The warriors and residents of Bell Queen Town dropped to their knees in unison, shouting in awe and terror:
"The Sword God has descended!"
Their faces were twisted with fear and excitement. What kind of power was this? It was no different from that of a god!
Someone in the crowd even whispered,
"Should we just give up worshipping Oguchi Shinkami, the guardian deity of Wano... and worship the Sword God instead?"
At Suzugo Castle, Shimotsuki Toramaru stared blankly at the apocalyptic aftermath in the distance. Then, panic overtaking awe, he seized his beloved sword and sprinted toward Isshin Forge at full speed.
"What in the world have Brook and Shimotsuki Kozaburo created?!" he roared in his mind. "A weapon this terrifying—could it be a divine blade that surpasses even the Supreme Grade swords?!"
As he dashed, his expression grew increasingly grim.
The sword energy released earlier—it wasn't just powerful. It was monstrous.
If Brook ever turned his blade toward the Kozuki family… how in the world were they supposed to stop him?!
...Thankfully, Kozuki Oden is his so-called 'cheap apprentice.'
Surely a master wouldn't snatch his apprentice's homeland, right?
Besides, rumor had it—spread by the samurai who joined the Hell Pirates—that Brook already ruled dozens of islands across the Outer Seas, all rivaling the scale of Wano. He never managed those lands directly, always assigning others to govern them. If things went smoothly, the Kozuki family could continue managing Wano—even under Brook's banner.
Toramaru could only pray that Sukiyaki-sama saw reason. If he insisted on opposing Brook…
...he would be crushed.
But with Oden's relationship with Brook, maybe this could all be avoided.
---
"Yohoho! Seven Stars, you're a quasi-divine sword that surpasses even the Supreme Blades! I'll make sure your name echoes across the seas!"
Brook laughed heartily, holding the blackened blade that pulsed with crimson energy.
"Yoru, the Emperor's Code, the Blade of Jibek… they're all trash compared to you!"
He could feel it—this blade possessed more destructive potential than even the clashing of two Overloeds. Worse yet, it held a sinister ability to influence weak-willed enemies, bending them to its master's will.
A voice rang out from the blade itself, spirited and twisted:
"More! I need more blood and souls! Let me feast on Armament Haki, let me taste more life essence, Master!"
Brook blinked, and for a moment, his wild grin faded.
"What kind of devilish sword did I just create…?"
This wasn't just a cursed blade. It surpassed Ghost Swords, Demon Swords, even the infamous Evil Swords that littered legends.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"Easy, Seven. You'll get all the Haki you need—but behave."
Luckily, the Seven-Star Demon Sword had been forged using Brook's own blood and soul essence. His Netherworld energy had formed a spiritual link with the sword's core. It wouldn't rebel like other cursed weapons.
Still, Brook issued a silent warning:
"If you ever turn into something like that Pure Lotus Hellfire, I'll personally erase you. Don't forget who your master is."
Seven Stars, the newly born sword spirit, was still naive. There was time to train him properly.
---
As Brook approached the forge, Redfield, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, and the rest of the crew were already rushing out to find him. Relief flooded their faces when they saw him unharmed.
"Yohoho, Seven Star, go with Master Kozaburo and finish the final stage of the forging," Brook instructed, glancing at the blade.
He didn't want Seven Star to harm Kozaburo by accident. This was Brook's exclusive weapon now—no one else could wield it unless ordered directly.
"Master Brook…" Shimotsuki Kozaburo's eyes widened when he saw Brook talking to the blade. "Could it be… did this divine sword awaken a soul? A true one-in-a-million sword spirit?!"
Brook smiled.
"Yes. His name's Seven Star. I'll leave the finishing touches to you—make him handsome."
Kozaburo trembled as he took the blade, hands reverent as if cradling a newborn.
"I… I really created a sword with a soul… not one artificial soul weapons, but a genuine sword spirit…"
As he caressed the blade, a voice growled in his mind:
"Oi! Stop petting me like some cat, Thick Brows! I'm my master's personal killing weapon!"
