"Welcome, welcome, stranger~!"
Roronoa Zoro entered a weapon shop and was greeted.
On both walls and the display stands, swords and spears of various blade shapes and handle lengths were on display.
As a directionally challenged person, Zoro had wandered through countless streets to get here, so...
"Hey, do you know where I can buy a sword around here?"
"Ah, if you go straight ahead from here and keep an eye on your left, you'll see a shop."
"Ah, thanks."
"Um... you know you've asked me the same question three times while wandering around, right?"
Finally arriving at the weapon shop after asking the same person three times, Zoro looked at the shop owner and spoke.
"Is this the place that sells swords?"
"This shop has been in business for 200 years. Please take a look around."
"We carry everything from high-quality swords and nearly new blades to old but razor-sharp ones."
"I need two swords."
"You have about a million... no, a hundred thousand berries?"
'Since Luffy told me to save money, first I'll look for something cheap and decent. If nothing's good, I can buy with a million berries later.'
"As long as I can swing them without them breaking, that's enough. So show me what you've got."
"Two swords for a hundred thousand? Are you kidding?!"
"Isn't there anything selling for fifty thousand berries?"
"Are you serious? At that price, you can only get a sword that could barely slice meat!"
"Just show me. Even those swords are on sale, right?"
"Sigh... you not knowing the real value of a sword is unforgivable, even if you have no money."
"Listen well: if you go around swinging cheap swords, your own life will... ah, wait just a moment!"
"...Why?"
"H-Here, show me the sword at your waist!"
"I don't mind showing it, but why stutter when you say it?"
The shop owner took Zoro's sword, drew it from its scabbard, and was startled when he looked at the blade.
'Could this be the legendary sword...?!'
"T-This... sell it to me."
"What?"
"Since it's a pretty fine sword, I'll buy it for three hundred thousand berries."
"I'm not selling it; show me something else."
"Then how about five hundred thousand berries!"
"With that, you'd be able to buy three swords worth two hundred thousand berries if you add that to the hundred thousand you have!"
"I said I'm not selling it, geez."
"A million berries! More than that, even if I wanted to buy it...!"
As the owner said this, the shop door opened and sunlight streamed in.
Zoro and the shop owner turned toward the light and the sound of the opening door.
"Hello, I'm here to pick up the sword I left for repair~!"
With the sunlight came a woman in a white cropped jacket that revealed her midriff and sleeves, paired with long pants.
Her long blonde hair tied back, with blue eyes, she was beautiful and had a mature figure, though her face still looked youthful for an adult.
Carrying a rifle on her back, she pointed at the sword in the shop owner's hand and spoke:
"Oh, that sword... could it be...!"
"Ah, no! Don't say it!"
"The legendary sword 'Wado Ichimonji', right?!"
"The handle shape and length match what I saw in the catalog...and that pristine blade—it's definitely the Wado Ichimonji!"
"Lady, you know about this sword?"
"Of course! It's one of the 21 famed swords listed in the Legendary Swords Compendium!"
"Each one is worth at least ten million berries...!"
"Shut up! Why are you suddenly interrupting my business?!"
Interrupting? What are you talking about... ah! The shop owner, aiming at the girl talking about the Wado Ichimonji, threw a sword at her.
The handle was deep red and the scabbard white.
The pommel and scabbard fittings were decorated in yellow to distinguish the ends of the handle and scabbard and the boundary between handle and blade.
Uniquely, on both sides of the scabbard, three pink flower-like emblems were engraved at regular intervals.
"A sword is no good if it's owned by a wimpy girl like you!"
"Thank you for indulging me! And about what I said last time when I thought the blade looked rusty..."
"How many times do I have to tell you? That was dried blood from my [Yamaoroshi], not rust!"
"Your sword and this Wado Ichimonji aren't made by banging out scrap iron, so they don't easily rust."
"I'm glad you understand. I asked again just in case."
"You and that kid are too soft. That's why those mafia scum are raising their heads."
"If you'd just keep half as sharp as when you fight, you wouldn't be called soft."
"Thank you very much~!"
The shop owner turned from the giggling girl to Zoro and handed him the Wado Ichimonji.
"Consider yourself lucky I'm not selling that one to some sucker."
"That blade is far too precious for someone like you who doesn't even know its value!"
"You're shouting, even though you tried to scam me earlier."
"Ahem! There's a bin in the corner with swords you can buy for fifty thousand berries. Help yourself."
"I never intended to buy in the first place, so it doesn't matter."
"Um... could I help you choose a sword?"
"Huh?"
The girl approached Zoro as he headed toward the back corner of the shop.
"Oh, my name is Hibari, I'm a Marine!"
"A Marine?"
"Yes! I'm a Major!"
"You sure dress freely for a Marine."
"Hehe, at higher rank, wearing civilian clothes on duty is allowed to some extent, as long as white is the main color."
The girl named Hibari, who introduced herself as a Marine, began rummaging through the bin in front of her.
"Thanks for offering, but..."
