Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.
By the well in the backyard, in front of Sephiroth, lay a whetstone.
He sat on a stool, holding a one-point-two-meter-long crimson Saber in his hands, rhythmically sharpening it on the whetstone.
After a good while, he picked up the Saber and examined it closely before his eyes.
Kuina, who was standing beside Sephiroth observing, first took out a handkerchief to gently wipe away the sweat from his forehead, then she hesitated, choosing her words with a slightly puzzled tone, and said:
"Sephiroth, why... huh!?... It's... it's... that..."
"This sword gives off a particularly ominous feeling, doesn't it...?"
"Huh!?"
Kuina nodded obediently, agreeing with Sephiroth's words.
"Because!...What I forged is a Demonic Blade!
It's only natural for you to feel this way..."
As Sephiroth spoke, he picked up the black scabbard from the ground with his left hand and sheathed the blood-colored Saber in his right hand, which had been fully sharpened.
He spent over half a year forging this blood blade, and its quality barely reached the level of Supreme Grade Swords...
According to Sephiroth's initial idea, he originally wanted to forge a weapon with the same effect as enma, one that could guide the user's Haki but wouldn't forcefully absorb it.
This way, although the maximum attack power that could be unleashed was weakened, it was relatively easier to control and wouldn't place too much burden on the user.
As for the result, Sephiroth succeeded, but he also failed!
He achieved his goal as desired, giving the Saber the effect of guiding the user's Haki.
However...
This sword was forged using the blood sacrifice method specifically for forging Demonic Blades, which caused it to develop an undesirable will.
It would beguile the user's mind, luring them into slaughter!
After Sephiroth realized the ominous nature of this sword, he immediately stopped forging it, no longer continued to improve its quality, omitted many subsequent processes, and left it at a level that barely reached Supreme Grade Swords.
If this sword were made perfect and its quality raised to the maximum, its wickedness would also greatly increase!
It's true that swords are weapons used to kill, but a sword like this, which leads people down the path of killing, is like a curse, destined to cause much bloodshed and turmoil.
Therefore, Sephiroth chose to leave this sword with imperfections, making it more controllable.
Regarding this, Kouzaburou, who guided him through the entire forging process, felt a bit regretful, but he didn't say anything.
"What's the name of this sword...?" Kuina asked curiously.
Hearing this, Sephiroth couldn't help but gently stroke his chin and muttered:
"Hmm!? A name...?"
Let me think..."
A person who can master this sword will be able to freely control their own kill intent and won't have their mind affected by the sword, while a person who cannot master this sword will be infected by the kill intent and become a beast that only knows bloodthirsty slaughter.
Therefore, let's name it kill intent!
I hope its name can serve as a warning to the user."
"Kuina, let's have a duel!"
Zoro, holding four bamboo swords in his arms, ran out of the sword dojo and arrived before the two of them.
"Sorry, I refuse!"
Hearing this, Kuina rejected Zoro's proposal without hesitation.
"Why? Are you scared?"
"No! I just don't think you can beat me.
You've already lost 99 times, don't you understand the gap between us?"
"..."
Hearing these words, Zoro also fell silent, his expression changing uncertainly for a while.
He wasn't unaware of the difference in strength between him and Kuina.
But he was unwilling to give up.
He wanted to become the world's greatest swordsman, and Kuina was the first mountain he had to climb.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
He had to defeat her.
Suddenly, Zoro remembered his conversation with his master, Koshiro Genzo.
He had once asked Genzo how to defeat Kuina. His master told him he'd need to reach the Breath of All Things to even stand a chance.
Then Genzo had said a lot more.
As someone who hated studying, Zoro hadn't understood a word of it…
Genzo told him if he couldn't grasp the concept, the only path was ten years of relentless daily training.
The memory made Zoro grit his teeth, his expression hardening with resolve.
"Kuina, let's have a final match!
Win or lose, I won't challenge you again for ten years!
I'll train like a demon and get stronger.
When that time comes, I *will* defeat you!"
A flicker of interest showed in Kuina's eyes.
"Oh? Fine. I'll humor you one last time.
Just keep your promise."
"Of course.
My word is good."
Zoro handed one of his four bamboo swords to Kuina. Then he bit one between his teeth and gripped one in each hand.
"What are you doing…?
Three swords? Are you juggling?" Kuina asked, surprised.
