Bab 53: CHAPTER 53
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CHAPTER 53
Kreegan found himself in a challenging month. Bound by his word of honor to Kozaburo, he had sworn not to depart until crafting a Skillful-grade sword. For the time being, he had halted his relentless pursuit of Kreegan; he was like a relentless ghost of retribution. Over the course of the month, Kreegan had birthed five additional Graded blades, yet the elusive Skillful grade continued to evade him. Despite sensing his proximity to success, he remained baffled by the missing piece, with Kozaburo choosing to withhold crucial guidance.
Concurrently, Lex devoted his time to ship maintenance while engaging in covert sparring sessions with Kuina. On this day as well, Kreegan's latest creation emerged from the forge, yet it bore the mark of a Graded blade once again. In a surge of frustration, he flung the blade against the wall, yearning for a breakthrough. Determined, he initiated the process anew, crafting steel ingots through careful temperature adjustments and meticulous hammering, systematically eradicating impurities.
Folding and welding the components, he formed distinct steel ingots, each exhibiting varying hardness: hard (Hagane), medium (Kawagane), and soft (Shigane). In crafting the billet, Kreegan manipulated the medium steel to twice the size of the others, followed by division into four billets—two mediums, one hard, and one soft. The assembly process involved layering, with flux ensuring cohesion between hard and soft steel layers while permitting a flexible core and hardened edge. The soft core and hard edge were sandwiched between two medium hardness steel.
The ardent hammering-initiated sparks that danced, as Kreegan meticulously shaped the billet into the form of a sword. In the throes of this creative fervor, his thoughts were singularly focused on achieving sharpness and durability, free from preoccupation about attaining a Skillful-grade status. Time seemed to blur, hours fleeting by like mere minutes, and upon quenching the blade, he beheld his masterpiece, exhaustion cloaked in serenity.
As he scrutinized the blade, it became apparent that this creation deviated significantly from his earlier endeavors. An epiphany struck—Ichinami's essence resonated within this blade. Kreegan understood now, discovering that Zen-like concentration was the missing link, a pure fixation on the blade's essence, devoid of concern for success or failure. While simple in concept, achieving this focus had previously proven elusive, yet now he grasped its essence.
This sword surpassed Ichinami in length, and as he meticulously honed its sharpness, he was consumed by meticulous precision. With a name in mind, he christened it "Tsukikiri," signifying "Moon Cutting." The crafting of a tsuba, adorned with a nocturnal scene and a moon-representing hole, followed. Crafting the handle and scabbard ensued, yielding a katana boasting white handle and scabbard, contrasted by a silver tsuba.
Kozaburo's eventual presence in the workshop invited his scrutiny, his visage revealing a fleeting smile that quickly dissipated. "Decent sword," he remarked before disclosing, "You're now free to wander, once you endure the harangue from your master."
"Why?"
"Kuina has been apprehended, you reckless fool. Why endow her with a Devil Fruit?"
"To save her life, naturally. You and Master Koushirou have no inkling of her plight, do you? To you, she's your endearing granddaughter; to him, his cherished daughter. It's more complex."
"Explain."
Kreegan divulged Kuina's struggles and her emotional turmoil, yet Kozaburo's demeanor remained unwavering. Emotionless, he absorbed the account, before silently turning and departing toward the dojo.
In their return, a fractious dispute unfolded between Kuina and Koushirou, culminating in her storming out from the dojo. As Kreegan entered, an explosive outburst erupted from Koushirou, chastising Kreegan for gifting the Devil Fruit to his daughter.
"Master, please, maintain composure. What I granted her was hope."
"No, you've ruined..."
"Ruined what? Your aspirations for her future. Understand, Kuina's aspirations diverge from your own desires for her tranquility. A poison courses through her veins, akin to Zoro and myself—a poison known as the love of sword, making everything else moot. Love hardly encapsulates the depth of this infatuation; it's an obsession. If left unquenched, it shall consume her. Your intentions are pure, but you're blind to her truth. If not for the hope I imparted, she might have perished."
After a pause and a deep breath, Kreegan's tone softened,
"I acknowledge... I know your love and intent, but she craves your support. You haven't seen what I have—her anguish over her physical frailty. You perceive her as a vulnerable woman, but she's not. I know you think as a woman, she would die at the hand of a more powerful man if she pursues this future, but she will die as a happy woman. "
Master Koushirou exploded with anger,
"I want her to have a full life."
"Yes, yet the 'fullness' you seek differs vastly from her vision. Should she fall in combat tomorrow, she will die as a happy woman. It will be a full life for her. Now that she has devil fruit, she won't die easily, and in the future, when I learn about..."
Kreegan averted his gaze to Kozaburo, halting himself,
"When I learn other ways to get more powerful, I will come and teach her."
…
Faced with the reality, Koushirou's demeanor gradually transformed as he recognized his unintentional oppression of his precious daughter. A week ago, he'd been oblivious to zoan Devil Fruits. He had heard of them but never seen one, and nearly succumbing to shock upon witnessing his daughter's transformation. Initial anger directed at Kreegan abated at his father's intercession, biding his time until Kreegan concluded his forging.
He had heard of devil fruits from his father, and Kozaburo allayed Koushirou's concerns, asserting his encounters with those wielding such powers. Engulfed by doubt, Koushirou acknowledged the truth about his daughter's desires. Yet, confronting the prospect of her possible demise cast a pall over his thoughts—how would he confront his late wife if the worst occurred?
Seated beside the dojo, he gazed at the night sky. At that instant, Kuina joined him, candidly revealing her aspirations, "I yearn to set sail, to explore the world. This village is too confining. My passion lies solely in swordsmanship. You perceive me as a weak woman, but I've outgrown that image. Kreegan doesn't know yet, but I intend to sail with him."
"Absolutely not. His path is perilous."
"No, he combats malevolence to shield the weak. That's what matters. I am not asking permission; I am just informing you. Whether Kreegan accepts me or not, I will depart. Do you prefer me lost amidst the open seas, or at least with him?"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone