"You actually picked up the 'End-Bringer Blade'—that cursed sword! Hundreds of years ago, it was the world-destroying cursed sword that massacred cities, destroyed nations, and stained the blue sky with blood!" Chinjao's throat bobbed; the corner of his mouth trembled.
"For hundreds of years, every wielder was corroded by it, turning into a world-ending butcher—slaying countless lives, destroying everything."
"The sword devoured the souls of those it cut, growing ever stronger, inciting more and more slaughter. In the end, the wielder's soul would be swallowed and perish."
At this point Chinjao looked at Leno with a complicated gaze, as if seeing the rise of a world-destroying demon lord.
"I urge you—put it back. The 'End-Bringer Blade' has been infamous for ages. Many coveted its power, spreading bloodshed to find it."
"Only when I found it decades ago and sealed it under the ice did its influence finally fade."
Leno wore an unconcerned look. The first time he held the blade he'd already tasted that malice. If past wielders were 'corroded,' the root cause was simply that they weren't strong enough. 'It's just a sword—I can handle it 'easily'.'
"This cursed blade—"
"Hey, are we fighting or not? If not, I'm leaving." Leno cut off Chinjao's rambling, impatient.
"Oh wait—there was also an ice-blue sword. What's its story?"
Chinjao recalled it and said, "Over two hundred years ago, our Flower Country's ancestors sought a way to suppress the cursed blade and discovered, in the deep sea, a kind of ice-iron that affects human emotion. A master smith forged it into a sword named 'Wangchuan.'"
Admiration flickered in his eyes. "Our ancestor, the only dual-blade Grandmaster Swordsman of that era, relied on his own strength and 'Wangchuan' to seize the cursed blade."
"For many years after, wielding 'Huangquan' and 'Wangchuan,' he made immortal achievements for the Flower Country and was praised through the ages."
"But in the end, he still went mad and died. After his passing, 'Huangquan' was lost."
Leno listened with interest. Seeing that Chinjao had no more intention to fight, he turned to leave.
Chinjao stared blankly after the departing group—then suddenly remembered and sprinted toward the distance. "Sai! Boo!"
"Phew…"
After checking, he found they were only unconscious, their lives not in danger. He scowled. "Useless brats, beaten by women! Disgraceful! I'll train you hard when we get back!"
—
Back on the ship, Leno immediately lifted the vessel into the sky. Once Nami set the heading, they sped away from the ice continent.
"Whew, that trip was really thrilling," Chopper exhaled, watching the ice recede.
"Hahahaha… Chopper's grown up. When you first came aboard, you were terrified of humans," Nojiko said warmly. "Now you can joke on the battlefield—you're nearly a real man."
"Bakayaro—flatter me all you want, I won't be happy, you jerk!"
"Hahahaha..." The group laughed as they watched Chopper express his happiness in a 'shy' way, waving his arms and legs.
A moment later, Leno brought out two chests containing Devil Fruits. "Take a look—what abilities are these?"
"Two more Devil Fruits? Quick, what are they?" Nami sparkled.
Robin took out the encyclopedia. Before long, she found them. "A Paramecia: Size-Size Fruit. And a Zoan: Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Model—White Tiger."
"Whoa! Another Mythical Zoan! That's gotta be worth a fortune, right?" Nami's eyes turned into Berries.
Nojiko rolled her eyes. "Idiot—who would sell a Mythical Zoan, especially a divine-beast White Tiger?"
"Let's hear how Leno plans to allocate it," she added, ignoring Nami's wounded glare.
Leno swept his gaze around. Everyone already had a Devil Fruit. 'This one should be saved for the next crewmate. But who?'
"For now, no special arrangement. We're all Devil Fruit users; we don't need it. Selling is out of the question. If a new partner joins us later, she can have it," he said, side-eyeing Nami.
"Awesome! A divine beast—so cool! How strong would that be? Then what about the Size-Size Fruit—what's it good for?" Chopper asked, brimming with envy.
Robin smiled, gentle as ever. "As the name says—it can make things bigger or smaller."
"Huh? That's it? Nothing else?"
"Don't underestimate it," Leno flicked his fingers against Chopper's head. "Develop it, and you can freely control the size of objects—including your body. Imagine in a fight: make yourself huge or shrink the enemy—then one stomp…"
Chopper pictured a towering foe raising a massive foot over him and shivered.
"So scary! This fruit's ability is too overpowered, isn't it?"
Nami and Carmen nodded; having an enemy turn into a giant was a nightmare scenario.
"Oh, Leno—I forgot to ask. From far away I saw Chinjao's head suddenly turn… uh… become—" Nami remembered something at this moment and asked Leno curiously.
"Turn into a cone, drill-shaped! Right?"
"Yeah, a drill! What happened?" Nami asked, exaggeratedly baffled.
"I know about that," Robin cut in with a mischievous glint before Leno could answer.
Leno was a bit helpless. Ever since the Aokiji incident, Robin seemed to have shed a burden. She had become much more cheerful and was gradually showing the liveliness that a girl her age should have.
Leno was naturally happy to see this change in her. This was how she was supposed to be.
Faced with Robin's deliberate interruption, Leno could only act helpless: "Then please allow Miss Robin, this West Blue expert, to explain the reason for this matter."
Robin, satisfied, continued under the crew's curious stares. "Chinjao's 'cone head' is actually his original look. Decades ago, when he sailed as a pirate, he was famed as 'Chinjao the Drill'."
Seeing their interest peak, she winked at Leno and went on: "He later changed because of one man—the current Marine Vice Admiral, Garp."
"Huh? Vice Admiral Garp? That Marine grandpa?" Nami yelped.
"Exactly. Vice Admiral Garp set out to capture the already infamous Chinjao. They met—and fought an earthshaking battle."
"And the result is obvious," Leno added with a grin.