"That's how it went. Before Samurai Ryuma entered eternal rest, he didn't want his beloved sword Shusui to remain entombed with him on that ghost ship, so he entrusted it to me, asking me to find a worthy new master."
Brook briefly explained the connection between himself and Ryuma.
"Sadly, after waiting at Reverse Mountain for so long, though many swordsmen have come through, I never met one who could truly earn Shusui's recognition." He paused, then continued with quiet hope, "But maybe that's no tragedy. Perhaps Shusui was waiting for you all."
With that, he disappeared into the lighthouse. Soon, he returned carrying an old, dignified sword wrapped in a dark scabbard that seemed to drink in the sunlight.
"That's it!"
Hiyori stood up the moment she saw the sheath, recognition flashing in her eyes. As Wano's princess, she would never mistake their national treasure, Shusui.
She bowed deeply to Brook, speaking earnestly. "Sir Brook, forgive my boldness, but may I ask you to return Shusui? I will restore it to the shrine in Wano."
Brook looked troubled, his skeletal hand reaching up to scratch where his head would have hair.
"You saved my life and are Ryuma's compatriot. By rights I should give the sword back. But..." He trailed off, stroking the scabbard with reverence. "Ryuma's dying wish was for me to find a new wielder to fight alongside it, not have it return to a shrine as some revered yet unused display."
He gazed at the blade with something like affection. "For a swordsman, there's no greater wish than for one's blade to continue shining in battle with a worthy owner, not sit in a shrine, honored but gathering dust."
Hiyori fell silent, her hand unconsciously moving to touch her own swords, Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri. She understood Brook's reasoning now. Blades were meant for use, not just worship. To a swordsman, a blade was a companion, valued for fulfilling its purpose in battle.
"I was too attached." Hiyori's smile relaxed, letting go of her plan to return Shusui to the shrine.
Keeping it for herself didn't cross her mind. She was a two-sword-style swordswoman and already carried two blades she loved deeply. There was simply no room for Shusui in her style.
At this, Kai glanced over at the onlookers gathered nearby. He noticed that ever since Shusui had appeared, Zoro hadn't looked away even once. The excitement and longing burning in his eyes were unmistakable to any swordsman recognizing a legendary blade calling to them.
"Zoro."
Kai called out, pulling the green-haired youth from his transfixed state. "Want to give it a try? You still need two good swords. Shusui is already a black blade, but it can be your stepping stone to greater heights."
Originally, Kai had intended to give Kogarashi and Oto, Shiki's legendary blades, to Zoro. But the boy had simply said, "Doesn't feel right," and passed on swords that most swordsmen would never even touch in a lifetime.
So those famous blades just remained quietly in Kai's collection, awaiting someone truly destined for them.
Kai didn't blame Zoro. Like a wand to a wizard, a sword chose its master. Compatibility was everything in the bond between blade and wielder.
Now, it was abundantly clear. Zoro and Shusui were love at first sight.
"Nothing could make me happier!" Zoro's hand instantly gripped his sword handle, fighting spirit burning like wildfire in his eyes.
"Mr. Brook, what do you think?" Kai asked.
"I have no objection," Brook replied, clearly delighted. "In fact, I'm honored."
He had lingered at Reverse Mountain not just because he had nowhere else to go, but specifically to fulfill Ryuma's dying wish by finding a worthy swordsman for Shusui. With this promising young man before him, radiating such pure determination, how could he possibly refuse?
"Are they going to fight?"
Little horned Yamato peeked over Kai's shoulder, eyes bright with curiosity.
"I want to see blood flow like a river!" Bonney cheered from his right shoulder, shaking her tiny fists with violent enthusiasm.
"Bonney, a lady shouldn't say things like that," Kuma gently scolded from nearby.
Having finally cured Bonney's illness, he desperately hoped to teach her proper ladylike manners, but she seemed to drift further from that ideal with each passing day.
"Enough, Kuma. Don't give Bonney too much pressure. In this world, being a lady alone can't protect anyone."
Kai ruffled Bonney's pink hair affectionately.
"Yeah, that's right! Kai-nii said so!"
Bonney nuzzled his hand happily, smiling adorably.