"It's a Marine's virtue to lend a hand at even the smallest difficulty! Please don't feel uncomfortable!"
"I mean, since I'm the one who'll use the sword, I should pick it myself..."
"Uh... why is this sword...?"
Ignoring Zoro speaking behind her, Hibari took a sword out of the bin.
The shop owner, seeing that sword, opened his eyes wide in shock.
"Major, why are you acting like that at the sight of that sword?"
"This is one of the Three Great Cursed Swords, and it's a two-handed sword!"
"A two-handed sword?"
"There are currently 83 famous swords worldwide, and they are each ranked. There are 12 Supreme Grade Swords, then 21 Famed Swords, and the 50 swords below that are called two-handed swords."
"For reference, my [Yamaoroshi] is also a two-handed sword! With enough strength, it can cut a human torso easily!"
"...I see."
"But even the Three Great Cursed Swords are two-handed swords worth at least a million berries, so why is it here..."
"I-I'm not selling that!!!"
As Hibari spoke, the shop owner shouted as he approached:
"That blade is cursed! Everyone who wields it dies!"
"A cursed sword..."
Despite those words, Zoro picked up the sword Hibari was holding.
He drew it from its scabbard and lifted the blade vertically, revealing patterns that looked like flames of irregular size running along it.
"The blade is well-forged. Not a bad sword."
"The first two Cursed Swords made before this one are Famed Swords, and the first is a Supreme Grade Sword."
"For reference, the actual rank of the Three Great Cursed Swords is Famed Swords. That's how good they are."
"Oh! No wonder it looked better than my two-handed sword. It was a Famed Sword after all!"
"But why is it classified as a two-handed sword?"
"...Because of its notorious reputation."
The shop owner continued, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Everyone who used Cursed Swords from the first one died. And most didn't die peacefully."
"Because of that reputation, the Three Great Cursed Swords were never wielded by proper swordsmen. They changed hands only among a few rookies, which is why their ranking is low."
"Cursed Swords carry a generational curse. If you dare use one recklessly, you won't die peacefully either!"
"If you're not going to sell it, why did you put it in that bin?"
"Well, at first I thought I'd let anyone take that blade, expecting no one would. Then when I thought you might actually buy it, I felt guilty and tried to stop you."
"You still had it? Why leave a million-berry sword lying around?!"
"Darling...!"
As the shop owner spoke, a middle-aged woman appeared from the back and shouted:
"That sword is cursed! What if we sell it, and the curse destroys our family?"
"Sigh... a man selling swords scared of curses and such..."
"Hibari! This is all your fault for meddling!"
"I'm sorry, sir. I just thought the rumors about the curse were baseless..."
"Those who brandished Cursed Swords thought that too before they died!"
"I like it. I'll take it."
"I said I'm not selling it! If you die using that blade, it'll be on me...!"
"Then let's see which is stronger: my luck or the curse on this sword."
"What...?"
"If I lose... then it just means this guy isn't worth much."
"What do you plan to do...?"
Smiling, Zoro tossed the Cursed Sword high above his head.
At the same time, it began spinning vertically in the air, and Zoro stood underneath with one arm extended horizontally.
"Stop it, you madman! You'll have your arm cut off!"
"...!!!"
The shop owner cried out seeing Zoro, and his wife and Hibari stared at him in shock.
"I win."
The spinning sword slid down Zoro's arm on the dull side of the blade.
Moments later, the sword's blade was deeply embedded in the shop floor.
"Hibari, pick me another one."
"Ah... right away, then..."
Right after Zoro said this, the shop owner rushed past his wife into the back of the shop, shouting:
"You aren't going to pull that... are you..."
"I brought another one!"
The shop owner presented another sword.
This sword had an all-black handle and scabbard, and like [Yamaoroshi], its pommel and scabbard fittings were decorated in yellow.
"Sir, what is this...?"
"Yes, it's the two-handed sword Yubashiri."
"It's a family treasure we've kept since before my grandfather's generation."
"Yubashiri..."
"Have a look. Even if it's not as renowned as a Cursed Sword, it's still quite serviceable."
Zoro drew the blade from Yubashiri's scabbard.
The pristine blade bore a uniform wave pattern, unlike the Cursed Sword's irregular design.
"Then about payment..."
"No need. Same for the Cursed Sword."
"I'm sorry I tried to trick you earlier. I didn't like that a greenhorn who didn't know the value of swords had such legendary blades."
"But I was wrong about you. You're a proper swordsman."
"Are you sure it's fine if I really don't pay?"
"They say swords choose their owners... I wish you luck."
The next moment, Zoro was already back out on the street.
He gave a small smile, bowed his head slightly, and glanced to his right hip, where three swords were sheathed.
"As I thought, having three swords really puts my mind at ease."
"Excuse me!"
"Ah, it was you."
"I'm Hibari!"
"Thanks for earlier, because of you..."
"I realized I never asked your name! I followed you here!"
"...I'm Roronoa Zoro."
