CHAPTER 12:Famous Sword "Huazhou"

Mr. 9 was much stronger than Vivi, who had rarely left Alabasta at the start of their journey. Having once visited Loguetown, he now animatedly explained to her the layout of the town's forces.

He was extremely long-winded. Logically, he should have simply introduced the major powers and the numbers under them. Yet Mr. 9 insisted on starting with the leader of the underground dark market — an old woman — rambling about how fearsome she was depending on the time of day.

If he were just an ordinary man showing off in front of a beautiful woman, Vivi might have understood. She knew her looks were outstanding even in this world, and even the name Nefertari carried the meaning of "the most beautiful." She wasn't averse to compliments and flattery. But Mr. 9's endless chatter about the old grandma who controlled the underground was becoming excessive.

Vivi nodded perfunctorily while listening.

"Well, seems no different from other towns. Underground traders dealing in stolen goods, pirates temporarily docked here, freelance bounty hunters on both sides of the law, and soldiers stationed from Marine Headquarters."

The Marines from Headquarters were very different from the branch soldiers scattered across the four seas. Headquarters Marines were elite, rigorously trained, while branch Marines were little better than local militia.

The fact that Marines from Headquarters were stationed in Loguetown showed just how seriously the World Government regarded the entrance to the Grand Line.

"The Marines aren't our concern. We're not here to cause trouble."

Still sleepy, Vivi yawned lazily, showing little enthusiasm for her mission for Baroque Works.

"It's too slow recruiting people one by one. Adults should be self-motivated! No — I mean we should first recruit some key figures, then have them pull in more subordinates. It'll snowball, growing bigger and bigger!"

They couldn't shake up Baroque Works directly yet, but they could muddy the waters from inside.

The more factions within the organization, the harder it would be for Crocodile and the core executives to control it. With constant infighting stirred up, maybe they wouldn't even need Luffy's help in the future — Baroque Works might collapse from within.

Mr. 9 started counting on his fingers, seriously pondering whether this pyramid-scheme-like strategy of "three recruiting three" would work.

Vivi glanced at the list, then pointed toward a pub nearby.

"Ms. All-Sunday said there's a guy named Lem hanging around here. Let's start with him — gather some information first."

Lem was a well-known bounty hunter around these parts. Had Vivi not intervened, he would have joined Baroque Works under the codename Mr. 11.

In Baroque Works, the closer one's codename number was to zero, the stronger they were.

Vivi, Ms. Wednesday, and Mr. 9 were at a fairly low level — Mr. 9 was just a bit stronger than average grunts, someone Vivi could easily defeat with one hand. The future Mr. 11 — being even weaker than Mr. 9 — could be imagined.

"Lem? You're lucky. See that guy sitting by the window wearing a black top hat? That's him."

After Vivi handed the bar owner a thousand berries, he helpfully pointed out their target.

Mr. 9 made no move to gauge the opponent's strength. He simply grabbed his iron rod, cracked his knuckles, and swaggered over like a thug.

Vivi, however, was fixated on something else — the long sword laid flat on Lem's table.

The sword seemed almost alive under her gaze, radiating a faint emotion of joy.

"I really like this one," Vivi thought. And the sword seemed to respond, as if liking her back.

This blade was meant for her!

In just one month, Vivi had already adapted to the ruthless spirit of this world. Here, it was better to seize a sword than buy one.

Although Vivi's swordsmanship was mediocre, it was all relative. Compared to this so-called swordsman — who would have been Mr. 11 — she was a clear master.

It was no wonder the famous sword "Huazhou" was drawn to her.

Lem sat alone in the corner. His top hat's brim shadowed most of his face. The renowned sword "Huazhou" rested within arm's reach, exuding an aura of prestige.

At a glance, Lem appeared to be a master swordsman.

Unfortunately, he was a fraud — a third-rate fighter clinging to a fine sword.

Even Mr. 9 could beat him easily. Without "Huazhou," Lem's level would plummet even further.

Recruiting someone like him normally wouldn't have been an issue.

Baroque Works had a fearsome reputation among bounty hunters, almost like being ranked among the world's strongest 500 in Vivi's past life.

Recruiting a no-name swordsman should have been easy.

However, Vivi harbored her own agenda — and things would not proceed smoothly.

At more than thirty meters away, Vivi flicked her wrist. A silver chain shot out like an arrow, the end ring controlled by her pinky finger.

With a slight tug, the chain deftly wrapped around "Huazhou" lying on the table.

Before Lem could react, the famous sword "Huazhou" was snatched away and flew straight into Vivi's hands.

"Good sword," Vivi whispered as she drew it from its sheath.

A flame-like pattern coiled along the blade's surface.

With a subtle wrist motion, she executed two crisp slashes.

It felt as if, with this sword, she could cut down anything in her way.

Different from traditional katana, "Huazhou" had a gentler curve.

Besides slashing, it could thrust, parry, and perform a variety of moves flexibly.

"That's my sword, you bastard! Give it back!" Lem bellowed furiously, charging without hesitation.

He was weaponless now, and his threat level dropped even further.

Although Vivi had resolved to avoid needless bloodshed, her hands itched to test the sword's weight.

With a single, smooth motion, she struck toward Lem's head.

The snow-bright gleam of the sword flashed across the pub.

Startled by her sheer speed and strength, Lem stumbled backward in fear.

Vivi followed up with the "Kassa Slash," a diagonal cut from right to left.

The table split cleanly in two, and the wall behind cracked open.

Seeing Lem too stunned to fight back, she thrust straight at his chest —

A simple, brutal "stab" move often used by pirates.

Lem crashed against the wall, gasping for breath.

He stared wide-eyed at the gleaming tip poised at his throat, cold sweat dripping down.

"Tsk, so weak," Vivi muttered in disappointment.

His level was far too low.

In just this month, combining her Swordsmanship Lv.4 with Dance Lv.4, she had developed several simple but efficient sword techniques.

Casually sheathing "Huazhou," Vivi found the halved table unusable but a nearby chair still intact.

With casual grace, she sat down.

The famous sword "Huazhou" leaned casually in the corner, waiting quietly at her side.