Kuma could only sigh deeply. Kai was his biggest obstacle in proper education. Still, Kuma had to agree with the underlying point. Here, strength meant survival. He just wished Bonney could balance power with some semblance of manners. Like, well, Brook. Sort of.
On the shore, Brook and Zoro faced off across the open ground, deadly tension crackling in the air between them like static before lightning.
The others gathered around to watch at a respectful distance. Even Laboon rose from the sea to observe Brook with obvious concern, though the great whale had clearly witnessed similar duels before.
Kai smiled at Yamato. "By the way, how is your student's Haki training coming along?"
Before they'd parted ways months ago, Yamato had generously shared all her Haki training knowledge with Laboon.
"It worked!"
Yamato said proudly, puffing out her chest. She'd just checked earlier, and though Laboon couldn't yet coat its massive body in Haki, it had definitely managed to awaken the power within!
"Impressive work, truly, teacher Yamato."
Kai praised warmly, making Yamato so happy she clung to him and rubbed against his side in pure joy.
Animals learning Haki was entirely possible. With enough intelligence and willpower, any being could awaken it. Luffy, after all, had once taught a whole group of Kung Fu Dugongs how to use Armament Haki, which they'd later demonstrated with surprising skill.
Now, the tension peaked between the two swordsmen.
"Please, teach me."
Zoro called out formally, taking up his three-sword stance and lunging forward like a hunting leopard.
Brook met him with deceptive calm, his cane sword glinting with surgical precision as it deflected the initial strike.
CLANG!
Steel rang against steel, the impact sending sharp cracks radiating through the ground from their feet like spiderwebs.
After the clash, both stepped back, circling slowly. Each had found a worthy opponent.
Brook raised his sword with elegant ceremony. "I won't hold back next time."
"You shouldn't have held back at all!" Zoro grinned wildly, bloodlust and excitement mixing in his expression.
"Aubade Coup Droit!"
Brook called his technique and thrust toward Zoro. Before the words even fully left his mouth, his skeletal body blurred into impossible speed, suddenly vanishing from sight.
Danger!
Pure instinct screaming warnings made Zoro dodge, throwing himself sideways. Swift sword energy barely grazed his ear, slicing through a few green hairs that drifted lazily to the ground.
He rolled away hard, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. Only his recent Haki and Observation Haki training had let him react just in time. Without it, that strike would have carved through his neck.
Sanji, genuinely worried by the deadly move, leaned closer to Kai and whispered, "Kai-aniki, is moss-head really okay? Brook is ridiculously strong..."
Even Sanji had trouble following that attack with his eyes.
Kai smiled with quiet confidence. "Trust Zoro. All his hard work should be ready to blossom under pressure."
Besides, he possessed future sight. He would step in immediately if things became truly dangerous.
But Brook did seem even stronger than he'd been seven years ago when the future Luffy would have saved him. It must be all the countless duels with other swordmasters passing through, letting him gradually regain his old competitive edge.
Once a master swordsman, regaining lost form was infinitely faster than building skill from nothing.
On the battlefield, Brook graciously stepped back, lowering his cane sword to allow Zoro time to recover and catch his breath.
"Shall we continue? Next time, you might not be so lucky, young swordsman."
"Shut up and fight!"
"Three Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
With a feral roar, Zoro charged forward, all three swords crossing for his signature demon-slashing technique. Brook also vanished in a blur. They crossed paths like twin bolts of lightning striking the same point.
Everything stopped.
Time seemed to freeze. Zoro stood frozen mid-swing, while Brook faced away from him, elegantly sheathing his blade with practiced grace.
"Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash!"
Blood suddenly spurted from a precise diagonal cut across Zoro's chest, painting the ground crimson.
"Zoro!"
Sanji and Ace both shouted in alarm, genuine worry cutting straight through their normal competitive bickering.
"Relax, Zoro's fine."
Kai calmly blocked them both from rushing onto the battlefield. "Would either of you want someone to interfere with your duel?"
Sanji and Ace froze mid-step, understanding flooding their faces.
"Kai-aniki's right! Stay the hell out of it!"
Zoro barked through gritted teeth, straightening with visible effort. Blood ran freely down his torso, but he flexed his chest muscles deliberately to slow the bleeding, facing Brook again with burning, defiant eyes that refused to acknowledge pain.
"Remarkable willpower," Brook praised genuinely, impressed. "Perhaps you truly are the one Shusui has been waiting for."
But praise aside, Brook gripped his sword once more. One test wasn't remotely enough. To truly know a swordsman's soul, nothing beats a genuine duel to the limit.
"Revolutionary Dance Music: Continuous Strike!"
Brook's form flickered like a candle flame, his cane sword slashing with surgical precision. Not randomly at Zoro, but deliberately targeting the exact same spots on both of Zoro's non-Wado Ichimonji swords, striking again and again with mechanical repetition.
"An attack meant to destroy weapons?" Zoro's eyes narrowed in understanding.
His only real chance now was to remain perfectly still, defending and waiting patiently for that brief, golden opening that every continuous attack pattern eventually created.
Resolved, he abandoned all thoughts of offense for a perfect guard. His twin blades wove together into a flawless defensive shield. But the brutal speed gap pushed him to his absolute limit. His hands cracked open, blood weeping from splits in his calluses with every thundering blow that vibrated through his arms.
"Not a wise strategy," Brook advised calmly, even while attacking at blinding speed that left afterimages in the air. "Guard too long and you'll inevitably lose. My sword is simply faster than yours, young one!"
"Shut up and bring it on!"
Zoro gritted his teeth until they creaked, focusing every ounce of his consciousness on feeling the next blade's trajectory before it arrived.
As the relentless pummeling continued, his calluses split deeper. Red blood soaked his sword hilts, making them slippery. His arms trembled violently with exhaustion and accumulated damage.
Yet just as defeat loomed certain, Kai smiled knowingly from the sidelines.
"That's it. Let your Haki blossom under life-or-death pressure."
Perhaps Zoro heard the silent encouragement carried on the wind. His eyes grew impossibly sharper, pupils dilating. His blades, which had been steadily slowing, suddenly began matching Brook's superhuman speed with uncanny precision.
No, it was more accurate to say that Brook's blade was choosing to meet Zoro's defense exactly where it needed to be.
Brook noticed immediately, watching with genuine surprise. Had this young swordsman actually awakened Observation Haki mid-battle? Incredible talent. But even so, Observation Haki alone couldn't possibly close the massive skill gap between them.
Making his decision, Brook abruptly withdrew, his body drifting backward like a dead leaf on the wind.
"Observation Haki isn't all-powerful, you know. Past a certain threshold, you can see what's coming, but your body physically cannot follow fast enough!"
Zoro remained grimly silent, chest heaving as he fought desperately to steady his ragged breathing.
Brook raised his sword in a final salute, genuine respect in his hollow eye sockets.
"Be careful now, Zoro."
Then he vanished completely.
"Party Music: Blizzard Slash Chain!"
A blinding storm of sword flashes filled Zoro's entire vision. Brook struck with an absolute blizzard of lightning-quick thrusts from impossible angles, his blade seeming to multiply into a dozen phantom weapons.
Blood bloomed in crimson flowers all over Zoro's body as cut after shallow cut opened his skin. Too exhausted and wounded to react properly anymore.
But then...
He'd never actually intended to defend against this final technique.
"Your speed is incredible, old bones, but all I have to do is wait for YOU!"
Zoro gave a wild, excited grin that was equal parts madness and pure joy.
In that crystalline instant, a faint, barely visible surge of power flared around all three of his swords like heat shimmer.
The two fighters crossed paths one final time.
"Three Sword Style: Burning Oni Giri!"
CRACK!
A sharp bone-breaking sound rang out like a gunshot. Brook's vertebrae split cleanly, with actual blue soul flames erupting dramatically from the deep crack in his spine.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Even though technically dead, Brook still felt the phantom agony of burning. His soul flames danced wildly.
Laboon, watching with alarm, immediately grabbed up a massive amount of seawater and doused Brook in a giant, pressurized spout.
Brook sputtered and flailed under the impromptu shower, but the flames went out completely.
"Saved! Even though I'm already dead, yohoho~"
With his joke delivery restored, Brook grinned his permanent skeletal smile. Meanwhile, Zoro had used up absolutely every ounce of his remaining strength. He collapsed heavily to the ground, and both his non-Wado Ichimonji swords lay shattered into useless pieces around him.