Author: Xiao Yifeng
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
While Luffy and his crew were journeying toward a new island, an incident unfolded on the high seas. The notorious former Captain Morgan was in the midst of being transferred, under the watchful eye of the esteemed Vice-Admiral Garp. But fate intervened when Garp unexpectedly succumbed to one of his sporadic naps. Quick to capitalize on the moment, Morgan attacked the Vice-Admiral and took his own son, Helmeppo, hostage. This daring move enabled Morgan to flee in a small lifeboat, severing the strained ties with his son once and for all. Helmeppo, left behind, swam back to the Marine ship, where he joined Koby and the rest of the crew in a collective apology to Garp, deeming themselves failures. Garp, however, saw a spark of resolve in Helmeppo and Koby and made the decision to escort them to the Marine Headquarters for rigorous training.
It was their spirit of determination that Garp had noticed. "Vice Admiral Garp! I will definitely become a Marine of justice!" Koby declared with fervor.
Garp couldn't help but respond with a hearty laugh. "Then show me you mean it, kid!" he challenged.
But soon after, his tone shifted to one of mixed emotions. "That boy Luffy, choosing the life of a pirate," he muttered, a blend of frustration and reluctant acceptance in his voice. Then, as Garp mulled over the name Bai Ye, recalling how Sengoku had described him as "meticulous and supremely self-assured," a smile crept onto his face. "Well, at least that rascal Luffy's got himself a decent comrade," he conceded with a grudging sense of approval.
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On board the Golden Merry, the atmosphere was one of gratitude and admiration.
"Your kind words mean a lot, Captain," Bai Ye responded to Luffy, his face breaking into a grateful smile.
He had just showcased an impressive feat on the ship's deck for all his shipmates to see — the skillful blending of Qi with two simple swords, merging them into a single, superior weapon. Luffy had been so impressed that he'd burst into applause, and even Zoro, the ship's lone practitioner of the three-sword fighting style, felt a stir of emotion. For Zoro, who was not just a swordsman but one who wielded three blades, his reliance on his weapons was unmatched.
Although Zoro was capable with various styles —no sword style, one sword style, etc — it was the three-sword style that was his true calling. He had even devised numerous techniques with names that carried a cool edge. The memory of his duel with Hawkeye was still fresh, a confrontation where the shortcomings of his lesser swords, when compared to his beloved Wado Ichimonji, had been painfully clear. In the back of his mind, Zoro believed that with the enhanced swords Bai Ye now offered, perhaps he could have extended the fight, if only by a fleeting second.
Lost in these thoughts, Zoro's gaze turned towards Bai Ye, filled with hope and excitement. Bai Ye, sensing Zoro's anticipation, confidently assured him, "Let's upgrade your swords next."
In the world of swordsmanship, blades are categorized into five distinct levels of excellence: the common, the Named Grade, the Skillful Grade Named, the Great Grade Named, and the Supreme Grade Named swords. Beyond these, there are two special classifications: the Black Blades, renowned for their superior craftsmanship and sharpness, and the Cursed Blades, infamous for their ill-fated legacy, often leading their owners to untimely demises.
Among these storied weapons, Zoro possesses a trio of notable swords:
- The Wado Ichimonji, a prestigious sword that counts among the 21 Great Grade Named weapons. It holds the deepest significance for Zoro, being his most treasured sword.
- The Yubashiri, recognized as one of the 50 Skillful Grade Named swords, once a cherished heirloom belonging to the Ipponmatsu family.
- The Sandai Kitetsu, a blade with the infamous reputation of a Cursed Named Grade sword, believed to doom its owner to a fate of great suffering and misfortune.
Tragically, in the original story, Zoro's Yubashiri faced its demise during the intense battles at Enies Lobby. It fell victim to the corrosive powers of Shu, a Marine officer, on the Bridge of Hesitation. The sword, once reliable and strong, was reduced to nothing but a useless fragment, its glory irreparably tarnished.
Bai Ye had a vision to enhance the swords, infusing them with new strength. He took hold of Yubashiri and paired it with a sword embryo he had crafted in advance. The fusion of these two would usher in a fresh era for the blade.
Bai Ye could have chosen to simply melt down Yubashiri, engraving enchantments to augment its sharpness and durability. However, such a process would have capped its potential, preventing any further enhancements, for Yubashiri would not withstand another melting.
