At The Peak of One Piece

After several days of sailing and unloading and loading cargo at several islands, Victor spent his mornings as usual—sitting cross-legged on the deck with his eyes closed, cultivating. He never stayed in the room Captain Buck had arranged for him; other than the dining room, he was always on the deck.

After a short while, Buck woke Victor up, saying they would arrive at Loguetown by afternoon.

Hearing this, Victor stopped his cultivation. He didn't mind those few hours; he wanted to take a good look at this famous town—the last island at the entrance to the East Blue of the Grand Line, the town of beginnings and endings, birthplace and execution site of the Pirate King.

Ships had begun to pass through this sea area occasionally. Pirate ships could be seen from time to time, but they didn't attack other ships—probably wanting to keep a low profile now that they were near the Grand Line. After all, Loguetown had a naval base.

After lunch, the coastline of Loguetown came into view. The number of ships on the water increased, with pirate ships passing by now and then. Finally, the cargo ship docked at the pier. Victor told Buck he wanted to stroll around Loguetown. Buck had no objections, only advising him to be careful—there were many pirates in town—and then he went to arrange unloading.

Victor got off the ship and took a look around the dock, noticing quite a few ships—several pirate ships among them. He found it amusing. These pirates were quite daring, brazenly mooring at the dock of such a large naval base, openly challenging the navy's authority. They must not care about their ships anymore.

But then Victor thought about how Smoker wasn't guarding here yet, so the deterrent wasn't strong enough. Smoker should be about Victor's age now. When the Pirate King was executed, Victor was ten. Smoker appeared at the execution site around eleven or twelve. He wondered if Smoker had eaten a Devil Fruit or joined the navy by now.

Lost in thought, Victor arrived at the entrance to Loguetown, where a gate with the town's name stood. The town was crowded and lively—calls, shouts, and arguments never ceased. The streets were packed with people shoulder to shoulder.

Looking at this bustling scene, it was likely one of the rare sights in the entire East Blue. Truly worthy of being the Grand Line's gateway, with thriving trade.

Victor had a sword at his waist and a sturdy build, so no foolish person dared to cause trouble. Victor's purpose here was to buy a sword—the same model that Zoro wielded: Yubashiri. Victor knew if he didn't take this sword, it would be wasted. So he decided to rescue it for now. He hadn't found a better sword yet, so he'd make do with this one rather than ruin it.

When asking locals about weapon shops, many women blushed at Victor's appearance, and a few bold ones tried to flirt, but Victor quickly sent them away. Eventually, he asked men for directions and found several weapon shops before locating the one with an unusually styled owner. The shop's sign featured two crossed swords, very distinctive.

Unexpectedly, the owner was already open for business. Victor had worried he might be too late, but realizing Zoro was still just a toddler of about one year old, Victor couldn't help but chuckle.

The bald owner immediately knew business was coming when a man with a sword at his waist walked in. He stepped out from behind the counter with a welcoming smile.

However, when he looked up and met the man's eyes, his heart suddenly tightened. Being stared at by those eyes made him uneasy.

Luckily, the feeling quickly vanished. Victor had only glanced at the owner instinctively. Seeing the owner trembling, he realized his gaze had been a bit too intense and immediately restrained himself.

"Customer, are you here to buy a sword? I have a full range—please take a look and see if anything pleases you," the owner said with a broad smile.

"All right, I'll look around first," Victor replied with a smile.

He then wandered through the shop, knowing Yubashiri was not displayed openly. He wanted to check out the Sandai Kitetsu, to experience the power of that sword and see what kind of magic it held.

He was certain he wouldn't want that sword—it was a sword that tried to control its wielder. Even if he could suppress it, he wouldn't take it.

After a full tour, he inspected every sword, even the cheapest ones priced at 50,000 Belly stored in wooden barrels. None were overlooked. But there was no Sandai Kitetsu.

"Looks like the Sandai Kitetsu hasn't ended up in this owner's hands yet. That's normal. If it were here now, it wouldn't have lasted all these years waiting for Zoro to arrive—it would've been sold already. I guess the Straw Hat crew got it shortly before coming to Loguetown," Victor thought quietly.

Seeing no other famous swords, Victor went directly to the counter and said frankly, "Boss, I've looked at all these swords—they're nothing special. Do you have any famous swords hidden away that aren't on display?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback. 'How did he know I had a named blade hidden away?' 

"Ah, well... I do have one, but..." He rubbed his hands together meaningfully. 

"Money isn't an issue. Show it to me," Victor said flatly. 

The shopkeeper's face lit up. He hurried to the back room and returned with a long, cloth-wrapped sword stand, placing it on the counter with reverence. 

"Black-lacquered scabbard, midare-tsuji hamon—this is Yubashiri, one of the 'Ryo Wazamono' grade blades. I wasn't planning to sell it, but... I see it in your eyes. You'll become a great swordsman. Take Yubashiri and make it famous." 

Victor had come for this very blade. "Just name the price." 

The shopkeeper awkwardly raised a finger. "One million berries. I... borrowed heavily to open this shop in Loguetown. Risky business." 

Without a word, Victor pulled out the cash and set it on the counter. He drew the blade, inspecting its edge. 

'Unlike Zoro, who got this for free years ago, I'm paying full price.' No favors. No debts. 

---

Then the door slammed open. 

A squat, ugly pirate barged in, flanked by two lackeys. "Oi, brat! That sword's MINE! Saw its glare from the street—fate's callin'!" 

Victor didn't even turn fully. "I paid already. First come, first served." 

The pirate captain guffawed. "Who said anythin' about 'buyin''? I'm a PIRATE!" 

The shopkeeper trembled, eyeing the money like it might bite him. 

Victor smirked. "Never heard of you. Loguetown has a Marine base. You 'really' wanna try this?" 

A lackey puffed his chest. "Our captain's worth 2 million berries! Marines ain't shit! Hand it over, or—" 

Victor vanished. 

'THWACK!' 

The flat of Yubashiri's scabbard smashed across all three faces, sending them crumpling to the floor—noses bleeding, cheeks already bruising. 

The shopkeeper gaped, unconsciously touching his own face in sympathy. 

"There's your 2 million berries," Victor said, sheathing the sword. "Take them to the Marines. Consider the bounty my payment." 

As he turned to leave, the shopkeeper stammered, "W-Wait! The bounty's higher than the sword! I owe you—" 

"Keep it. Shipping fee." 

"At least tell me your name!" 

"Victor. Orens Victor." 

By the time the shopkeeper processed it, Victor was already gone. 

'Orens Victor... Never heard of him. But... will he shake the world?' 

Shaking himself, the shopkeeper hurried to drag his "merchandise" to the Marines. 

---

With the blade secured, only one task remained in Loguetown: 

'Visit the execution platform.' 

The place where the Pirate King died. 

'How could I not see it?'