The Going Merry carried the Straw Hat Pirates through the choppy waters of the East Blue, and under Nami's expert navigation, they finally arrived at Loguetown—the legendary final stop before the Grand Line.
"What's with all these ships?" Luffy scratched his head, his straw hat tilting as he peered over the harbor. "Did someone find treasure nearby or something?"
Even someone as oblivious as Luffy couldn't miss the strange atmosphere surrounding Loguetown's port. Ships streamed out of the harbor in a steady exodus while groups of well-dressed townspeople frantically waved bundles of berries at any captain willing to take passengers. It was all outgoing traffic—not a single ship was coming in.
Nami's experienced eyes swept across the scene, her navigator's instincts screaming warnings. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a sword. "Something's definitely wrong here. Let's resupply quickly and get out."
She turned to address the crew with the efficiency of someone who'd learned to trust her gut. "Sanji, Usopp—you two handle food and fresh water. Luffy's coming with me to buy clothes." Her gaze settled on their swordsman with obvious reluctance. "Zoro... just watch the ship."
"Of course, Nami-swan!" Sanji's eyes practically turned into hearts as he clasped his hands together.
"Don't get all mushy on us," Usopp muttered, shouldering his pack. "Let's just hurry up. I really don't want to run into the White Hunter Smoker here."
As Nami led Luffy away from the docks, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach like a lead weight. Something was about to happen—she could feel it in her bones.
Meanwhile, Zoro sat cross-legged on the Going Merry's figurehead, arms folded and expression sour. Why am I always the one stuck with ship duty? he grumbled internally. I could handle a simple supply run just fine. It's not like I have that bad a sense of direction.
"Hey, pirate! Looking to buy some weapons?"
Zoro's eye cracked open to see a weathered old man approaching the dock. The stranger had the callused hands and appraising gaze of someone who'd spent decades around steel and edge.
"Yeah, you—the guy with the bandana," the man continued, gesturing toward Zoro. "You're a swordsman, right? I've got quality blades here, and I'll make you a fair deal."
Zoro had been ready to ignore the interruption, but those words caught his attention. Ever since his devastating encounter with Dracule Mihawk, he'd been fighting with borrowed weapons. The memory of his two katana shattering like glass under the World's Strongest Swordsman's casual strike still stung.
Glancing around the eerily quiet harbor—empty of other pirates and therefore safe for the Merry—Zoro hopped down from the ship. The weapon dealer, who introduced himself as Ipponmatsu, had already begun packing his entire inventory into portable cases.
"Finally, a customer!" Ipponmatsu's weathered face broke into a relieved grin. "I've got some excellent pieces here. Take a look and see what catches your eye."
Zoro's gaze swept over the collection of steel until it stopped dead on one particular blade. Something about it called to him—a dark, almost hungry presence that made his instincts sing with both warning and desire.
"This one," he said, reaching for the katana with its distinctive circular guard. "I want this one."
Ipponmatsu's expression immediately shifted to concern. "That's Sandai Kitetsu—a cursed blade. Every swordsman who's wielded it has met a violent end. I'd strongly recommend choosing something else."
The weapon had been relegated to a dusty corner of his collection for good reason. Ipponmatsu had never expected anyone to actually want the infamous demon sword.
From across the harbor, Warrant Officer Tashigi had been maintaining order among the fleeing civilians when the name "Sandai Kitetsu" reached her ears. Her hand instinctively moved to her own sword's hilt as her collector's instincts flared to life. Famous blades were her passion, even cursed ones—especially cursed ones.
She approached the pair with measured steps, her Marine coat billowing behind her. "Pirates bold enough to waltz into Loguetown without running for their lives? Either you're incredibly stupid or incredibly confident."
"A Marine!" Zoro's grip tightened on Wado Ichimonji's hilt.
The moment he saw Tashigi's face clearly, old wounds reopened in his chest. The resemblance to Kuina was so striking it made his breath catch. He'd seen her before on the Sky Screen broadcasts, but experiencing that familiar face in person brought back a flood of painful memories.
Not now, he thought grimly. I can't let the past distract me.
But he was still a swordsman with only one proper blade. His other two katana had been destroyed by Hawkeye, forcing him to fight with borrowed weapons even during the battle against Arlong's crew. He needed Sandai Kitetsu.
