A casino in the Eastern District.
In the office.
A middle-aged man with a cigar in his mouth, wearing a white coat embroidered with black spiders, stood in front of the glass window, overlooking the East End.
"Kuro!"
"Boss!"
A young man in a suit and glasses pushes his glasses with his wrist.
"Anyone who dares to provoke us must be defeated, otherwise we will be the ones who fall!"
"I will solve it!"
"Very good, after you solve it, I will give you a boat and grant you freedom!"
Kuro bowed and turned around. There was coldness in his and the middle-aged man's eyes.
Arms Street.
"Leno, do you think those people will come back?" Kuina asked, carrying the cash box, her eyes darting around, vigilant.
In her hand, there were ten million Belly.
She indeed wasn't short of money, but that was the family's wealth, and Leno didn't mind spending it.
But in the box was the money she and Leno had "earned," her first "salary" by her own efforts.
It held a different significance.
Either way, she was in a great mood and felt quite accomplished.
Leno smiled, "They'll come. That woman is just the front; she doesn't control Weapon Street. There are people behind the scenes."
"For those people, maintaining authority in the city is vital. Once the Lion King shows weakness, he'll be replaced quickly."
"They won't let it go."
"When they come, you can cut loose as you please."
He had two tasks for this outing.
One was to buy materials.
The second was to give Kuina some experience.
So, Luwell and the people behind her had a confrontation coming.
They thought they were the hunters.
But in reality...
High-end hunters often disguise themselves as prey.
Where did Leno get this confidence?
Strength!
Leno opened the system panel.
[Host Name: Leno]
[Real Age: 17 years old]
[Existing Talents: King of Gluttony, Conqueror's Haki, Observation Haki, Armament Haki, Sword Heart, Wind's Blessing, Gambling Technique]
[Strength Evaluation: A worthy genius, capable of battling a Commodore from the Headquarter. Holds the posture of a demon king, the heart of swordsmanship, the unity of three elements, with unlimited potential. However, the truly strong must be forged in blood and fire. Evolve, young one, the unruly wind blesses you. The future is yours.]
After half a year of training in Shimotsuki Village, Leno's strength had soared, mastering various talents and skills, making him quite formidable.
A Commodore from the Headquarter.
In East Blue, as long as he didn't run into Garp, the old man who loved going home often, he would run amok.
His strength evaluation was only hindered by a lack of combat experience.
But FLAGs shouldn't be raised carelessly—better to stay low-key!
Kaze Sword Shop!
Leno met Kozaburō's friend, an old swordsmith named Kaze.
He was tall and thin, with all white hair and a permanent cigarette hanging from his lips. A long, narrow scar ran across his cheek, giving him a menacing appearance.
Kozaburō's friend took the letter and list from Leno.
After a moment, he took a deep drag and exhaled slowly.
Through the smoke, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Leno, saying, "That fellow Kozaburō, is he serious?"
"Huh? What's the matter?" Leno asked.
The shop owner folded the letter, glanced at Kuina, and shook his head.
"No, it's nothing. He's sealed the forge for a long time. Forging another famous sword won't be easy."
Leno said, "That's why I came to you. Kozaburō said you're just as skilled."
"Hehe!"
Kaze chuckled, "He would never admit that, but fine, I'll help you. I owe him a favor, after all."
"Thank you!"
Leno sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Kaze lit a new cigarette and, after a puff, continued, "The materials on this list aren't hard to find. I know some folks who can gather them by tomorrow."
"However, these materials will only be enough to forge a sharp sword."
"I heard there's a piece of Dragon Gold at tonight's auction. If you've got the money, you might want to try for it."
Curious, Leno asked, "What's Dragon Gold?"
Kaze explained, "In ancient times, there was a race called Dragons that soared through the sky and could live for thousands of years."
"It's said that they swallowed various metals to help digest their food."
"Many metals would corrode and break down in the dragon's stomach acid."
"But some metals, resistant to even dragon stomach acid, would fuse and form a new metal."
"Combining the strengths of various metals, it would accompany Dragons for their lifetime until death, absorbing the dragon's essence and gaining spirituality."
"That's Dragon Gold!"
"The best material for making swords."
Dragon Gold? Leno thought to himself.
He wondered aloud, "Dragon Gold is so valuable; why would it be at the auction on Glass Ball Island?"
"Because no one can make swords out of it!" Kuina chimed in. "My grandfather told me about it."
Kaze nodded, "That's right. Dragon Gold is also known as the Stone of Demon Calamity—anyone who holds it meets with disaster."
"All those who tried to forge swords from it met strange deaths."
"Only one man, Guiche, left three swords behind!"
Leno asked without hesitation, "Demon Sword Guiche?"
"Yes!"
"It's said that to forge his swords, Guiche sacrificed his three sons' blood. On the day the swords were completed, he was killed by one of them."
"How tragic!" Leno remarked.
"No, you're mistaken!"
"A sword meant for beheading is born to kill. The swordsmith's goal is to make it take as many lives as possible!"
"Although Guiche is an ominous blade, and every master dies an untimely death, which swordsmith wouldn't want to create such a fierce weapon?"
Leno raised an eyebrow, detecting a hint of madness in Kaze's words.
Could Kaze himself be hoping to forge a fierce weapon?
After thinking about it, Leno shook his head and said, "Forget it, I'll stick to the list."
People should know contentment.
So many had died for Dragon Gold—it's simply cursed.
Forging a sword with it, only to bring a curse upon Kozaburō's family, would be ungrateful.
"Alright, tomorrow afternoon, go to Dock Warehouse No. 2 to pick up the goods." Kaze said no more.
Leno and Kuina thanked him again, handing over part of the deposit.
Just as they were about to leave, a woman rushed into the shop in a panic. Seeing Leno and Kuina, her eyes lit up, and she ran over, frantic.
"Help, someone's trying to kill me!"
The store door was suddenly kicked open, and four or five gunmen and swordsmen dressed in black burst in.
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