By noon the next day, a messenger from the shipyard arrived at Isshin Dojo to inform Luffy that the ship was completed and now docked at the port.
All the supplies Luffy had stored at the yard had already been loaded onto the vessel as well.
After spending the whole morning waiting, Luffy finally perked up.
"Now that's service."
─────────🏴☠️─────────
At the port,
The vast ocean stretched endlessly before them, filling the heart with wanderlust.
A lone News Coo flew overhead, circled once after spotting no one worth mugging, then flapped away.
Back onshore, Koushirou stood alongside a group of young dojo students, watching the departing ship slowly fade into the horizon.
Several of the children cried openly. Whenever the master wasn't around, they had always looked up to Zoro as their dependable senior.
For kids their age, the pain of parting was still hard to handle.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Aboard the ship,
At the stern, Luffy stood waving continuously at Koushirou and the others, not stopping until the port completely disappeared from view.
He then made his way to the bow, where Zoro sat silently, staring straight ahead.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your master and junior students?" Luffy asked.
"I... I-it's not like I'm a kid or anything! T-there's nothing to say!"
Zoro's voice cracked mid-sentence, and he sniffled in such a way that Luffy could barely make out what he was saying.
Glancing at the puddle that had formed at Zoro's feet, Luffy tactfully replied,
"Alright then. I'll go check the nautical charts. Keep an eye on our heading, don't let us drift off course."
"O-okay..." Zoro's voice grew softer, clearly aware that Luffy had noticed.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Luffy opened the cabin door and headed below deck.
"System, I've already got a ship, why hasn't the 'Sailing System' activated yet?"
[Answer: To activate the "Sailing System," the following conditions must be met:
The ship must have a name.
It must be able to carry at least ten people.
It must fly a flag.
Currently, your ship meets none of these criteria. Activation denied.]
"Figures..."
Luffy let out a resigned sigh.
As expected, every part of the system came with its own set of hoops to jump through.
Still, just thinking about what was coming next made him giddy again.
Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, he asked,
"System, can I now draw Zoro's exclusive item?"
[The host may initiate the draw at any time. Simply open the Partner Interface, select your new partner, and mentally command "Draw Exclusive Item."]
"Alright!"
Luffy, already used to the process, opened Zoro's partner panel in his mind and thought:
"Draw Exclusive Item."
A giant spinning wheel appeared in front of him, decorated with all kinds of swords, scrolls, and bizarre-looking trinkets.
Luffy hadn't even issued a start command, yet the wheel began spinning on its own, faster and faster, until everything became a blur.
Finally, it stopped.
The pointer landed on... a glowing blue substance.
It was one of those things Luffy had zero clue about.
[Ding! The host has acquired: "Zanpakuto Essence." Item placed in your inventory. Please check.]
"Z-Zanpakuto?!?!"
Luffy froze.
Yesterday, he'd been fantasizing about learning the Rasengan, today he got a Zanpakuto.
"Wait a second... that glowing blue blob doesn't look like a sword at all?"
[Please open your inventory and check.]
"Right… Inventory."
Luffy opened his inventory panel.
Sure enough, the first slot contained a swirling blue mass.
He tapped it with his mind, and a new interface appeared:
[Zanpakuto Essence: When applied to a sword with a soul, it transforms it into a Zanpakuto, a soul-bound blade used by Shinigami. Each Zanpakuto takes shape and power based on the soul of its wielder. By learning its name and forging a bond with it, the user unlocks its true potential.]
After reading the description, Luffy thought to himself:
"A soul-bound weapon, huh...? Maybe a Zanpakuto is the perfect match for Zoro."
Thinking about Zoro's eerie aura and Mental Power-like presence, Luffy grew more and more excited.
"Can Wado Ichimonji even qualify as a soul-bound blade? I hope so... If it doesn't, I doubt any blade in this world would."
If it didn't work, it would be a huge pain.
No time to waste.
Luffy retrieved the Zanpakuto Essence from his inventory.
A ball of blue light appeared in his hand.
Oddly enough, it had no weight at all, yet still felt distinctly there in his grip.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Outside the cabin,
While Luffy was chatting with the system, Zoro had been calmly monitoring their course from the deck, trying to calm his emotions as the sea breeze cooled his face.
By the time Luffy reappeared, Zoro had moved past his earlier sadness.
Luffy was just about to speak when he noticed something odd.
He glanced up at the sun, then looked back at Zoro.
"Zoro, what heading did I tell you to follow earlier when I gave you the map?"
Zoro tilted his head in confusion.
"You said... 15.3 degrees southwest, didn't you?"
"Southwest?"
"Yeah, you literally just said that to me."
Luffy's legs wobbled slightly.
He stumbled over to the compass mounted on the railing and stammered:
"Then why the hell... are we heading due east?!"
"Huh?"
Zoro froze.
He went silent, realizing exactly what happened.
Luffy felt like smacking himself.
How could he have forgotten Zoro's world-class sense of direction... or lack thereof?
But honestly, he couldn't blame himself completely.
Even with clear navigation tools, Zoro had still managed to steer the ship completely off course.
"Zoro, as captain, I'm giving you your first official order: You are not allowed to steer the ship alone ever again! Also, no wandering off unsupervised!"
Zoro, fully aware he'd messed up, scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh... got it, Captain."
Seeing that Zoro was owning up to his mistake, Luffy decided not to press the issue further.
After all, part of this was his own fault for forgetting Zoro's infamous directional issues.
He took a breath and said:
"Anyway, the real reason I came to find you, It's something much more important."
Zoro looked at him seriously and nodded for him to continue.
"Why are you following me? That matters to you, right?"
Zoro blinked.
"Wait, you mean, can we start training now?" At the mention of strength, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Not training. I've got something better."
Luffy held up the glowing orb and smiled.
"Take out your sword."
Without question, Zoro handed him Wado Ichimonji.
For some reason, Zoro felt an immense pressure coming from the blue orb in Luffy's hand.
He could even feel his soul reacting to it.
Luffy held the sword in one hand and pressed the Zanpakuto Essence against it with the other.
The blue light melted into the blade.
A brief flash, then it was done.
The sword still looked the same... except the hilt had turned a purer white.
"That's it?? System?? That's all??"
Luffy yelled internally, disappointed.
He'd waited so long, only to see a quick flash of blue?
The system calmly replied:
[No need for panic. The sword before you is now a genuine Zanpakuto.
However, it has yet to truly belong to Zoro.]
"Then what's left to do?"
[You must stab the Zanpakuto into Zoro's body.]
Luffy's eyes widened.
"You want me to stab him?!"
[Correct. Only by doing this can the sword fully merge with his soul and become his Zanpakuto.]
"...I see."
Understanding now, Luffy looked up at Zoro.
Zoro flinched at the sudden intensity in his captain's gaze.
He'd watched Luffy fuse the orb into the blade, only to see Luffy freeze in place afterward, his expression changing repeatedly.
Frankly, it had freaked him out a little.
Luffy finally spoke.
"Zoro, I've found a way to help you grow stronger, fast."
"Really?! How?!"
The moment strength was mentioned again, Zoro's eyes sparkled with hope.
To become the world's greatest swordsman, he couldn't afford to miss any opportunity.
Seeing how excited Zoro was, Luffy scratched his head awkwardly...
And then said:
"Let me stab you."
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Note: For those who don't know, Zanpakuto is a unique, Mental Power-bound weapon used by Soul Reapers from Bleach. Each reflects the soul of its wielder.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 245+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 218
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 132
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 66
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 64
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 47