Zoro snorted, annoyed.
"Shut up! This is my Three-Sword Style—I made it just for you!"
In his simple logic, Kuina handled his Two-Sword Style with ease because his attacks weren't fast or dense enough.
So what if he added another sword?
Would that finally trouble her?
He'd been secretly honing this three-sword technique, waiting to catch her off guard.
"Take this!"
Zoro charged. The three bamboo swords blurred through the air, striking at her from multiple angles.
Faced with this unfamiliar style, Kuina was forced back, parrying frantically.
For a moment, she retreated step by step.
Seeing her cornered, Zoro grinned with pride.
"How's that?
See how strong I am now?"
"An unseen trick… it did surprise me.
But… you're still too green!"
Instead of retreating, Kuina surged forward. Zoro swung his two swords to meet her.
The next instant, as the bamboo blades closed in, Kuina's body bent with astonishing flexibility. She slipped through the narrow gap between the strikes, then drove her own sword forward in a backhanded thrust.
It caught Zoro squarely on the forehead, sending him tumbling two meters back.
Kuina planted her sword on the ground and gave a slight nod.
"I'll admit… your Three-Sword Style has promise.
But you haven't mastered it at all."
Zoro rubbed his forehead, wincing as he stood. His face was etched with stubborn refusal.
"Damn it! Just wait… I *will* beat you someday!"
He gathered his things and turned to leave.
A loss was a loss. No amount of frustration would make him deny it.
Once he grasped the Breath of All Things, he'd win it all back.
"Sigh."
Kuina watched his retreating back and sighed, a flicker of loneliness in her eyes.
Sephiroth walked over, gently stroking her blue hair.
"What's wrong?
You won, yet you sigh?"
"Sephiroth, it really has significant drawbacks for a woman to want to become a Great Swordsman…" Kuina said, her own sigh soft and weary.
Since they began training, Zoro's strength had grown in leaps and bounds, while her own progress—hampered by her body's limits—had started to slow.
"I have some very good Devil Fruit here… Would you like one? It could help you break past your natural limits and grow much stronger. It might even make becoming a Great Swordsman easier in the future," Sephiroth offered with a smile.
Apart from the Ope-Ope no Mi, the best fruit he had on hand was the Shadow Fruit. If Kuina wanted it, he'd give it to her without a second thought. For his own sister, no treasure was too precious to part with.
Still, for a swordsman, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit would be ideal. It could boost overall physique and unlock deeper potential. In a pinch, he'd mobilize the full resources of the Umbrella Corporation to track down a powerful Mythical Zoan for her.
As for Ancient Zoans? He didn't think much of them. And ordinary Zoans? If he wanted those, he could mass-produce them himself right now.
True, the artificial Devil Fruits he created—like Caesar's SMILEs—were flawed. They came with significant side effects. But it couldn't be denied: the user still gained the raw, wild power of a beast.
As for awakening… did defective products even come with that feature?
"I don't need one for now. If I eat a Devil Fruit, I'll lose the ability to swim and fear the sea—the drawbacks are too great. Let me reach my full potential first. Then I'll consider it."
Kuina smiled and shook her head, turning down his offer.
"All right. I respect your choice." Sephiroth nodded. "But speaking of potential… I've been researching something lately. If it works, it should help you unlock yours completely."
Kuina tilted her head, curious. "What is it?"
"A special serum derived from the Fishman ES Drug. It directly taps into the body's latent potential. I'm calling it the Super Soldier Serum. It's still in clinical trials, though—several side effects need to be resolved. Once it's perfected, I'll let you try it."
With the Umbrella Corporation's labs assisting him, years of study had allowed Sephiroth to fully analyze the Fishman ES Drug. He'd already developed a version suitable for ordinary humans, ready for mass production at any time.
But he wasn't satisfied.
A drug that traded life force for power had too obvious a drawback. It wasn't fit for regularly enhancing the Company's overall strength.
So Sephiroth was experimenting—could the effects of the ES Drug be combined with those of a Life Strengthening Agent? Maybe the side effects would cancel out, leaving a serum that granted permanent power without the cost.
Theoretically, this idea is feasible, but it's a bit taxing on Pirates during the clinical trial phase; there are countless cases of bleeding from seven orifices and exploding bodies, and many technical issues still cannot be solved, making him feel a bit helpless...