The East Blue. Always known as the weakest of the seas, yet countless world-famous powerhouses were born here.
The Navy's Hero, Monkey D. Garp.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon.
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
And even the future protagonist of this world, the man who would inherit Joy Boy's will—Straw Hat Luffy—was also born in this so-called "weakest sea."
The reason Riden chose to come to the East Blue… was to find the grave of the former Pirate King himself!
Nearly twenty years had passed since Roger's death, but considering the physical resilience of people in this world, even if the flesh had long since rotted, Roger's bones would still be perfectly preserved.
And through the system, Riden had already learned one thing: as long as he touched the dead, no matter how long they had been gone, he could obtain a portion of the abilities they once possessed in life.
As the man once crowned Pirate King, Roger's power needed no explanation. If Riden could acquire it, his plan for revenge would unfold much more smoothly!
But just as Riden arrived in Loguetown, preparing to seek out Roger's grave, a figure in the distance suddenly caught his eye.
Short green hair. A white shirt and black trousers. Three swords hanging at his waist—one of which was none other than the famed Wado Ichimonji, one of the twenty-one Great Grade swords.
It was still half a year before the year 1520 of the Sea Calendar, meaning half a year before the Straw Hat boy would set sail.
And yet, right here, Riden had unexpectedly run into Roronoa Zoro.
If he could recruit Zoro under his own banner, then soon enough, he would gain an irreplaceable top-tier fighter.
After all, in the original story, within just three years of joining the Straw Hat crew, Zoro had already reached the level of a near-Emperor. A man capable of standing toe-to-toe with, or even suppressing, the First Commanders of the Yonko.
For the sake of revenge, Riden had no intention of letting the Straw Hat Pirates rise as they once had. And he certainly wasn't going to let someone with such monstrous growth potential fall into someone else's hands!
With that thought, Riden moved without hesitation, blocking Zoro's path. His expression was calm, his voice steady as he spoke:
"Pirate Hunter… Roronoa Zoro."
"Oh?"
Zoro narrowed his eyes, scanning Riden carefully before noticing the two swords at Riden's waist.
"You here to challenge me?"
At this point in time, Zoro had already made a name for himself across the East Blue, and sword challengers were nothing new. Seeing the swords at Riden's hip and hearing his words, Zoro naturally assumed this was another duel.
But at those words, Riden's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Challenge you? I wouldn't mind. But…"
"Why don't we make it a wager?"
Hearing this, Zoro smirked. "Adding some spice to the fight, huh? Fine by me. What's the bet?"
Watching Zoro slowly take the bait, Riden drew his twin blades without hesitation and said, "Aside from Wado Ichimonji, your other two swords are rather ordinary, aren't they?
If you can defeat me, then I'll give you two blades on par with Wado Ichimonji—Shusui and Kuroki. Both Great Grade swords. They'll be yours. How about it?"
Zoro's eyes lit up instantly. Staring at the two swords in Riden's hands, he looked about ready to drool.
But a moment later, he steadied himself and asked, "With a wager this big, I've got nothing of equal value to stake against you.
If you're just after my Wado Ichimonji, then there's no deal."
"I don't care about your sword."
Riden's tone remained calm as he continued:
"If I lose, Shusui and Kuroki are yours. But if you lose—you join my crew. How about it?"
"…You're a pirate?"
Zoro's eyes narrowed again, staring hard at Riden. But he couldn't recall ever seeing this face on a wanted poster.
"Pirate? Adventurer? Outlaw?"
Riden gave a cold smirk. "Call me whatever you want. I don't care how the world labels me. I only care about achieving my ambition.
Becoming a pirate? That's just a word to me."
Zoro gave a small laugh, his gaze fixed firmly on Riden's blades. "Doesn't matter what you call yourself. I'm more interested in those swords."
"That's enough."
Riden chuckled softly, then lifted his hand. In an instant, his Float-Float Fruit powers activated. The ground beneath their feet surged upward, carrying both of them toward the coastline.
This sudden movement made Zoro's eyes widen in shock, disbelief flashing across his face.
"What the hell…? Some kind of trick?!"
As the very earth heaved and lifted them into the air, Zoro swallowed hard. He had never seen anything like it before.
"You really don't even know about Devil Fruits?"
Now by the shore, Riden spoke calmly: "I suppose it makes sense. This so-called weakest sea is just too safe, too thoroughly purged by the Navy.
But listen well. The ability I possess is the Float-Float Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. With it, I can make any inorganic matter I touch float freely in the sky."
"Devil Fruits, huh?"
Zoro's eyes gleamed with curiosity, his voice solemn: "So that's what this is. Seems this fight won't be so simple after all."
"No. This fight will end quickly."
Riden smirked faintly, then gestured with his blade. "Go ahead. You strike first, Roronoa Zoro."
"…You mocking me?"
But rather than anger, Zoro wore a sharp grin. He looked Riden in the eye and said firmly:
"Then get ready. Don't go dying from one cut."
Riden drew Shusui, his expression calm but his grin sharp. "Perfect. I'll show you just how vast this world really is."
"Oni Giri!"
In a blur of motion, Zoro lunged. His swords cut off every avenue of escape, the third blade in his mouth sealing away even the option of parrying!
At least—that would have been the case if Riden had any intention of dodging.
CLANG!!!
With a single hand, Riden casually blocked the strike, his calm demeanor unshaken. Zoro's eyes lit up in excitement.
A worthy opponent?
But the next moments left him stunned.
No matter how many slashes he launched, Riden deflected them with casual ease—almost as though he were toying with a child.
The openings were everywhere, obvious as day—so why… why was it impossible to exploit them?!
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200 Power Stones: 3+Chapter
100 Collection: 1+Chapter