Upon hearing Brook’s question, Hyougoro chuckled. That wasn’t such a hard one to answer.
"Although Seastone is incredibly hard, most of the raw ore isn’t that pure. The purity varies even within a single piece, which makes forging an entire sword from Seastone far less effective than you’d think. It’s brittle, lacks flexibility, and breaks easily.
A chunk of high-purity, large-enough Seastone is rare. That’s why people stopped making weapons from it.
Besides, in Wano, we take pride in our swords. Every samurai dreams of raising a blade into a Black Sword with their own Haki—just like the national treasure ’Shusui’ that belonged to the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman, Ryuma!
If you ever get the chance, you should visit the Shimotsuki clan’s land in Ringo. Ryuma is buried in the northern cemetery there, and his sword Shusui rests atop his grave.
Many famed swordsmen lie buried in that cemetery, their blades interred with them."
The more Hyougoro spoke, the more pride lit up his voice. In Wano, every samurai receives their blade in their youth, growing alongside it their whole life.
If that sword is well-cared for, and becomes infused with the wielder’s Haki to the point that it gains its own black pattern, it becomes a Meitō—a famed sword. Even after death, it will remain by its master’s side, honored by future generations.
Each year, samurai from all over Wano visit the northern cemetery to pay respects to their predecessors—especially Ryuma and his Black Blade, Shusui. It’s more than just a sword. It’s a symbol of their way of life, their faith.
"So that’s how it is. The northern cemetery, huh?"
Brook nodded, now understanding. Just like diamonds—hard, but if cut into a longsword, they’d be brittle and prone to shattering.
And with Seastone, the uneven purity across the same chunk makes it even worse. A sword where the tip is 70% pure, the middle 60%, and the base 50%? No wonder it wouldn’t last.
But if someone ever found a highly pure and large enough piece of Seastone... a Seastone weapon might be possible.
Still, what caught Brook’s attention most was the cemetery. A sword graveyard? All the famed swordsmen of Wano buried with their legendary blades?
Wasn’t this the place where Gecko Moria looted Ryuma’s grave? After his failed raid on Wano and his defeat at the hands of Kaido, both Ryuma and Shusui disappeared...
What a goldmine. Even Kawamatsu, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, and Gyukimaru plundered swords from there to prepare for the rebellion.
Maybe Brook could do a little grave-robbing of his own—restock the inventory, so to speak. Leaving all those famous swords stuck in graves like decorative ornaments... felt like such a waste.
If Hyougoro and the samurai ever found out that this foreigner was eyeing their national treasure Shusui, they’d probably go berserk. To them, that’d be nothing short of blasphemy.
Like blowing up the Eiffel Tower, toppling the Statue of Liberty..
"Well then, show me the swordsmanship of Wano!"
Brook led Hyougoro to a nearby clearing, ready to give this upstart yakuza boss a lesson straight from the sea.
"Hah! I want to see whether you’re really stronger than the rest of them!"
Hyougoro’s blue flame-like hair blazed wildly with excitement. His underlings cheered from the sidelines, hyping up their boss.
Meanwhile, the Hell Pirates’ crew muttered among themselves, thinking Brook was bullying someone by pulling a random kid into a duel. Why not challenge a daimyo or even the Shogun himself?
Even Redfield and the others, locked in their own duels, glanced over in amusement. Up on the viewing platform, Kozuki Sukiyaki was curious to see just how strong this foreign captain really was.
"I am Hyougoro! My sword style is the self-taught Hana no Ittōryū. Please, grant me your instruction!"
Hyougoro bowed with perfect samurai etiquette, then slowly drew his sword, locking eyes with Brook in solemn focus.
"Yohohoho~ such formalities! Well then, I’ll play along.
I’m Brook. This here’s the Shichiseiken, a cursed blade."
As Brook drew the Shichiseiken, a wave of eerie, cold energy swept across the clearing. The blade was long and sleek, wreathed in a ghostly green aura that sent chills down the spines of the yakuza watching from the sidelines.
"A cursed blade? Its aura rivals that of Shusui... Is it a Great Grade Sword? Or... one of the Supreme Grade ones?"
Hyougoro’s eyes widened in shock. To see such a sword with his own eyes—it was almost too much. His gaze lingered on the Shichiseiken, filled with awe and envy.
His shout drew the attention of several nearby samurai. Even some daimyō stopped their battles and came over to take a look.
That double-edged blade, its deep star-lined pattern, that chilling demonic aura... everything about it screamed power and mystery.
"It’s definitely on par with Shusui. I’ve never seen a double-edged sword look so graceful and so deadly!"
One samurai who was also a swordsmith trembled with excitement, already envisioning new ideas for forging a double-edged blade of his own.
Sukiyaki, too, stared at the sword with fascination. Though Shogun by title, he was secretly a master swordsmith. The Sandai Kitetsu and the Ame no Habakiri were both his creations.
"To think a double-edged sword could be so beautiful... Looks like I’ll have to try forging one myself."
He had already made up his mind. His next blade would be a double-edged Great Grade Sword, even if he had to use up all his remaining resources to do it.
"Haha! To fight against a cursed blade of that level... even if I lose, it’ll be an honorable defeat! Right?"
Hyougoro patted his beloved blade. Even if it meant being shattered, he would not back down. A true samurai never fears battle!
His blue flame flared even higher. Hyougoro lunged forward at full speed, slashing with Sakura-bone, leaving a trail of pale violet fire in his wake.
As he approached, Brook exhaled a white puff of breath, lifted the Shichiseiken, and swung casually.
A sweeping slash of green energy erupted from the blade—over a hundred meters wide—leaving every samurai frozen in place. Even Kozuki Sukiyaki leapt to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief.
+122 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg