Loguetown: Procurement Preparations

"Hahaha, we're wanted criminals now."

Luffy laughed, scratching the back of his head as he held the newspaper Nami bought from a communication bird, with a bounty poster tucked inside.

"And with a bounty of 30 Million Belly, no less."

"See? I'm in the picture too~~~"

Sanji was utterly speechless at Usopp's words.

"What's so great about just having the back of your head showing at the bottom of a bounty poster?"

"Could you guys please be a little more serious? Our heads are being targeted now." Nami clutched her forehead, beginning to understand Roman's pain.

"With such high bounties, those 'Pirate Hunters' and even Marine Headquarters will be making moves. This is no time for us to be relaxing..."

"We're charging straight into the Grand Line!"

Luffy declared with great spirit.

"Alright!" X2

Sanji and Usopp, now assimilated by Luffy's enthusiasm, cheered, causing Zoro, who was resting on the other side, to open one eye.

"Everyone, land has appeared at the 2 o'clock position."

On the other side, Roman, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, spoke slowly.

Several 'paper cranes' were circling and flying around the Golden Merry. Roman was practicing his scouting ability; at the same time, a person in white armor stood at the helm, maintaining the Golden Merry's direction.

Needless to say, this was also Roman's Devil Fruit ability.

Paper Dance - Paper Crane

Paper Dance - White Knight

They really didn't leave any room for rest at all... Zoro glanced at Roman, who, even while resting his body, didn't let a single second of practicing his Devil Fruit ability go to waste. He wondered why the other guy was so... diligent?

Ah well, if he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't!

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

He flipped over and got up, continuing his training.

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

Nami, carefully studying the sea chart, found their coordinates and also revealed the fame of the landmass.

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

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

Facing Luffy's longing expression, Nami smiled and tilted her head.

"How about it, want to take a look?"

"Definitely!"

"Wow, this is Loguetown?"

"It looks so prosperous~~"

Even though it was the last town before the Grand Line, the streets were bustling with people, looking very lively. Of course, this was because:

"Listen up, the Marines here don't—"

"I want to see the execution platform~~~"

However, before Roman could finish speaking, Luffy had already darted away.

"I'm going to see if there are any good ingredients~~"

Said Sanji, full of enthusiasm.

"I'm going to replenish some equipment too."

This was Usopp, who relied on his tools for combat.

"I also have something I need to buy."

Said Zoro, touching the single katana left at his waist.

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

This... was undoubtedly Nami.

"The Marines here are very..."

"Never mind, Luffy's already disappeared."

Roman was truly getting a headache. He could only release a few paper cranes to search for Luffy from the air. At the same time, he took out a stack of Belly:

"Alright then, everyone, here's 100,000 Belly in activity funds."

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

"Don't tell me—!"

"What are you thinking?" Roman's face darkened as he looked at everyone's expression, which clearly implied, 'I can't believe you're that kind of person.'

"Do you really think I have the ability to create fake Belly with my Devil Fruit ability already?"

"Think about it, you guys have no concept of money…"

No, wait, Nami has an excessive concept of money!

"I didn't charge Cocoyasi Village for that shipment of weapons, but I won't be giving them to other villages and towns for free."

"A little help earns gratitude, but too much earns enmity…"

Seeing their utterly bewildered faces, Roman waved his hand.

"Anyway, do you guys want any?"

"Yes!" X4

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

"But I have things I want to buy~~"

After distributing the 'activity funds,' the group split up. As for Roman—

"How's this outfit?"

Nami emerged from the fitting room, wearing a mink coat lined with a tight bustier and a fur skirt. She leaned against the door, her gaze from on high exuding an air of wealth.

"It's wonderful, it suits your aura perfectly~~"

"And this one?"

Nami, now in a fiery red qipao, struck an "S" pose. The smooth lines of her legs beneath the qipao, along with the newly tattooed pinwheel oranges on her shoulders, added a touch of wildness.

"Ah, it's so elegant, my dear customer~~"

"Then how about this one~~"

"It's fantastic!"

"And what about this one?"

"Excellent…"

??????

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

Roman, sitting nearby, couldn't help but ponder these philosophical questions. Ultimately, why did he agree to go shopping with Nami?! Wasn't lifting weights on the ship more enjoyable…

"Does it look good, Roman?"

"Ah… It… It looks good…"

—!

"Hmph,"

"Customer, these clothes…"

"I don't want any of them!"

Roman, who had been diligently folding paper into paper cranes, snapped back to attention as Nami stormed out of the store. Seeing the store manager's dashed hopes, he casually picked out one of the outfits Nami had tried on earlier.

"I'll take this one, please wrap it up."

"Certainly, customer~~"

Meanwhile, Zoro was…

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

"Tsk, only a hundred thousand…"

One hundred thousand Belly was actually quite a sum, but weapons were always a 'scarce commodity' in this world. After all, a single weapon could create more 'wealth.' Thus:

"The swords on that shelf are fifty thousand each. Pick whatever you like."

Zoro wasn't annoyed by the shop owner's lazy tone; they were just meant to be temporary anyway. —If he really needed them, he could always have Roman use his abilities to create better swords…

Thinking about it, if he had known a single sword was this expensive, he should have just picked two from the ones Roman had sold.

"Wow, this sword you have is…"

A voice next to him interrupted Zoro's thoughts. It belonged to a girl wearing glasses and a floral print shirt. But most importantly:

"What are you doing here?"

