Chapter 289: Sword Dao's Apex, the Twins' Transformation

For an ordinary swordsman to temper his blade into a Black Blade, it would take at least several years, even decades — some spend their entire lives without ever glimpsing the threshold.

But Gao Wen, who had awakened the Master entry, completed this process in mere days, and walked a steadier path than ordinary swordsmen.

His continual sorting of the swordsmanship the system poured into him was itself a process of discarding the dross and keeping the essence — extracting a sword Dao that belonged to him alone.

Now he had nearly reached the end of this road; all that remained before his eyes was that man who bore the world's number-one title — Hawkeye Mihawk.

Clang!

Gao Wen raised his hand and swung his blade; the body of the sword trembled lightly, emitting a humming sound.

The edge was pitch-black.

It lacked some of the surface ferocity and bloodthirst, but only when held in the hand could one sense the killing desire pressed within.

This was already a madly extreme blade; now transformed into a Black Blade, it had grown even more bloodthirsty and violent, the will within growing ever more restless.

Yet in Gao Wen's hand, it was utterly docile.

A famed blade chooses its master.

And Gao Wen was the master acknowledged by Guanshi Zhengzong.

Gao Wen even suspected that if, during Zoro's duel with King, he had wielded his own Guanshi Zhengzong instead of Enma, the bloodthirsty will dwelling in the blade might have seized control of him outright and made him the blade's slave.

However.

That matter no longer had the chance, nor any need, to be verified.

Having now completed Gao Wen's Haki tempering, and together with Gao Wen having received the baptism of over a hundred sword Dao schools, Guanshi Zhengzong had undoubtedly risen completely above ordinary Great Grade Blades.

It already possessed the qualification to challenge the Supreme Grade Great Blades that stood at the apex of famed blades.

In Gao Wen's mind, that crushing defeat in the East Blue — the one etched into his very bones — resurfaced once more.

In the battles he had fought before and after entering the Grand Line — whether against Zephyr, King, or Jin Shizi — even when outmatched, Gao Wen had the confidence to withdraw unscathed.

Only the duel with Hawkeye was different; it was the most helpless of all the battles he had ever fought, and the first time he tasted the feeling of his life no longer being his own.

But now everything was different.

Originally his stat panel was already close to that of a hexagonal warrior — speed, attack, defense, HP — flawless in every aspect.

Now, with the Sword Sect's help, the last sliver of shortfall in his swordsmanship had been filled in, and his overall combat power was now infinitely close to the upper ranks of Legendary.

He already possessed the confidence to face any opponent.

Gao Wen's gaze grew increasingly sharp, an irrepressible battle intent rising within his heart:

"Next time, I won't lose!"

Hiss—!

Guanshi Zhengzong returned to its sheath; Gao Wen closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the razor-sharp aura that had enveloped him had completely vanished into nothingness — at a glance, he was nothing more than an ordinary-looking man with a handsome face and an even build.

This change, falling into the eyes of Law and Zoro, only made the two feel a creeping horror welling up from deep within their hearts.

"The captain's presence has vanished — he looks like an ordinary person. He's already found that road leading to the pinnacle of swordsmen!"

"This is the so-called… return to the unadorned and the true?!"

Law's Adam's apple bobbed; he and Zoro had been guarding this place all along, bearing witness to Gao Wen's transformation.

Looking at the Gao Wen before him now, Law could not help but recall the words Jin Shizi had once spoken.

In his youth, Jin Shizi had crossed blades with a top-tier swordsman.

That man's aura was entirely suppressed; at a glance he was utterly unremarkable, yet the moment he struck, it was earth-shattering — that long blade, chipped and rust-spotted, upon leaving its sheath, wielded the might to cut down every foe!

According to Jin Shizi, had he not relied on the convenience of the Pika Pika no Mi to seize absolute advantage, the outcome of that battle would have been uncertain.

The ordinary bearing Gao Wen now displayed was no different from the man in Jin Shizi's recollection.

Law instinctively turned his head to look at Zoro beside him, but his breath caught for a moment:

"Roronoa, you…"

Clang—!

Three blades left their sheaths; Zoro's gaze burned hot.

He walked toward Gao Wen step by step, leaving Law only his back.

"Don't you want to see the distance between us and the world?!

"Don't be stupid!"

Law realized what Zoro intended to do, and could not help but curse him inwardly as a madman, yet still instinctively opened his mouth to dissuade him:

"Even a monster like Jin Shizi fell to the captain — in this era there may no longer be anyone who can match him. You…"

"Law."

