After the brief incident in the square, Kaito Arisawa left with Robin and Neferpitou.
Meanwhile, Lafayette, Trafalgar Law, Sandy, and the others continued exploring other parts of Loguetown.
"Welcome!"
As soon as Kaito and his companions stepped into a weapon shop, the owner standing behind the counter greeted them enthusiastically.
"What kind of weapons are you interested in, sir? Would you also like your blades maintained?"
The shop owner, Ippon Matsu, noticed the pair of swords hanging from Kaito's waist. Rubbing his hands eagerly, he immediately tried to please his potential customer.
His flattering attitude wasn't because he had recognized Kaito.
It was simply because business had been terrible lately, and he could only rely on his enthusiasm to attract customers.
"Boss," Kaito said with a smile as he walked directly to the counter, "I heard you have a famous sword called Yubashiri, listed among the Grade Swords, in your collection. Is that true?"
Ippon Matsu froze for a moment.
Then he quickly shook his head while continuing his obsequious smile.
"You must be joking, sir. This is just an ordinary weapon shop. How could I possibly have a Grade Sword like that?"
Clink!
Before he could finish speaking, a gold bar weighing at least one kilogram landed heavily on the counter.
Kaito looked at him calmly.
"So?"
Ippon Matsu stared at the gold bar.
He swallowed.
Then he clenched his teeth.
"T-this shop really doesn't have it."
Clink!
Without saying a word, Kaito slowly took out another gold bar of the same weight from the pouch at his waist and stacked it on top of the first one.
"The market price for a Grade Sword is about one million Berries," Kaito said lightly.
"Even though there's rarely a chance to buy one, these two gold bars together are worth at least ten million Berries."
"Please wait!"
This time, Ippon Matsu interrupted him immediately.
He rushed toward the back room in a hurry.
Moments later, he returned carrying a long sword in a scabbard decorated with blooming plum blossom patterns.
"Sir, this sword—Yubashiri—has been passed down in my family for generations."
"Originally, I had no intention of selling it."
"But seeing your sincerity, I don't want such a fine blade to remain buried in dust."
"A hero deserves a fine sword."
With a flattering smile, Ippon Matsu respectfully presented the blade.
Seeing Kaito reach for it, Neferpitou immediately jumped down from his shoulder to give him space.
"Not bad."
Kaito accepted the sword with a satisfied smile.
Swish!
The moment the blade left his hands, Ippon Matsu quickly grabbed the gold bars from the counter.
They were heavy.
But the pleasant weight made him feel as if they weighed nothing at all.
After confirming the bars were genuine, his heart finally settled.
With great care, he put them away.
It wasn't that he was greedy for money.
He had simply resisted for as long as he could.
Unfortunately, the customer's sincerity had been overwhelming.
So he couldn't be blamed for making a decision that went against his ancestors' wishes.
Kaito slowly drew the sword from its scabbard.
A cold gleam flashed before his eyes.
Clearly, the blade was genuine.
Satisfied with the purchase, Kaito sheathed the sword again and handed Yubashiri to Robin for safekeeping.
"Boss," he said casually, "mind if I take another sword?"
After speaking, he walked toward a wooden barrel filled with blades.
Unlike the sword he had just purchased, the weapons in the barrel had no scabbards.
The worn handles made it obvious that they were either old weapons or defective products.
Seeing Kaito examining the swords in the barrel, Ippon Matsu smiled cheerfully.
"Please, feel free to choose."
The blades in that barrel were worth only tens of thousands of Berries at most.
Compared to the fortune he had just made, they were insignificant.
Naturally, he wasn't going to be stingy with such a valuable customer.
"Thanks."
Kaito casually pushed aside several swords before quickly pulling one from the barrel.
The handle of the blade was badly worn, making it look like a discarded weapon.
But the blade itself told a different story.
It was longer than most swords and had a pronounced curve.
There was no blood groove along the blade, but the temper line extended across the metal in the shape of purple flames.
"Hmm… this sword seems unusual."
Robin, who had been watching Kaito's selection with curiosity, suddenly looked surprised.
Even though she wasn't a swordswoman, she had good observational skills.
Despite its worn appearance, the blade looked far too refined to be an ordinary sword.
It felt more like a carefully forged treasure.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Ippon Matsu shouted and rushed out from behind the counter.
"You can't take that sword!"
"That's a cursed blade!"
His voice trembled as he tried to stop Kaito.
He had never expected that the customer would discover the sword he had recently thrown into the barrel—
The blade he had planned to discard.
The sword's name was Sandai Kitetsu.
"I know," Kaito replied calmly while examining the blade.
"Sandai Kitetsu."
"That's exactly what I want."
He suddenly tossed the sword into the air.
Then he extended his right arm beneath it and calmly waited.
"Be careful!"
Ippon Matsu panicked, his voice rising sharply.
The sword spun as it fell.
Slash!
At the last moment, the blade twisted midair, narrowly avoiding Kaito's arm before plunging into the wooden floor.
Thud!
Ippon Matsu collapsed onto the ground.
Staring blankly at Kaito's completely unharmed arm, he was speechless.
"Was that… a coincidence?"
Robin stared at the sword embedded in the floor with surprise.
Based on her understanding of Kaito, there was no way a mere cursed blade could harm him.
But she hadn't expected the sword to avoid his arm entirely.
"Not bad," Kaito said with satisfaction.
He pulled Sandai Kitetsu from the floor and examined its sharp blade.
"It seems you're fairly well-behaved."
He flicked the blade lightly.
The clear ringing sound echoed through the shop.
A cursed sword was still a cursed sword.
Its spiritual will made it difficult to control.
But if someone could truly dominate it—
Then a cursed blade could be even more useful than a famous sword of the same rank.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok