Chapter 138: - 138: Duel with Hyougoro
Upon hearing Brook’s question, Hyougoro chuckled. That wasn’t such a hard one to answer.
"Although Seastone is incredibly hard, most of the raw ore isn’t that pure. The purity varies even within a single piece, which makes forging an entire sword from Seastone far less effective than you’d think. It’s brittle, lacks flexibility, and breaks easily.
A chunk of high-purity, large-enough Seastone is rare. That’s why people stopped making weapons from it.
Besides, in Wano, we take pride in our swords. Every samurai dreams of raising a blade into a Black Sword with their own Haki—just like the national treasure ’Shusui’ that belonged to the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman, Ryuma!
If you ever get the chance, you should visit the Shimotsuki clan’s land in Ringo. Ryuma is buried in the northern cemetery there, and his sword Shusui rests atop his grave.
Many famed swordsmen lie buried in that cemetery, their blades interred with them."
The more Hyougoro spoke, the more pride lit up his voice. In Wano, every samurai receives their blade in their youth, growing alongside it their whole life.
If that sword is well-cared for, and becomes infused with the wielder’s Haki to the point that it gains its own black pattern, it becomes a Meitō—a famed sword. Even after death, it will remain by its master’s side, honored by future generations.
Each year, samurai from all over Wano visit the northern cemetery to pay respects to their predecessors—especially Ryuma and his Black Blade, Shusui. It’s more than just a sword. It’s a symbol of their way of life, their faith.
"So that’s how it is. The northern cemetery, huh?"
Brook nodded, now understanding. Just like diamonds—hard, but if cut into a longsword, they’d be brittle and prone to shattering.
And with Seastone, the uneven purity across the same chunk makes it even worse. A sword where the tip is 70% pure, the middle 60%, and the base 50%? No wonder it wouldn’t last.