Angel Island, mountain top villa.
"Master, I really want a Supreme Grade Swords too..."
Sephiroth looked at Kozuki Hiyori, who was hugging his arm and acting spoiled. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He muttered to himself for a while:
This girl's tea ceremony cultivation level is still a bit lacking after all!
She's asking him for something so directly. Couldn't she wait until they were in bed to butter him up more?
Could it be because she saw Kozuki Oden's Ame no Habakiri, which made her lose her composure...?
No! Putting himself in her shoes, in Kozuki Hiyori's eyes, she is just a woman named Xiao Zi, who hid her Kozuki identity from them.
So, from her perspective, for him to give others valuable gifts, regardless of whether she likes them or not, it is only natural for her to ask for equally valuable gifts in order to compete for favor!
After all, Sephiroth has always been quite attentive to the girls' emotions. He tries his best to treat them equally, so that he doesn't appear to favor a certain girl too much, thus making the other girls sad and upset...
On this point, Kozuki Hiyori has a very precise grasp.
Slap!
Thinking of this, Sephiroth immediately raised his right hand and gave Kozuki Hiyori's perky butt a slap, not too hard, not too light, which made her let out a soft cry.
"To what extent have you cultivated your swordsmanship now...?
And you want me to give you a Supreme Grade Swords?"
Kozuki Hiyori wrapped her arms around Sephiroth's waist and ribs. She raised her head, putting on a pouting expression, and said with a puffed-up face:
"Master, but I really, really want it!
I want to become stronger so that I can help you share your worries and solve problems in the future..."
"Oh!? Really...?
Then you are truly thoughtful..."
Sephiroth was noncommittal, his tone sounding a bit flippant.
Recalling the past, the reason he took in Kozuki Hiyori, no matter how you look at it, was simply because he was coveting her beauty!
He had no expectation whatsoever that the girl would be of any help to him in the future...
After all, in the original plot, Kozuki Hiyori held the title of "Wano Country's Number One Beauty", so he was very much looking forward to the girl fully maturing and transforming into a peerless beauty in the future.
Even if such a woman were just a vase to look at, wouldn't she be very pleasing to the eye...?
However...
So many years had passed, and now Sephiroth was used to Kozuki Hiyori's face. He didn't even know if the other party was a peerless beauty anymore!
However, even if he didn't have much expectation for Kozuki Hiyori now, he wasn't unable to agree to her request...
After all, this was his girl, and it wouldn't hurt to spoil her a little!
Perhaps out of guilt for his philandering, Sephiroth always found it difficult to be harsh and refuse his girls' requests, and would even try his best to satisfy them.
In addition, Sephiroth has always been very supportive of the girls working hard to improve themselves, so he would never suppress their ambition.
Actually, giving enma, which ranks among the Supreme Grade Swords, to Kozuki Hiyori, wasn't a big deal for Sephiroth...
After all, if he wanted to, he could forge weapons of Supreme Grade quality himself, regardless of cost or consequence!
However...
Kozuki Hiyori's intention in acting spoiled towards Sephiroth like this was not truly to be ambitious. Her main goal was to get back Kozuki Oden's enma from his hands.
Becoming stronger was just an excuse!
Kozuki Hiyori wanted this Saber, and Sephiroth could give it to her, but not without a price...
"Master, just agree to me!"
Kozuki Hiyori pouted, acting cute and spoiled in a sweet voice.
"This..."
Hearing this, Sephiroth couldn't help but look hesitant. The resolve that had just solidified in his heart began to waver again.
"Please? Master..."
"I do have another Supreme Grade sword called Enma. I don't mind giving it to you."
He paused, his expression turning serious. "But this blade is cursed. It will forcibly drain the wielder's Haki, and can even drain them completely dry. With your current strength, you cannot control it at all. To use it even reluctantly, you'd need to be at least a Sword Master. To wield Enma perfectly, you'd need the strength of a Great Swordsman."
As he spoke, Sephiroth gently pushed Kozuki Hiyori back. He drew the butcher knife from his waist, opened his personal storage space, and began searching through the forgotten items at the bottom. Soon, he retrieved a sheathed, purple-hued sword and held it up for them to see.
"This cursed blade is too fierce. Sister, you really shouldn't use it." Kuina had already sensed the weapon's cold, draining aura with her Observation Haki. She turned to the girl she'd just met. "My grandfather is a famous swordsmith. I could ask him to forge you a Supreme Grade sword instead."
Kozuki Hiyori's gaze fixed on the purple sword in Sephiroth's hand. Her eyes grew hazy.
It couldn't be wrong.
This was the Enma her father, Kozuki Oden, had promised to leave to her—the blade lost when Oden Castle fell to the Beasts Pirates.
"No. I want this one." Her voice was firm. "I really like this sword."
She reached out with her right hand to take Enma, but Sephiroth moved it just out of her grasp. Her fingers closed on empty air.
Meeting her questioning look, he considered his words. "It's true this sword is dangerous, but it's also an incredibly powerful weapon, nearly on par with a Supreme Grade. As I said, your current strength isn't enough to control it. Forcing it could endanger your life, and I don't want you hurt because of a blade." He offered a compromise. "Let's make a promise. When you have the strength of a Sword Master, I will give you Enma."
"Ah..." Kozuki Hiyori was stunned, unsure how to argue.
