Chapter 16: The Will of the Sword

The air was thick with tension as I stepped forward, my body still pulsing from the battle. The spirit of the swordsman had faded, his final words still lingering in my mind.

"The sword is yours."

And there it was.

Embedded in stone, standing tall at the heart of the ruins—the cursed blade.

Its blackened edge gleamed under the dim light, flickering with an ominous aura. The closer I got, the heavier the air became, as if the sword itself was exuding an unseen pressure.

This was no ordinary weapon.

This was a Supreme Grade Sword.

A blade that had cut down warriors for centuries. A blade that had rejected countless wielders.

And now, it was time to see if it would accept me.

I reached out, my fingers hovering over the hilt.

Then, with a deep breath, I grasped it.

Visions of the Curse

The moment my fingers wrapped around the hilt, everything disappeared.

The ruins, the island, the cold night air—all gone.

I was standing in darkness.

And then—the voices started.

"You are weak."

A whisper. Then another.

"You will never be strong enough."

Shadows twisted and danced around me, forming phantoms of my past.

I saw Kaido towering over me, his monstrous grin spreading as he crushed my father beneath his club.

I saw my mother's final moments, her eyes filled with sorrow as she sent me into the future.

I saw Wano—burning, suffering, lost to darkness.

The voices became louder.

"You will fail like your father."

"You are not worthy of wielding me."

"Your will is weak. Your heart is fragile."

I gritted my teeth, gripping the sword tighter. The visions were trying to break me.

The sword wasn't just testing my strength.

It was testing my will.

Unleashing My Haki

I refused to lose.

I had spent two years alone, training, fighting, enduring pain and hardship.

I had come too far to be broken now.

I clenched my jaw, and from deep within me, I felt it—the fire of my spirit.

"ENOUGH!"

I unleashed my Conqueror's Haki, a surge of pure willpower exploding outward from my body.

The shadows writhed and screeched, recoiling as my Haki crashed against them.

The phantom of Kaido shattered into dust.

The burning image of Wano flickered and disappeared.

The voices—they screamed, then fell silent.

I stood firm, gripping the cursed sword, my Haki roaring like a storm.

"I AM NOT WEAK!" I shouted, my voice shaking the void itself.

"I WILL BECOME STRONGER!"

The darkness around me cracked.

The sword trembled in my grasp.

And then—

Everything collapsed.

The Blade Accepts Me

I gasped as my vision snapped back into reality.

The ruins reappeared around me. The cold wind brushed against my skin. The weight of the sword in my hands was real.

The trial was over.

And I had won.

I looked down at the weapon now resting in my grasp.

It felt different.

No longer rejecting me. No longer trying to consume me.

I could feel its power.

This wasn't just a cursed blade.

This was a weapon that had finally acknowledged me as its master.

I gave the sword a small swing, feeling the unnatural sharpness, the perfect balance.

This was a Supreme Grade Sword.

A blade that could stand among the strongest weapons in history.

And now—it was mine.

Checking My Panel

I exhaled, my heart still racing from the trial.

I willed my System Panel to appear.

[STATUS PANEL]

Name: Kozuki Momonosuke

Age: 10

Physical State: Peak Human (Enhanced by Monstrous Durability & Recovery)

Abilities:

✅ Toki Toki no Mi (Time-Time Fruit) – Limited Time Travel

✅ Advanced Conqueror's Haki (Refined Control, Coating Achieved)

✅ Observation Haki (Mid-Level, Capable of Future Sight for Short Durations)

✅ Armament Haki (Advanced, Can Infuse Attacks with Ryou)

✅ Monstrous Durability & Recovery (Passive: Always Active, Enhanced Endurance & Healing)

✅ Moon Shadow Sword Style – Master Level Swordsmanship

✅ Supreme Grade Cursed Sword – (Newly Acquired)

I had changed.

I had arrived on this island with nothing but my fists and willpower.

Now, I was armed with one of the strongest swords in existence.

I gripped the hilt tightly.

This was only the beginning.

I would master this blade. I would harness its power.

And one day—I would return to Wano.

And Kaido would fall before me.