The drowsy shopkeeper, who had barely stirred when the boys arrived, immediately lost all interest in them. From his sour expression, it was clear he did not consider people interested in 'junk in barrels' to be real customers. However, the shopkeeper's face lost some of its color when he saw which specific sword had caught the attention of his new customers.
"Cool sword!" Luffy exclaimed almost breathlessly.
Zoro understood his captain's reaction well. Being not only tough but also inherently cruel, Luffy couldn't remain indifferent to a sword that seemed to bleed the invisible blood of its victims. Additionally, as soon as Zoro took the cursed katana in his hand, he was immediately ensnared by the curse placed on the sword, which attempted to turn the green-haired boy into its next victim. For the cursed katana, there was no difference whom it killed — its owner's enemies or the owner himself. Undoubtedly, this fact delighted Luffy the most. On the other hand, Zoro's face hardened. Swords should be obedient to their owners, not the other way around. The wave of Zoro's haki that spread from his hand to the sword swept away the curse's threads as if they had never existed. Only an absolutely obedient katana remained. However, it didn't become any less cursed. It could remind him of itself at the most inconvenient moment, in a moment of weakness. But Zoro didn't mind. Everything has two sides. While the curse made the katana dangerous to its owner, it also made it dangerous to his enemies.
"T-this… this sword is not for sale!" the shopkeeper's voice rang out as Zoro hung the cursed katana on his belt instead of his usual black one.
The boys looked at the now awake shopkeeper, who was likely the store owner as well. The shopkeeper's unnaturally pale face was covered in a noticeable sweat, and he couldn't take his eyes off the cursed katana. Such a reaction spoke more than words, indicating that the shopkeeper was well aware of the unusual nature of the sword Zoro had chosen. He probably genuinely wanted to get rid of the cursed katana, which is why he had shoved it into the barrels with cheap swords, hoping someone would buy it quickly. However, by trying to get rid of the sword this way, he clearly didn't consider his own conscience. It was now speaking to him.
"It's not for you to decide," Zoro replied emotionlessly. "This katana is already mine."
The shopkeeper's face stretched in surprise at such audacity.
"I see you have some guts" Luffy said with a smile as he approached the counter. "Not everyone dares to sell cursed katanas."
The shopkeeper's face elongated even further.
"You know?" he blinked in disbelief.
"Sandai Kitetsu, or 'The Sharp Sword,' one of the three cursed swords of the Kitetsu family," Zoro answered instead of Luffy, also approaching the counter.
"And while Sandai Kitetsu is considered the worst of the three existing Kitetsus," Luffy continued, "this sword is still among the fifty Ryowazamono-class swords, also known as Masterpieces… If such a sword were put up for auction, its price could reach several tens of millions, cursed or not. So I'll repeat: you have some guts. Not only are you selling cursed swords, but you're also selling masterpiece swords at scrap metal prices."
As Luffy spoke, the shopkeeper's face changed more and more, eventually resembling Usopp's best grimaces. For a moment, he froze, allowing Luffy and Zoro to enjoy his extremely amusing expression, after which real stars seemed to light up in his eyes… the boys shuddered in unison.
"Ro… Ro… Ro… Ro… RORONOA ZORO!!!"
Despite the exclamation, there was no trace of fear in it; rather, it was the opposite. From the shopkeeper's glowing gaze, Zoro himself began to feel fear. The shopkeeper looked as though he was about to spin in place from overwhelming happiness, like a teenage girl meeting her idol.
"Pfft-ha-ha-ha!!!" Luffy immediately understood the situation.
"Roronoa Zoro in my shop!" the shopkeeper cried out genuinely. "THE Roronoa Zoro in my shop!!! I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"
Zoro had long been accustomed to people either running away in fear or trying to keep their distance when they recognized him, which often annoyed him. However, now the boy involuntarily thought it might be better if they continued to do so! Zoro knew how to respond to hostility — by beating everyone up! — but he had no idea how to deal with such overt admiration.
"I was so hoping… I was waiting so long… I was afraid that… Wait!"
Suddenly interrupting his enthusiastic rambling with a confident 'Wait!', the shopkeeper darted somewhere inside the shop.
"Zoro, you've got your first fan!" Luffy congratulated the green-haired swordsman with a wide grin. "Don't forget to leave him your autograph later, so the guy can be happy!"
Genuinely embarrassed, Zoro had no idea how to respond to this, so he chose the most straightforward option:
"Shut up!"
Fortunately for Zoro, the shopkeeper returned as quickly as he had left. He was holding a katana secured on a special stand.
"Here, the best sword in my shop," the shopkeeper carefully placed the stand with the sword on the counter. "The scabbard is covered in black lacquer and inlaid, and the sword itself is incredibly sharp. Yubashiri, or "The Falling Snow," is one of the Ryo Wazamono-class swords. This sword is as good as Sandai Kitetsu, and it is not cursed."
Zoro silently extended his hand and took the katana from the stand. After holding the sword in his hands for a while, he drew the katana from its scabbard. The shopkeeper hadn't lied — the sword was indeed of the same quality as Sandai Kitetsu. But only in terms of quality.
"...This is indeed an excellent katana," Zoro said after a moment, placing the katana back into its scabbard. "And I could easily use it to its full potential. However, getting more out of it is unlikely. Yubashiri is too calm for my style."
"Too calm?" the shopkeeper blinked in confusion.
"What's your name?" Zoro asked in response.
"…You can call me Matsu, Zoro-sama."
The mention of 'sama' visibly unsettled Zoro.
"Zoro-san will be quite sufficient," the boy mumbled.
"Zoro-san!"
"…Every great sword has its own character, and Yubashiri is no exception," Zoro returned to his earlier question after another brief pause. "And Yubashiri's character is too calm. Like an old and wise woman. It can get along with both inexperienced novices and superb swordsmen. However, Yubashiri is ideally suited for inexperienced novices, and it will help them much more willingly than masters. And if a master can use Yubashiri to its full extent, for an inexperienced novice, especially a woman, the katana can give two hundred or even three hundred percent.