Blood Fang...
Luo Lan opened the crate.
Inside lay a single blade—silent, unmoving.
Its scabbard was deep crimson, carrying an eerie yet captivating beauty.
He lifted the blade, slowly drawing it from its sheath.
In that moment, a thick wave of bloodlust surged outward.
Even an ordinary person could smell the metallic tang of blood lingering in the air.
That alone was enough to suggest how intense the aura was.
The blade itself gleamed silver, yet thin crimson streaks ran across it, as if veins of blood had fused into the metal.
It exuded a strange, almost demonic allure.
But what surprised Luo Lan the most was that—even though he wasn't a swordsman, hadn't studied swordsmanship, and had no training in the art of the sword—gripping this sword gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
It felt… as if the sword belonged to him.
As if it had been forged just for him.
It was an indescribable, almost mystical sensation.
But Luo Lan quickly realized the reason behind it.
It was due to one of the unique properties of the Sword Forging Workshop:
+50% compatibility with finished products.
Damn. If even he felt this level of attunement while holding it, what would happen if someone like Zoro used it?
That kid had an uncanny affinity with cursed blades.
And this sword—Blood Fang…
Judging by its current aura, it could very well be a cursed blade too.
"Satou, what's the grade of this sword?" Luo Lan asked.
Satou gave a mixed expression of confusion and excitement.
"Sir, that's actually what puzzles me. Based on the materials used and the forging process, it should've only reached the level of a peak Grade Quality Blade. But after the final forging, we found it had somehow jumped to the level of a Great Grade Blade—Twelve Workers, and among the better ones at that!"
Luo Lan nodded knowingly.
Of course.
That was the second property of the Sword Forging Workshop at work:
+80% boost to the final product's quality.
So Blood Fang had been pushed from a peak-grade sword to an upper-tier Great Grade Blade.
Tsk, tsk…
Just in time too. This sparring session had been boring anyway.
"Zoro!" Luo Lan shouted across the training field.
The two duelists had just taken their stances, ready to fight, when the shout interrupted them.
"Hey! What the hell, Luo Lan?!" Zoro grumbled, pulling Wado Ichimonji from his mouth with irritation.
Interrupting a duel—especially without warning—was incredibly rude.
But Luo Lan didn't care.
He casually tossed Blood Fang into the air with his left hand.
It arced beautifully, spinning rapidly as it descended toward Zoro.
"This blade's called Blood Fang. It's yours now."
Zoro caught it with his left hand, then slowly drew part of the blade.
Hiss… That feeling…
If Luo Lan had felt a strange sense of connection with the sword, Zoro's experience was something else entirely.
It felt less like he was holding a weapon, and more like his own body had grown an extension.
No awkwardness. No resistance. Just pure, seamless integration.
Too bad Luo Lan couldn't see Zoro's compatibility numbers with the sword.
If he could, he would've noticed them skyrocketing from 80%… to 100%… then continuing to rise all the way to 130% before stabilizing.
"Let's go, Ace!"
"Let's see whose path is stronger—your martial fists, or my sword!"
Gripping Bloodfang with newfound confidence, Zoro pointed it straight at Ace and called out with fervor.
Meanwhile, Luo Lan shook his head and turned away.
"Captain, you're not watching?" Satou asked, startled.
"Why bother watching when I already know the outcome?"
"I-Is that so?"
"Mm. It's not about the sword. Until Zoro masters the art of cutting iron, he'll never be Ace's equal."
With that, Luo Lan walked back toward the division headquarters.
Satou quickly followed—he still had more to report.
---
Inside the office…
"Satou, how many blades can be forged from those two fangs? And will each one match Blood Fang in quality?"
"According to our estimates, the materials will allow us to forge at least 300 swords in total. But in terms of matching Blood Fang's quality—at most, one more."
"Why's that?"
"Because Blood Fang was made from the innermost core of the fang—the most intact and perfect portion."
"And the outer material was contaminated or degraded?"
"Exactly."
Luo Lan nodded, understanding.
So it was like a human tooth—if you don't take care of it, the outer layers decay over time.
Still… two was enough.
Just enough to replace Zoro's two junk swords.
That way, all three of his blades would be Great Grade.
As for the remaining 300 swords—no one else in the branch was particularly skilled with a blade.
Might as well issue them to the front-line marines in the Domination Task Force.
Since they occasionally had to operate in full Marine uniforms, they couldn't afford to rely solely on firearms like the Rhodes-1518 model.
Better to equip them with superior swords as backup.
Yes. That settles it.
"Satou, how long to finish forging all of them?"
"If everyone works at full capacity, we can finish in ten days."
"Then ten days it is."
"Understood, Captain!"
Satou saluted and left.
Luo Lan walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside…
The training field was in full view.
The crowd that had gathered had long since dispersed.
Only one person remained: Zoro.
He sat cross-legged at the center of the field, Blood Fang resting across his lap in its sheath.
He looked like he was meditating with the sword.
"Aha… Seems the kid might've lost the duel, but gained something even greater," Luo Lan chuckled.
At that moment, Zoro stood up.
He walked to the center of the field once more, drew Blood Fang again, and—
Struck the Power Test Machine with a single slash.
To the eye, the motion wasn't fast.
It almost looked… soft. Languid.
Like it hadn't even connected with anything.
But also like it had.
A paradoxical swing.
Zoro sheathed the sword and turned away.
Seconds passed… and then—
One of the thick metal support pillars on the test machine suddenly showed a clean, gleaming cut.
The whole apparatus slowly tipped over and crashed to the ground.
"He finally mastered the art of Cutting Iron, huh?"
Luo Lan smiled in satisfaction.
But moments later, his face darkened.
He picked up the transponder snail on his desk and dialed.
Brrr… brrr…
"Military Police here!"
"This is Captain Luo Lan. Arrest Zoro immediately and put him in solitary confinement for three days."
"Captain?! What's the charge?"
"Willful destruction of government property on the training field!"
"…What?! Understood! We'll dispatch a team at once!"
"And let him know this: Not only is he being locked up, but his salary for the next year is being docked to cover the damages."
"Y-Yes, Captain!"
---
A/N: If you want an early updates, you can visit my Ko-Fi as I update there much early.
Currently at Chapter 82 for free chapters on my Ko-Fi and at Chapter 300 for advance chapters.
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27