While Tom was engaged in the four-person free-for-all on the underground fight arena, Luffy had reached the execution platform. After listening to the old bartender's tales of Gold Roger, he became incredibly excited and dashed straight to this place where the Pirate King had been publicly executed.
Luffy looked up at the tall execution platform. His heart grew unusually calm. His eyes were fixed solely on that platform. The surrounding crowds were huge and bustling, but he took no notice.
At this moment, in Luffy's world, it seemed there was only him and that solitary standing execution platform. All else faded away. From the quietly standing platform, he sensed a heavy sense of history.
"The Pirate King... was executed right there."
"This is the place where the greatest pirate in history died... and where the Age of Pirates began."
Luffy whispered to himself as a clean breeze blew.
Meanwhile, Zoro took advantage of Tashigi being away training the branch Marines to slip out of the Marine base. He was still wondering why he had ended up doing chores there.
Zoro felt it was peculiar how much Tashigi resembled Kuina—almost exactly the same—and that she was also a swordswoman. But he thought the world was vast and full of wonders; it wasn't impossible. Besides, he was about to head for the Grand Line and figured he wouldn't see Tashigi again.
Soon after, Zoro arrived at a weapon shop. The owner was named Ipponmatsu. Upon learning Zoro only had 100,000 Berries, his initially enthusiastic attitude did a complete one-hundred-eighty-degree turn, becoming extremely cold. He told Zoro to just pick two blades from the piled-together heap of junk goods costing 50,000 Berries each.
Seeing Zoro didn't even mind the 50,000 Berry junk swords, Ipponmatsu thought Zoro was an amateur. Then he accidentally spotted the sword at Zoro's waist—Wado Ichimonji. Borrowing it for a closer look, he suddenly grew greedy, wanting to buy the famous blade from Zoro cheaply. He even told Zoro the Wado Ichimonji was just scrap metal.
The Wado Ichimonji was Kuina's keepsake and Zoro's most cherished possession. Hearing Ipponmatsu dare to call it scrap metal made Zoro want to beat him up.
Initially, Ipponmatsu offered 200,000 for Wado Ichimonji. Seeing Zoro seemed unwilling, he raised it to 500,000. Zoro was still unmoved. Ipponmatsu gritted his teeth and offered 650,000, thinking such a high price would surely make this outsider sell.
Had Ipponmatsu known the importance of Wado Ichimonji to Zoro, he would never have tried.
Just as Zoro was about to refuse, Tashigi suddenly burst in, snatched Wado Ichimonji from Ipponmatsu's tight grip, and exclaimed that this blade was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords—a famous sword!
To confirm her judgment, Tashigi took out a small notebook detailing famous swords worldwide and conducted a detailed comparison. She said this sword was worth at least 10,000,000 Berries if sold.
Hearing Tashigi blurt out all the truth in one breath made Ipponmatsu want to vomit blood on the spot.
Ipponmatsu rudely returned the sword named Shigure, which Tashigi had left with him, and threatened to report her for obstructing business. The attempted swindle backfiring, Ipponmatsu even cursed Tashigi as a bastard.
Unfortunately, Tashigi was airheaded and didn't realize at all that she had ruined Ipponmatsu's scheme, and thus naturally couldn't understand why he was so against her.
After taking the thrown Shigure, Tashigi noticed Zoro standing beside her. She asked why he wasn't at the Marine base and had come here instead.
Zoro was speechless. It seemed Tashigi wasn't just airheaded but also a classic sword fanatic. The moment she saw a good sword, she forgot everything else.
Learning Zoro was a three-sword style user, Tashigi said he resembled a famous pirate hunter from the East Blue named... Roronoa Zoro.
Zoro thought that was nonsense, as that was his own name.
Tashigi further stated that although Zoro was a famous swordsman in the East Blue, he bore only infamy, treating swords as money-making tools, which was absolutely unforgivable.
At this point, Tashigi grew sad, blankly staring at the Shigure in her hands. "Why is this an era where strength is everything? Famous swordsmen become pirates or bounty hunters. Famous swords end up in their hands. The swords must feel very sad."
Zoro glanced at Tashigi. Usually a man of few words, he actually comforted her a little.
"In short, I will use this Shigure to hone my skills as a swordswoman. And one day, I will retrieve all the famous swords that have fallen into the hands of villains across the world! Even if it costs me my life!" Tashigi said firmly, gripping Shigure tightly with both hands.
Hearing this, Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji and asked Tashigi, half-jokingly, half-seriously, if she wanted to take this sword from him too.
