Chapter 15: 50 Skillful Grade Sword - Abyss

Ryu, of course, had seen the newspaper article about himself.

"The Pirate Slayer, huh? Quite an accurate description. This newspaper isn't half bad."

Since gaining fame, it was inevitable that some unsavory characters would take notice of him. On a pirate ship docked in the southeastern corner of Loguetown, a notorious figure with a bounty of 16 million Beri— "Demon" Laru—had set his sights on Ryu.

The crew aboard the ship exchanged nervous glances as they watched their captain. They knew this silence all too well—it was the calm before the storm, and when Laru was silent, he was at his angriest.

"What's this nonsense about a 'Pirate Slayer'? Ridiculous! Find that arrogant brat immediately. I'll teach him what happens when he steals my spotlight!"

"Yes, Captain Laru!"

With that, the pirates scrambled off the ship, none daring to linger under their captain's wrathful gaze.

Once they were gone, Laru stomped on Ryu's newspaper photo. "Ryu… you'll regret ever crossing me."

Meanwhile, with fewer people daring to challenge him, Ryu decided to indulge in a bit of shopping. He wandered into various weapon shops, searching for the legendary Sandai Kitetsu.

It didn't take long for him to stumble upon Higuma's Weapon Shop, where the proprietor, Higuma, sat listlessly behind the counter, picking his nose. Business had been abysmal since Smoker's arrival in Loguetown, and the recent emergence of the infamous Pirate Slayer hadn't helped matters either.

Fewer pirates meant fewer customers, much to Higuma's frustration.

"Is the owner here?"

"Here! Here!" Hearing a customer, Higuma perked up instantly. But when he saw who it was—the infamous pirate hunter, Ryu—his expression shifted.

Rumors of Ryu's exploits had spread far and wide; he'd captured numerous pirates and amassed a small fortune. Greed flickered in Higuma's eyes.

"Do you have any good swords to recommend?"

"Of course! Please take a look over here."

Ryu scanned the wall display, noticing most of the swords were priced above 500,000 Beri. He picked one at random and tested its quality—it was decent enough to justify the price, but it wasn't Sandai Kitetsu . A quick glance at the cheaper sections (50,000 to 100,000 Beri) revealed nothing noteworthy either.

Am I too early? Is Sandai Kitetsu not here yet?

Deciding to make the best of his visit, Ryu began inspecting other blades. One by one, he drew them from the rack. Higuma seethed inwardly but dared not protest, given Ryu's fearsome reputation. He could only watch helplessly as Ryu examined each sword.

On the thirteenth blade, Ryu paused. "I'll take this one."

Hearing this, Higuma's demeanor changed instantly. The sword in Ryu's hand was the priciest in the shop—a 4.5 million Beri masterpiece known as Abyss, one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Swords. It had languished on the shelf for ages due to its exorbitant price tag and the dwindling number of pirates. Now, it was finally selling.

"Sir! You truly have impeccable taste! This is Abyss, one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Swords. You won't regret this purchase!"

"Mm."

Without hesitation, Ryu paid and left. Though he knew Zoro's Wado Ichimonji was also in Higuma's possession, Ryu refrained from buying it—for now.

After all, he wasn't practicing Santoryu or Nitouryuu. Purchasing Abyss was purely for backup purposes. If anything happened to BloodThirst, he wouldn't be left defenseless.

With Abyss secured, Ryu felt a surge of satisfaction. However, his attention soon shifted to a pair of lurking figures observing him from afar. Their power levels were laughable. So, someone actually dared to challenge him?

If they wanted a fight, Ryu wouldn't mind obliging. His blood pouch still needed a few hundred more units of blood, after all.

But something seemed off. These individuals weren't making any moves to confront him directly—they merely tailed him without engaging. What was their game?

Had someone sent them to investigate his movements? While Loguetown posed little threat to him now, caution was still prudent. Ryu deftly evaded their pursuit before returning to his lodgings.

Back on Laru's ship, several lackeys approached their captain. "Captain, we've located Ryu. He's staying at an inn in the western district."

"Take me there."

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, Ryu lounged in his room, sipping from his blood pouch. Instantly, a wave of vitality coursed through his body. He stopped abruptly, realizing how much his appetite had grown alongside his strength. Even a small sip equated to 1-2 units of blood these days.

Standing by the window, gazing out at the scenery, his thoughts drifted to Luffy. Before crossing over to this world, he'd learned that Luffy's Devil Fruit was the Niku Niku no Mi, the Mythical Sun God fruit.

It was tempting, no doubt—but recent reports indicated Shanks and his crew had already departed East Blue for the Grand Line. By now, the fruit was likely gone. Best to let it go.

Just as he was about to close the window and begin training, he noticed a group of figures approaching his location. Among them, he recognized the same two individuals who had been tailing him earlier.

So, they've found me.

Moments later, the group appeared before him. At their head stood Poponoko "Demon" Laru, a name Ryu recognized from bounty posters. With a bounty of 16 million Beri, Laru was a minor boss-level opponent for him at this stage.

What set Laru apart from the pirates Ryu had faced thus far was his status as a Devil Fruit user. Specifically, he possessed a Zoan-type fruit, granting him abilities far beyond those of ordinary pirates.

Fortunately, news reports suggested Laru had only recently acquired his powers and lacked proficiency, hence his relatively modest bounty. Given time, however, Laru's potential was undeniable.

Since Laru had come knocking, Ryu saw no reason to refuse the invitation.

He licked his lips hungrily.

With so many targets, the remaining 300 units of blood he needed should be easy to collect.