Considering the path of the swordsman, Zoro might eventually replace Yubashiri with a superior sword known as Shusui. But Bai Ye's method of using the sword embryo to advance Yubashiri opened a door to a future opportunity: the blade could serve as nourishment for another, perhaps greater, sword. This concept of feeding an improved sword embryo to another weapon was something only Bai Ye, with his mastery in weapon refinement, could contemplate.
When it came to the Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, Bai Ye took a different approach. He reworked these swords from their core, essentially crafting new blades bearing the essence of the originals.
The reason for his selective refinements was twofold. Firstly, both the Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu held a greater promise for growth compared to Yubashiri. Secondly, Bai Ye's intentions weren't solely focused on Zoro's arsenal. He had to consider the enhancement of equipment for the entire crew, balancing his attentions across all their needs.
Bai Ye, with a flick of his wrist, brought forth two new items. They were not meant for Zoro, but for two others in the crew.
"Luffy, Sanji, I have something for you," Bai Ye announced, revealing a pair of gloves and shoes.
In the heyday of ancient Qi practitioners, there was a sect renowned for their mastery in crafting - the Heaven Furnace Sect. They specialized in making magical tools tailored for the mighty, tools that didn't just provide freedom of movement but also significantly boosted the user's power.
These tools were ideal for those who relied on their physical prowess and agility in combat.
The gloves and shoes that Bai Ye had crafted were inspired by the Heaven Furnace Sect's legendary techniques. Zoro's swords had been refined with the same care and precision.
Bai Ye acknowledged that this feat was made somewhat simpler due to the less complex power structure of the One Piece world compared to that of the Qi practitioners. Without that difference, such tasks might not have been accomplished quite as smoothly.
Luffy's voice rang out with excitement, "A gift!" His eyes sparkled with anticipation, "Is it something to eat?"
Bai Ye found himself pondering a playful thought, "What if I suddenly decided not to give it to him?"
Sanji inspected the pair of shoes handed to him by Bai Ye with a curious gaze. They were quite heavy, almost as if forged from solid metal.
Upon slipping his feet into the shoes, Sanji was astonished to find them transforming to snugly fit his feet in mere moments. The weight seemed to magically adjust as well, giving the feeling of wearing normal shoes despite their initial heft. Although it was just a preliminary trial, Sanji had a hunch that a kick delivered with these shoes would pack a significantly stronger force.
Luffy, on the other hand, had already donned the gloves, which, much like Sanji's shoes, contoured perfectly to the shape of his hands without hindering any joint movement.
"Wow! These are amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, visibly impressed.
But what truly amazed Luffy was the gloves' ability to adapt to his unique abilities. As he stretched each finger individually, the gloves followed suit, accommodating every elongation. This adaptability sent Luffy into a burst of joy, playfully dancing and flexing his fingers while laughing with delight.
Bai Ye stood before Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, his gaze taking in the trio who had recently received his unique gifts. Beyond the skill in crafting fine weapons, Heaven Furnace Sect is known for their distinctive method of enhancing weaponry. This technique was also chronicled in the ancient Daoist Jilu tome.
In simpler terms, the method involves continuously strengthening a weapon with one's own power, allowing it, over time, to grow infinitely stronger and potentially develop its own consciousness.
If Bai Ye would talk about this process, he would tell this is advanced version of forging a Black Sword, which Bai Ye thinks is typically done by infusing a sword with Armament Haki day in and day out.
However, the technique Bai Ye imparted to his friends involved not just Haki, but also their own spirit power, which is crucial for imbuing weapons with a consciousness.
As their weapons begin to evolve, the level of enhancement they can experience is beyond what the trio could currently comprehend. Yet, such an achievement wouldn't happen swiftly; it was a gradual process.
In a way, Bai Ye didn't drastically augment the strength of the Straw Hat members. Much like he had done with helping them awaken their Haki, he simply introduced them early to a power they would grow over time.
Considering the Haki energy the three currently possessed, they might manage to overcome an adversary like Smoker. However, tackling someone like Crocodile would prove to be a more arduous challenge.
This predicament was inevitable. The adversaries looming on the horizon were veterans of the seas, each with decades of experience with Devil Fruit abilities or Haki, far surpassing what Luffy and his friends had known.
To assume that merely possessing Haki could put them on par with these seasoned warriors was a stretch of the imagination.
That's precisely why Bai Ye committed to bolstering his crewmates' strengths holistically, preparing them for the daunting challenges that lay ahead.