Even Dragon, who had seen countless strange inventions and swords, found himself pausing when he saw the Uru metal. Zoro, who held the sword, also felt that the earlier curse had slowly subsided. The Conqueror's Haki left within the blade had suddenly reacted to his own, and when he tried to channel his Haki onto Sandai Kitetsu.... he felt it was ten times smoother than before.
Dragon approached slowly, eyes narrowing with a rare expression of awe. "That… isn't any metal I've ever seen in this world," he said quietly. "Not even the World Government or Vegapunk has produced something like this."
Jack, half-smiling, wiped his hands with a cloth. "You're right. That's because this metal isn't from this world."
Dragon raised an eyebrow. "Not from this world?"
"Think of it as a metal that exists beyond the laws of this planet," said Jack calmly. "Uru metal, it's more than just solid matter. It conducts energy, Haki, and even magic. Zoro blade isn't just forged... it's still a sword, but at the same time, it feels alive."
"What? Zoro's sword is alive? Zoro, try talking to it!" said Luffy, his eyes sparkling in amazement.
Zoro, with a deadpan face, lifted his sword slightly. "Hey, Sandai Kitetsu, can you hear me?"
There was no response. Luffy turned to Jack expectantly asking for answer
"I didn't say it has a soul," explained Jack with a faint smile. "What I meant is, Haki is the power of will. With enough constant channeling, the sword starts to feel alive.... it resonates with you. It can respond to your call and even return to your hand if lost."
Luffy made his usual exaggerated "EEEEEEEHHHH!?" face. "I thought it was alive! That's so disappointing!"
Dragon, watching his son childish reaction, couldn't help but chuckle quietly. Though Luffy didn't treat him like a special, Dragon still felt something warm, he had missed this boy, always watching him secretly from afar on Dawn Island.
Meanwhile, Zoro tilted his chin upward slightly, clearly pleased with his new blade.
Dragon reached out. "May I?"
Zoro glanced at Jack, who nodded, then handed the sword over. The Revolutionary leader took it carefully, his fingers tracing the intricate texture of the metal. It wasn't cold like steel,it was warm, pulsing faintly like something alive. Still, as Jack said, it was only a sword… but it felt like more.
Dragon exhaled softly. "Incredible…"
Then he channeled his Armament Haki into the blade.
A soft, deep hum filled the air. The Uru metal responded instantly, the Haki coursing through it like liquid light—smooth, fluid, effortless.
Zoro smirked, crossing his arms. "Feels right, doesn't it?"
But before Dragon could reply—
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" shouted Jack, startling everyone.
"Huh?" The whole crew turned, shocked to see Jack actually panicking.
"What happened, Jack?" asked Usopp, eyes wide.
"Didn't I tell you?! The Uru metal is special! Once you pour your Haki into it, the sword bonds with you! And Zoro hasn't done that yet!"
Zoro froze. "Wait—what do you mean by that?"
Jack's voice dropped seriously. "It means… the blade has recognized Mr. Dragon as its owner."
"WHAAAAAAT?!" Zoro's face turned pale as he nearly dropped the scabbard. Dragon looked equally shocked, guilt washing over him.
"Jack! Can't Zoro just channel his Haki again to take it back?" asked Nami, her voice filled with concern.
Jack sighed and shook his head slowly. "No…"
The table went silent for a moment before the rest of the crew reacted all at once.
Sanji burst out laughing. "Pfft... so the great swordsman just lost his sword to his captain's dad? How pathetic!"
"Say that again, curly-brow!" snapped Zoro, flames of irritation lighting in his eyes.
Luffy rolled on the floor laughing. "Shishishishi! Zoro, now you're Dragon's swordsman!"
Usopp pointed dramatically. "He got adopted by the sword! Bwahaha!"
Bartolomeo, meanwhile, was holding his face, trembling. "D-Dragon-sama just stole Zoro-senpai's sword! That's… that's so LEGENDARY!"
Nojiko chuckled softly while sipping her tea. "Poor Zoro, even your sword wants a new boss."
And Nami just sighed, massaging her forehead. "Every single day with you idiots… something like this has to happen."
Dragon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… I didn't mean to."
Zoro's eye twitched. "You're giving it back. Now."
Jack sighed deeply. "Well… good luck negotiating with your sword's new master."
"Can I negotiate with Yubashiri?" asked Zoro.
Jack placed a hand on Zoro shoulder, trying to calm him. "Zoro, listen to me for a second."
The swordsman, still glaring at Dragon, looked over. "What? Don't tell me to calm down. I just lost my sword to someone else's Haki!"
Jack exhaled slowly. "That's exactly why I'm telling you this. The Uru sword… it's a masterpiece, but it's no longer meant for you. It chose Dragon the moment he let his Haki flow into it. Forcing it back will only damage both the metal and your own Haki flow."
Zoro clenched his fists. "So you're saying I should just let it go?"
"Yeah," Jack said, nodding. "You already have Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu. You'll get better swords in the future.... we'll find them together. Far stronger ones. Have you ever heard of Shusui?"
Zoro blinked. "Shusui… what's that?"
Jack smirked slightly. "Exactly what I wanted you to ask. It's one of the 21 Great Grade Blades, a national treasure. But there are blades even beyond that rank… legendary swords in the Supreme Grade category."
That got everyone's attention.
"Supreme Grade?" repeated Usopp, jaw dropping. "You mean… swords have grades?"
Jack nodded. "Yes. And a Supreme Grade sword can even be upgraded further by reforging it with Uru metal."
Zoro finally calmed down, though his glare toward Dragon lingered. After a moment, he sighed and nodded, silently accepting the situation. It was his fault for not channeling his Haki into the blade first.
Meanwhile, Dragon held the sword carefully, clearly uncomfortable. "I never intended to take what was yours, Zoro. But I'll teach you everything I know about Haki, so you can master it and one day make any sword recognize you as its true master."
Author Notes - There is 10 advanced chapter on my patreon.
-patreon.com/zerelix