Kozaburo let out a laugh, tears rolling down his face.
"I saw it… I actually saw the spirit. I can die without regrets now."
He had forged a blade beyond even the Kitetsu line. The second-generation Kitetsu? Forgotten. The first? Irrelevant.
---
Charlotte Linlin stormed over, scooped Brook up like a toy, and crushed him into her massive chest with joy.
"Brother Brook! A divine sword! Congratulations!!"
Redfield and the others gathered around, offering their congratulations one by one. They had seen the sword spirit too. As expected of Brook—he was a man who created miracles!
"Alright, alright!" Brook wriggled out of Linlin's grasp, gasping for air. "Let's finish the last step before we start throwing a party!"
Shimotsuki Kozaburo was already inside the forge, installing the final fittings—the blade guard, hilt, sharkskin grip, and wrapping. He even began crafting a luxurious scabbard worthy of a divine weapon.
Soon, the Seven-Star Demon Sword stood completed—its sinister aura now fully contained in a beautiful, gleaming form.
---
"Master Brook," Kozaburo said with solemn pride, "the Seven-Star Demon Sword—your quasi-divine blade—is now your exclusive weapon!"
He explained what he had learned from the sword: swords with spirits rarely accepted new owners. Even if passed down, most would never acknowledge anyone else. Many sword spirits would perish with their masters. Others would sleep for centuries, waiting for a new wielder worthy of their soul.
Brook unsheathed the blade, laughing as he pointed it toward the sky.
"Yohoho! One day, the Seven-Star Demon Sword will make the whole sea kneel before it!"
Seven-Star responded with a fierce blood-red glow and a surge of demonic pressure that rippled across the land.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo blinked, still shaken.
"Good thing Brook's not a killer… otherwise, this sword would be a calamity."
At that moment, Shimotsuki Toramaru finally arrived at the forge. When he saw the sword in Brook's hand, he instinctively stepped back.
"What an evil sword…" he muttered.
Even the infamous First Generation Kitetsu might not compare.
This… this was no mere cursed blade.
This was a weapon of myth—reborn in the hands of the Sword God himself.
----------------
As Shimotsuki Toramaru arrived, Brook calmly sheathed the Seven-Star Demon Sword with a flourish, letting it hang nonchalantly at his waist.
"Toramaru-daimyo, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon."
Brook's mood was unmistakably bright. After all, he had just obtained a divine blade—a sword that surpassed even the Supreme Grade weapons! The thrill of creation still buzzed through his soul.
He chuckled inwardly.
I wonder who's in charge of compiling the Sword Ranking these days?
Surely both the newly forged Supreme Great Blade Kusunokiri and the Quasi-Divine Weapon Seven-Star Demon Sword deserve a place at the top?
Besides, the Second and Third Generation Kitetsu had already been destroyed. They were no longer worthy of mention.
Come to think of it, with the might of the Hell Pirates and their vast web of influence—including the World Economic News Agency and the Pirate Guild—there was no reason they couldn't create their own ranking system.
Weapon grades, power levels, Devil Fruits—they could set the standards themselves!
"The one who makes the rules... rules the world."
Brook thought back to the ridiculous systems of his past life on Earth.
Universities that prioritized international enrollment to maintain prestige.
"World-famous" schools that admitted foreign students for free, with full accommodations—yet neglected their own.
Even humiliating policies like assigning "female study partners" just to entice outsiders.
What a joke.
Rules were built by the West. Their tastes decided what was luxurious, what was fashionable, what was elite.
A tire company like Michelin dictating gourmet standards in Asia?
Western "credit ratings" acting as global truth?
Even the aesthetics of people's faces had to bow to "foreign standards."
"As long as a country is strong, even its farts get praised."
Brook snorted to himself.
But now, with the rise of the Hell Pirates, they were no longer subject to those systems.
From now on... the Hell Pirates set the rules.
He shook off the rant in his head and focused back on the present.
---
Shimotsuki Toramaru stared at the sword hanging from Brook's waist. Just its presence distorted his emotions.
