Voyage Chapter 22: Hidden Blade (Patreon)

~Yuji Liberio~

While our ship sailed towards Logue town with only minutes before landing I received a notification as I was sunbathing after working out.

Feat Achieved! Earn a Bounty of 100,000 Berries

+1x Advantage Bronze Item Gacha Ticket

Feat Achieved! Earn a Bounty of 1,000,000 Berries

1x Silver Item Gacha Ticket

You know that feeling of pure satisfaction when an investment pays off massively? I just felt that, hard, I couldn't keep the giddy smirk off of my face.

I had finally gotten my bounty, and just in time, a Seagull, or more properly a News Coo with a snazzy hat landed on my ship, carrying several bundled-up newspapers. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few bills to hand it over to them before picking up the newspapers and the Bounty Poster included with them. Unravelling it to see my handsome mug staring back at me.

"The Demon Bull" Yuji Liberio - Captain of the Liberio Pirates

Dead or Alive

3,000,000B

Huh, they sure captured my good side with this shot as I was using Bull Zoan and Terrifying Presence to intimidate the Marines. I looked damn handsome if I said so myself, they really captured my good side.

My epiphet could have been cooler but those change as you increase in bounty anyway. I was a bit miffed that my bounty was smaller than Buggy's despite my stomping of his balls but that was just life I suppose.

At least I had these two tickets to wipe my tears with.

Rolling Bronze Item Gacha with Advantage...

[All-purpose tool]

|Rarity: Trash|

DnD - A screwdriver that shapes itself into any mundane tool such as hammers, knives, chisels, etc.

or

[Relic Gold]

|Rarity: Uncommon|

A gold coin that is perceived as something of incredible value in the eyes of anyone who sees it while not having any real use. You could trade it for a real artifact and the one you gave it to would still find it a fair deal.

Pretty easy choice, I could just grab a toolbox from Loguetown without problems, no sense in spending a ticket for it.

Relic gold on the other hand seemed to be something that would be very useful for my purposes. Especially in an auction for a devil fruit or anything of the sort.

I let the coin sit in my storage as I turned my gaze towards the Silver Ticket.

Rolling Silver Item Gacha...

A Common Item!

[Costume Wardrobe]

|Rarity: Common|

A regular-looking closet containing an infinite amount of clothes ranging from lingerie, formal wear, cosplay etc. As long as the clothes are completely mundane you can pull any clothing weighing less than 5kg from it, and the clothes that will come out will be according to the desires of whoever reaches inside. Only 50 outfits can be taken out per day.

In any other circumstances, I probably would have complained but you know what? When you are sailing the seas an infinite supply of comfortable and stylish clothes is a must. Even if it were common, it was still immensely useful in my eyes.

"Captain, we are about to dock."

Hearing Nami shout from across the deck I got up from my position and Alice emerged from the lower deck where her kitchen was with stars in her eyes. While Namie was busy deploying the anchor Alice went over to me with outstretched hands and expectant eyes.

"Captain! Money please! I heard Logue Town has a lot of unique and delicious I need to stock up on! Oh, and new cutlery, and-"

I cut Alice off by placing a crisp stack of bills on her hands.

"Yeah yeah, you know what to do Chef. Don't spend it all in one place."

Alice smiled like a cat as she counted the bills and gave me a salute.

"Aye aye captain, I'll make sushi that will blow your socks off."

With that Alice quickly hopped over to Logue town with infectious happiness. I didn't follow after her as I knew she was going to be safe, Logue Town had a marine base after all and she was not a known pirate unlike yours truly. And by chance were she not safe I was willing to level a few streets.

I approached Nami who was watching the sea with an unusually solemn expression.

"Hey Nami, how are you doing? Aren't you going to go into town?"

Nami snapped out of her trance and turned to me.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah I will, can I get some money first? A girl has needs after all."

I let out a humoured chuckle, she said basically what I expected to hear one to one. Even when moody this girl could not miss out on her bag.

Once again I reached into my pocket and pulled out a crisp stack of bills adding up to around 50,000B. As I handed the money to her, her eyes glowed like gold.

"Sure, go nuts, just make sure to not blow it all on gambling or something."

Nami took the money from my hands like a starving man snatching up a plate of steak from the hands of the devil before blushing red and averting her eyes as if having an intrusive thought.

"Y-yeah, thanks, captain. C-Can you close your eyes for one second?"

"Ok?"

Despite not knowing the reason or being able to think of one I closed my eyes before I felt a soft sensation briefly linger on my lips, tasting slightly like Oranges. I opened my eyes in shock to see Nami in front of me, blushing like glowing hot metal as she looked away from me.

"Did you just-?"

"WHELP I GOTTA GO- BYE CAPTAIN!"

Before I could question her Nami vaulted over the side of the ship with her incredible acrobatics, leading me just sigh and shake my head. Not having intentions of chasing after her.

I really hadn't expected Nami to do that, despite her apparent attraction to me I knew the girl had an iron will so I was thoroughly befuddled. But I decided it to be the best course of action to leave her some room.

Shaking my head I abandoned such complicated thoughts and jumped down my ship and onto the port before pulling out my list of things to do.

Logue Town List:

-Get Swords

-Buy Supplies

-Beat up Smoker

-???

-Profit

I am such a genius planner with unparalleled intelligence. Just like that one Chinese guy, Lu Bu I think.

