Chapter 8: Chapter Eight: The Blade That Slayed the Dragon

Hank flashed a servile smile and pushed open the office door.

“Boss, it’s me, Hank.”

Wei Er followed him into the office, the air thick with a faint metallic stench and the odor of hormones.

“Is that you, Hank? Good thing you didn’t interrupt my pleasure—speak up, what do you want?”

Seated in the office was a muscular man, bare-chested, with a gleaming bald head and a violent aura that made it clear he was no weakling.

“This is the new arrival, Bai Ye, recommended by ‘that one.’ Here is the letter of introduction.”

The big man glanced at Su Xiao, took the letter, flipped through it carelessly, then tore it to shreds, his hand still wandering over the voluptuous woman beside him.

“The original price was 200,000 Berries, but something big’s coming up—things are tight. So minimum 400,000 Berries.”

Su Xiao’s face still wore a smile; he was still too weak to reveal his true emotions, though right now he very much wanted to shoot the big man and then ask him how much he really wanted.

Su Xiao simply pulled out 400,000 Berries and placed them before the big man, saying nothing.

Su Xiao’s straightforward manner made the big man raise an eyebrow.

“No wonder you’re from ‘that side’—you really know how to spend. From now on, you’re part of the guard unit. Remember to call me Boss, or my lord.”

Su Xiao still smiled, but the smile carried an eerie quality.

“Understood, Boss~.”

Successfully joining the guard unit meant one major step closer to his mission: assassinating the king.

Beside him, Hank kept his head down, eyes fixed on the floor as if it held something fascinating.

In truth, there was nothing there—he was performing a posture, signaling he hadn’t seen his superior take a bribe.

From this alone, one could see how chaotic the pirate world was: with enough money, even higher ranks could be bought—and for Su Xiao, this was undoubtedly good news.

Berries meant little to him; what he lacked most was time. Any problem Berries could solve wasn’t a real problem.

【Prompt: Hunter joined the Guard Unit faction. Minor plot shift occurred. Gained 2.1% World Source.】

Outside the office, Su Xiao received his standard guard unit equipment: a uniform and a matchlock pistol.

In the warehouse, Su Xiao stared blankly at the crude matchlock in his hand, then looked at Hank.

“Hank, can I swap for a different weapon?”

Hank’s expression turned uneasy.

“This~ All equipment is assigned. I can’t…”

His hesitant tone made Su Xiao understand: the man was demanding a bribe.

Without a word, Su Xiao slipped 30,000 Berries into Hank’s pocket. Hank’s face instantly brightened into a wide grin.

“We’re comrades—when there’s trouble, we work it out. Pick your weapon yourself, but only one. That’s the rule, no exceptions.”

Su Xiao set down the matchlock and began searching the warehouse. Weapons of all kinds lined the shelves—soon, his gaze locked onto a longsword.

The blade was over a meter long, with a width of about three centimeters and a slight curve. Not as refined as his own blade, but still a fine weapon.

“I’ll take this one.”

Su Xiao picked up the sword, sheathed it—and as his fingers touched the hilt, the Lunhuileyuan immediately triggered a prompt.

“Hey, hey, you can take any other weapon—but not this sword.”

Hank’s expression turned cold, as if he’d never received the 30,000 Berries.

“What did you say?”

Su Xiao held the longsword, tilting his head toward Hank, cold light flickering in his eyes. Constant yielding only made others see him as weak and easy to exploit.

Hank noticed Su Xiao’s gaze and froze, a chill surging through him.

This guy had killed before—more than once.

Hank struggled internally, wanting to confront Su Xiao on the spot—but the sight of Su Xiao holding a blade made him deeply wary.

“Hank, don’t dwell on this. We’re ‘friends,’ aren’t we?”

Su Xiao pressed the hilt of the sword against Hank’s chest.

Either take the money and stay silent—or Su Xiao would cut him down right here. Only two choices. This longsword was vital to his mission.

And once something was in his grasp, Su Xiao wouldn’t relinquish it over a threat.

He believed that even if he killed Hank, a sufficient bribe to the big man would ensure he turned a blind eye.

“This stays between you and me. Consider the sword a gift to cement our friendship.”

Hank clapped Su Xiao’s shoulder warmly—he had surrendered. The tension in the warehouse dissolved.

“I just arrived in the capital and need to learn the lay of the land. I’m glad to count you as a friend.”

Su Xiao sighed inwardly. Even a mere guard was this hard to handle—what kind of enemies would he face once he reached the king’s side?

The thrill of this challenge made his heartbeat quicken, blood surging through his veins—he was beginning to enjoy it.

The warrior instinct within him was slowly awakening.

Su Xiao had been so firm because, when he touched the longsword, the Lunhuileyuan had given him a prompt.

【Obtained: Dragon-Slaying Flash】

Dragon-Slaying Flash (White · Rare)

Origin: One Piece, Iron Furnace Forge

Durability: 35/40–5 (This weapon suffered severe damage; durability reduced by 5.)

Attack Power: 5~16 (Calculated by strike intensity)

Equipment Requirement: Strength 2 to use; Strength over 5 for fluent use.

Rating: 10 (Note: White equipment ratings range from 1 to 10. A rating of 10 is marked ‘Rare’ and gains special properties.)

Special Property: Dragon’s Majesty—when wielding this weapon, instills a Zhenshe effect on enemies. ( Zhenshe : Reduces enemy morale.)

Description: Once the blade of the Dragon-Slaying Sword Saint, Ryuma, in his youth. Severely damaged, its rank dropped after repair. Later, after Ryuma acquired the Black Blade: Shusui, this weapon was left in his bedroom. After Ryuma’s death, it was deemed unworthy to be buried with him and eventually ended up in the outside world.

Master, I’m nearly rusted—where are you? Swing me and slay that dragon!

Price: 1,100 Arena Coins (This item is a Rule Item; can be taken out of the One Piece world.)

……

Ryuma was no ordinary figure—he was a powerhouse in the One Piece world. Even now, the world’s greatest swordsman, Mihawk, might not surpass him.

How could the blade of such a master be weak? Su Xiao even suspected that if this Dragon-Slaying Flash had never been damaged, it might have been a Green, or even a Blue weapon.

That was why Su Xiao was willing to turn on Hank to claim it.

Fortunately, they hadn’t truly broken ties—this false “friendship” could still last a while.

“You’re lucky, kid. This sword was seized from a pirate crew. Aside from me, few know it’s a treasure. If I could use a blade, and if the warehouse rules didn’t forbid choosing a second weapon, I’d have taken it long ago.”

Su Xiao smiled but said nothing, simply sheathing the Dragon-Slaying Flash at his waist.

With the blade on his person, his combat power surged dramatically, bringing him a sense of calm.

“Let’s go. Something big’s happening in two days—we won’t have time to idle.”

Hank sighed, as if burdened by dread.

“What’s happening? Give me a heads-up so I can prepare.”

“In half a month, the World Noble, the Celestial Dragons, will inspect the Kingdom of Goya. So the day after tomorrow, we’re cleaning out the Scrap Terminal.”