"So you really are the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro! That's because the Three Sword Style Pirate Hunter is famous around here."
Hibari approached Zoro and continued:
"Roronoa Zoro, my dream is to become a brave swordswoman, and protect the people dear to me!"
"Seeing you as a brave swordsman today left such an impression on me!"
"A brave swordsman... is there a particular reason that's what you want to become?"
"Oh, um... actually, father used a sword from when I was young, but he realized he had no talent much later."
"So he gave up swordsmanship, and naturally the Yamaoroshi he used was left unused at home."
"I wanted to become a swordswoman, but I hid it because I was afraid telling my father who gave up swords would hurt him."
"But a year ago, my father said the Yamaoroshi was no longer needed at home and that he would sell it!"
"Hmm... interesting."
"Normally you couldn't have spoken up, but that day my father's face was gloomier than usual."
"It was the first time I saw him like that... rather than sadness, I felt anger."
"Angry, I mustered courage and shouted at him that I wanted to be a swordswoman and to give me the Yamaoroshi!"
"So you got it?"
"Yes!"
Hibari recalled that moment.
Her father handed her the Yamaoroshi he held.
Receiving the sword from her father, tears welled in her eyes as she rejoiced.
"It was my courage that allowed me to begin my path as a swordswoman."
"Since then, I've resolved to always be a brave swordswoman who swings her blade with courage!"
"...I see."
'I thought she was just a Marine girl who liked swords... but she carries her own convictions as a swordswoman.'
Roronoa Zoro thought, recalling his childhood and Kuina's funeral.
He remembered crying and asking Kuina's father for the Wado Ichimonji.
As Zoro recalled the past, Hibari reached out her hand to him and said:
"Thank you for showing such an amazing display today! I'll continue to cheer for you as a swordsman!"
"...Thanks."
He clasped her hand and exchanged greetings.
****
"That damn guy... I told him not to take it but why is he throwing money at me as he leaves?"
"What are you on about? It's only one million berries at most."
"It's less than a tenth of the original price, just take it and be done."
Inside the weapon shop where Zoro and Hibari had just been, the shop owner scowled at the pouch of Zoro's money, while his wife chatted with him.
"By the way, you stingy man, what on earth possessed you to give away even your family treasure for free?"
"What was there to think deeply about?"
"A man entrusted his dream to another man, that's all there is to it!"
"Sigh, fine, just hurry up and clean the restrooms!"
"Got it!"
After Zoro had obtained his new swords, the other crew members had spread out across the city, each working their roles as crewmates or taking a break.
"Hmm, I love how the big city has such a variety of ingredients."
Sanji was browsing the market filled with meats, fish, vegetables, and more.
"Finally found it! With this, I can make a proper pirate flag!"
Usopp, in a general store, found a thick cloth rolled in a large bundle.
"How about this outfit?"
"Perfect, miss!"
Nami was trying on a fancy coat with fur around the collar, showing it to the shopkeeper.
'I wish Luffy were here with me...'
While Nami thought of Luffy, he was atop a hill.
Below the hill's steps stretched a panoramic view of the city, and beyond that, the unending sea filled the space between sky and land.
"To roam this vast world on my own terms... that would be close to true freedom."
As he said this, Luffy turned and continued:
"You were a good guy."
"Free as the wind when you wandered, yet fierce as a storm when fighting for justice."
"I can't tell you how tragic it feels that you're buried again on the island where you were born."
Luffy spoke as he looked at a gravestone.
The hill was covered in neatly trimmed grass and dotted with gravestones, including the one in front of him.
"Sorry I'm late... Smoker."
****
Three years ago, at Marine Headquarters.
Inside the wide training ground surrounded by high stone walls, Luffy was lying in the shadow cast by those walls.
Wearing a Marine uniform and with his straw hat tilted over his face, Luffy looked noticeably slimmer than three years later.
As a man approached, Luffy raised his head and spoke:
"Have you completed all the training I assigned, Luffy?"
"Of course, sir. That's why I'm resting."
"If you've finished the training, shouldn't you be training even harder than before on your own?"
"As I said before, taking a nap is a highly effective rest for both body and mind!"
As Luffy was dozing off, he saw dark red flames whirl around the man's hand.
A column of flame as thick as a person's torso shot toward Luffy, and his half-closed eyes snapped open as he seized the straw hat and rolled aside.
The red flames engulfed the ground where he lay, swept across the surface, and vanished like dissipating smoke.
"Damn! That crazy old man!"
"Who taught you to speak to your superior like that?!"
"I was resting before training!"
Luffy stood up, looked up, and glared at the middle-aged man before him.
He wore a white cap, stood about 2.5 meters tall, and donned a deep red suit with a white coat draped over his shoulders.
On his left chest was a pink flower pin, and a tattoo was visible below the left side of his neck.
With a fierce expression and a face full of rage, he said:
"How many times do I have to tell you, Luffy! You must become an exemplary Marine!"
Pirates call him 'Akainu', meaning 'Red Dog'.
That man was Admiral Sakazuki.