"Entrust Shusui to me?"
Even Oden, who was immersed in grief, was momentarily taken aback by Shimotsuki Ushimaru's words.
The significance of the legendary swordsman Ryuma's blade went far beyond being merely a black blade or a Great Grade sword. Wano had no shortage of Great Grade swords—Shimotsuki Ushimaru alone had forged two. But the one revered as a national treasure was Shusui alone.
The reason Shusui was so precious lay in its previous owner—Ryuma. The man known as the Sword God.
This swordsman who lived centuries ago had too many legendary feats to his name. It was said he once repelled invaders who attacked this country, and with that very blade, he slew a flying dragon beneath the sky!
It was precisely because of this that Ryuma was also called the Dragon Slayer!
Come to think of it, the era Ryuma lived in shared far too many similarities with the Wano of today. Both eras faced the same predicament—invasion by foreign forces, and, the legendary dragons!
"That Kaido, he can turn into a flying dragon!"
Shimotsuki Ushimaru, who had fought Kaido before, spoke in a heavy voice. His face was as cold as frost, and just thinking about those calamitous powers made even him feel a flicker of despair.
"That's not a power humans should possess!"
"It's probably a Mythical Zoan ability," Oden said. Having lived overseas for so many years, his knowledge was no longer so narrow.
Devil Fruits—he had seen quite a few over the years. Though most of them had been collected for Ren.
He just hadn't expected Kaido to be a Devil Fruit user. When they had clashed before, he clearly hadn't been one.
In truth, the fact that Kaido was a Devil Fruit user had already been revealed by the Marines. It was just that the Roger Pirates had never paid much attention to intelligence on other pirate crews, so Oden was completely in the dark about it.
The two of them conversed as they made their way toward the Northern Cemetery. Their heavy footsteps sank deep into the snow, the pristine white powder crunching with each step.
Their figures flickered in and out of view through the blizzard. Snow accumulated on their bodies, making them look like a group of snowmen trudging ever forward.
"Whether it's the power of demons or the power of yokai, we need someone to slay the evil dragon and save this country!" Shimotsuki Ushimaru exhaled a thick plume of white breath. The condensed vapor had barely left his body before it was frozen by the cold, drifting toward the ground like frost.
"With that blade, go strike down Kaido!" This man, who bore at least a ninety percent resemblance to Zoro, spoke with every ounce of strength in his body.
But Kozuki Oden shook his head. He knew that Shusui was, in truth, more symbolic than practical. Although it had been tempered into a black blade by Ryuma's Haki, centuries had passed, and the Haki remaining on the blade would offer virtually no enhancement to its wielder.
His own two swords, which he had wielded for decades, were far more comfortable in his hands. Not to mention that his Ame no Habakiri was a cursed blade, even more aggressive than Shusui in terms of raw offensive power.
"Victory won't be decided by a single sword. Shusui is a fine blade, but I still trust my partners more," Oden said.
Just as a ship could possess a ship spirit, he believed his swords had souls as well. Through years of constant battle, his compatibility with Enma and Ame no Habakiri had grown immensely. Switching to a different sword at this point would only work against him.
"..." After being refused, Shimotsuki Ushimaru didn't know what to say for a long moment.
Kozuki Oden didn't press the matter either, simply pressing forward in silence.
Much later, they crossed a stone arch bridge and finally caught sight of the tomb, hidden within the blizzard, rising like a hill.
"The Northern Cemetery—we're here!"
As they drew closer, they saw the countless swords planted into the white hillside. Beneath each blade lay a soul worthy of remembrance.
But upon closer inspection, one could see that many areas had been destroyed. The swords still remaining were mostly those that had frozen into the ground, impossible to pull free.
"It's come to this... Kaido and Orochi, they won't even spare the souls of the dead?"
Following custom, they needed to first pay their respects at Ryuma's shrine. The group wound their way through the hills, and reaching the place, it felt as though the already biting cold had grown even more bone-chilling.
Pressing deeper, they finally spotted the dilapidated shrine before sunset, crumbling beneath the heavy snow.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru hurried forward, worried that even Shusui had been stolen.
Half the shrine was buried under snow, so he had to clear it away first.
He drew the sword at his waist and, sheath and all, pushed it down like a shovel, breaking apart the frozen blocks of snow.
The snow produced a rustling sound as it was cleared.
Clunk!
Suddenly, the hands gripping the sword sheath felt a resistance—the bottom of the sheath seemed to have struck something solid.
"A rock? Or a block of ice?"
He paused in confusion and continued clearing. Once the topmost layer of snow and ice had been removed, he finally saw what the hard object was.
It was a corpse—a fox carcass, with a sword clamped in its mouth.
"This is..." Shimotsuki Yasuie looked over, noticing Ushimaru's strange reaction—he likely recognized the fox.
"Gyukimaru..." Shimotsuki Ushimaru's voice trembled. He threw aside his sword and dropped to his knees in the snow, reaching out to stroke the fox's remains.
There was a wound on its abdomen—what appeared to be a gunshot wound. This could only have been left by the Beasts Pirates.
He gathered Gyukimaru's body in his arms before explaining: "Gyukimaru was a fox I used to keep. It must have been guarding the peace of the fallen in the cemetery, which is why it met such a cruel fate."
"Bad news—Shusui inside the shrine is gone too!" Someone had rushed into the shrine during this time and came back out with a dark expression.
"Don't worry. Before my battle with Kaido, I hid Shusui inside Ryuma's burial mound."
"As long as the mound hasn't been disturbed, they shouldn't have found it." Shimotsuki Ushimaru had naturally made preparations in advance.
Those Beasts Pirates thugs really weren't interested in prying open coffins to rob graves. If not for Shimotsuki Ushimaru's rescue this time, probably only a certain zombie grave robber would have been able to find Shusui.
After laying Gyukimaru to rest, he retrieved Shusui.
Since Kozuki Oden had no intention of taking Shusui, he needed to consider other options.
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus releases and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
30 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]