28. Battle with the Sword

The sword had the same appearance as a normal broadsword. It's length was around a meter or so, above ground, but since I didn't know haw much of it was under ground, I didn't know how long it really was and it was around a palms wide . But it should be around 150 to 170 cm, based on its hilt.

The hilt was 20 cm long and looked like a bird, the pommel being its tail feathers, the guard being its wings and the blade came out of the head of the bird, while the grip was its body. The bird slightly resembled a roc, and together with what was written on the blade, my guess should be correct.

What was written on the blade was.

'Rokku no Eiko'

Meaning, the Glory of the Roc.

That should be its name.

I then walked towards the sword, through all these corpses. But as soon as I was only 30 meters from the sword, a mighty Sword Force assaulted me.

But as if provoked, my own Sword Force burst out of me and protected me from the swords Sword Force, allowing me to easily continue forward.

Although the Sword Force of the sword was getting stronger and stronger, but my own Sword Force was still able to cope with it. After 2 years of training my Sword Force reached the peak of the middle stage.

Then when I reached a distance of 10 meters, the Sword Force didn't get any stronger, but an additional bloodlust assaulted me.

It was very dense and tried to influence my mind, into going into a rampage, but this was also no problem, as I exploded with my Conquerors Haki, pushing the bloodlust away from me.

And so because of my own Sword Force and my Conquerors Haki, I was able to shrug the attacks, of this sword away and reached the sword.

Now standing in front of it, I could observe it more closely, and the sword really looked great. Both from the esthetic point of view, as well as from a swordsman point of view, as the blade was so sharp, that even the air, seemed to be cut.

This should be a Great grade sword at the very least. It might be even one of the 12 Supreme graded swords. In the show one saw only two after all.

But I don't care I even if it is. All I care about, is that this is a treasure. And even though it's not my kind of weapon, but I might be able to trade it in the future, for a sword, which is compatible with me.

So let's take it.

I griped the handle of the sword without further hesitation.

But as soon as I grabbed it, the bloodlust from before exploded into another level, stunning even me for a short moment, although I still had my Conquerors Haki active. And in that moment where I was stunned, the sword acted.

It used its bloodlust, to create shackles on my mind, trapping me inside of it, making me unable to defend myself, from what came next.

It slowly started to such me of my blood and flesh, in order to do that, the feathers on the hilt suddenly spiked outwards, piercing through my palms.

You could now see, my arm slowly loosing its color, as well as the muscle mass, I had trained, since I was a little child.

Although my muscles were not overly burly, but they were very compact and defined, giving me a very lean appearance.

I struggled in my mind, trying to break out of it, using both my Conquerors Haki, as well as my Sword Force, but the chains were too strong. As the Sword Force, coming from the sword, was also infused into the chains, making them very sturdy. An it seemed, as if the sword held back before, as it's Sword Force was on the same level as me. Which was insane, as I never heard of a sword, having its own Sword Force.

I first thought that the Sword Force it attacked with, was the residue, of the old master, but now that I was in direct contact with the sword, I could tell, that this Sword Force originated from the sword itself.

Which meant, something even more incredible. It had to have its own consciousness, and not just simply a consciousness, which was able to decide its master, or something like that, no what I mean, is a consciousness,  that could cultivate on its own, could move on its own, and make its own decisions.

Why it didn't fly away, after it has massacred the entire island, is a mystery to me. Before the incident yesterday, it was probably sealed, preventing it from escaping, but now? Now it was free to leave, as the seal was obviously removed.

Ah but I don't have time to ponder this!

I have to escape my mind, to survive, to fulfill my revenge, to fulfill my dream, to be free and adventure!

Ahhhhhh!

I continued, attacking the chains, which confined me in my mind. I could only use my Sword Force and Haki, as this was inside my mind, making my body and devil fruit completely useless.

I used one sword technique after the other, my unfinished own Core Technique, and the Core technique of Master.

But it was all useless.

The chains were too strong.

This… this can't be!

Is my journey going to end already?

But… but, what about my adventure?

My dream?

My Revenge!

Is all going to stay unfulfilled?

All due to a sword?

Not even due to some strong marine, or CP agent?

But a stupid sword?

No.

NO!

NOOOOO!

I can't accept that!

I won't accept that.

Break, you stupid chains!

Break. Break! BREAK!

My limbs were already only skin and bones, leaving only my torso and head, resembling my previous self, but I couldn't break out of my mind. Making me desperate.

