Giyu stood on the street outside the tavern, murmuring to himself, "The straw-hatted one."
Then he took a step forward, blending into the sparse flow of pedestrians.
Before he had gone far, a wave of exclamations mixed with gasps caught Giyu's attention.
The source was an old-looking weapons shop by the roadside. The entrance was empty, all the commotion coming from inside.
More importantly, an ominous aura was faintly emanating from within. It wasn't the stench of demons, but rather something more like a curse condensed within the weapon itself.
Giyu paused momentarily at the doorway before silently pushing open the door. The bell above jingled clearly, but was instantly drowned out by louder voices inside.
"Stop! That's no joke! That's the Third Generation Oni Killer Demonic Blade!! It'll kill you!"
A man who looked like the shopkeeper—with hair sticking out like bull horns on either side but thinning in the middle—was shouting in terror, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
Giyu's gaze shifted to the green-haired man at the center of the shop. Three golden teardrop earrings dangled from his ears, swaying slightly with his movements.
At that moment, the man was holding a newly drawn katana up to his eyes. The ominous aura was emanating from this very blade.
It carried a Demonic Aura as if countless vengeful spirits were coiled around it!
Yet far from being afraid, the green-haired swordsman grinned wildly, his smile brimming with an absolute confidence that disregarded life and death.
Anyone familiar with pirate rumors in the East Blue would have recognized this man instantly: a bounty hunter who carried three swords, had algae-green hair—Roronoa Zoro.
"Is that so? Well then..." Zoro's deep voice echoed through the shop.
"Let's test whether my luck or its curse is stronger!"
Before anyone could react, amidst the shopkeeper's and another blue-haired, bespectacled female swordsman's screams, he tossed the demonic blade into the air and closed his eyes, waiting.
The cursed sword spun rapidly midair, tracing a chilling arc of cold light. After several rotations, it hurtled straight toward Zoro's outstretched arm!
Time seemed to stretch in that instant.
The shopkeeper's shouts grew hoarse: "Your arm will be cut off! That's an incredibly sharp blade!"
The bespectacled female swordsman covered her mouth, her face pale.
Giyu watched silently. Every trajectory, speed, and angle of the falling blade was infinitely slowed and analyzed in his eyes.
This absolute resolve to expose oneself to danger inexplicably reminded Giyu of that perpetually wounded Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Clang—!
A clear metallic ring resounded.
The Third Generation Oni Killer Demonic Blade grazed the swordsman's arm with precision before embedding itself deep into the wooden floor beside him, the blade humming with residual energy.
Silence enveloped the shop.
Then the green-haired swordsman smirked triumphantly: "I'll take it!"
With a thud, the bespectacled female swordsman collapsed to the floor as if all strength had left her, her eyes behind the glasses filled with shock.
Zoro's gaze inadvertently swept over the woman slumped on the floor—Tashigi.
The moment their eyes met, his smirk faltered slightly.
...What the hell?
That face... How could it still look so similar even with glasses on...?
A flicker of irritation passed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Amid the shock and silence, Zoro's gaze locked onto Giyu, who had just entered the shop with an aura that starkly contrasted with the surroundings.
He sensed a pressure as calm as water yet unfathomably deep—a testament to his seasoned swordsman instincts.
Giyu noticed the sharp gaze.
But judging that the other held no immediate hostility and had already tamed the cursed blade, he ignored Zoro's stare.
His eyes shifted to the female swordsman slumped on the floor. He stepped forward and silently extended his only arm.
Tashigi was taken aback for a moment, then instinctively grabbed Giyu's forearm.
The steady strength of his arm helped her to her feet. Her face still flushed with lingering embarrassment, she hurriedly adjusted her slipping glasses. "Ah! Th-thank you. I'm Tashigi."
As Tashigi introduced herself, familiar text appeared beside her.
[Subject: Tashigi]
[Status: Ashamed, Flustered]
Giyu's voice remained steady and cold as he cut straight to the point. "The execution platform square—do you know which way to go?"
Tashigi collected herself and pointed in a direction. "Ah, sorry. For the execution platform, you should go that way after leaving the shop."
At that moment, a woman who appeared to be the shopkeeper's wife interjected, "Honestly, everyone who comes to this town wants to see that place. I really don't get what's so interesting about an execution platform."
The shopkeeper, Ipponmatsu, immediately retorted, "What do you know! That's a man's romance! It's where the Pirate King Gol D. Roger met his end!"
Seeing that the people in the shop seemed about to start arguing again, Giyu felt his goal of asking for directions had been accomplished and turned to leave.
His gaze swept over the green-haired swordsman who had subdued the cursed blade one last time; the other still maintained a wary posture.
Giyu's eyes skimmed over the other's chest. The slight pause in his breathing and the unnatural tension in his muscles pointed to one conclusion—a vicious, massive scar, clearly recently healed, sprawled across the area. It was a wound that should have been fatal.
Based on his instinctive assessment of injuries, Giyu calmly stated a fact:
"You're very lucky to be alive."
The smile instantly vanished from Zoro's face, and a vein nearly bulged on his forehead. "...You looking down on me?"
Giyu looked at him, his eyes still devoid of any fluctuation, and replied flatly, "No."
With that, he didn't linger any longer. Pushing open the shop door, he stepped back into the blazing sunlight and headed in the direction Tashigi had indicated.
He hadn't gone far when the swordsman from earlier, scratching his head, strode up to catch up with him. A trace of annoyance still on his face, he muttered, "Damn it... Hey, you're heading to the square too, right? I was planning to go anyway. Let's go together."
Giyu stopped and glanced back at him, then nodded.
Their eyes met briefly. Giyu's gaze fell to his waist, where besides the cursed blade and his original sword, there was now a new one—three swords in total.
Zoro noticed his gaze and, seeming to forget his earlier irritation, grinned. "My name's Zoro. Roronoa Zoro."
He patted the three swords at his hip.
"I'm a Three Sword Style swordsman."
[Subject: Roronoa Zoro]
[Status: Delighted]
[Likes: Swords, challenges, getting lost?]
[Suggestion: Lead to the plaza]
Giyu looked at the preferences and suggestion on the instruction manual, thought for a moment, and figured such a clear suggestion couldn't possibly go wrong this time.
So he turned to Zoro and said very naturally, "Hm, come with me. I'll take you there."
Zoro: "??? Hey! Who needs you to lead the way! Don't talk like I'm some idiot who can't find his way around!"