Zoro's brow twitched. If he had to ask why, it was because this girl named Tashigi looked exactly like the girl Kuina, who had made a promise with him in his childhood!

If he hadn't personally attended Kuina's funeral and witnessed Tashigi's swordsmanship just now, Zoro might have suspected his memory was playing tricks on him.

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

As she spoke, she pushed up her glasses and looked at the sword 'Wado Ichimonji' at Zoro's waist with excitement, her longing gaze evident.

"This is one of the twenty-one Great Grade Swords! To think I'd see it here~~"

"Ah… is that so…"

Faced with this face, even Zoro, whose heart was only for swords, found it a bit difficult to handle.

As the two talked, Zoro gradually learned that this girl named Tashigi was dedicated to collecting 'famous swords'. Don't misunderstand, she wasn't a collector out of obsession, but because she didn't want to see these famous swords used by bad people to make a name for themselves and slaughter indiscriminately…

What a naive person!

"However, only bad people need weapons,"

The weapon shop owner grumbled unhappily, "Ever since your 'Smoker' came here, my business has plummeted!"

"Colonel Smoker isn't some 'Smoker'! He maintains the public order here…"

"Yes, yes, yes. All I know is he's making it impossible for my shop to stay open."

This girl was a Marine?

"Ah, right, if you're looking for a sword."

It was clear the girl knew a lot about swords. She even picked out a blade from a pile of ordinary swords priced at fifty thousand Belly:

"Is this the Sandai Kitetsu?"

"Unbelievable! Such a good quick sword for only fifty thousand Belly!"

"Ah… ah… yes…"

Faced with the girl's confusion, the weapon shop owner broke out in a cold sweat.

"This is a treasure sword worth millions! Its predecessor, the 'Second Generation Kitetsu', was ranked among the Great Grade Swords! And the 'First Generation Kitetsu' is one of the Supreme Grade Swords."

"No… no…"

Seeing Zoro take the sword, the weapon shop owner, drenched in sweat, shouted with a surge of 'conscience', "That sword can't be sold to—"

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

However, Zoro had already drawn the katana named 'Sandai Kitetsu', his calm voice interrupting the owner's words.

"Huh?"

"You know…"

"No,"

Zoro denied the weapon shop owner's words. "I can see it."

Perhaps to ordinary people, the so-called 'aura', 'killing intent', and 'malevolence' were all ethereal things, but to a master, these were tangible entities! Especially for Zoro, as a swordsman, this sword, with its ominous red and black aura coiling around the blade, was accompanied by bursts of wailing.

"Yes,"

The weapon shop owner nodded.

"All swords named 'Kitetsu' are treasure swords. Their sharpness is beyond question, but they are also cursed swords!"

"All the swordsmen who wielded the Kitetsu throughout history have met untimely deaths! Even those who had no idea about it couldn't live long after wielding these swords. For a time, these 'Kitetsu' swords were even used as assassination tools, given to targets…"

As a weapon for killing, it had first killed its own 'master'.

"I originally wanted to get rid of it, but I was also afraid of some inexplicable curse or something…"

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

Faced with the owner's 'horror story' and Tashigi's apologetic bow, Zoro let out a proud laugh.

"Very well, I like it."

"I'll take this sword!"

?

?

"Hey… hey, hey! Are you an idiot? If you die using this weapon, it'll be like I intentionally killed you…"

"Hmph, then let me see if the curse of the cursed sword is stronger, or my luck is."

With that, Zoro tossed the Sandai Kitetsu upwards, making the sword spin at high speed!

Swish—

Then he suddenly extended his arm, directly in the path of the falling blade!

"If I lose, it just means I'm not that great either—"

"Your hand will—"

"Ah~~"

Facing the panicked shop owner and a startled Tashigi covering her mouth, Zoro calmly closed his eyes. Then:

Swish

The falling cursed sword spun around Zoro's arm, not even touching a single hair!

"I'll take this sword!"

Thunk

The cursed sword named Sandai Kitetsu landed on the floor, its entire blade sinking silently into the wood! This demonstrated its sharpness, but before Zoro's luck... no, his strength! It could only obediently bow its head.

Bang

The girl named Tashigi, terrified, sat down hard on the ground.

Crash

The weapons shop owner also slammed hard into the shelves behind him in fright!

What... what kind of confidence and dominance was this...

"Alright, only one more left..."

"Wait a moment!"

The weapons shop owner, having gotten up, rushed into the back room and came out in a flurry, holding a katana with a black, cross-shaped pattern and irregular tempering.

"This is our shop's prized possession, one of the Ryou Wazamono 50, 'Yuki'!"

"Hahaha, Ryou Wazamono, I don't have that much..."

"It's free!"

"As the old saying goes: A good sword goes to a hero! I haven't met a swordsman with your kind of eyes in a long time. It's better for this treasure sword to follow a hero like you than to stay with me."

"Truly terrifying, I'm so scared my legs are too weak to stand."

Watching Zoro leave with three swords, Tashigi, still sitting on the ground, sighed with genuine emotion.

PS: Thanks to the book friend 'ice丶菊花' for the reward, and book friends '豪日星光' and '我只配当配角' for the monthly votes.

PS: Zoro's famous scene, I have to copy it even if it's plagiarism~~ Back in the day, I even used a wooden stick to practice how to spin and drop it without hurting myself. (Cringe, covering face)