Zoro and Saka both wanted the Ryo Wazamono Yubashiri.
But then they saw Wang Shi find a cursed sword, its blade shrouded in an ominous aura, among the ordinary swords. Their attention was immediately drawn to it.
"Sandai Kitetsu! It's nothing special!"
Wang Shi drew Sandai Kitetsu, and a faint, sinister aura coiled around his arm.
But it couldn't affect Wang Shi in the slightest.
He was the emperor of the Goa Empire!
The Emperor of the East Blue, standing alongside the Overlord of the North Blue!
How could a mere Sandai Kitetsu possibly sway him?
A powerful aura shook the resistance out of Sandai Kitetsu completely.
"What! That's the cursed sword, Sandai Kitetsu!"
At the sound of Wang Shi's voice, Zoro and Saka's eyes lit up. Even Tashigi, who had been standing at the entrance to the Weapon Shop, rushed inside.
Smoker was startled by the faint, almost imperceptible aura.
"So he really has that kind of potential!"
Smoker furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, his eyes grave.
Wang Shi was a bastard, but he was the emperor who had destroyed six kingdoms and dared to defy the World Government's warning.
He really did have the kingly disposition that only one person in a million might possess!
Who knew whether that would be a blessing or a disaster for the East Blue?
Zoro and Saka looked at the Marine who bore a slight resemblance to Kuina and fell silent for a moment.
They had already taken a few extra glances at this female Marine at the harbor.
But this naturally airheaded girl with glasses clearly didn't have Kuina's competitive nature.
She was just a girl who happened to look like Kuina.
"Sandai Kitetsu isn't good enough for me!"
"Take it, Zoro!"
"Make it yours."
"Give Yubashiri to Saka."
"I'll find you a Famous Sword later to round out the good blades a Three-Sword Style swordsman needs."
Sandai Kitetsu trembled in Wang Shi's hand, crushed by his aura.
Dissatisfied with the sword, Wang Shi tossed it straight to Zoro.
"Thanks, Wang."
Zoro promptly caught Sandai Kitetsu and immediately felt its ominous aura curling around his hand.
Wang Shi didn't mind that Zoro hadn't called him "Your Majesty."
Calling him "King" was fine too—it was both Wang Shi's surname and his title as king of the Goa Empire.
Wang Shi wouldn't restrict someone like Zoro, who had the potential for Conqueror's Haki. He could do as he pleased.
And Zoro wasn't the sort of man to be constrained by rules.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Saka smiled as he picked up Yubashiri. The ominous Sandai Kitetsu really didn't suit the image of his sword of justice.
This Ryo Wazamono, Yubashiri, was far more fitting for him.
Seeing Zoro toss the razor-sharp Sandai Kitetsu into the air and stake his life on fate's choice, confidently winning the sword's submission, Tashigi was moved by his spirit as a swordsman.
She knew Zoro would surely become someone extraordinary.
Even Ipponmatsu was captivated by Zoro.
If Wang Shi was a king of his age, then Zoro was a king among swordsmen.
Ipponmatsu, who loved swordsmanship, had high hopes for Zoro.
Perhaps another renowned master swordsman would soon emerge from this Weapon Shop and make a name for himself around the world.
"Not bad! I like that wild spirit."
Zoro happily put away Sandai Kitetsu and placed one of the ordinary long swords in his sword barrel.
Getting a sword that suited his taste was more than enough to satisfy him.
"Let's go."
The group had already paid, so they left Ipponmatsu's Weapon Shop.
Nami and the others had long since gone shopping at a clothing store in Loguetown, under the "protection" and "watch" of a group of Marines.
Even Van Augur had gone off to browse the gun shops on his own.
Eric and El Drago, the two ability users who didn't care for weapons, stayed by Wang Shi's side.
The main street of Loguetown.
This was the road leading to the Pirate King Execution Platform.
"Wang Shi, what are your ambitions?"
"Do you want to dominate a sea, like the Germa Kingdom?"
With two cigars clenched between his teeth, Smoker glared irritably at Wang Shi, the young emperor.
"Please call me His Majesty, Wang Shi, Captain Smoker. I'm the emperor who pays the most Heavenly Tribute to the World Government in the entire world. For all you know, part of your salary comes from the money I pay."
Ignoring Smoker's question, Wang Shi instead teased the justice-driven Marine captain.
His tone was playful, as if to say, I'm a taxpayer, so show me a little respect and courtesy.
"You!"
Faced with Wang Shi's completely irrelevant reply, Smoker clenched his fists, his eyes filled with helpless frustration.
The Marines' code did, in fact, require them to treat the kings of Affiliated Nations with respect and courtesy.
"Be sure to protect me well, Captain Smoker."
Wang Shi smiled slightly and continued toward the Pirate King Execution Platform.
"Captain Smoker, please calm down~~"
Tashigi hurriedly held back Smoker, who was about to lose his temper.
It was because of his bad temper that Captain Smoker had been transferred from Marine Headquarters to serve in the East Blue, the Weakest Sea.
Otherwise, with his Logia ability, he could easily have been promoted to Rear Admiral at headquarters.
Every Logia pirate was at least a Supernova, with a bounty of over a hundred million.
That was the value of a Logia ability user.
But in the New World, where Haki added another dimension to combat, weak Logia users actually died even faster.
Logia users who were used to having everything go their way could easily come unstuck.
"Lord Wang Shi, I heard the Germa Legion from the North Blue is coming after you. Are you confident you can beat them? Want us to lend a hand?"
"I'm the boss of Barto Club! I've got more than a thousand men under me!"
As Wang Shi and the others walked along, they suddenly spotted a green-haired punk with a pompadour shouting excitedly at Wang Shi from the roadside.
"Lord Wang Shi, we have to drive Germa back to the North Blue! Let's make a name for the East Blue and shake off this title of the Weakest Sea!"
When Bartolomeo saw Wang Shi stop, he shouted even more excitedly.
Seeing Bartolomeo, Wang Shi's lips curled up in a slight smile.
Had this guy really come right to him?
All that hard work building his great reputation in the East Blue had paid off.
Why had he attacked so many kingdoms and built the Goa Empire? Wasn't it to spread his own name and the name of the Goa Empire across the world, making it easier to attract talent from all corners?
Otherwise, who would pay attention to an obscure, weak king?
Without a reputation, if Wang Shi went to another sea to recruit powerful people, they wouldn't give him the time of day.
Joining an unknown kingdom was worse than joining a pirate crew.
At least pirate crews had wanted posters to advertise them.
It was hard for a kingdom to become famous.
But now, the name King of Exile and the title Emperor of the East Blue were banners, a grand signboard.
Wang Shi had built this reputation and power base to recruit the strong.
"With me here, the East Blue won't be the Weakest Sea!"
"Friend, want to join us in fighting the Germa Evil Legion and making the East Blue's name ring out across the world?"
Wang Shi looked at the young Bartolomeo. This was exactly the age when he loved showing off and idolized powerful people.
It wouldn't take much to sweet-talk this underworld boss.
Wang Shi could even support Bartolomeo in uniting the East Blue's underworld, just as Capone Bege had united the underworld in the West Blue.
This new idea quickly took shape in Wang Shi's mind. He would have both the lawful and the criminal worlds in his grasp: first unify the East Blue's underworld, then gain access to the Underworld, and gradually bring the East Blue's Affiliated Nations together.
That would make recruiting people easier, whether from the underworld or the legitimate world!