Phantom Blade Zephyr: One Piece

I woke up feeling like shit. Well, 'shit' would be an understatement.

Taking in my surroundings, I saw I was lying in the middle of a dense forest, with gigantic trees towering around me. The trees were unnaturally large, their sheer size unsettling. As I glanced down, I realized I was completely covered in bandages. Odd, makeshift bandages at that. My mind buzzed—and then everything came rushing back.

My hand instinctively shot up to my chest, where I half-expected to find a sword still embedded there. But there was nothing.

My katana, Kurogane, lay beside me on the ground.

I survived. I laughed softly to myself. I actually survived. My crazy plan had worked!

Even when I unlocked my Conqueror's Haki during that fight, I knew I didn't stand a chance. My body was too battered to put up a decent fight, and there was no escape. So, I gambled on the only chance I had: faking my death. By letting Vergo stab me in the heart and falling into the sea, I made him think I was gone for good and left the rest to fate.

The "sword-in-the-heart" idea was something I got from John Wick. In a moment of sheer desperation, I remembered him saying that people die from a stab to the heart because of the excessive blood loss. Keep the blade in, and maybe you'd have a shot at survival. The pain was excruciating, but by then, I was already numb to pain.

No matter how I try to sound smart about how 'foolproof' the plan was, I knew very well that it relied on pure dumb luck.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Yeah, let's never do that again."

Also, yaayy! I unlocked my Conqueror's Haki!

I think I also remember red lightning coming from my sword. Advanced Conqueror's Haki? Could it be... infusion?

I pulled out my sword and tried summoning that same power. Nothing happened. Guess it was one of those life-or-death situations that pulled it out of me. Proper Haki usage definitely needed proper training. From what I knew, Observation Haki could be developed through dangerous battles, but things like Future Sight? That was another level. And Armament Haki? No clue how to begin with that one. Something about it being a manifestation of will... it's vague at best.

And advanced conquerors' haki is harder than all of that. I've used it once, so maybe I can use it again in the future. But for now... let's just put a pin in that.

Also, where the hell am I?

I looked around; the place seemed like a cave of sorts. That ruled out a town or any kind of city. Also, the bandages... definitely not the work of a medical professional. My impression of my "savior" was dropping by the minute, but, hey, they'd kept me alive, which was more than enough.

I really hope that they're not serial killers. I don't want to engage in a life-or-death situation right now. I've had enough action for a year.

After thanking my savior, I should try to find a Den Den Mushi and contact Law. That bastard must be worried sick about me.

After that, laying low for a year or two would be ideal. Doflamingo would not be thrilled with the recent failures, to say the least. With my current "dead man" status, staying under the radar would be smart. Luckily, people on the Grand Line probably wouldn't recognize me. Anonymity was my best bet right now.

I pushed myself up slowly, testing my sore muscles. My arms still ached, but nothing that would hinder my movements. Judging by my injuries and the bandages, I'd been unconscious for a while. My kimono was in shreds from the fight. The lower half was in decent shape, at least. I picked up Kurogane. I didn't really have anything to hold it to, so I just grabbed it by its sheath. This was a super disgraceful way to handle a katana. But the situation demands some unconventional measures. So, this'll have to do.

As I stepped out of the cave, a massive shockwave hit me, vibrating the ground and rustling the gigantic leaves. A battle—one between individuals far stronger than me. I instinctively tightened my grip on my sword, ready to defend myself if need be.

The shockwaves were intense enough to rattle the island's huge trees. And...wait, was that a dinosaur? No, that's ridiculous. Why would dinosaurs be on an island in the Grand Line? But the more I thought about it, pieces started falling into place. Massive trees, dinosaurs, volcanoes… bandages that were way too big for any human body… and that massive clash shaking the environment.

I am in Little Garden.

Well, so much for contacting Law. Or anyone, for that matter. But it wasn't entirely bad. In fact, it might be the perfect place to lay low for a while. Plus, if I survived long enough, it would make for great training grounds. Maybe the two giants here could even give me a pointer or two on Armament Haki. And considering how isolated it was, no one would be looking for me here.

Now that I thought about it, there was even a bonus to being on Little Garden. In a couple of years, the Straw Hats will arrive. I could hitch a ride with them to Alabasta. And if I played my cards right, I could gain some valuable allies. Luffy had a ridiculous amount of connections: Yonko, the Revolutionary Army, Marine heroes, you name it. All of them would be useful if I wanted to enter the New World quickly and get my hands on a specific weapon.

The weapon I wanted was Nidai Kitetsu, also known as the Kitetsu II. It was a cursed Great Grade sword. As a sword fanatic, I always hated how this sword was underutilized so much. But that's not the only reason why I want it. I want it because it was made by an ancestor of the Kozuki clan, a clan that has forged the best weapons, most of which still dominate all around the sea.

Also, I don't know any other Great Grade Blades that's available right now. To get 'Shusui' I need to tackle a warlord of the sea, which is really not ideal. 'Enma' and 'Ame no Habakiri' are also out of the equation.

So, the only one that's left is 'Nidai Kitetsu'. And I don't even need to go that deep in the territory of Kaido to get it. The hard part will be to convince its current holder to give it to me, there is also the matter of controlling its curse. But that's a matter for another time. I must get that sword before the events of Marineford. Otherwise, my plans will be for naught.

But that's still far in the future.

Right now, the shockwaves outside had finally stopped, signaling the end of another duel. It was time for me to meet my caretakers.