unhappily. "Ever since that 'Smoker' of yours came here, my business has gone straight downhill!"

"Captain Smoker is not some 'Smoker.' He has kept this place safe..."

"Yeah, yeah. All I know is that he's nearly put me out of business."

This girl was a Marine?

"Ah, right. If you're choosing a sword..."

It was clear that the girl knew a great deal about swords. She actually picked one out from the pile of ordinary fifty-thousand-Beli swords.

"This is Sandai Kitetsu, isn't it?"

"I can't believe such a fine sword is only fifty thousand Beli!"

"Ah... ah... y-yes..."

Faced with the girl's question, the weapon shop owner could only break out in a cold sweat.

"This is a treasured sword worth a million Beli. Its predecessor, Nidai Kitetsu, ranks among the Great Grade Swords! First Generation Kitetsu is even one of the Supreme Grade Swords."

"N-no... You can't..."

When Zoro took hold of the sword, the weapon shop owner's conscience suddenly flared up, and he shouted with sweat streaming down his face.

"That sword can't be sold to—"

"It's a cursed blade, isn't it?"

However, Zoro had already drawn the katana called Sandai Kitetsu. His calm voice interrupted the owner.

"Huh?"

"You know...?"

"No."

Zoro denied the weapon shop owner's words. "I could tell."

To ordinary people, things like "presence," "killing intent," and "murderous aura" might be intangible and illusory. But in the eyes of experts, they truly existed! Especially for Zoro as a swordsman, this blade was wrapped in an ominous red-black aura in his eyes, accompanied by waves of wailing.

"Yes."

The weapon shop owner nodded.

"Every sword bearing the name 'Kitetsu' is a treasured blade. Their sharpness goes without saying, but they are also cursed swords!"

"Every swordsman who has used a Kitetsu has died an unnatural death! Even people who know nothing about them do not live long after taking one up. For a time, these Kitetsu swords were even given to targets as assassination tools..."

A weapon made for killing people had instead killed its own "master" first.

"I had wanted to get rid of it, but I was afraid of some inexplicable curse or whatever..."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't know the sword was so terrifying~~"

Faced with the owner's "horror story" and Tashigi's apologetic bow, Zoro merely smiled proudly.

"Good. I like it."

"I'll take this sword!"

?

?

"H-hey... Hey! Are you an idiot? If you die using that weapon, won't it look like I deliberately got you killed...?"

"Hmph. Then let's see whether the cursed blade's curse is stronger, or my luck is."

With that, Zoro tossed Sandai Kitetsu upward, sending the sword spinning at high speed!

Whoosh—

Then he suddenly thrust out his arm, directly into the path of the falling blade!

"If I lose, then it only proves I was nothing special—"

!!

!!

"Your hand will—"

"Ah~~"

Faced with the panicking shop owner and Tashigi, who was so frightened she covered her mouth, Zoro merely closed his eyes calmly. Then:

Whoosh!

The spinning cursed blade fell around Zoro's arm without touching even a single hair!

"I'll take this sword!"

Thud!

The cursed blade known as Sandai Kitetsu landed on the floor, its entire edge silently sinking into the floorboards! Its sharpness was undeniable, but before Zoro's luck... no, his strength, it could only obediently bow its head.

Thump!

The girl named Tashigi fell flat on her butt in fright.

Bang!

The weapon shop owner was likewise so terrified that he slammed hard into the shelf behind him!

This... what incredible confidence and dominance...

"All right, there's one sword left..."

"Wait!"

The weapon shop owner scrambled to his feet and rushed into the back room, then came bustling out carrying a black-lacquered katana with a cross-shaped irregular temper pattern.

"This is the treasure of my shop—Yuki, one of the Ryou Wazamono 50!"

"Haha, a Ryou Wazamono? I don't have that much—"

"It's free!"

"As the old saying goes, a fine sword belongs with a hero! It's been a long time since I've met a swordsman with eyes like yours. Rather than leaving this treasured blade here with me, its true home is by the side of a great warrior like you."

"That was terrifying. My legs are so weak I can't even stand up."

Watching Zoro leave with three swords at his waist, Tashigi, still sitting on the floor, spoke from the bottom of her heart.

G: Fang Yu GENDER: male

The dark mist roiled, condensing once more into the towering figure of the Demon God. Its eyes burned with a baleful light as it locked its gaze onto Fang Yu, the aura of death pressing down like a mountain.

"Human, you have pushed this deity to its limit," the Demon God's voice rumbled, shaking the cavern walls and sending a shower of loose stones cascading into the abyss below.

Fang Yu spat a mouthful of blood, his grip on the divine sword tightening until his knuckles turned white. His breathing was ragged, yet a fierce, reckless grin broke across his blood-stained face.

Is that all you've got?

Without a word, he channeled the last dregs of his spiritual energy, his dantian roaring in protest as golden light erupted from his pores. He vanished from the spot, leaving behind a shattered echo of air as he hurtled straight toward the entity's chest.

Severing Heaven!

A brilliant crescent of light cleaved the darkness, a blinding flash that eclipsed the gloom of the underworld. The Demon God roared, raising its colossal claw to block the strike, but the sheer momentum of the blade carved deep into its armored hide, black ichor spraying like a geyser.

For a fleeting second, the terrifying pressure lifted, and Fang Yu stood victorious atop the crumbling ruins, his chest heaving as the smoke cleared into the silent void.

PS: Great Swordsman's iconic scene—I had to copy it even if I was copying it~~ Back then, I even used a wooden stick to practice spinning it up and letting it fall without hurting myself. (Chuunibyou facepalm)