517. Buggy's Scheme

Buggy receives the news that the Straw Hat alliance has started their training in Wano. He isn't surprised and instead, it makes him excited to see their progress. Some schemes also pop out in his mind for when the kids are done with their training.

He really likes scheming and manipulating things behind the scenes. It's fun to see things going as he planned. He likes it even more if his plans don't work and he needs to make adjustments. It becomes a challenge for him, that's why he likes it.

There aren't many people who can threaten him, so it's difficult for Buggy to have challenging battles. That's why he needs to find other types of entertainment for himself and scheming things is his new hobby now.

"Tsk, doing things slowly is getting boring now. I also want to get involved directly too. Hmm, then let's not hold back and do everything at once. Let's make this chaotic, very chaotic that even I can't predict the result."

Buggy grins widely as he imagines how his plan will run. He can imagine many things that could happen in this plan, but even he isn't sure if any of those would happen because he only sets the stage. How it will play depends on the people involved and he can't predict the outcome.

"This will change everything in the world and people will remember it for hundreds of years, HAHAHA!"

"That's too far-fetched, Captain. People would forget even the biggest event in a few decades or even sooner if something bigger happens in the future."

"Tsk, shut it, Deon, don't ruin the mood. I just want it to sound really grand."

"It sounds more like an exaggerated plan that's impossible to execute instead of a grand plan."

"How'd you know? I haven't even told you my plan."

"I don't know. I just want to drop your expectations so you won't expect too much and get too disappointed later when it doesn't work."

Buggy's face darkens and Deon suddenly has a very bad feeling. Then before Deon realizes it, he has gotten punched in the face and flies out of the room. He flies from the castle in the middle of the island and drops on the beach, head first.

"What a persistent & tough guy. He really likes to piss you off and never stops even though he suffers every time."

"That's what you call a big idiot."

"Anyway, what's the plan that makes you that excited?"

Buggy grins and tells his executives about his plan. They start frowning deeper and deeper as Buggy tells them his plan even though they are used to doing crazy things. However, now they understand why Buggy is very excited because they can feel how exciting it will be if the plan works.

"This will surely go down in history no matter the result."

While Buggy is scheming things, the Straw Hat alliance is training seriously on Wano. They are very eager to get stronger after seeing the power of advanced haki or what Wano people call Ryuo. Now they understand why Ace said they won't have a chance against an Emperor crew before.

After all, the first thing that happened in their training was tasting the effect of Advanced Haki with their bodies. Oden showed them its power and effect when used in battles. All the main fighters couldn't even take a single hit from Oden even though they used their haki.

Those who are already proficient with armament and even conqueror haki are training to activate advanced haki. While those who still can't use it are training their normal haki. Many of them haven't even been able to use haki, so they are trying to activate it first because haki is very useful, even at the normal level.

While training, Leo is visiting a swordsmith that is recommended by Oden which is none other than Oden's father, Kozuki Sukiyaki. He is one of the best swordsmiths in Wano and the former shogun of Wano Country. Leo looks for a swordsmith to do maintenance on his cutlasses.

When he arrives at the workshop, Leo finds a little girl throwing some shurikens onto a target in front of the workshop. Most of the shurikens missed the target, but some still hit. Leo is really impressed by it because he knows it's not easy to do.

"Excuse me, little girl."

"Who?!"

The little girl is startled and gets into a defensive position immediately while looking at Leo with shurikens in her hands.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I don't mean harm. Sorry for surprising you. I just want to ask if this is Kozuki Sukiyaki's workshop. I'm here to ask for sword maintenance."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming because I was too focused on my training."

"You are a kunoichi?"

"D-do I look like one?"

The little girl is blushing even though she already has blush-like round marks on her cheeks.

"You are not?"

"Hehe, I'm still training to be a real kunoichi. Aniki, you don't seem to be from around here."

"Yeah, I come from a faraway place."

"How far?"

"Hmm, it will take months to reach my home from here by ship."

"Is the world outside fun, aniki?"

"Yeah, it's fun, but also very dangerous. I almost died many times in my journey."

"You must be really weak, aniki."

"You're right, I realized that I'm still very weak. That's why I am training in Wano to get stronger and I need to keep my weapons well-maintained so they won't break."

"Ah? I'm sorry, you are searching for master Sukiyaki. He is inside, I will take you to him."