Tashigi hurriedly explained she didn't want to collect famous swords; she just didn't want them in evil hands.
In the end, with Tashigi's help, Zoro selected an old sword named Sandai Kitetsu from the 50,000 Berry pile.
According to Tashigi, Sandai Kitetsu was also a famous sword, worth at least 1,000,000 Berries. It shouldn't be sold for a mere 50,000.
After getting Ipponmatsu's confirmation, Tashigi insisted Zoro buy the Sandai Kitetsu.
But Ipponmatsu went back on his word and said he wasn't selling it anymore. When Tashigi questioned him for breaking his promise, Zoro spoke first, stating the reason: he could feel the Sandai Kitetsu was a genuine cursed sword.
Ipponmatsu was somewhat shocked by Zoro's keen intuition. Precisely because Sandai Kitetsu was a cursed demon blade, he was selling it so cheaply to get rid of it quickly.
According to Ipponmatsu, many famous swordsmen in the past who used a Kitetsu blade suffered terrifying curses and died unnatural deaths. No swordsman dared use a Kitetsu now. Those who used one without knowing the details were doomed to die.
Hearing this, Tashigi immediately bowed sincerely and deeply to Zoro in apology. Though she knew Sandai Kitetsu was famous, she didn't know its dark history. Recommending it rashly to Zoro made her feel deeply guilty.
Zoro, however, showed an interested expression. Ipponmatsu's words made him want the Sandai Kitetsu even more.
But Ipponmatsu had a conscience. If Zoro died from the Kitetsu's curse, it would feel like Ipponmatsu had killed him, so he firmly refused to sell.
"Then let's try this. Let's test whether my luck or the Sandai Kitetsu's curse is stronger!" Zoro said, casually tossing Sandai Kitetsu upward. "If I lose, it means my luck is truly terrible."
Then, without hesitation, Zoro bowed his head and extended his left arm straight out. The Sandai Kitetsu he had tossed spun down from above toward his outstretched arm.
Given Sandai Kitetsu's sharpness, if the blade touched Zoro's arm as it fell, it would absolutely sever his hand.
Ipponmatsu shouted for Zoro not to do something foolish. Tashigi, seeing Zoro truly had no intention of dodging, covered her mouth in shock.
In the end, victory was Zoro's. As it fell, Sandai Kitetsu did not graze him. Instead, it curved around his left arm and plunged directly into the ground, burying itself deeply.
Pulling Sandai Kitetsu from the ground, Zoro told Ipponmatsu he was taking this blade. Ipponmatsu was so frightened he collapsed onto the floor and asked Tashigi to help Zoro pick another sword.
Tashigi had been so frightened her legs went weak from Zoro's previously insane act of daring to pit his body against the Kitetsu's curse and couldn't stand up.
Ipponmatsu was convinced by Zoro's courage and spirit. He hurriedly called out to Zoro, went to the back room, and brought out the best blade he had treasured for many years.
The sword was named Yubashiri, also a famous blade. He said he was willing to give it to Zoro for free and wouldn't charge for Sandai Kitetsu, honestly apologizing for previously trying to deceive Zoro.
"A sword chooses its master." Ipponmatsu felt Zoro was a remarkable swordsman and willingly gave him the treasured blade.
After Zoro left, Ipponmatsu's wife questioned her stingy husband's actions. Ipponmatsu said: "What's wrong with a man entrusting his dreams to another man?"
After saying this, the manly Ipponmatsu was ordered by his wife to clean the bathroom. Tashigi, still too weak in the legs from Zoro's earlier act, couldn't stand up yet and watched Zoro walk out of the shop.
Meanwhile, at the underground fights, Tom was locked in combat with his three opponents on the high-speed rotating and rapidly moving arena.
Apille, with his 21,000,000 Berry bounty, was the weakest of the four but also the most agile. Using his advantage, he jumped between the three constantly shifting platforms, harassing Tom and the others from time to time.
When the pirates watching below saw the strange change in Tom's pupils, they initially didn't react much. But after hearing Koala's words, they all became deathly silent, not daring to speak loudly.
It couldn't be helped. Small-time East Blue pirates usually hid at the mere mention of Buggy's name, let alone Tom, whose bounty was a full double.
"Pupils that can change in a way different from ordinary people... You're the one called 'Deadeye' with a 30,000,000 Berry bounty, right?" Koala said after trading two punches with Tom, whose pupils had turned dark red. She felt Tom's strength was clearly much greater than before. If she wasn't careful, she might suffer a loss.
