Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

Loguetown, backstreet weapons shop.

Far from the bustling central square, this slightly dark back alley is filled with the smell of rust and machine oil.

A weapon shop with an old sign stands quietly here, as if it were a corner forgotten by time.

"jingle--"

As the copper bell hanging on the door rang out, Ronan and Zoro stepped into the shop one after the other.

The shop was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with all sorts of swords, axes, and muskets, with fine dust floating in the air.

Behind the counter, a middle-aged man with a typical "Mediterranean" hairstyle and round-framed glasses was idly trimming his nails.

Upon seeing a guest enter, his previously somewhat cloudy eyes immediately lit up, and he put on an extremely professional yet insincere, fawning smile.

Welcome!

The boss rubbed his hands together and greeted us warmly:

"You two young men have excellent taste! Don't let my shop's out-of-the-way location fool you; this is a 200-year-old establishment!"

"Whether it's a renowned sword or a formidable weapon, we have it all. Please take your time choosing!"

Without wasting words, Zoro walked straight to the counter and slammed a stack of 100,000 Berries on the table.

"Snapped!"

"I want to buy swords." Zoro's voice was low and hoarse. "I only have 100,000 Berries! Please sell me two swords!"

"Ten...one hundred thousand?"

The smile on Ipponmatsu's face froze instantly, like a crack appearing on a cheap mask.

He stared incredulously at the thin stack of money on the table, his eye muscles twitching a few times.

In Loguetown, where prices are skyrocketing, even buying a decent kitchen knife for 100,000 Berries is a struggle, yet this green-haired guy wants to buy two weapons?

"Tch...so he's a poor wretch."

Ipponmatsu's attitude instantly underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

He stopped pretending, plopped back into his chair, picked his nose, and waved his hand impatiently.

"Hey, buddy, are you kidding me? 100,000 Berries for two? At 50,000 each, you can only buy one of those dull knives that will chip even when cutting vegetables!"

"Let's add a little more money, even if it's another 100,000..."

"I have no money," Zoro replied matter-of-factly. "It'll do as long as it lasts. Anyway, that's all I have right now."

"Tsk."

Ippon rolled his eyes, already convinced that the two people in front of him were just ignorant and arrogant poor country bumpkins.

However, just as he was about to tell him to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept over Zoro's waist.

There hung a long sword with a white scabbard and exquisite craftsmanship.

Ippon Matsu's pupils contracted sharply; as the owner of a weapon shop, he did possess a certain level of expertise in appraising weapons.

That simple yet elegant white paint coating, that perfect curve...

"The 21 Great Grade Swords... Wado Ichimonji?!"

Ippon Matsu's heart pounded violently, and greed instantly took over his mind.

This kid… is he a complete novice who knows nothing about these things? He's just casually hanging such a priceless sword on his waist? If I could trick him into giving it a low price…

Cold sweat trickled down Yiben Song's forehead. He swallowed hard, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace, his voice trembling slightly with emotion:

"Um...hey buddy, could I borrow that knife on your waist...to take a look?"

Zoro frowned, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword: "Huh? What are you so nervous about?"

"No, no, no, I just want to take a look..." Ippon Matsu's hand had already reached out.

"That's the Wado Ichimonji."

A calm voice suddenly rang out, directly puncturing the bubbly bubble of greed that filled the air.

Ronan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a mocking smile playing on his lips, his eyes fixed on Ippon Matsu with a piercing gaze:

"One of the Twenty-One Great Swords, worth over ten million Berries. Boss, you have a good eye."

"Well--!!"

One Pine's hand froze in mid-air, as if it had been frozen in place.

He looked at Ronan in horror, only to see that the dark-haired man's eyes seemed to see right through him, revealing all his dirty thoughts.

"Ah...ha...so...so you knew..."

Ippon Matsu awkwardly withdrew his hand, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and cursed his bad luck inwardly.

Since we've encountered someone knowledgeable, our plan to snag a bargain is completely ruined.

"Of course I know."

Ronan scoffed. "Alright, stop with the nonsense. Enough with the talk, do you have any iron spears here?"

"An iron spear?"

Although Ipponmatsu was disappointed, he still had to continue his business.

He scratched his bald head and pointed to the corner:

"Long weapons... These days, very few people use them. Over there, in those big wooden barrels, are long-handled weapons stuck in the barrels. Go and see if you find any you like."

He glared at Zoro again, annoyed. "You too! If you don't have any money, go look in that bucket over there!"

"Those are all clearance items, 50,000 Berries each! Just grab a couple and get out of here!"

"Tch, why are you so angry?"

Zoro pursed his lips and walked towards the wooden barrel that was labeled "Special Price".

Ronan walked to the corner where long weapons were kept.

Several dusty wooden barrels were haphazardly filled with various spears, halberds, and even rusty harpoons.

Ronan casually pulled out a spear that looked fairly sturdy.

"light."

The moment Ronan got his hands on it, he frowned.

This spear probably weighs less than thirty pounds; in his hand, it's like a toothpick.

He then tested the flexibility of the gun barrel.

"Too crunchy."

This ordinary iron weapon is simply unable to withstand his current burst of power. Once he unleashes the "Crushing Spear" force, the spear will shatter instantly.

"Too short... none of them are more than three meters long."

Ronan searched through all the barrels, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

For Xingyi spear, "an inch longer, an inch stronger" is not just a slogan, but a physical law.

The length of zhangba (approximately 3.6 meters) is Ronan's preferred attack distance.

The longest one here is only a little over two meters.

"It seems the only options are to try our luck on the Grand Line, or find materials and order it by custom."

Ronan sighed and threw the scrap metal back into the bucket, making a clattering sound.

Just then, a strange fluctuation came from the "Special Offers Zone" on the other side.

Ronan's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look.

Zoro was standing in front of the barrel full of blunt swords, holding a long sword with a dark red scabbard.

He didn't draw his knife, but his expression became unusually solemn, as if he were holding not a knife, but a red-hot iron, or a writhing venomous snake.

"That is..."

Ronan's Observation Haki instantly detected the ominous aura emanating from the sword, an aura that could not be concealed even through its scabbard.

"Um?"

Zoro murmured, a hint of confusion and excitement flashing in his eyes.

He slowly gripped the hilt of the knife and gently pushed it with his thumb.

"bass--"

A strange, cold light shone in the dimly lit shop.

The blade wasn't covered in ordinary straight patterns, but rather in a chaotic, flame-patterned steel blade.

The patterns seemed to have a life of their own, flowing across the blade and exuding a bloodthirsty desire.