"Alright, thanks, little girl. My name is Leo, what's your name?"

"My name is Otama, Leo aniki."

Otama takes Leo into the workshop where an old man is sleeping soundly on the mat. She tries to wake him up by calling his name and moving his body, but he doesn't wake up at all. It upsets her, so she goes away for a moment and returns with a bucket of water that she splashes onto him.

"W-WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?"

"Master, I told you to not sleep in the late morning because people often come around this time and Toki-sama also scolded you many times."

"Otama, you are working for me, so why are you listening to Toki instead?"

"T-that's....."

"Old man, she is helping your business run, you know. At least she is right that people often come around this time, just like me."

"Hmm? Who are you?"

"A customer. So, are you running your business or not?"

"What a rude customer. It seems you aren't from here. What do you want, boy?"

"I need sword maintenance for my babies."

"Cutlasses? Are you a pirate?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"No, it's just been a long time since I got a pirate customer. Let me see your swords."

Leo hands over his swords and Sukiyaki checks them.

"Eh?! Aren't these...."

"What's wrong, old man?"

"These swords, I was the one that made them. You, where did you get these swords?"

"What?! I got them from my dad when I was a kid. Why?"

"Your dad? Ah, now that I take a better look at you, you look quite similar to that person except for his red nose and evil look. So he made these swords for you, huh?"

"You really were the one making these swords?"

"Yeah, look at these hidden signs on the hilts and scabbards. I always put them in my swords and I never forget the swords I made, especially if they are my best creations. These 2 are very particular among my creations because they are the only cutlasses I ever made. They are also made from special materials, so I can identify them easily even without looking at my signs. I still can remember how shocked I was when your father brought the materials. He brought some rare metals that I had never even seen before in my life to make these swords. At first, he asked me to make sabers, but then he changed them to cutlasses."

Leo is speechless by what Sukiyaki said. Then he remembers Oden's strange smile when telling him to do maintenance in Sukiyaki's place. Now he understands that Oden wants to reveal this fact to him.

Well, he always knows that his father loves him and his sisters very much, so this is not that surprising. He is more surprised to find out that these swords were made in Wano and the one who made them is the old man in front of him.

"Well, I was using sabers at the beginning of my training. But then I changed to cutlasses, so maybe that's the reason."

"Oh, no wonder. But boy, it seems you have fought a lot of great battles. I can see you are trying your best to take care of these swords, but the damages from your battles are still quite clear. Normal swords would break apart many times already, but these swords are equal to 21 Great Grade Blades, so they won't break even if you don't maintain them well."

"What?! They are equal to 21 Great Grade Blades?"

"Yeah, they are just not that famous yet, but their qualities are definitely in that grade, and I believe they are on the higher ranks even among 21 Great Grade Blades. They would enter 12 Supreme Grade Blades once they turned into black swords. But it all depends on you. Even Oden hasn't been able to make his swords black."

Black swords, Leo obviously knows this because Shanks told him about it when he trained with Red Hair Pirates. As a swordsman, he obviously wants to make his sword black because so far, he only knows 2 black swords, Yoru and Shusui.

He doesn't know that Buggy's twin Kopis swords have turned black too. So he only knows 2 people who managed to make their swords black, Mihawk and Ryoma. Even Shanks, Pirate King Roger, and Whitebeard couldn't do it, so it must be very difficult.

'Black Swords, they are like the proof when one reaches the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Mihawk is the best swordsman and Ryoma slew a Dragon with his sword. I don't plan to be the strongest swordsman, but dad is the strongest individual in the world. I never thought about it, but his swords must be some of the best too. To defeat the best, I need to be the strongest myself and have the best weapons. Making my swords black seems to be the best goal for my weapons and to do that, I need to keep feeding them haki. But it seems my haki needs to be very powerful too for it to affect the swords faster. Alright, let's be the most powerful haki user too.'

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You can read more chapters ahead of my fanfics and more pictures on my Pa_treon page if you are interested.

Voting for this book is highly appreciate. Cover image is the MC, artist's ig: @fatmaqn_

I've uploaded Chapter 555. Unexpected Rewards

- Pictures of both stories (ex: bounty poster & magazine cover) by fatmaqn_

https://www.pa_treon.com/CaptMermain

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