She was the one who wanted to grow stronger, and here he was, thinking ahead for her and offering a pact. If she could become a Sword Master, Enma would be hers.
But...
The standard for a Sword Master was the ability to perform steel-cutting and Flying Slash techniques. The difficulty of that promise was immense.
"Master~! Becoming a Sword Master... that's too hard!" Her face fell into a mournful pout.
"Then... perhaps you should wait a little longer," Sephiroth said, a note of helplessness in his voice. "I can have my subordinates collect other Supreme Grade swords for you."
"Hmm~! I fell in love with this sword at first sight. I only want this one!"
While acting spoiled, she made another quick grab for Enma, hoping to make him compromise or lower his standard.
"It is very difficult for a woman to become a Sword Master," Kuina agreed with a heavy nod. Then, as if remembering something, she turned with a look of sudden realization. "Right! Sephiroth, didn't you say before that if I ate a Devil Fruit, I could easily become a Great Swordsman? How about you give Sister a Devil Fruit? Then it would be easier for her to become a Sword Master."
Sephiroth said nothing.
He had said something like that, but that was for Kuina alone. She had excellent swordsmanship talent and trained relentlessly. With a suitable Devil Fruit, she had a real chance of reaching that pinnacle one day.
As for Kozuki Hiyori...
Hmm… Actually, when I think about it, her talent for swordsmanship is pretty decent. She is Kozuki Oden's daughter, after all—some bloodline talent was bound to come through.
But she lacks the drive to become truly strong. That alone means she'll never become a Great Swordsman.
Right now, Sephiroth has the Lush-Lush Fruit, the Chain-Chain Fruit, the Tiny-Tiny Fruit, the Roll-Roll Fruit, the Jacket-Jacket Fruit, the Shadow Fruit, and one unknown black Devil Fruit.
The Tiny-Tiny, Roll-Roll, and Jacket-Jacket Fruits were obtained by the Umbrella Corporation through underground channels.
Still…
Out of all of them, the only one that seems like it could actually make Kozuki Hiyori stronger is the Shadow Fruit.
But…
That fruit's power depends almost entirely on the user's own strength. The more shadows you absorb, the greater the boost.
If she ended up like Moriah—turning the Shadow Fruit into some magic-based side ability—it would feel like missing the point entirely.
Give the Shadow Fruit to Kozuki Hiyori?
He wasn't exactly unwilling, but it still felt like a waste.
The other fruits?
They had nothing to do with swordsmanship.
So that left only the unknown black Devil Fruit.
Sephiroth let out a soft sigh. He reached into his personal space, withdrew a small black wooden box trimmed in gold, and opened it on the table. Inside lay a black Devil Fruit, its surface marked with a spiral pattern.
This was the unknown fruit Camel had found for him in Wano all that time ago. No name, no known ability… a complete mystery.
Because of that, Sephiroth had never been sure who should eat it.
"I don't know what this Devil Fruit does," he said. "I don't know if it will make you stronger.
But if you eat it, I'll consider our deal fulfilled. You won't get Enma unless you become a Sword Master. Understood?
Do you want it?"
Kozuki Hiyori stared at the fruit in the box for a long time.
His terms were clear. No Enma unless she became a Sword Master.
Reaching that level through her own effort… the path was too steep, too hard. She didn't have the confidence to walk it.
Better to gamble.
Pin her hopes on this fruit—take a shortcut, or cut those hopes off for good.
After a silent moment of weighing, Hiyori gave a decisive nod.
"Alright. I'll eat it."
She picked up the black Devil Fruit, hesitated only a second, then took a bite.
She forced down the indescribably awful taste, swallowing the pulp.
She moved to set the remainder back on the table.
"Eat all of it," Sephiroth instructed.
"Oh…"
Frowning, Hiyori reluctantly finished the rest, swallowing with difficulty.
"Well? What ability did you get, Sister?" Iska asked, leaning forward.
"This…"
Hiyori looked down at her hands. Following a strange instinct, she stirred the new power inside her.
Her body began to swell and distort before their eyes. Human flesh was overtaken by thick animal fur; beastly features pushed through.
An ape's face, a tanuki's body, a tiger's limbs, a snake's tail…?
Iska's eyes widened, and her small mouth slightly opened into a soft 'O.' Staring at the strange beast now filling the villa hall, her heart clenched with shock.
"Ah! What animal did Sister Xiao Zi become…!?"
"It's a Nue! A creature that soars through mist and commands lightning. Its combat power is formidable.
So… this was a Mythical Zoan all along."
Sephiroth stared at Kozuki Hiyori's transformed figure, his voice thick with feeling.
A pang of regret struck him.
If he'd known this Devil Fruit was a Mythical Zoan, he would have coaxed and tricked Kuina into eating it.
But Kozuki Hiyori had consumed it instead. Would it be wasted on her?
"Can I… really soar through clouds?"
Kozuki Hiyori turned her head. She studied her limbs and her tail, then, guided by a strange new instinct, summoned dark flame clouds beneath her feet. They lifted her gently into the air.
"Xiao Zi, train hard.
With this fruit, becoming a Sword Master one day is within your reach. All it takes is diligence…"
He paused.
His tone hardened, turning absolute.
"No. From now on, I will supervise your training personally.
I cannot let you waste this Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit!"