Ten Days Ago.
Luo Lan, through Morgans' underground network, managed to acquire a rare batch of precious ores.
Just over 20 kilograms in total, yet valued at more than 200 million Berries.
Once refined, the quantity was even smaller—but Satou was still able to forge two blades from it.
The first blade was of exceptional quality, comparable to the Supreme Grade Meito(Blade/Sword)—the highest class of swords.
As for the second, due to insufficient refined material, it had to be mixed with a few other metals during forging. Its quality remained high—somewhere between a Great Grade and Supreme Grade Meito(Blade/Sword).
Even if classified as a Great Grade, it would still be the absolute pinnacle of that category.
And now, the sword inside that box Luo Lan had just presented—
Was this very blade.
Market estimates placed the value of such a weapon at around 500 million Berries.
But a "market price" is just that—it doesn't always reflect actual selling price.
After all, the official market value of a Devil Fruit is listed as 100 million Berries, but in reality?
Even the most useless Devil Fruit can't be bought for just 100 million. They're priceless artifacts.
The same applies to Great Grade and Supreme Grade swords.
So what if it's "worth 500 million"?
If you put it up for 100 million, you'd still have buyers fighting over it.
---
"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer's voice rang out across the hall, "before we proceed to tonight's grand finale, we have a surprise addition to our lineup!"
"Introducing—Meito: Yōmei (Netherlight)!"
The crowd froze in confusion.
Meito... Yōmei?
Why had no one heard of this sword before?
It wasn't among the Fifty Skillful Grade, Twenty-One Great Grade, or Twelve Supreme Grade swords.
And if it wasn't part of those three legendary categories, how could it be called a Meito?
Moments later, a servant stepped up to the stage, carrying a long rectangular case.
He placed it on the display table and opened it—
A black blade.
That was everyone's first reaction.
Even from a distance, a chilling aura emanated from the sword, casting a cold shadow over the room.
The temperature itself seemed to drop.
Could it be... a Supreme Grade Meito?
And more than that—was it already a Black Blade?
A true Supreme Grade Black Blade?
That would be outrageous.
---
"Allow me to clarify," the host spoke again.
"This sword was forged less than a month ago, which is why it isn't listed among the official Meito rankings yet."
"However, our experts have assessed its quality as falling between the Great and Supreme Grade tiers."
"If classified as a Great Grade sword, it would be the apex of that level."
"If placed among the Supreme Grades—it would still qualify."
"Furthermore, this is not a traditional Black Blade. Its color comes from the unique materials used in its forging."
"Before we begin bidding, all interested VIPs may approach the stage for a closer examination!"
Even the finest weapon isn't suitable for just anyone.
And in high-end auctions like this, it's customary for prospective bidders to personally assess compatibility with such legendary blades.
In short: sword resonance.
What they didn't know was that this sword was forged by the 157th Division's Blade Workshop, and it came with a passive trait—
+50 compatibility.
That's not a 50% boost based on your current compatibility; it's a flat +50% increase.
The difference is enormous.
For example: if your base compatibility is 20%, a 50% increase only brings it to 30%.
But if it's a +50% flat bonus, you'd now be at 70% compatibility.
Naturally, many stepped up to the stage.
Even Vice Admiral Gion—"Momousagi" (Peach Rabbit)—couldn't help herself.
Her current sword, Konpira, was solidly mid-tier among the Great Grade blades.
But this? This sword, Yōmei, was said to rival the absolute peak of Great Grade swords—and possibly even qualify as a Supreme Grade.
The entire Navy didn't own a single Supreme Grade sword.
So how could she not be tempted?
One by one, each person who touched Yōmei showed visible surprise.
The sword resonated with each of them almost too well.
They knew: if they could win this blade, their swordsmanship would rise to a whole new level.
Even Gion gently caressed Yōmei, her expression filled with longing.
But—
She didn't have the money.
Even as a Vice Admiral, a candidate for Admiral, her military salary was nowhere near enough to afford something that could go for 500 million to 1 billion Berries.
She pulled out her den-den mushi, hesitating.
Should she make the call or not?
---
Meanwhile, in another VIP booth—
Luo Lan and his two companions looked on.
"You're really selling that sword?" one of them asked.
"Of course," Luo Lan replied. "How many of us even use swords? And that one's the inferior blade. Better to trade it for funds to grow our division."
"Inferior? Then why the hell did you give it a name as cool as 'Yōmei'?"
Zoro couldn't help but grumble.
He looked at his own two new blades—Blood Fang and Red Fang.
Decent names, sure. But compared to Yōmei?
They sounded like sidekicks.
"You idiot," Luo Lan scoffed. "Without a badass name, how are we supposed to get a high price?"
"Wait... is that how it works?"
"Of course. Now quit worrying about that and focus on your training. The day you master Advanced Armament Haki and incorporate it into your flying slashes—that's the day I'll give you Black Flame."
Zoro went silent at the mention of Black Flame.
Yes, Black Flame—the sister blade to Yōmei, forged from the same meteorite material.
But unlike Yōmei, it was a true Supreme Grade Meito—and one of the strongest among them.
Because the materials were exhausted after Black Flame's creation, Yōmei was forged with supplementary alloys.
Which made it, in Luo Lan's eyes—
A flawed product.
---
About twenty minutes later, everyone had gotten a chance to test the blade.
Once the last person returned to their seat, the auctioneer stood tall and declared—
"The bidding for Meito: Yōmei begins now!"
"Starting price—300 million Berries! Each raise must be no less than 10 million!"
"Let the bidding—begin!"
---
A/N: Updates will now be only 2x a day. You can read more advance chapters on Ko-Fi if you want.
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27