Shusui's Heaven-Defying Power, the Power of a Black Blade

In an instant, the zombies' hair stood on end with fright. They froze for a moment, then fled outside like mad.

"Bastard, if you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"

A tall, burly zombie glared fiercely at the iron-bucket zombie before turning and running.

The iron-bucket zombie moved stiffly and merely scratched his head, but with the bucket on, he couldn't reach it.

"Aren't we... already... dead?"

He followed the other zombies outside.

Just as the zombies were about to escape the castle, flames erupted at the exit ahead. They sprang from empty air and quickly coalesced into Samael's form.

"Kehehehe... you little things were alive after all. No wonder I thought something felt strange!"

"Gah! Run!!!"

The tall zombie let out a strange cry and was about to flee deeper into the castle when his body suddenly caught fire from a distance. The searing flames instantly charred his zombie body.

With a thud, the tall zombie fell.

"Why are you running? Hmph, I'm not interested in you. Let me ask you something. Moria captured a group of pirates a few days ago. Where are they?" Samael snorted.

The remaining zombies trembled.

The iron-bucket zombie said blankly, "Lord Moria... took their shadows... They're locked up... I think."

"Where?" Samael looked at him.

At that, the remaining zombies all spoke up, afraid of being a moment too slow.

"In a cell beneath the castle!"

"My lord, I'll take you there!"

"Lord Moria's power can steal other people's shadows, but he has to keep them alive. Once they die, their shadows disappear too."

"Right, right, right! Those prisoners are all alive!"

With the prisoners showing him the way, Samael soon found the place.

A considerable number of unfortunate souls were being held in the cell beneath the castle. Moria apparently didn't care whether it could hold them all; aside from a locked iron door, there were no jailers here.

And because the cell was underground, it had been spared the aftermath of the earlier battle.

"Who's Lo-" Samael roared.

Inside the cell, the unfortunate captives stared fearfully at the flaming monster outside the iron bars, exchanging looks with one another.

Finally, several of them turned their gazes toward a woman among them.

The woman was stout, with thick lips and a missing front tooth. Now that Samael was staring at her, she gritted her teeth and stepped forward.

"I'm Lola. We heard a huge commotion just now. You're not one of Moria's people, are you? Did... did Mama send you to save me?"

Lola looked at him hopefully.

Samael grinned, revealing a ball of golden flame in his mouth.

"Kehehehe, my master is looking for you!"

His master?

Lola was stunned. Was that how someone from a religious order would address their leader?

But why would a religious order come to save her?

"Enough nonsense. Just come with me!"

Samael glared, and the iron bars of the cell melted at once. He conjured a huge hand of flame and plucked Lola out.

Strangely, the flames didn't hurt her at all. At least, Lola didn't feel any heat.

Seeing their captain being taken away, the remaining captives swallowed.

"What do we do? Captain Lola's been taken!"

"Let's get out of here first. That... opened the bars just now. Hurry, let's leave while we can!"

"But what about our shadows?"

Unable to worry about their shadows, the unfortunate pirates fled the cell.

The zombies who had led the way didn't dare stop them. They ran even faster than the prisoners.

In the blink of an eye, everyone had cleared out of the underground cell.

Several breaths later, a ghostly figure emerged through the wall.

Perona's ghost double clenched her little fists indignantly.

Those hateful people had come to the island out of nowhere and thrown their Moria Pirates into complete disarray!

"Seven Deadly Sins, Samael, and that so-called master of yours, I'm so mad! I'll remember you!"

Perona chattered on, then her eyes darted about and she thought, But, hehehe... so the person they're looking for is called Lola. I have to go back and tell Lord Moria!

The ghost passed through the wall and quickly left the castle.

Not long afterward, Samael brought Lola aboard the Wave-Breaking Warrior.

She didn't get to see the so-called master. Instead, Samael chained her up in the punishment room.

"Ain, sorry for the trouble, but keep an eye on her. I'm going to see Master."

Samael spoke to the air, then turned and left.

Lola looked around in confusion, but saw no one named Ain.

Besides, judging by his attitude, he wasn't here to save her. Of course he wasn't. She and Mama had never gotten along, so why would Mama send someone to save her?

Besides, Mama didn't even know she'd been captured!

Lola sighed, thought for a moment, and spoke tentatively:

"Hello, are you Ain?"

No one answered.

But Lola had a faint feeling that someone was watching her the whole time.

She didn't dare act rashly and simply stayed quietly in the corner.

Meanwhile.

In the captain's cabin.

Samael handed Dimon the sword he had picked up earlier.

"Master, this is what you wanted. Is this sword powerful?"

"It's called Black Blade Shusui."

In the world of pirates, there were weapons known as Famous Swords, divided into four grades.

The highest grade, Supreme Great Grade Swords, numbered only twelve in the entire world.

The next grade, Great Grade Swords, numbered twenty-one.

The lower grade, Skillful Grade Swords, numbered fifty.

The lowest grade, Grade Swords, were numerous.

Shusui, the sword before him, had once belonged to Ryuma, the legendary samurai of Wano Country known as the Sword God. It was one of the Great Grade Swords.

It was also a [Black Blade].

A Black Blade was a top-tier Famous Sword that had undergone a permanent transformation after being repeatedly tempered with Armament Haki over many years and through countless battles.

Unlike an ordinary sword temporarily coated in Armament Haki and turned black, a true Black Blade was black in itself, extraordinarily hard, and needed no additional coating of Haki.

Dimon drew Shusui from its sheath, examined the blade, then sheathed it again.

It was a fine sword, but he knew nothing of swordsmanship. As for what exactly made it good, all he could say was that it was hard enough.

Hard was good!

If he used Animation on it...

But he had already used his ability on the mist today. That would have to wait until tomorrow.

As he pondered, Dimon looked up at Samael and instructed him, "Keep that woman locked up for a few days. Report back to me when she speaks up on her own."

"Yes, Master."

Samael was overjoyed. It seemed Master had no intention of locking him in a little dark room.

Wonderful, praise my master!

The next day.

Once midnight had passed and his ability uses refreshed.

Dimon immediately took out Shusui and used his ability on it.

"Animation!"

Chapter 26: Shusui's Heaven-Defying Power, the Power of a Black Blade

The power of Animation flowed into Black Blade Shusui, shrouding the blade in a hazy golden light.

After several seconds, the golden light gradually faded. Then a mouth grew on the blade and spoke in a human voice:

"Master."

The voice was steady, like that of a battle-hardened samurai.

"From now on... I'll keep calling you Shusui."

After some thought, Dimon decided to stick with its original name. "What abilities do you have?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shusui left his hand and floated in midair.

Dimon couldn't help looking surprised at the sight.

How could a sword have the ability to fly? More accurately, it was levitating.

Shusui nimbly spun and swung itself through the air.

"Master, I can help you kill enemies!"

"I've had several wielders. The strongest, who was also my last owner, was known as the Sword God. He was a great swordsman from hundreds of years ago, named Shimotsuki Ryuma."

Dimon naturally knew all this.

Hundreds of years ago, Wano Country in the New World had still been known as the Golden Country.

Neither pirates nor the World Government would ignore such a prize.

People eager for gold had flocked to Wano Country, and Shimotsuki Ryuma had defended its borders against the invaders with nothing but his sword.

No matter who his opponent was, he could cut them down in a flash. He was a legendary great swordsman who had never known defeat in his life.

Not only that, but legend had it that he had slain a dragon above the capital, earning him the title of Dragon-Slaying Samurai.

Dimon didn't know whether the legend was true. If it was, the dragon had probably been a Zoan ability user, perhaps even a user of the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Shimotsuki Ryuma had been immensely powerful, no weaker than today's admirals and emperors. After his death, the Haki he had possessed in life had been so astonishing that his remains had endured for centuries without decaying.

Until eighteen years ago...

Moria had been defeated by Kaido in Wano Country, and as he fled, he had stolen Shimotsuki Ryuma's remains, along with Shusui, which had been kept with them.

Recalling the story he knew, Dimon couldn't help shaking his head.

"Your former master was strong, but unfortunately, I don't know swordsmanship, and I don't have much interest in it."

"Master, I can kill enemies on my own!"

Shusui hovered in the air, eager to demonstrate. "I'm a [Black Blade], a king among swords, and I can release Armament Haki too! You don't need to know swordsmanship, Master. Just hold me and you'll understand."