I the King of bandits of the East Sea

Koshiro roughly explained the situation regarding sea stone swords.

In this world, powerful swordsmen often possessed formidable Armament Haki. With Armament Haki alone, they could fight against Devil Fruit users, making sea stone swords unnecessary.

Moreover, the ability to incorporate sea stone into blades existed only in Wano. Even if seastone swords truly existed, their production would undoubtedly be scarce.

Aside from being the master of Isshin Dojo, Koshiro also inherited the craftsmanship of forging blades from Shimotsuki Kozaburo.

He also personally crafted the longsword he had gifted Sig.

But that was entirely separate from incorporating seastone into weapons.

"Oh, so if I want to forge a sea stone sword, I have to go to Wano?"

A trace of disappointment appeared in Sig's expression.

While other swordsmen might not need sea stone swords, for Sig—a swordsman who didn't know how to cut people—a sea stone sword might be far more effective than his self-made chainsaw sword or spiked sword.

But then again, it made sense.

In the original series, the only character known to wield a weapon embedded with seastone was Smoker, who had a jitte with a seastone tip.

The Navy clearly had a vast reserve of seastone, using it extensively in warships, cages, and shackles.

Yet, no sea stone-forged swords or blades were ever mentioned.

This suggested that even within the World Government, the art of incorporating sea stone into swords was either not mastered or was so strictly controlled that such weapons rarely appeared.

After hearing this, Koshiro hesitated for a moment and said:

"Perhaps... it might not be necessary to go to Wano."

"Not everyone from Wano stayed there."

"When that ship left Wano many years ago, there were reportedly several seastone craftsmen aboard. However, they didn't remain in the East Blue; instead, they journeyed together into the Grand Line."

Sig's eyes lit up instantly, but Koshiro's next words dampened his excitement.

"But that was decades ago. We don't know if those craftsmen are still alive on the Grand Line or if they left any descendants."

"If Mr. Sig wants a seastone sword, you might try searching the underground black market on the Grand Line. Perhaps you could find clues about those craftsmen."

Koshiro's advice made Sig's heart stir, though his emotions slightly sank.

The mention of the black market in the underworld brought to mind a certain ruler of that realm.

If Stussy could have willingly cried out "delicious" two days ago, perhaps he could have used her to connect with any seastone craftsmen who might appear in the black market...

As Sig was silently musing about Stussy, aboard the pirate ship docked at the harbor, Stussy was staring intently at the Den Den Mushi in her hands.

This Den Den Mushi was the same one she had taken from the ship the previous night.

Stussy was hesitating whether to report last night's incident—her possible exposure—while Sig was away in Shimotsuki Village.

"If Sig has already discovered my contact with CP0, then my mission has failed, and I'll have to return to face the wrath of the Celestial Dragons."

"If he hasn't found out, this Den Den Mushi might not be safe either—it could be a trap."

Stussy's mind wavered.

Faced with an opponent as fearsome as Sig, she had to act with utmost caution.

Last night, Sig had only punished her by making her cook a meal. But next time, she might not be so lucky...

As she hesitated, Stussy suddenly felt several gazes directed at her.

She naturally shifted her eyes away from the Den Den Mushi and continued diligently scrubbing the deck.

However, from the corner of her eye, she noticed the mountain bandits watching her.

"Such blatant surveillance... couldn't they at least put a bit more effort into pretending?"

If Stussy wanted to act, she could easily take care of these bandits. But doing so would make it difficult to explain herself to Sig later.

After their conversation in the attic, Koshiro and Sig returned to the dojo.

The moment Sig arrived, Ivankov stood up.

"Sig-boy, you've come at the right time. We've gathered enough provisions and are preparing to leave Shimotsuki Village."

Sig was slightly stunned but quickly nodded, his expression tinged with bitterness.

"Just in time, I was also planning to leave."

Last night, Stussy had secretly communicated with CP0, which had already exposed the Revolutionary Army's presence in Shimotsuki Village. This place was no longer safe.

Sig couldn't disclose Stussy's actions to the Revolutionary Army—otherwise, it would be hard to explain why he hadn't acted against her.

"Sig...."

Zoro, with a wooden sword in each hand and a third one in his mouth, mumbled unclearly:

"Next time we meet, I won't lose to you again! I'll surpass you and become the world's greatest swordsman!"

"Is Mr. Sig leaving?"

Hearing Sig's words, Kuina, her arm still in a cast, approached him.

But when Sig got a good look at Kuina, he instinctively took a step back.

Because what he saw was Kuina holding a chainsaw—buzzing and vibrating noisily in her hands.

"What's going on?"

With a face full of black lines, Sig looked toward Baldy and the others.

His collection of "righteous" equipment, such as the spiked sword and chainsaw sword, had already been handed to his subordinates for safekeeping. Yet now, one of them was in Kuina's hands.

"I was just a bit curious about Mr. Sig's sword..."

Kuina turned off the chainsaw and awkwardly explained.

After saying this, she intended to return the chainsaw to Sig.

"No need. Since you like this chainsaw... sword, I'll gift it to you."

"Your father gave me a sword, so as a return gift, I'll give you a sword as a memento. Just as it should be."

Sig smiled and casually replied.

Chainsaw swords were something Baldy had bought in multiples as spares. Purchasing more wouldn't be an issue.

Behind Sig, Koshiro's smile gradually stiffened.

He suddenly regretted giving Sig a sword.

Who gifts a ten-year-old girl a chainsaw as a return gift? What "just as it should be"?

"Is that okay? But this is Mr. Sig's chainsaw sword—it feels inappropriate for me to have it."

"It's fine. When you've become the world's greatest female swordsman, you can return it to me... hmm?"

Sig was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

An absurd scene appeared in his mind.

He imagined himself gently patting Kuina's head while handing her a chainsaw as tall as she was, saying:

"This is my beloved chainsaw. When you've become the world's greatest female swordsman, remember to return it to me."

From that moment, the legend of Kuina, the Chainsaw Swordmaster, began.

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