"Try them out and see how they feel in your hands. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me and I'll modify them for you," Kaito said with a smile after Zoro caught the swords.
By now, Zoro had already realized what was going on. The moment Kaito finished speaking, he eagerly began examining the three swords in his hands.
The three blades were none other than Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Yubashiri.
To be more precise, they were Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Yubashiri after being strengthened through the power of the Munch-Munch Fruit.
After the two groups reunited, Kaito naturally hadn't forgotten about Zoro, an exceptionally promising talent. Just as he had done for Law, he had also strengthened all three of Zoro's swords.
The same applied to the black mace now carried by Bone.
During the battle against Crocus, Bone's original mace had been shattered by the opponent. Because he had been preparing to travel to Water 7 shortly afterward, he hadn't bothered replacing the destroyed weapon.
As his first subordinate, Kaito naturally wouldn't forget about Bone.
Therefore, once the two groups reunited, Kaito immediately handed him the newly forged mace he had prepared.
Like Kaito's golden sabers, the quality of the new mace was no weaker than that of a Great Grade weapon.
Zoro carefully examined Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, and Yubashiri.
The more he inspected them, the more delighted he became.
At Zoro's request, Kaito hadn't altered the external appearance of any of the three swords.
Their quality, however, had undergone a tremendous transformation.
Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri had naturally been strengthened enormously, but even Wado Ichimonji, which was already a Great Grade sword, had received a significant improvement.
Clang!
Unable to contain his excitement, Zoro immediately decided to test the blades.
He assumed his Three-Sword Style stance before suddenly leaping into the air and slashing toward the distant sea.
Three brilliant flashes of sword light erupted simultaneously.
In the next instant, they transformed into three fierce flying slashes that tore across the sea dozens of meters away, carving several intersecting gashes through the water.
Watching Zoro unleash flying slashes while testing his newly strengthened swords, Kaito nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing in his eyes.
Zoro truly hadn't disappointed him.
The group that had traveled to Water 7 hadn't merely succeeded in ordering the new ships.
The journey itself had also provided excellent opportunities for Lafayette and the others to temper themselves.
Zoro was the clearest example.
Thanks to his extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, he had successfully broken through his previous bottleneck, comprehended the realm of cutting steel, and become the third true swordsman among the War Pirates.
That was also why Kaito had strengthened Zoro's weapons immediately after the two groups reunited.
The upgraded swords could be considered his reward for Zoro's advancement as a swordsman.
"Captain, should we leave immediately to find Baroque Works, or should everyone rest first?"
While Zoro continued testing his swords, Robin walked over to Kaito and asked.
Hearing her question, Lafayette and the others also turned toward Kaito.
"There's no rush. Everyone can rest for the entire day. We'll leave tomorrow," Kaito replied casually.
After the two groups reunited, Kaito had already explained the purpose of their return to Alabasta.
Their target was Baroque Works.
When Kaito had previously read Cobra's memories, he had also learned about Crocodile's current situation.
Although Kaito's intervention had prevented Crocodile from recruiting Robin, the man had still come to Alabasta and established Baroque Works.
Kaito could more or less guess Crocodile's reasoning.
The Poneglyph recording Pluton's location was hidden somewhere in Alabasta.
Unless Crocodile had completely abandoned his ambitions, there was no possibility that he would simply give up on Alabasta.
Furthermore, judging from Crocodile's actions in the original story, obtaining Pluton wasn't his only goal.
He also coveted Alabasta itself.
Although the superpower possessed a harsh desert environment, its military reserves were extremely formidable.
Its standing army alone numbered six hundred thousand soldiers.
In other words, if someone successfully seized control of Alabasta's royal authority, even without obtaining Pluton, they would still gain control over an immensely powerful military force.
There was no need to rush.
The War Pirates rested for the remainder of the day.
The next morning, Kaito set out for Rainbase with Robin and the other officers, along with fifteen hundred troops drawn from three brigades.
Bone and Sandy remained behind to guard the fleet.
Rainbase had originally been nothing more than an ordinary city in Alabasta.
However, since the previous year, rainfall throughout Alabasta had gradually begun to disappear.
As the drought worsened, Rainbase became the only place where rain continued to fall.
Because of that, it had gradually transformed into the dream city of Alabasta.
Of course, there was another important reason for the city's rapid rise.
An extraordinary figure had settled there.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile.
Despite being a notorious pirate who should've inspired fear wherever he went, Crocodile hadn't behaved like a pirate at all since arriving in Alabasta.
Not only had he invested heavily in Rainbase, developing casinos and various other businesses, but he had also repeatedly defeated and eliminated pirates who invaded Alabasta.
In only one or two years, Crocodile had transformed from a feared pirate into a national hero admired by countless people.
In the hearts of many Alabastan citizens—especially the residents of Rainbase—Crocodile's reputation had even surpassed that of King Cobra.
On this particular day, Crocodile, the secret owner of the casino known as Rain Dinners, was holding a meeting with his subordinates.
"Well?"
"Have you still found nothing about Nico Robin?"
Sitting at the head of the table with a cigar between his lips, Crocodile swept a gloomy gaze across the Baroque Works officers gathered before him.
The situation was different from the original timeline, where Robin had managed the organization on his behalf.
Without an exceptional agent capable of handling the organization's operations from behind the scenes, Crocodile had still established Baroque Works, but he hadn't remained hidden.
Instead, he had personally stepped into the spotlight.
As a result, the senior officers of Baroque Works all knew the identity of their boss.
"No."
"Although I discovered that she appeared in West Blue, I don't know why, but I haven't been able to find any information about her exact whereabouts."
On the left side of the rectangular conference table, a beautiful woman with a seductive figure shook her head helplessly.
She was one of Baroque Works' senior officers, Zala, codenamed Miss Doublefinger.
She was also the user of the Paramecia-type Spike-Spike Fruit.
"Nico Robin, the Devil Child..."
"That woman is extremely good at hiding."
"If the Boss needs her, I can personally travel to West Blue and search for her!"
On the right side of the conference table, a heavily made-up man with flamboyant mannerisms shouted enthusiastically.
This man was Bentham, codenamed Mr. 2 Bon Kurei within Baroque Works.
He was also the user of the Paramecia-type Clone-Clone Fruit.
"Hey, that won't do, Mr. 2."
"You're a key part of our plan to incite the rebel army. You can't just run off wherever you want."
The person who spoke was Mr. 5, a man whose appearance resembled that of a rock musician.
He was also the user of the Paramecia-type Bomb-Bomb Fruit.
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