"You seem quite certain," Ryan chuckled softly, his tone carrying an inexplicable note.
"Because I saw it with my own eyes!" Tashigi nodded emphatically. "Colonel Smoker said that justice may be obscured, but it can never be defeated. The same goes for swords - as long as the one wielding it doesn't lose their way, it will never stray from the right path!"
She looked at Ryan's Wind Splitter without any trace of retreat in her eyes. "You may call me naive, but I believe even the deadliest weapon can become a tool of protection. Just like my 'Little Night Rain' - every swing protects the weak. That is its meaning, and the meaning all famous swords should have!"
"There's a certain foolish determination about you," Ryan laughed suddenly, seeing Tashigi's earnest expression. "I hope your 'Little Night Rain' always falls where it should."
"It will," Tashigi said seriously, gripping the hilt of Little Night Rain tightly, her voice soft but firm. "Those famous swords held by villains - I will definitely return them to the right path."
Amused by her "naive" stubbornness, Ryan suddenly raised an eyebrow and asked, "So you want to take my Wind Splitter too?"
"N-no, that's not it!" Tashigi reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, waving her hands frantically as her face flushed bright red, the color spreading to her ears.
She subconsciously took half a step back, then remembered she wasn't even holding Wind Splitter, her fingertips trembling with anxiety. "You're a good person. Wind Splitter in your hands can cut down pirates and protect civilians - that's how a famous sword should be. My words earlier weren't directed at you..."
Tashigi grew increasingly flustered as she spoke, nearly bowing in apology. Her light blue short hair fell before her eyes, hiding the panicked look behind her glasses. "I spoke out of turn... Please don't take it to heart."
Ryan's smile deepened as he watched Tashigi's flustered state.
This girl's devotion to famous swords was pure, her commitment to justice unyielding - she truly resembled certain people from his youth. But he wondered if those unpolished edges could remain intact when confronted with harsh reality.
Ryan said nothing more, turning to merge into the bustling crowd.
His philosophy and Tashigi's were fundamentally incompatible from the start. The justice Tashigi spoke of was too idealized, a standard suspended high above. But in the world of pirates, justice was written by the victors - the defeated had no right to even plead their case.
What inherent justice was there? Only boundaries drawn by the strong with their blades, rules established through power.
Tashigi stood in place, watching Ryan's retreating figure until it disappeared behind the street corner banners before slowly withdrawing her gaze, a strange curiosity rising in her heart.
This man's attitude toward famous swords also carried an indescribable detachment - neither like a swordsman pursuing fame, nor like a pirate coveting treasure. Where did he come from?
"Chief Petty Officer, it's time to return to base," the soldier beside her said, having already restrained Baron. Seeing her still lost in thought, he reminded her again: "We just received word that something big seems to have happened at the docks. Colonel Smoker is probably looking for you."
Tashigi snapped back to reality and quickly nodded. "Understood."
She cast one last glance toward the street corner before turning to head toward the Marines' base. The names "Wind Splitter" and "Ryan" lingered in her mind, mingling with the earlier debate about the way of the sword, leaving her distracted throughout the walk.
Inside the office at the Marines' base.
Smoker leaned back in his chair, the iron chain of his jutte resting on the desk. His gaze, beneath silver-gray hair, swept over Tashigi as she entered, his brow furrowing slightly. "Where have you been? There was trouble at the docks earlier—we've been looking for you."
Tashigi stood at attention, her light-blue hair damp with sweat and clinging behind her ears. "Reporting, Colonel. I was handling a merchant dispute on the main street and captured the pirate 'Iron Anchor' Baron and his crew."
She paused, then added as if remembering something, "During the process, I encountered a strange person."
"Hmm?" Smoker raised an eyebrow, the cigar between his fingers emitting tendrils of smoke.
"He was carrying the Good Quick Blade 'Wind Splitter'," Tashigi adjusted her glasses, her tone puzzled. "And... he said that swords are essentially weapons of murder, and that so-called righteous paths are just shackles imposed by their users."
Recalling Ryan's words about swords and power, her brow unconsciously furrowed. "His attitude toward famous blades felt odd—neither like a master swordsman nor a pirate."
"Swords are weapons of murder?" Smoker tapped his fingers on the desk, his initially casual expression growing serious. "Was this person tall and upright, smoking a cigar, with a long sword in a cloud-patterned sheath at his waist?"
Tashigi blinked in surprise. "You know him?"
"Just got back from the docks and heard from bystanders," Smoker stood up. "The 25 million Belly bounty 'Moonfang' Bench and his crew are all dead. Rumor has it that guy took them out—without even drawing his sword. Finished them off in just a few moves."
He walked to the window, gazing toward the distant port. "Though Bench's bounty was inflated, anyone who can cleanly eliminate a group of pirates like that, with such ruthless efficiency... it's probably the person you mentioned."
"Wh-what?" Tashigi's eyes widened behind her glasses, filled with astonishment. "...He killed the pirate Bench without drawing his sword?"
"What's so strange about that?" Smoker scoffed, blowing a smoke ring that dissipated in the sunlight. "Most people with real power who don't follow the rules are like that. Such individuals walk the line between good and evil—and they're the most troublesome."
He turned to look at Tashigi, his expression stern. "They aren't bound by any rules, act entirely on whim, and possess unfathomable strength. They're a latent threat to Loguetown. Stay away from him, and don't let your curiosity get the better of you."
Tashigi pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
Smoker's words sank into her heart like a stone, yet the more she heard about Ryan defeating Bench without unsheathing his sword, the more curious she became.
Someone who could effortlessly take down a notorious pirate without using a blade, yet held such unique views on the way of the sword—just what kind of person was he?
Seeing Tashigi silent and looking down, Smoker frowned. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes, Colonel," Tashigi replied promptly, though her fingers unconsciously brushed against the "Little Night Rain" at her waist.
As she stepped out of the office, a sea breeze swept through the corridor, lifting the hem of her coat. Tashigi gazed in the direction of the main street, Smoker's words echoing in her mind.
Walking the line between good and evil? But he had helped capture pirates, and he made her feel that "Wind Splitter" in his hands truly resembled a famous blade guarding justice.
Perhaps... perhaps his perspective on the world is just more complex?
Tashigi bit her lower lip, her light blue short hair swaying gently in the breeze. The curiosity in her eyes wasn't suppressed; instead, like a flame fanned by the wind, it burned even brighter.