What right did he have to challenge this man directly?
"Mr. Brook," he asked cautiously, "is that sword... truly stronger than the Supreme Grade blades?"
Though the blade's aura was wicked, Toramaru had to admit—it far surpassed anything he'd ever seen.
Brook grinned and ran his fingers across the hilt.
"Yes. The Seven-Star Demon Sword is a quasi-divine weapon. It stands half a level above the Supreme Blades."
He tilted his head and mused aloud, "Honestly, I think only the Spear of Elbaf from the Giant Kingdom might rival it."
Toramaru swallowed. Just earlier, that blade had sliced the sky in half. Its power was no illusion.
"Then… congratulations, Mr. Brook," he said respectfully.
---
"Yohoho! Now that our goal's complete, how about we celebrate?"
Brook turned to his crew and led the way out of the Isshin Forge. He summoned the golden ship, letting it descend from the clouds like a divine ark.
They didn't bother heading to Toramaru's Suzugo Castle. The banquet would be held on the ship itself—they'd be departing Wano soon anyway.
Only a handful of people joined this time: the core members of the Hell Pirates, Shimotsuki Kozaburo's family, and the newly arrived Toramaru.
For the first time ever, Kozuki Oden stepped aboard the golden ship of his dreams.
This time… he would finally sail the seas.
---
Streusen wasted no time. He whipped up a fusion feast—blending traditional Wano flavors with exotic dishes from across the world. The Shimotsuki family got a taste of freedom beyond their closed borders.
After downing a glass of strong sake, Brook turned to Kozaburo with a wide grin.
"Kozaburo, you've forged so many legendary blades for the Hell Pirates. Want me to make you famous across the Grand Line?"
He chuckled. If they did rebuild the weapon rankings, Shimotsuki Kozaburo would be hailed as the number one swordsmith in the world!
After all, the Seven-Star Demon Sword, Kusunokiri, Yama, and even Wado Ichimonji all came from his forge.
"Lord Brook… I'm flattered," Kozaburo said, slightly embarrassed. "But honestly, without your help and Lord Redfield's, I wouldn't have even melted Gungnir steel. I've still got much to learn… especially about building a high-temperature furnace."
His humility was genuine, but he couldn't deny the truth: he'd been part of crafting not one, but two near-mythical weapons.
If I can master the art of melting Gungnir Steel, he thought, maybe one day I'll forge a Supreme Blade all on my own.
But first… he'd need rare metals. And unfortunately, not everyone had Brook's ridiculous wealth.
---
Brook leaned back, raising his glass again.
"Doesn't matter—your name's already carved into history. The creator of the Seven-Star Demon Sword and Kusunokiri? There's no escaping fame now!"
He chuckled, then added with a mischievous grin:
"Of course, people say fame brings danger… but as long as Wano is under our protection, no one can touch you."
Brook's thoughts drifted for a moment.
Maybe… the Shimotsuki family won't have to move to the East Blue to found Shimotsuki Village.
But if that didn't happen… what about Zoro?
Zoro always reminded Brook of Shimotsuki Ryuma and Gyumaru. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence.
Could Zoro really be the child Shimotsuki Kozaburo took to the East Blue during Kaido's purge?
After all, Marineford happened two years ago when Zoro was 21…
Kaido killed the daimyos—like Oden and Ushimaru—20 years ago…
And Zoro… didn't have any parents. He just wandered into Koshiro's dojo and stayed. Suspicious, to say the least.
Maybe he really is a Shimotsuki.
---
Back at the banquet, Shimotsuki Kozaburo flushed with pride at Brook's words.
Who doesn't want their name remembered?
Though he was only a branch of the Shimotsuki line, he might now be more famous than the main family under Toramaru.
"Lord Brook, if you ever need me to forge more weapons, I will give it my all!"
He clenched his fist in determination.
If his family could ride the wave of the Hell Pirates' rising power, they would become one of the most respected forces in Wano—perhaps even surpassing the main lineage.
<><><><><><>
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