White Ghost thought the earlier "longevity" item had been useful back when they didn't have Pure Gold—
But now?
Heh. It was basically just something to sell for money.
The beauty-related potions Naqin and the squirrel doctor produced, however, were extremely popular among the women on the crew.
So White Ghost headed out with Ain, Stella, Elena, Uta, and Bai Hezi.
They strolled through town, and whenever they passed snacks White Ghost used to eat often, he'd stop and try them together with everyone.
But the women were far more interested in clothing.
Loguetown was famous because the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been executed here. Merchants from all four Blues passed through constantly, making the town lively.
"Elena, you'd definitely look good in this," Uta said, holding up a casual outfit and discussing it with her.
White Ghost stood at the shop entrance, smoking silently, watching them browse.
In his head, he was thinking:
Why did I agree to come shopping?
And with a whole group, too…
Inside, the shop staff watched the group and whispered among themselves—mostly impressed by how wealthy they looked, and by how close-knit they seemed.
When the women finally walked out satisfied, White Ghost was loaded down with bags.
Just as he was about to collapse, Stella smiled gently and put everything into the bracelet with one smooth motion.
They continued walking and stopping—
And meanwhile, Dezaya suffered.
She had rushed over as fast as she could, hoping to catch White Ghost and make him realize she wasn't a kid anymore.
But when she reached the hotel, she was told:
"They went shopping."
Kuro nodded—he recognized her.
A-Da and A-Er grinned too. They knew her as well.
This was… trouble from the past coming back.
Dezaya cursed under her breath. She left a message that she wanted to treat White Ghost to dinner that night, then stormed off.
"Damn it… I came the moment I heard you were back. I wanted you to see I'm not some kid anymore."
"And you're out shopping with your companions?!"
"Heartless jerk…" she muttered as she walked.
When she got home, Granny Tomo saw Dezaya's expression—so frustrated she looked like she might cry—and nearly panicked.
Granny Tomo thought White Ghost had rejected her.
After asking, she finally understood.
Dezaya wasn't "rejected."
She was just… annoyed and jealous that she'd missed him.
Bartolomeo walked in at that moment, saw Dezaya like this, and immediately exploded.
"What happened?! Dezaya, who bullied you?! Tell me and I'll chop him into pieces!"
"Quiet, Bartolomeo," Granny Tomo snapped, tapping her cane. "Nobody bullied Dezaya."
"Oh…" Bartolomeo lowered his head. He still respected Granny Tomo a lot.
"Alright," Granny Tomo said. "Prepare properly. When White Ghost comes tonight, we must not be careless."
"Who?" Bartolomeo blinked.
"…White Ghost?"
His face twisted.
"That guy's finally back?! He shows up and immediately makes Dezaya upset?!"
Granny Tomo's cane slammed the floor—hard.
"Shut your mouth, Bartolomeo! Do you even know how strong you are?!"
"You can't even beat me."
"Have you forgotten how easily he subdued us back then?"
"Didn't you read the newspaper? He defeated one of the Emperors—Kaido!"
"An Emperor! A monster that stands unshaken in the New World!"
"And you want to pick a fight? He would kill you with one finger."
If White Ghost were here, he'd probably nod seriously.
After fusing with the demonic aura of the Seven-Star Sword, even a flick of his finger could produce a top-tier swordsman's slash.
Bartolomeo stopped, head lowered.
Inside, he was still unconvinced.
I'm not the same as before…
But he didn't argue.
Granny Tomo sighed. She knew exactly what he was thinking—she'd watched him grow up.
"Stop doing meaningless things," she said. "Go prepare. Don't embarrass us when the guest arrives."
"Yes, Granny," Dezaya and Bartolomeo replied, then left.
Granny Tomo was left alone, sighing heavily.
Running this family… had taken everything out of her.
Meanwhile — White Ghost's Group
They arrived at the sword shop where Zoro once bought blades.
"Let's go inside," White Ghost said. "Maybe there's something good."
The shop owner looked just as ridiculous as ever.
The top of his head was almost bald, but he had shaved an X into the middle, with hair on both sides sticking up like little fans.
In his past life, White Ghost had wanted to complain the moment he saw that hairstyle.
What kind of lunatic wears hair like this…?
"Welcome! Welcome!" the owner bowed and scraped.
He could tell at a glance these customers were rich—high-end clothes, confident presence.
"Boss, do you have any good swords here?" White Ghost asked politely, while silently mocking the man's head.
"Hahaha! You've come to the right place!" the owner bragged.
"My shop is a century-old establishment—well, not quite yet, but soon! Don't worry, you'll definitely find something you like!"
He talked a lot—basically claiming his shop had every great blade on earth.
"Really?" Bai Hezi looked around at the racks. They all looked… ordinary.
"Hey now, don't say that!" the owner said quickly. "Everything here is the best—"
Then he noticed the blade at Bai Hezi's waist.
"H-Hey… that is…!"
Bai Hezi answered casually.
"Ame no Habakiri. One of the Supreme Grade Blades."
"Y-Yah—!" The owner's eyes lit up like an old flashlight—just like in the old story when he saw Wado Ichimonji.
Only now did he realize: it wasn't just this girl.
Another woman had two swords at her waist—also famous blades: Sakura Ten and Withered Wood.
And the group carried the faint, unmistakable air of swordsmen.
The owner immediately stopped bragging.
"Heh… the blades I have are all here. Please… feel free. Feel free…"
White Ghost chuckled at how fast the man changed his attitude, and walked straight toward a wooden barrel holding several swords.
From the moment he entered, he'd sensed it.
That "demonic aura"—he was very sensitive to it now.
The owner looked like he wanted to say something… but stopped.
Because he recognized the man.
One of the great swordsmen of the sea.
White Ghost reached into the barrel and grabbed Sandai Kitetsu.
The owner sighed in his heart.
As expected… he still chose that blade.
Kacha—
White Ghost drew the sword and examined the cursed blade carefully.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios