Chapter 299: A Bountiful Harvest, a Weapon's Evolution!
The sun slowly set, casting an orange glow across the deck of the flagship. The officers gathered in a circle, looking with interest at the prizes from the hunting tournament displayed on the long table in the center.
There were four items in total. An ice-blue longsword with a scabbard covered in cherry blossom patterns, and three crystal boxes, each containing a strangely shaped Devil Fruit resting on a purple velvet cushion.
"Is this everything?" Shane asked, glancing over them.
"You could say so, my lord. There is one other item," Victor bowed slightly. "The last prize was a set of triplet girls of royal blood who do not age. They have been placed with the medical team under Doctor Chopper's care. Once their injuries are treated, they will be free to decide whether to stay or go."
"Good work," Shane nodded, his gaze returning to the spoils on the table.
He first picked up the ice-blue longsword and gently drew it from its scabbard.
CLANG!
With a clear ring, a flash of pinkish-white light appeared. The blade was like a mirror, its cold light sharp. As he swung it, the blade trembled slightly, and a faint sound, like falling snow, could be heard.
"One of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades, 'Sakura Snow'," Victor explained with a smile. "Forged two hundred years ago by the legendary female swordsmith of Wano, Shimotsuki Kougetsu, in her later years. It is said that a special kind of mineral was mixed into the blade, making it indestructible. In terms of quality, it is a rare treasure."
"A fine sword," Shane said with admiration. He turned to Kuina and tossed it to her. "Your Wado Ichimonji has served you for a long time, but it's starting to fall behind your strength. This Sakura Snow is for you." The Wado Ichimonji was one of the 21 Great Grade Blades, but it was still a step below a Supreme Grade Blade.
"For me?" Kuina looked up, stunned. "But this is a Supreme Grade Blade, my lord. Aren't you… going to keep it for yourself?"
"Me?" Shane shook his head and smiled in the sunset. "My swordsmanship is no longer bound by the blade. This sword will be of greater value in your hands."
Kuina carefully took the Sakura Snow, her hand caressing the blade. The cold touch sent a strange thrill through her. The sword felt as if it were made for her. Though it was the first time she had held it, she didn't want to let it go!
"Thank you, my lord!" She was overjoyed. She held the sword with both hands and bowed deeply to Shane. As a swordswoman, she knew better than anyone what a grand gesture it was to give away a peerless Supreme Grade Blade.
Shimotsuki Kougetsu… Kuina thought. Her full name was actually "Shimotsuki Kuina." Could the master who had forged this sword be one of her ancestors?
Many of the other officers were also swordsmen, and they looked on with envy, but no one objected. As the first mate of the Curtain Call Adventurers and the second-strongest swordmaster, no one could compete with Kuina for this honor.
"So lucky," only Zoro muttered sourly. Tsk, in the end, it's just because she's a year older and got on the ship first. When Big Bro Shane was brought to Shimotsuki Village by their senior, he was the first one in the village to meet him, long before Kuina! If he were a few years older, the Supreme Grade Blade and the position of first mate… they should have been his!
"Tone it down," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette with a snort. "It's so sour, if I didn't know better, I'd think the vinegar bottle in my kitchen had spilled." He's a swordsman too! Damn, of all the people here, he was the first to meet Big Bro Shane! Though he had been knocked out by the ship and had only woken up a few days later…
"Next are the three Devil Fruits," Victor said, confused by the Mosshead and Curly Brow who had suddenly started fighting. Seeing that Shane didn't care, he ignored them and continued, "I know that most of you here are already Devil Fruit users, but don't underestimate these three. They all have impressive origins." He pointed to the first crystal box.
"This one, the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nue!"
Nue? Everyone, including Shane, looked confused. What's that? Never heard of it.
Fortunately, Victor immediately began to explain. "The Nue is a grotesque monster bird from the ancient legends of Wano, with the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the limbs of a tiger, and a tail like a venomous snake. Although it has no wings, it can fly freely, and its cry is considered an ill omen in Wano. Legend has it that the Nue despises evil and has the special ability to distinguish between good and evil. Once it has identified a target as evil, it will mercilessly execute it. Based on these legends, our intelligence department has concluded that this fruit not only strengthens the body, like other Zoan fruits, but also grants the ability to fly and judge a person's character. The only drawback is that the beast form will inevitably be very ugly…"
"I'll take it!" Shiryu suddenly spoke up. He looked at the Devil Fruit with a burning intensity. Seeing everyone looking at him, he grinned. "I don't care about being ugly. I'm already ugly. But the ability to distinguish between good and evil… that's exactly what I need. I was worried that if I got too caught up in the killing, I wouldn't be able to tell who really deserved to die. My lord, may I have this fruit?"
Shane studied Shiryu, seeing a rare desire in his eyes. As the former Chief Guard of Impel Down, Shiryu was highly skilled in both swordsmanship and physical combat. In the current Combat Corps, he was undoubtedly the top fighter. But to become a Yonko commander-level powerhouse, he was still lacking in physical durability, and a Zoan fruit could remedy that. And since the Nue was said to be skilled at judging and executing evil, it might prevent Shiryu from going down the wrong path. This Mythical Zoan fruit was, from every angle, a perfect fit for him.
"You may," Shane nodded, then added softly, "Though I am satisfied with your performance so far, Shiryu, do not forget the promise we made in Impel Down."
"Don't worry, my lord!" Shiryu grinned. He knew the importance of that promise. To go against this man was to pay with your life!
"Take it." Shiryu took the fruit without hesitation and took a large bite. He chewed it a few times and then took another. In a few gulps, he had swallowed the entire Devil Fruit. Then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd… he didn't transform. Instead, his face suddenly changed. He clutched his stomach, turned, and sprinted for the ship's bathroom.
"Hahahaha, what the hell!" Everyone burst out laughing. They had been impressed that he could eat the whole thing without a change in expression, thinking him a true, iron-willed man of the prison. But in the end, he couldn't hold it in!
Shane also chuckled. Devil Fruits were disgusting, but he had never seen anyone get diarrhea immediately after eating one. Could he have caught it from his former boss?
Victor suppressed a laugh and pointed to the second crystal box, which contained a pure white fruit. "The second, a Logia, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit!"
A Logia? Compared to the Mythical Zoan, everyone's interest waned considerably. A Logia was a rare sight in the rest of the world, but not for the officers of the Curtain Call. Half of the world's Logia users were probably in their crew.
"Anyone interested?" Shane asked, looking around. The officers exchanged glances, but no one spoke up. The people here were either already ability users or, like Kuina, had no interest in Devil Fruits. Besides, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit sounded a lot like Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit, not very strong offensively. Only the ability to fly seemed somewhat attractive.
"No one?" Shane was a little surprised. He was about to ask again when the sword on his back suddenly began to tremble violently!
Hmm? The scabbard shook wildly, and to everyone's astonishment, the blade drew itself and fell upon the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. Shane's hand was already moving to grab the hilt, but seeing this, he raised an eyebrow and decided to watch.
CRACK!
A faint blue light emanated from the blade, and like a whale, it engulfed the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. The fruit's surface quickly withered, and it finally dissolved into a wisp of mist that was completely absorbed by the blade! In the next moment, white, cloud-like patterns appeared on the hilt, and a faint white mist swirled around the edge of the blade.
When Shane gripped it, he could feel a sense of intimacy from it. His old partner, who had been with him since he was thirteen, had awakened a consciousness? No. This wasn't enough to be called a consciousness. "Spirit" was a more appropriate word.
Shane thoughtfully rubbed the cloud patterns on the hilt. An idea came to him. He swung the sword at the sky! SHING! A pure white blade of air shot up, and in mid-air, it spread out, forming a sea of clouds that stretched for miles, covering the entire sky. He swung it again, horizontally! The sea of clouds immediately turned into dark thunderclouds, and a torrential downpour began.
SPLASH!
The sudden downpour drenched everyone on the deck. They cried out in surprise. Shane quickly reacted and swung the sword again. The dark clouds dispersed, and the setting sun shone down on the deck once more.
So it can control the weather. Shane was pleasantly surprised. In that case, it wasn't a waste for the sword to eat it. After all, the sword's ability was his ability! Come to think of it, this ability was quite similar to that of the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon. He didn't know what fruit Dragon had, but it didn't seem to be a Logia. It was more likely a legendary Mythical Zoan, like the Azure Dragon Fruit.
"Let's try elementizing." With a thought, the Masamune seemed to understand his intention, and the blade dissolved into wisps of white mist. In a flash, it had become a cotton-candy-like white cloud.
"Interesting," Shane said, looking at it. The urge to ride a cloud came over him again, and he stepped onto it. POP! The cloud immediately expanded, steadily supporting his weight. He willed it to rise, and it floated lightly off the deck, hovering in the air. With another thought, the cloud shot off like a bolt of lightning! In an instant, the wind was rushing past his face, and to the people on the deck, his figure had become a tiny dot on the horizon. It responded to his thoughts without any delay.
"Wow!"
"It can fly that fast with a person on it!" the officers below exclaimed.
"That's so fast, much faster than my Moonwalk," a bruised and battered Zoro said with regret. "It can control the weather and be used as a mount. I should have asked Big Bro Shane for that fruit!"
"Idiot, not every sword can eat a fruit. Your swords are as dumb as you are. It wouldn't work even if you force-fed it," Sanji said, applying a bandage to himself as he looked up at the sky with envy. "Tsk, I can't ride the Flying Nimbus, but I'd love to try this one…" The Flying Nimbus he was talking about was the one Shane had bought. Shane couldn't use it, so he had given it to Bonney to play with. She loved it and rode it all over their territory. The other young officers were all jealous and had begged to try it. Bonney had insisted that only the pure of heart could ride it, and they hadn't believed her. In the end, only Chopper and Bepo had succeeded. Everyone else had fallen right through. It's not fair! Sanji was still bitter about it. He had spent his whole life focused on cooking and training, a recluse with no distractions. What part of his mind wasn't pure?!
A few moments later, Shane returned to the deck. With a wave of his hand, the cloud dissolved into white mist and reformed into a sword behind his back. Automatic parking? Another upgrade. Shane was even more pleased. The sword was now on a completely different level. It was finally more than just an accessory, more than just a Divine Departure launcher!
The others were still marveling at the sight of a sword eating a fruit. Victor, however, pointed to the last crystal box. "It seems the Cloud-Cloud Fruit has found the perfect owner. Now, for the last one, a Paramecia, the String-String Fruit!"
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