Thud.
Kozuki Hiyori fainted from the lingering terror, and Ain caught her just in time.
"She's still a kid," Elena snapped, glaring at White Ghost. "Do you really have to scare her like that?"
"I'm making sure she understands where she stands," White Ghost said flatly. "Lately she's been getting a little too self-assured."
Uta didn't argue. Even in moments like this, she stayed on White Ghost's side—because she could feel it: whatever his temper, he treated his people sincerely.
Uta helped Ain lift Hiyori up, and they carried her back to her room. Still, she couldn't shake the thought that White Ghost felt… frightening today.
Kuro watched with a faint smile. "Now that's my captain. That killing intent… Wano, huh?"
Zoro had felt the pressure too, but it hadn't been aimed at him—so he remained fine.
The rest of the crew quietly returned to their own tasks.
White Ghost waved it off. "Forget it. I'm not telling any more stories about the Akazaya Nine. I'm not interested in being doubted again."
Kozaburo and Koushirou stayed silent. They'd learned the hard way that arguing with a monster like this was pointless.
And Koushirou could tell from that burst alone—he couldn't beat White Ghost anymore. Not even close.
White Ghost turned. "Kuina. Come here."
"Alright." Kuina sat across from him. She didn't get involved in what had just happened—Hiyori was still a stranger to her, and that was clearly internal business.
With a flick of White Ghost's hand, two blades and a long sword case appeared on the table.
"Choose," he said. "Two-sword style or three-sword style—either is fine."
Zoro swallowed hard. Even he could tell at a glance: none of these were ordinary weapons.
Kozaburo's eyes went wide. "That is… Shusui? Ryuma's blade from Wano?"
"Yeah." White Ghost didn't elaborate. But his eyes clearly said: touch it and find out.
Kozaburo's hand, which had been halfway out, immediately withdrew.
White Ghost gestured toward the black blade. "This is Shusui. A black blade—Ryuma's sword. They say he once cut down a dragon with it."
"A black blade…" Kuina understood what that meant. Her grandfather had explained the weight behind those words.
She lifted Shusui, tested a few swings, then shook her head. "Not for me."
White Ghost nodded and moved to the next sword. "This is Nidai Kitetsu—a cursed blade, forged by the Kitetsu line of swordsmiths in Wano."
"I took it from Wano together with Enma and Ame no Habakiri—and the condition was that I would keep Hiyori safe."
Only now did Kozaburo fully understand why White Ghost had exploded earlier.
Two swords returned… a Mythical Zoan spent… years of teaching… and then still getting doubted?
Anyone would feel bitter.
Kuina drew Nidai Kitetsu and felt that eerie, vicious aura crawling along the edge. She frowned and set it down.
"Not that one either."
White Ghost rested his hand on the long case. "Last one. A friend—call it a 'friend'—gave this to me. Or maybe it was a stake placed on the table."
He opened the case and drew out a long, elegant sword.
"A named blade: Holy Sword—Judgment. About one and a half meters. It suits a woman's reach well. Want to try it?"
He handed it to Kuina.
Everyone stared. How many treasures does this man have?
Kuina took the sword and ran her fingers lightly along the steel.
Humm—
A clear, resonant sword-chime answered her touch.
She smiled, stepped aside, and began the familiar practice sequence White Ghost had taught her. Her swings accelerated—faster, cleaner, more natural with every breath.
This sword felt… right.
Kuro commented from the side, "They say Devil Fruits choose their users. Looks like swords do too."
Kozaburo felt it most clearly. As a master smith, he knew: some blades reject hands that don't match them.
It wasn't Kuina choosing Holy Sword—Judgment.
It was Judgment choosing Kuina.
Kuro's eyes narrowed slightly. "That was from Saint Mjosgard, wasn't it?"
White Ghost didn't deny it. "Yeah."
Kuina returned and sheathed the blade smoothly. "This one. It fits me."
"No three-sword style?" White Ghost glanced at a certain green-haired boy who was staring at Shusui like it was the meaning of life.
Kuina shook her head. "This is enough. Put the others away."
White Ghost stored Shusui and Nidai Kitetsu without sparing Zoro's pleading look. Then he produced a Devil Fruit and set it on the table.
"It'll cover what you're lacking," he said—no further explanation.
Kuina didn't hesitate. If White Ghost handed her something and said it would help, she believed him.
She took a bite.
"Ugh—!"
Her eyes widened.
It was… indescribably awful.
Grinding through it, bite by bite, she finished the apple-sized Devil Fruit while everyone watched with expectation. If White Ghost was giving it away, it wasn't something cheap.
Kuina grabbed the teapot and rinsed her mouth aggressively, then closed her eyes to feel the change settle in.
Whoosh—
A pair of platinum wings unfurled around her like a cocoon.
Arthur stared, dumbstruck. That transformation… just like Hiyori's… another Mythical Zoan? How many does he have?
White Ghost watched with a small smile.
He'd prepared a path in his mind:
If Kuina chose Shusui, he would've given her something lightning-fast and overwhelming.
If she chose Nidai Kitetsu, he would've matched it with something darker, more relentless.
But for Holy Sword—Judgment…
An angelic power fit best.
The wings opened fully.
White flame condensed into armor across Kuina's body. Her hair brightened into a pale platinum sheen, and her eyes turned a soft, luminous gold.
She looked calm—almost untouchable—like a presence that demanded you stand straighter without even knowing why.
Kuina beat her wings once and rose into the air, sword in hand.
"So cool…!" Zoro gaped. "This is what a Devil Fruit does?!"
High above, Kuina leveled her blade at the sea.
"Holy Sword—Light Sever."
Slash—!
A sword wave shot out—clean, straight, and terrifying—carving across the ocean. For a moment, the sea split apart as if something invisible had pressed a line into the world.
Kozaburo watched, stunned and proud in equal measure. "A Mythical Zoan… raising her physique and output this much…"
Arthur's expression tightened. "Another Mythical Zoan… This needs to be reported."
Not long after, Kuina's breathing grew heavier. She descended, dismissed the transformation, and looked at White Ghost.
She didn't say thank you.
She just smiled—natural and steady, as if this was simply the next step of her sword path.
White Ghost smiled back.
Kozaburo and Koushirou exchanged a quiet look, both thinking the same thing:
This man… might truly carry her forward.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios