Thou Shall Not Die

A week had passed since Taiyo created the newest Saijo Ō Wazamono, the thirteenth of its kind in the world of One Piece. Kouzaburou, a master bladesmith who had once forged a sword just one step below the Supreme Grade, was admiring Taiyo's masterpiece with deep pride. His grandson and disciple had done what few in history ever could—he had elevated the name of Shimotsuki to new heights.

Taiyo finally woke up after six straight days of sleep and immediately devoured the feast Kouzaburou had prepared for him. He stayed one more night at the forge, as Kouzaburou had yet to finish crafting a scabbard for the sword. The blade's intense heat kept burning through every material Kouzaburou tried. However, the moment Taiyo awoke, the sword stopped radiating heat, as if recognizing its master's presence and shielding itself from anyone else.

When the scabbard for the sword was finally completed, Taiyo instinctively knew its name—Zankai no Tachi. He wasn't sure where the name came from, but it felt right, so he accepted it and declared it to the world.

He then unsheathed the blade. It stood taller than three meters, a size that looked almost ridiculous next to Taiyo's current height of just barely five feet. So he carried it on his back in the same way Trafalgar Law carried his nodachi, while the two katanas he had crafted for Kuina and Zoro remained at his side.

With everything ready, Taiyo finally left the forge he had poured his soul into, after spending a little over five months there, forging the three greatest swords of his life.

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It didn't take long before Taiyo arrived at the dojo, where he immediately noticed a commotion—it was another intense battle between Zoro and Kuina. In the five months Taiyo had been away, their training had escalated dramatically. What used to be just two spars a day had become twenty, each one fought with real swords.

Pushing the limits of their healing and endurance, both Kuina and Zoro had begun wielding their respective breathing forms in full. They fought with the intent to cut—no holding back, no hesitation. Kuina, still giving herself a handicap, refrained from using her Moon Breathing. Meanwhile, Zoro went all out, fully embracing his Three-Sword Style alongside the Beast Breathing technique. His movements were ferocious, resembling a wild boar in both rhythm and aggression. Kuina, on the other hand, flowed like water—graceful yet precise, her strikes dancing with fluid elegance.

Their duel lasted over twenty minutes. The clash reached its climax when Kuina delivered a clean slash across Zoro's chest, sending him crashing to the floor with a deep wound. Despite the injury, Zoro barely flinched—his focus unwavering.

Seeing the scene, Taiyo didn't waste a moment. He rushed to Zoro's side. As he reached him, both Zoro and Kuina lit up with excitement—they knew what this meant. The greatest challenge they could ask for had returned.

Taiyo placed his hand over Zoro's wound, and in an instant, glowing butterflies emerged from his body. They gently surrounded Zoro, and the wound began to close as the butterflies dissolved into light.

"Brother."

"Taiyo."

Both Kuina and Zoro called out at once, their voices filled with joy and anticipation.

Taiyo responded with a calm smile and subtly gestured for them to follow him into the private quarters of the house, away from the other students, who were now staring at him in awe.

Meanwhile, Koushirou, who had been standing at the side facilitating the duel, rose to his feet and calmly ordered the students to continue with their routine. Once they were occupied, he quietly followed the three young swordsmen he had been guiding. Kouzaburou had already informed him that Taiyo had forged three exceptionally high-quality swords—and as both a swordsman and a sword enthusiast, Koushirou couldn't hide his eagerness to see the craftsmanship of the blades his son had created.

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When they arrived at the secluded training hall, Taiyo immediately sat down, with Kuina and Zoro following and sitting beside him. Koushirou stood silently nearby, observing them closely.

"Brother, what are those?" Kuina asked curiously, her eyes fixed on the three swords Taiyo carried.

"Yeah, what's that, Taiyo?" Zoro added, equally intrigued.

Taiyo then gently laid the swords down on the tatami mat in front of them. He placed each blade deliberately: Gekkōken before Kuina and Kurokiba in front of Zoro.

"Unsheathe them and inspect the quality," Taiyo said calmly. "These are my gifts to both of you—crafted from the lessons I learned from our grandfather, Kuina. Both swords are of equal quality, forged using the breathing techniques I taught you, designed to perfectly complement your fighting styles."

He continued, "These blades will accompany you on your journey, wherever it leads—whether you chase the title of the world's strongest swordsman, or your dreams change down the line. It doesn't matter. What matters is that these swords will be with you. But remember: to access their full power, you must tame them."

Zoro and Kuina, now filled with excitement and reverence, slowly unsheathed their respective swords. The moment the blades were drawn, a strange phenomenon occurred—each sword immediately manifested a trial within their minds.

For Kuina, the Gekkōken revealed her deepest fear: a haunting, clouded vision—her belief that being born a woman made her inherently weaker, a voice echoing her long-standing self-doubt. It was her inner demon, now weaponized by the sword to test her will.

For Zoro, Kurokiba showed a towering, mountain-sized boar roaring within his mind—a primal manifestation of the raw, untamed beast he must overcome. Despite already wielding three swords, he now faced a new adversary that demanded his full attention and strength.

These were not hallucinations but spiritual trials—tests imposed by the swords themselves, akin to how Enma drained Zoro's Haki until he learned to master it. The blades would not yield their true strength until the users proved themselves worthy.

Koushirou, seeing both of the kids froze, suddenly approached them curiously, he then inspected the two who was undergoing their trial. 

"Taiyo, is this really necessary?" Koushirou asked his son, concern evident in his voice. He wasn't sure if Kuina and Zoro were mature or strong enough to overcome the trials presented by the swords.

"Don't worry," Taiyo replied calmly. "This is just the beginning. The swords will only test them lightly for now—just enough to gradually temper their wills. When the time is right, and they've grown stronger, the real trials will begin."

"I see…" Koushirou nodded slowly, studying Taiyo with a mix of admiration and surprise. "It seems you've surpassed everyone on the seas when it comes to forging legendary blades."

Taiyo simply smiled in response.

Then, without a word, he unsheathed his own sword—Zankai no Tachi—and handed it to his father for inspection. Koushirou accepted it with both hands, his eyes widening. It was extremely rare to even see a Saijō Ō Wazamono—a Supreme Grade sword—let alone hold one. The weight, the balance, the aura… it was unlike anything he had ever touched.

The sword remained calm, sensing Taiyo's will to allow Koushirou to touch it. Because of this, it refrained from releasing its usual fire-like heat—something it would normally emit when approached by anyone other than its master.