Chapter 54: [Pirate Hunter]

He opened the trading website and scrolled through the bronze-level materials available for purchase. His eyes landed on a familiar item that made his heart skip a beat:

Bronze-level Nameless Demon Sword (Gold)—1.6 million Empyrean Dollars.

"Of course the association materials show up here," he muttered, recognizing the very sword he had passed up during his last reward selection. But something bothered him. "Why is there only one available?"

This was becoming a real problem. The card concept he was developing required at least three sword-type materials to function properly. If he couldn't find what he needed, he'd have to settle for lower-grade substitutes, which made the perfectionist Lore Cardian cringe.

This was the eternal struggle of their profession. Bronze-level materials were scarce enough, but higher-tier materials? Those were practically mythical. Most high-level Lore Cardians hoarded their premium materials and traded only through exclusive barter networks. Empyrean Dollars were worthless to them, just fancy paper like currency during an economic collapse.

This explained why powerful cards were so rare on the market. Sometimes a Lore Cardian's mental power would surge past the advancement threshold, but they would be held back by inadequate materials that didn't match their carefully crafted stories. Even worse, once they located the perfect secret realm materials, they had to survive the monsters guarding them.

Azrael counted himself lucky in that regard. His ability to adapt stories to available materials gave him a flexibility that other Lore Cardians could only dream of.

Shaking off these gloomy thoughts, he quickly purchased the Nameless Demon Sword. He still remembered losing the Type 1 Biological Colonization Suit to another buyer, even though fate had eventually delivered that material to his hands.

"There goes half my savings in one click," he sighed, watching his account balance plummet.

Between his recent material sales and accumulated earnings, Azrael had amassed 3 million in liquid assets. Now, barely 1.4 million remained. That was definitely not enough for two purple-quality materials at market prices.

It was time to leverage his inventory. He'd have to trade away the Bloody Devourer.

Sword materials dominated the trading market, so finding options didn't take long. Within minutes, he negotiated a deal with a seller: two identical bronze-level Family Heirloom Swords (Purple) in exchange for his Bloody Devourer, with the trader throwing in 200,000 Empyrean Dollars to balance the value.

Technically, Azrael got the short end of the stick. However, materials in storage were worthless; only cards that could translate into real combat power mattered. He could live with the loss.

The Cuckoo Bird delivery service promptly delivered his materials. Bronze-level trades still used the standard courier system, though higher-tier exchanges required face-to-face meetings for security.

Azrael spread his materials across his workbench: two Family Heirloom Swords (purple), one Nameless Demon Sword (gold), and one bronze-level Elite Pirate Swordsman (gold). It was the most expensive card he had ever attempted.

He sketched a green-haired teenager on a blank card, capturing his determined expression and confident stance. The familiar pull of the dark, mysterious space beckoned, and Azrael allowed himself to be drawn in.

[Please start compiling your story.]

Zoro was born in Utamotsuki Village in the East Blue. His exceptional talent earned him acceptance as a disciple under Utamotsuki Koshiro, the renowned master of the Utamotsuki Dojo.

When his childhood friend and rival Kuina died tragically, Zoro swore to honor her memory by becoming the world's greatest swordsman.

Through relentless training, Zoro developed his unique Three-Sword Style, pushing his body and technique beyond normal human limits.

Following his encounter in Shells Town, Zoro joined Monkey D. Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates as first mate.

In Orange Town, Zoro defeated Cabaji, the acrobatic swordsman of the Buggy Pirates, proving his worth to his new crew.

At Syrup Village, Zoro and Luffy thwarted the Nyaban Brothers' attack and dismantled Captain Kuro's conspiracy.

During the battle at Enies Lobby, Zoro overcame Kaku, CP9's premier swordsman, unleashing his devastating Nine-Sword Style technique.

Azrael paused, feeling the story's momentum building. Unlike his previous attempts, the narrative threads seemed to weave together naturally, with each event flowing into the next.

At Sabaody Archipelago, Admiral Kizaru overpowered and captured Zoro. As the admiral prepared to deliver the killing blow, Dark King Rayleigh intervened, saving Zoro's life. Then, Bartholomew Kuma sent Zoro flying to begin two years of hellish training.

The story felt complete. Azrael wasn't surprised that Zoro's journey intertwined so closely with Luffy's that the mysterious space recognized their complementary narratives.

Mist swirled around Azrael as visions materialized. A small, green-haired child dragged massive boulders with a rope clenched between his teeth. Sweat streamed down his face as he pushed his body past its limits. The scene shifted to show that same child grown into a young man, laughing and fighting alongside a straw-hatted captain across endless blue seas.

Joy, determination, loyalty, and unbreakable resolve all crystallized into a single card that floated gently into Azrael's hands.

[Pirate Hunter Zoro]

Rank: Bronze

Quality: Red

Category: Biological

Skills:

One Sword Style: Flying Dragon Flame, Iai: Lion's Strike and Thirty-Six Phoenixes of Worry and Distress.

Two Sword Style: Hawk Wave, Rhinoceros Cycle, Double Cut, Bull Needle, and Seventy-Two Phoenixes of Worry and Distress.

[Three Sword Style]: Oni Giri, Tiger Hunt, Crow Demon Hunt, Tornado, One Hundred and Eight Phoenixes of Worry and Distress, and Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds.

[Nine Sword Style]: Demon Aura Nine-Sword Style: Asura One Mist Silver

Demon Aura Nine-Sword Style: Asura Demon Nine Flash.

Features:

[Swordsman's Heart]: Zoro's childhood dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman burns eternal. When he faces skilled sword wielders, his excitement amplifies his combat abilities.

[Way of Asura]: A scar on the back is a swordsman's shame. Zoro would rather die than retreat. His power increases dramatically when he confronts enemies head-on.

[Iron Body]: Years of brutal training have made Zoro's body superhuman. His determination to reach the top without Devil Fruit powers has made him stronger than steel.

Introduction: "I'm going to be the world's greatest swordsman!"

Advancement Path: Bronze: Pirate Hunter Zoro → Gold: Worst Generation Zoro → Emerald: Master Swordsman Zoro

Bonds:

With Mihawk

Series: Activates [World's Greatest Swordsman]

With [Luffy] series: Activates [Straw Hat Pirates]

Active Bond: Straw Hat Pirates (2/10).

Bond Effect: When Straw Hat Pirates members fight together and one falls, the survivors enter the Berserker State.

Note: Berserker State — Sacrifice reason for overwhelming power enhancement across all attributes.

"Red quality," Azrael breathed, genuinely surprised. In the original story, Zoro's strength clearly paled in comparison to Luffy's, yet here he was, holding the same card rarity.

This proved his theory that card quality depends on both narrative foundation and material investment, not just raw power scaling.

"But the ceiling is only Emerald rank?" Azrael mused aloud.

That made sense, actually. As Luffy's second-in-command, Zoro's ultimate potential would naturally be lower than his captain's Diamond-tier limit.

Dismissing his analysis, Azrael summoned Luffy and Zoro, eager to see how his two red-quality cards would perform together.