Zoro cut Law off; he didn't even turn his head, his tone calm yet threaded with an incomparably firm resolve:

"From the East Blue to the Grand Line, in a year and a half — nearly two years — I've grown much, much stronger, but the gap between me and that man has not shrunk by even a fraction; on the contrary, it's grown wider and wider."

"If I now lose even the courage to face him head-on, how could I possibly reach the summit?!"

Law opened his mouth, then swallowed back the words that had been on the verge of spilling out.

Looking at Zoro — a few years younger than himself, yet with combat power far above his own — Law suddenly understood why Zoro had been able to possess such terrifying strength at such an age.

So long as this will to face the mountain head-on remained, his road ahead could only be bathed in light!

Clack!

Zoro bit one blade between his teeth; his jaw, exerting too much force, actually bent the hilt out of shape, and drew from him a muffled, indistinct voice:

"Captain, let me see what a mountain truly is!"

"Not a bad look in your eyes."

Gao Wen watched Zoro walking toward him step by step, his eyes holding nothing but inexpressible appreciation.

"I may have to revise my judgment — the second among us to ascend to the ranks of Legendary might not be Xiang Keluo, but you."

"Worthy of praise."

As the voice fell.

Gao Wen's figure appeared before Zoro, his fingers forming a blade that slashed toward Zoro's shoulder—yet halted just above it at the last moment.

"So fast!"

Only now did Zoro react, his face filled with utter shock as he instinctively turned to stare at Gao Wen's hand-blade.

The next instant, a mountainous pressure crushed down upon him, blurring even his consciousness.

Huh—!

An invisible wave of qi radiated outward from the two, churning sand into the howling wind, obscuring everything.

"Luffy!"

Nami's face was filled with anxiety.

He knew full well Gao Wen would never truly strike a comrade—but Zoro was already injured, and Gao Wen might not even know that.

If Gao Wen misjudged, the consequences would be dire.

He couldn't help rushing toward the center of the battlefield, but the swirling sand forced him back; he could only stand where he was, waiting anxiously.

After several breaths, the sand dispersed.

Gao Wen stepped out of the wind and dust, one hand gripping Zoro's unconscious form. He tossed Zoro beside Nami and said:

"Take him back to rest."

"Captain, Zoro—he…"

"He's fine."

Gao Wen shook his head and explained:

"When he wakes, if he can pass this trial, he may undergo a transformation—his strength might even reach the next level."

"Is that so…"

Nami immediately relaxed, and as he looked down at Zoro, a flicker of awe rose in his eyes for the first time.

This guy is strong.

Not his power, not his swordsmanship, not even his Haki.

But his heart.

Zoro has already forged a warrior's heart; all he needs now is time. But I am still on the road.

Nami couldn't help sighing. When he looked up again, Gao Wen had vanished without a trace.

He immediately checked Zoro's injuries, confirming the latter was unharmed—merely exhausted from overexertion and knocked unconscious by Gao Wen's sword intent.

He finally let his body relax.

"Damn it… you had your fun, and now I'm stuck cleaning up the mess again~"

For some reason, as Nami stared at Zoro, who had begun to snore softly, a sense of foreboding welled up in him.

"Don't tell me this is just the beginning."

After muttering a few words, Nami shook off the irrational thought, slung Zoro onto his back, and hurried toward the hospital at the harbor center.

Meanwhile.

The internal ranking battle of Gao Wen's pirate crew had ended. Roubo Luqi had left; after Franky and Nami joined, the crew's ranks were reorganized.

Keluo and Akin retained their positions at the top two, thanks to their Gold-tier strength. The third coin had been taken by Roubo Luqi; the fourth and fifth remained Zoro and Sanji.

But the rankings after that saw significant changes.

The Cat Brothers, who had remained in the East Blue, were excluded again for not participating in battle.

Though they had not abandoned training, their potential was limited; even with the Devil Fruit Diagram's enhancement, their progress had slowed after reaching Bronze level.

The amount of experience they could now provide had dwindled, reflecting this very issue.

In truth, Gao Wen's primary source of experience now came from this group of crew members—higher potential, still beyond their bottlenecks.

Yet.

The Cat Brothers' Bronze-tier strength was more than sufficient for the East Blue.

Van Fan Aoka outright declined to participate in this ranking battle.

In his words, one-on-one duels were pure torture for a sniper.

But distance favored others unfairly, so poor Van had to bear it.

Chopper, surprisingly, defeated Miss Kalifa, Nami, and Bepo to claim sixth place—clearly, he had trained hard during this period.

He had developed his Seven-Stage Transformation years ahead of schedule, even surpassing the original timeline, achieving it without the Blue Point Ball.

Chopper's strength had now entered Silver level, making him the biggest dark horse of this ranking battle.

