Chapter 42: The Great Swordsman

"Hyah-ha-ha-ha! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Shiki the Golden Lion laughed as he observed Sharlo's movements.

Sharlo's recent attack had officially marked his entry into the realm of the great swordsmen. From now on, the world would know him as the "Blood Swordsman" Sharlo.

"Ahhh!" Sharlo took a deep breath, feeling the power within his body, and smiled. He had grown stronger, having ascended to the rank of a great swordsman.

"Hyah-ha-ha-ha! Your talent is truly enviable, kid!" Shiki slowly descended, landing on Sharlo's ship. Sharlo didn't stop him.

"Thanks, Shiki! Without your strike revealing my true desire, who knows how long it would have taken me to break through to becoming a great swordsman!" Sharlo said with a grin.

"Hyah-ha-ha-ha! No need to thank me. Just promise to help me once in the future, if it's within your power. You can refuse, of course," Shiki replied, standing beside Sharlo and gazing at the now calm sea.

Sharlo frowned slightly at Shiki's words. He disliked owing favors, but this one was unavoidable. He owed his breakthrough to Shiki.

Seeing Sharlo's frown, Shiki was unfazed. "Remember, kid, just help me once when you can, and the debt is settled," he said before floating away toward Beehive Island, his voice lingering in the air.

Watching Shiki leave, Sharlo fell into deep thought. What could Shiki want him to do? Considering Shiki's actions in the future, it wouldn't be to help him become the world's ruler—Rocks was still alive, after all. Perhaps Shiki wanted him to betray Rocks?

This seemed plausible. Shiki wouldn't know that Rocks would be killed by Roger and Garp in the God Valley battle two years from now. The more Sharlo thought about it, the more likely it seemed. In recent years, Shiki had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Rocks, and Whitebeard seldom returned to the island, only coming back when Rocks summoned him.

"It seems the Rocks Pirates are destined to disappear," Sharlo mused. With the God Valley battle only a year away, a sense of urgency gripped him. Rocks' death would plunge the seas into chaos, as many would vie for the vacant position of sea emperor.

It wasn't until the rise of the three legendary pirates that peace would slowly return, though it wouldn't last long. Roger's surrender would again stir chaos, this time against the Navy. The current Navy Admirals hadn't yet matured, making the Navy weak and susceptible to the Rocks Pirates' attacks, pushing them out of the New World.

But after Rocks' death, and before the three legendary pirates rose to power, there would be a perilous period. Kong would become the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku and Zephyr would be promoted to Admirals, while Garp would remain a Vice Admiral by choice. Despite his rank, Garp was formidable, able to chase the Pirate King across the seas.

As a member of the Rocks Pirates, Sharlo hadn't yet encountered Garp, but from what Whitebeard and Shiki had said, Garp was exceptionally strong. In battles with Garp, both Whitebeard and Shiki had never gained the upper hand, always ending up battered, though Garp didn't fare much better, often beaten up by them.

Given Shiki and Whitebeard's strength, Sharlo knew he couldn't match them. Facing Garp-led Navy pursuits in the future, Sharlo would be at a disadvantage. This thought heightened his urgency.

Currently, he could barely draw with Zephyr. "The future..." Sharlo muttered, slicing the sea in frustration, splitting it in two with his sword—a testament to his strength.

Looking at his sword, Sharlo shook his head. He needed a better weapon. Unfortunately, in the pirate world, good swords were usually katanas or rapiers, neither of which he was comfortable with. His treasury contained a captured rapier, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, called "Sanctuary Judgment." It was incredibly sharp and luxurious, but Sharlo wasn't used to using it.

Without Armament Haki, his custom-forged swords couldn't withstand a single strike, breaking easily. Sharlo had considered forging a black blade by continuously imbuing it with Haki, but it was a long process. Despite his attempts, his weapons would still break against those wielding stronger Haki.

Sharlo's fight with Zephyr had taught him the importance of Haki strength. This was his next training focus, but training Armament Haki required battling others with strong Haki, making solo practice ineffective. He needed a training partner, but hadn't found one yet. Meanwhile, he pondered his weapon situation.

"I remember Luffy encountering a good sword, though it was a cursed blade," Sharlo thought. "That sword was called the Seven-Star Sword, located on Asuka Island in the first half of the Grand Line."

Sharlo decided he needed to visit Asuka Island and thought of Shakky, Rocks' navigator and an underground intelligence dealer. She would know the island's location.

"Shakky?" Sharlo wasn't unfamiliar with her. In the future, she would be Rayleigh's lover, running a bar and selling intelligence. While Sharlo knew her well, Shakky was curious about him. From the moment he joined the ship, Shakky had gathered information on him, finding his past from before age thirteen normal, but after thirteen, increasingly strange.