Striking harder and harder, at the chains.

Just let me free.

I want to be Free!

FREE!

Stop shackleing me down.

I want to spread my wings!

Spread my wings and fly!

Fly and be Free!

Free to adventure!

Free to see the world!

Free to love!

Free to do what I want!

Free to protect who I want!

Free to kill who I want!

Simply being Free!

Free you hear me!

FREE!

Admit this despair, and senseless attacking the chains, my prison, it suddenly clicked.

Yeah, all I want is being free. Being free from all the shackles of the world or from those I impose on myself. That is also the reason I didn't want my old memories, of my previous life. I wanted to be Free in this life!

This is also why I swing the sword. To be Free!

This relevation, allowed me to breakthrough in my Sword Realm.

Creating my real first move of my own Sword Technique.

Thinking of my current situation and remembering the legend of a specific bird, I found a new more fitting name for the move.

[First Move – Roc spreading its Wings]

A mighty wave of Sword Force, instantly reaching all around me, as if I stretch my wings outwards, swept all around my mind space. Shattering all the chains, who couldn't withstand so much force reaching all the chains at the same time.

I was let out of my mind, instantly allowing me to control my body again. Or what was left of it, which was not so much. All my muscles gone, my limbs only being skin and bones, a few missing organs. I was in a really terrible state, the only reason I wasn't dead yet, being my enormous vitality, even I didn't know I had.

But I still clutched to the sword, if I let go now, I know I would probably die very soon, and even if I don't, I would be crippled.

This won't do!

"Give it back!"

I roared, as I pulled the sword with all my might.

This seemed to have awakened the sword, as it had stopped the suction, when I broke the chains on my mind.

It tried to resist, by sucking my remaining organs and flesh.

But now that I was out of my mind I could finally defend my body. I used my now late stage Sword Force, to defend against the sucking Force of the sword. Something, that now, after my breakthrough, worked.

While I was defending the sucking force with my Sword Force, I used my Conquerors Haki, which also seemed to have gained a boost, to defend against the resurfacing bloodlust.

Now being able to defend against its, attacks, I focused all my strength to draw the sword out of the ground, repeatedly roaring.

"Give it back!"

It struggled, seemingly not wanting to be drawn by me. But I don't care, as I continued to draw it cm for cm.

With each cm, I felt a slowly forming connection, between me and the sword, as well as a slow build up of approval. But at the same time, the sucking force and Bloodlust, kept increasing in intensity.

But I don't care, this had already turned into a life and death matter for me. I won't let go of the sword, until I drew it, as only like this, would I be able to gain my body back.

My instinct are telling me this.

Since the sword could take it, it should also be able to give it back to me.

As such I roared again.

"Give it Back!"

After a few more minutes of me struggling to draw the sword out of the ground, while resisting the increasingly stronger sucking Force and bloodlust, feeling my connection with it and it's approval, reaching nearly the maximum, I was just about to draw it in its entirety out of the ground.

And like I thought, it was around 169 cm tall, including blade and handle. The blade shining in a majestic silver, the handle seemingly coming to life, as its eyes slowly opened and looked at me.

Then, with one last pull, the Sword was finally out.

But instead of the suction force and bloodlust vanishing, like one might expect, it instead exploded with a new level of power, trying one last time to devour me.

But I somewhat anticipated something like this, from such a vile sword, and was able to just barely defend, if I didn't breakthrough, I would have probably succumbed to this attack, and died.

Seeing me surviving its final struggle, the eyes, which were now fully opened, revealed a hint of approval and shut close. At the same moment I also felt the acknowledgment and connection with the sword reach its peak.

It was also at this moment, a massive amount of flesh and blood energy entered my body, restoring its to its previous peak, and even going slightly beyond, as my muscles became even more compact.

Looks like I tamed the sword.

Just too bad, it wasn't compatible with my fighting style.

But as if it heard my words, the Sword suddenly glowed with a blood red, mixed with streaks golden light. It then shot a beam at my sword on my back, which after being hit by the light, started to dissolve, and entered the light beam, afterwards this lightbeam returned to the Rokku no Eiko, which then underwent changes.

It slowly started to grow.

It grew until it reached the same length of around 5 m and width of 16 cm of my previous sword. Except it now being longer, it looked still the exact same.

As I wondered at my new sword, the ground suddenly trembled.