After a while, Luffy noticed the fishing rod twitch, indicating something had taken the bait.
He debated whether to pull it in himself. Although he didn't fish often, he knew enough of the basics. Just as he was about to grab the rod, the old man, who had been dozing off, suddenly tightened his grip. Muscles bulged in his seemingly frail arm, veins pulsing as he heaved the rod with a swift, practiced motion.
The rod bent in a perfect arc, straining under the immense weight, as a massive fish—easily weighing six hundred pounds—flew up into the air, casting a shadow over both Luffy and the old man.
Luffy opened his mouth, ready to say that wasn't how fishing was usually done. But then, realizing this was a world of oddities, he swallowed his words. He silently congratulated himself for holding back.
"Looks like we'll have fish for dinner tonight," Shimotsuki Kozaburo said with a chuckle, lifting the rod as the enormous fish landed squarely in his hand, perfectly still.
"Were you pretending to sleep, old man?" Luffy asked, crossing his arms.
"Eh? Just an old man's nap," Kozaburo replied, smirking. "But what brings you out here, kid?"
"Oh, right! Here, I drew this design for a weapon." Luffy handed him a piece of paper with his blueprint.
Kozaburo looked over the detailed sketches. "Looks pretty, I'll give you that," he said, laughing. "But any real smith can tell this was drawn by an amateur."
He placed the fish aside with a powerful punch to its head, knocking it unconscious. Taking the paper from Luffy, he studied it carefully, chuckling. The sketch showed a broad double-edged sword—an impressive yet impractical design, clearly dreamed up by someone with more imagination than experience.
"A double-edged sword? Only an idiot would design something like this."
"So, can you make it?" Luffy asked, his eyes shining with hope.
"Beats me. I'm retired anyway, and I've never forged a double-edged sword in my life," Kozaburo chuckled, handing the paper back to him.
"Craftsmen are specialists, kid. When it comes to swords like this, I'm just as clueless as you are."
Luffy's face fell slightly, but he still pressed on, hopeful. "Please, old man! Make one for me!"
Kozaburo smirked. "Do you even understand the risks of a double-edged blade? It's more trouble than it's worth. A poorly handled blade like this will end up cutting its own wielder."
"Doesn't matter. I don't plan on becoming a swordsman," Luffy replied. He had learned the danger of double-edged swords firsthand in his dream training; one slip and the blade could easily turn on him.
"So, you're asking for a fine sword, even though you're not a swordsman?" Kozaburo laughed.
He noted the marks of training on Luffy's body, evidence of a martial artist who had branched out into swordsmanship. And with a gun on his waist and a sword on his back, he was certainly an unusual sight.
"A fine sword is wasted on someone like you," Kozaburo remarked, eyes narrowing. "A regular blade would serve you just fine. Do you even understand what a fine sword represents?"
"A stepping stone," Luffy answered without hesitation.
"A weapon is simply a tool, a step towards becoming a king. Sure, an ordinary blade would work. But who doesn't want a solid footing on their way to the top?"
Kozaburo raised an eyebrow at Luffy's bold statement. "You think you'll get a sword out of me after calling a fine blade a mere 'stepping stone'? How arrogant can you get, brat?"
He held up a bony fist, his expression serious. "Do you even have the strength to handle such a sword?"
"I may be small now, but the future belongs to people like me. Old man, your time has passed!"
"Besides, didn't you say you'd given up smithing? You're clearly lying, holding onto it like this. You're just a remnant of the old days. Why not put some of that leftover strength into helping the next generation?"
Kozaburo's eyes narrowed, his fist tightening. His pride as a smith flared up at Luffy's audacity.
"You little brat! You have some nerve, saying all that in front of me," he muttered, his fist hovering dangerously close to Luffy.
"So you want a fight?" Luffy replied, standing firm. "Take your best shot! But don't expect me to go easy on you—I might just make you beg for mercy."
The old man came from Wano, a place isolated from the world, and he had left before Oden's time. He likely wouldn't understand the weight of the D. name, so Luffy decided on a different approach.
"Then let's go, my King's Power!"
His eyes sharpened, a crimson glint flashing in them as the force of his Conqueror's Haki erupted, radiating with the authority of a natural-born king.
It was a presence that commanded submission. Animals cowered, the air seemed to thicken, and even Kozaburo's hair fluttered in its wake.
"So, you really do have it… Conqueror's Haki," Kozaburo murmured, a hint of surprise and admiration in his eyes as he watched the boy.
At their first meeting, he had sensed something unusual about Luffy, but he hadn't been sure. Only a brat with that kind of arrogance would wield such innate power, yet he'd never seen one so young possess the will of a king.
"Your ambition… is it really that serious?"
Pulling his fist back, Kozaburo took a long draw from his pipe, smoke curling around his face as he scrutinized the boy in front of him.
Luffy just grinned.
Words carried weight, and when spoken by someone with power, they could be impossible to ignore. It was like the difference between an ordinary person speaking and a world leader declaring war.
Luffy had a few cards he could play to make his words resonate:
One was his near-invincible grandpa, the Marine hero, "Fist of Love" Garp, enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone.
Another was the mysterious and powerful "Will of D," an enigma with a powerful allure.
And the last was his undeniable aura as a king—a presence that, if only for a moment, made others take him seriously.
With those cards, Luffy could add weight to his words and make people listen, even if only for a moment.
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