"Thirty million? Your strength should be greater than that. Show me some real skill! I'm not nearly satisfied yet!" Burgess, towering with thick arms, had gained a slight upper hand after fighting Tom for a while. But he felt Tom wasn't using his full strength.
Burgess had always challenged different combat opponents across the seas. Calling himself the combat champion, besides having extreme confidence, he was also someone who loved fighting, often ending up killing people.
"If you two aren't holding back, I wouldn't be wasting so much time here with you either. What's your real purpose in coming here? Just to participate in the tournament?" Tom said after exchanging blows with Koala and Burgess. The three had jumped to separate arenas. He noticed that after the commentator left, the other three opponents—aside from the battle-hungry Burgess—didn't seem fully focused on the fight.
Especially Apille from the West Blue, who was almost entirely evading, rarely attacking head-on, and kept jumping around, clearly avoiding combat. This made Tom vaguely sense something was wrong.
Koala's original goal in coming was to obtain the final prize, the "Treasure Belt." She initially thought the task would be easy, but she hadn't expected to run into the troublesome Burgess and the recently famous Tom, who was also hard to deal with. This made her temporarily change her mind.
She made this decision because she noticed Apille seemed to share her goal—he was also after the Treasure Belt and wanted to obtain it by any means necessary. Suspecting he had a hidden plan, she found it hard to go all out.
Just then, the commentator who had left earlier returned, holding a large box. Koala estimated that was the belt she wanted, but she was entangled by Burgess and couldn't break free.
As Koala prepared to use a "Shark Brick Fist" to drive back Burgess, Apille—who had been jumping around—leaped down from the rapidly rotating arena. He landed before the commentator, kicked his neck three hundred sixty degrees, snatched the box from the dead man's hands, and hurried toward the exit.
"He stole the belt!" Koala was panic-stricken inside. Her shout was heard by Tom.
This unexpected change completely stunned many present. In any past underground fight, no pirate had ever chosen to flee during the final round. But Apille had done just that, taking the winner's prize and running off cleanly.
Damn it! I came here and fought in this thing specifically to get that belt! And you just rudely snatch what I want? You think I'm an idiot?!
Tom was now extremely furious. He'd been following the rules, wanting to win the championship by strength. But his opponent seemed disrespectful—the outcome wasn't even decided yet, and he was trying to pluck the fruits of victory? Tom couldn't tolerate that.
Ignoring the entangled fight of Burgess and Koala, Tom leapt forward, rapidly chasing Apille. Using his right wrist launcher to latch onto the ceiling above and swing forward, he used his left wrist launcher to shoot a line, snatching a liquor bottle from a pirate's hand below.
As Tom swung forward gripping the fishing line with his right hand, he splashed the liquor from the bottle in his left hand toward Apille, then tossed the bottle aside. His left hand caught the liquor scattered in midair, condensed his full strength into his left hand, and threw the liquid in his palm at Apille's retreating back.
"AHHHHH!" Apille's scrawny back was struck by the liquid projectile Tom threw, and he let out a miserable scream.
"That's the Fish-Man Karate 'Water Shot' technique... But his usage is only at a half-baked level," Koala thought after forcing back Burgess. She also jumped off the arena to chase Apille, her brows unconsciously furrowing upon seeing Tom's move.
"You guys! Do you even want to fight properly?!" Burgess roared, seeing the other three opponents disappear in an instant. He angrily smashed the arena with a heavy punch, cracking it apart, then jumped down and charged toward Tom's direction.
Meanwhile, Smoker had just watched at the execution platform as Luffy used his Gum-Gum Whip to wrap around a fountain pillar and launch himself into the sky. While pursuing Luffy, several Marines came rushing over from afar.
"Captain! Report! Four individuals are engaged in a melee on the main streets of Loguetown! One has been identified as 'Deadeye' Thomas Sin of the Straw Hat Crew, bounty 30,000,000 Berries!" A Marine soldier saluted Smoker and reported rather flustered.
"Another one connected to Straw Hat? Causing trouble in my jurisdiction... A bunch of reckless fools!" Smoker, clenching two cigars in his mouth, commanded the Marine. "Find Tashigi immediately! Both of the Straw Hats' wanted men have appeared. Have her lead a town-wide manhunt for all Straw Hat Pirates members!"
By the time Smoker headed toward Tom's location, the dark clouds in the sky had unknowingly grown very thick. The air was filled with an oppressive feeling, making it hard to breathe. A violent storm was about to arrive...
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