"Let's see if I'm worthy to be its master," Zoro declared, his voice steady despite the tension. "Let the sword choose for itself."
Without hesitation, he spread his arms wide and tossed Sandai Kitetsu high into the air. The cursed blade spun end over end, its edge glinting wickedly in the afternoon sun. One wrong move, one moment of doubt, and it would sever his arm cleanly.
Both Ipponmatsu and Tashigi held their breath as the demon sword descended like a falling star. Zoro remained perfectly still, his expression calm as death itself.
The blade plunged down... and buried itself in the wooden dock inches from his outstretched arm.
"Good sword," Zoro grinned, pulling Sandai Kitetsu from the wood. "It chose me."
"You're completely insane," Tashigi breathed, her heart still hammering from witnessing such reckless bravery.
Ipponmatsu stared at the young swordsman with newfound respect. Such courage in the face of certain death reminded him why he'd devoted his life to the way of the sword. Moved by this display, he hurried to the back of his stall and retrieved a carefully wrapped bundle.
"Young man," he said solemnly, "this is our shop's greatest treasure—Yubashiri, ranked among the fifty finest blades ever forged. It's been gathering dust here far too long. Take it with you to the Grand Line."
Tashigi's eyes widened behind her glasses. "Yubashiri? One of the fifty Skillful Grade swords? He's just... giving it away?" A part of her wondered if she should arrest the pirate now and claim both legendary blades for herself.
Zoro accepted the gift with genuine gratitude, bowing deeply to the old craftsman. "My name is Roronoa Zoro of the Straw Hat Pirates. I swear on my dream that I won't disgrace these blades."
Straw Hat Pirates?
The name hit Tashigi like a lightning bolt. Wait—the Straw Hat Pirates! Her mind flashed back to the Sky Screen broadcasts, to the images of a rubber boy in a straw hat who'd inherited the will of the Pirate King himself. She was looking at one of those pirates—the crew destined to shake the very foundations of the world.
"So the future shown on the Sky Screen is really coming to pass," she whispered, then drew her sword with a sharp ring of steel. "Pirates! Surrender now! We cannot allow the Straw Hat Pirates to grow any stronger!"
Ipponmatsu immediately began packing up his remaining wares. "The name's Ipponmatsu, young swordsman. I'll be watching your future exploits with great interest. Be careful of the Marines!"
The old man disappeared into the crowd without even collecting payment, leaving Zoro to face the growing number of Marines that Tashigi's call had summoned. A dozen armed soldiers formed a loose circle around him, their rifles trained on his chest.
Can't let them damage the Merry, Zoro thought, biting down on Wado Ichimonji's handle while drawing his two new companions. The familiar weight of three swords felt like coming home after a long journey.
"Santoryu Ougi..." Zoro's voice was muffled but deadly serious as he took his stance. "Tatsumaki!" (Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Tornado!)
The whirling blade technique scattered the Marine soldiers like leaves in a hurricane, but Zoro was careful to use only the flat of his swords. Even as pirates, he wouldn't kill Marines just doing their duty.
"Santoryu Ougi: Sanzen Sekai!" (Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!)
By the time his crewmates returned, over a dozen Marines lay unconscious around the dock, including Tashigi herself. None were seriously injured, but all were thoroughly defeated.
"Everyone get on the ship NOW!" Nami shouted, physically dragging the protesting Luffy toward the Merry. "An Admiral is coming to Loguetown! If we don't leave immediately, we'll never get another chance!"
Behind her, Sanji and Usopp stumbled under the weight of their supplies—buckets of fresh water and sacks of food that they'd managed to acquire despite the chaos. Both were breathing hard from their desperate sprint back to the harbor.
"The shop owners were practically giving everything away at ninety percent off," Nami explained breathlessly as they prepared to cast off. "I learned from the clothing merchant that a Marine Admiral is heading here, and Buggy the Clown is already on the island. When those two monsters clash, everyone else becomes collateral damage. Anyone with half a brain is evacuating Loguetown before the real fighting starts!"
The Going Merry's sails caught the wind as they fled the harbor, leaving the town of beginnings and endings behind them. But Zoro couldn't shake the feeling that their encounter with destiny was just beginning.
Three swords again, he thought, testing the weight of Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri. Kuina... I'm one step closer to our promise.