But yeah, I did not have a concrete plan here, I was mostly around because I was a compulsive hoarder and I couldn't leave those cool swords stay around when they could be in my pockets. And I wanted Smoker to come out and start smoke with me so that I could beat him up and get a ticket. Maybe take his stuff as well, Seastone weapons were rare after all.

So the first thing on my list were the two swords that one weapons merchant had.

I may not have a swordsman yet, nor was I a swordsman but I had my reasons for seeking them out.

First of all, nothing was saying I couldn't be a swordsman. My Hand-to-hand combat mastery was only at Intermediate, the chance of me pulling Swordsmanship or something along those lines was there. Even if may not fit my current build all that much, it's good to have other options to be able to rely on.

And getting some named swords was sure to be a feat. Right?

So I made my way around town, pulling aside a passerby and asking him where to find a weapons shop that sold decent blades I found the shop before long. I entered the shop to see a balding clerk with a red nose manning the counter and I knew I was where I wanted to be.

"Welcome to my shop! What can I interest you in?"

The guy looked like a sleazebag as he rubbed his hands while I looked around the shop, all around weapons were hung up, spears on the wall, hammers on the stands and even batches of weapons in barrels. I walked over to the counter and towered over the merchant with my height despite not being tall by One Piece standards.

"Hello there, I'd like the best blade you have, don't worry, I've got enough to pay you with."

His gaze wandered over my clean clothing and confident posture, I could see the calculations he ran in his eyes as he must have concluded I was a sucker willing to pay top dollar for poor products.

"Of course! My family has been in this business for 200 years I'll find one for you real quick over here-"

But before he moved I clamped a hand over his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. I disliked wasting time.

"Now now, I don't think you understood me. I want your best blade, not your second best blade, not your great blade, not a blade that suits me or any of that. I want your best blade. Give me the sharpest blade you have."

We locked eyes and I kept my eyes trained on him, completely serious as we stood there. His eyes held mine as I felt like he was re-evaluating me as a person before he sighed.

"Bah, seems like you are the real deal. Fine, if you truly want the sharpest blade we have it's in that barrel over there. It is called Sandai Kitetsu! But I am warning you, do not buy it, no I won't even sell it in good conscience. It had led countless swordsmen to their graves. It is a cursed blade, you shouldn't use it!"

Hearing his words of caution I cracked my neck as I walked over to the barrel and picked up the sword he pointed out to me. The Katana's handle was wrapped in red and capped off with gold. Its scabbard was a similar red. I could feel a chill go down my spine as I picked it up. As if the sword itself was threatening me to back off.

"How spooky."

"I told you it's dangerous-"

"If a sword thinks I am scared of it, it may be the first delusional sword I have ever seen."

There were plenty of things to be scared of in life, the vast seas, a sea king, the Yonko, the fickleness of luck, losing your loved ones.

A tool you wield is not one of them.

Schwing!

I pulled the blade out of the scabbard, disregarding the eerie aura as I slotted in Despair Aura II and bore its full weight down on the blade as I held it in my hands. Turning on Cellular Overdrive to squeeze the handle even harder as I glared at it.

"A sword is a sword. It should be used by its owner to cut, not cut its owner."

I squeezed the hilt even harder as the ominous feeling I got from the blade stopped and I released a despair aura. Now as I held it, the sword felt quite comfortable. As if it was satisfied with something I had proven.

"W-what are you doing!?"

The shopkeeper screamed as I put the edge on my palm, letting it rest there as it drew no blood. Not even a scratch. This shouldn't happened considering this sword could cut through wood like butter.

"This is a pretty nice blade. I think I'll buy it."

The shopkeeper rubbed his eyes while looking stupefied.

"W-wait just a second!"

Leaving behind those words he hurriedly went into the back of the store before running back out with a katana with a black handle and sheath with golden embroidments roughly the same size as Kitetsu. He held the blade out towards me with a serious expression.

"I want you to take this blade too. It is too good to give it to anyone else that may visit this town, my pride won't let me sell it to anyone unworthy and you have more than earned it. Never in my life did I think anyone who could tame Kitetsu would come by. Its name is Yubashiri, you won't find it lacking compared to even Kitetsu."

Grinning I took the blade offered to me, it felt quite balanced and easier to hold than Kitetsu but not as lethal. It simply did not have the same bloodlust engraved in the blade.

"Thanks, old man, now, how much do I owe you for these fine blades?"

"I'd give 'em away for free but my wife would have my head, I'll take 200,000 for them."

I ruffled through my pants before tossing four stacks of bills towards the man. He grabbed them out of the air and pocketed them without even sparing them a glance, choosing to instead keep looking at me as I held the two blades.

"Pleasure doing business with you then. Don't worry, they won't go to waste."

"They better not, those are my dreams I entrusted you with."

I gave him a wave as I left the shop with a smile on my face. I didn't expect it all to go that well.

Feat Achieved! Obtain Sandai Kitetsu and tame it

+1x Advantage Silver Item Gacha Ticket

Feat Achieved! Impress the Shopkeeper and be granted the Yubashiri

+1x Silver Trait Gacha Ticket

A/N: We are finally in Logue and things are going to get spicy here. Nami is losing it, just a little. She has done her greatest heist yet and stole a kiss from Yuji before running off.

Yuji obtains the swords Zoro would have gotten but with the plot completely broken the way it is, it does not really matter. He is not Zoro so he won't risk an arm for a blade, because his ideology is different too, a tool is meant to be used and he will use it. Did you guys like the scene of Yuji in the shop? I wanted to take a little moment with it to show Yuji's different outlook.