Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

Twenty-one days later, at noon, the sky over Yixin Dojo was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds.

There is a saying in sword scriptures:

"The birth of a divine blade is marked by nature's will—thunder hammering the metal, rain tempering its spirit, the sun imbuing its sharpness, and the earth nourishing its essence. True craftsmanship refines not just the weapon, but the soul wielding it."

"Hey! Look at the sky! What's going on?"

"Dark clouds? But it was sunny just now!"

"That's not normal—this feels ominous!"

"Crack!!"

Before the students of Yixin Dojo could process their unease, a bolt of lightning struck, reducing the sword-forging workshop near the dojo to ruins. A natural disaster? No—this was something else entirely. As thunder roared overhead, the students fled in panic, their screams lost in the howling winds.

Inside Yixin Dojo, Koshiro gazed at the darkened heavens, his voice laced with admiration. "Such a celestial phenomenon… That boy has forged an extraordinary weapon."

Twenty-seven thunderbolts in total rained down upon a single long sword—its shape reminiscent of legendary blades like Yoru or Shodai Kitetsu. Dongze had meticulously forged it, blending seven rare ores to enhance its sharpness, resilience, and flexibility. He had no doubt—this sword could rival the famed Yubashiri or even surpass the Yamaoroshi.

As the final bolt struck, the storm dissipated. In the ruins, embedded within the smoldering forge, stood a three-foot-long blade with a double-edged design. From afar, its sheer presence sent chills down one's spine, as though merely looking at it could cut through flesh. Unlike traditional katanas, this sword had an ancient elegance—its craftsmanship mirroring weapons of a forgotten era. As Dongze approached, the blade trembled, humming in response to his presence, a sign of its newfound sentience.

Gripping the hilt, he pulled the sword free. The moment his fingers wrapped around it, a strange sensation surged through him—as if the weapon were an extension of his own body. Each movement felt natural, seamless, effortless. He ran a finger along the edge, his eyes flickering with intrigue.

"An unexpected harvest…"

The tension that had gripped him for days finally eased. Dongze had pushed himself to the limit, knowing that the slightest mistake in forging could doom the blade's potential. But in the end, fate had intervened—the storm had purged all impurities, elevating his creation beyond expectations.

Exhaustion overtook him. With barely enough energy to acknowledge Kuina, he collapsed on the spot.

Meanwhile, in the back mountain, Zoro, drenched in sweat from training, was startled by the relentless thunder. He wiped his brow, eyes narrowing toward the direction of the now-destroyed forge.

"That idiot's been hammering away at that thing for days… Did he just blow himself up?"

His instincts screamed at him to check. Charging into the dojo, he found Kuina.

"Oi! Tyrannosaurus! Where's that iron-headed moron? Is he alive?"

Kuina turned, immediately frowning. "Green algae head! Are you picking a fight?"

"Bastard! I'll take you down today!"

As expected, the two immediately butted heads, their rivalry as fierce as ever. But Zoro's gaze soon fell upon the long sword resting on the table. His instincts told him—it was dangerous.

"This is…?"

"Smelly Dongze's work," Kuina muttered.

Before either could comment further, Koshiro entered the room. His eyes lingered on the blade, appreciation in his tone.

"A fine sword… forged by thunder itself. I'd say it surpasses even a Ryo Wazamono."

But then, his expression darkened slightly.

"However, it is reckless. A double-edged blade… such a thing does not belong in a swordsman's hands."

"Double-edged?" Zoro questioned.

"A katana's design is intentional—one side to strike, the other to guard. A blade like this… it exists only to kill. It is not a 'sword' fit for a swordsman—it is a weapon built for battle, with no room for restraint."

Kuina and Zoro fell silent. Koshiro's words made sense, yet… something about them felt off.

Dongze, had he been awake, would have laughed. What he forged was no mere katana—it was a true sword.

In this world, warriors prided themselves on the Way of the Sword—and yet, even the strongest swordsmen had never truly grasped its essence. Not even the World's Greatest Swordsman.

Elsewhere, in other worlds, warriors like Qin Shihuang's Gao Jianli could freeze entire battlefields with a single unsheathed blade. But here? Swordsmen pursued nothing but raw lethality.

It was… disappointing.

Dongze knew his path would be different. And he had already chosen his weapon.

The next morning, as expected, a new day arrived. Dongze woke up with an unbearable hunger gnawing at him—days of forging had left him drained.

Dragging himself to the restaurant in Shimotsuki Village, he was thankful for the millions of Berries he had looted from bandits earlier. Without it, today would have been miserable.

As he devoured his meal, his ears picked up snippets of conversation from the surrounding tables.

"You hear? Those mountain bandits were wiped out a few days ago!"

"No way! There were over a thousand of them!"

"Liar! My uncle went past their hideout—he saw about a hundred corpses."

"Ha! If it was just a hundred, I bet Cheng could've taken them all down himself!"

"Nonsense! I was there, and I nearly pissed my pants!"

"Yeah, sure, you were 'sweating,' huh?"

…

"I also heard something crazy—some Fish-Men showed up in the East Blue last year! They're from the Grand Line, and I hear they extort villages like common thugs."

"Tch! That's nothing! The Devil's Child, Nico Robin, destroyed another ship recently!"

"She's got a 15 million Berry bounty!"

"Wrong—30 million! My cousin was on that ship!"

"Wait, didn't you say you were an orphan? Where's this cousin from?"

"Ah… uh…"

Laughter erupted. Dongze smirked slightly as he finished his meal.

The restaurant owner grinned, rubbing his hands together. "That'll be 12,000 Berries!"

"Damn! This guy eats like a monster!"

"You should've seen the green-haired kid from Yixin Dojo—he ate 50,000 Berries worth once!"

"Huh?! The dojo had to pay his tab!"

"Are these guys even human?"

"Ha! Eat more, grow stronger—that green-haired one's already tougher than some grown men!"

"Hey, brother! You know that green-haired guy?"

Standing up, Dongze adjusted his blade, giving a knowing smirk.

"Yeah. His name's Zoro. He's gonna be real strong someday."

With that, he stepped outside. The sun was high, the breeze warm. Dongze narrowed his eyes, thoughts racing.

"Nico Robin hasn't joined Crocodile yet. The Arlong Pirates have already landed in the East Blue. The gears of fate have started turning."

"It's time to set sail."