Nami barely defeated Bepo to preserve his dignity; the two took seventh and eighth. Ninth and tenth went to the newcomers: Franky and Miss Kalifa.

All four were still struggling in Bronze level.

Nami and Bepo had touched the peak of Bronze, but for Franky to make a clear leap, he would need to further modify his body—or consume a Devil Fruit matching his own.

Nami made the same choice as Van Fan Aoka; her strength had begun to lag behind the main group.

Each day, besides charting sea maps, she clutched a Devil Fruit compendium worn thin by constant use, searching for the Devil Fruit destined for her.

…

Harbor center.

In the lord's kitchen.

Sanji was preparing tonight's meal for everyone, but unusually distracted.

Though a band-aid stuck to his face, his wounds had long healed.

It was Reiju who had forcibly stuck it there, saying she feared he'd scar.

Sanji had little resistance to women to begin with, let alone the only sister he acknowledged?!

Thus, he let Reiju have her way.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

The uniform, dense sound of falling blades echoed through the kitchen.

At one moment, Sanji's movements suddenly stopped; recalling Zoro's arrogant demeanor from a few days ago, he couldn't help but curse.

"That damn moss-head!"

The gap between the two was minuscule; given a different time and place to fight again, the result would very likely be different.

But now the result was set; at least until he could reclaim his honor next time, he had to endure Zoro's endless mockery—how could he accept that?!

He could lose to anyone but that damn guy!

With this thought in mind.

The force behind Sanji's knife cutting the vegetables noticeably increased.

He failed to notice that Reiju had already been standing at the kitchen doorway for quite some time.

"You've really written your unwillingness all over your face~"

A teasing smile lingered on the corner of Reiju's mouth as she couldn't help but sigh:

"Your bond with Zoro is truly profound~"

"Although you quarrel the moment you meet and fight endlessly, you are the ones who understand each other best."

"Who with him..."

Sanji subconsciously moved to retort, but turning around to see Reiju wearing a smile, he stopped the words about to leave his mouth, and even his hand cutting vegetables returned to normal at that moment.

He spoke with a serious expression:

"These dishes still need some time, however, I have specially prepared a dish for you seasoned with the venom of the Armored Tiger Fish."

"You can look forward to it."

A trace of warmth flashed through Reiju's eyes, and her heart, which had still been somewhat hesitant, became firm at that moment:

"If you want to defeat Zoro, there is actually another way."

"You..."

"Lady, no matter what request you have, I will fulfill it."

Sanji slid on his knees before Reiju, one hand pressed against his chest, performing a standard knight's salute.

In truth, his face had already turned red from excitement.

As long as I can defeat that arrogant moss-head, I'm willing to pay any price!

Reiju's eyelid twitched; she gave her own brother a displeased look, then took out a pitch-black pull-tab can.

"Is this... a Germa combat suit?!"

Sanji's brows furrowed slightly.

He had already resolved to cut ties with Germa; calling Lady Reiju instead of 'sister' was proof of that, and furthermore, in his memory, using a Germa combat suit carried another risk.

That was the loss of humanity.

If used arbitrarily, he might eventually become an emotionless monster like Ichiji or Niji, acting against women without any hesitation.

This was something he could not accept.

Whether it was the guidance of his mother, Zeff, or Wang Fei Guinevere, all led him to uphold the way of the knight.

Sanji immediately shook his head:

"I cannot accept anything from Germa."

Reiju had expected this:

"If you are worried that this will cause a loss of humanity, then there is no need for concern; what truly caused the defects in Ichiji and Niji was their innate modification, not the post-natal influence of the combat suits."

"Ironically."

"You, whom your father—no, Vinsmoke Judge—considered defective, are the perfectly modified human in the truest sense."

"You should have realized this point by now."

"Powerful physical qualities, the ability to manipulate flames, and nearly inhuman recovery capabilities—all of these indicate that you have also inherited Germa's power, yet without any emotional deficiency."

"Your power is not Vinsmoke Judge's masterpiece, but a treasure your mother gave her life to nurture."

Sanji fell silent for a moment; he put down the kitchen knife in his hand, leaned against the cutting board, and lit a cigarette for himself.

Hiss—!

As the smoke entered his mouth, Sanji's entire body relaxed, and his heart was filled at that moment with something unprecedented.

Reiju continued:

"Additionally, the codename for Suit Number 4 within Germa is 'Stealth Black'; apart from enhancing physical abilities and further activating bloodline factors, it also possesses the ability to achieve invisibility."

Sanji felt as if an electric current passed through his flesh; he suddenly stood up straight:

"It can turn invisible?!"

(End of Chapter)