"Rosa," Kavi said, his tone unusually serious, "I won't lie to you—I came to this island for that demon sword."
He leaned closer, speaking with fervor. "But listen, you don't want to spend your whole life stuck on this island, right? Don't you want to see the sea? Experience the wonders out there?"
Rosa paused, the food halfway to her mouth. For days, Kavi had told her stories—tales of pirates, whirlpool maelstroms, islands floating in the sky, and battles so grand they shook the waves themselves.
She'd laughed. She'd scoffed. But she'd also listened.
And deep inside her, something stirred.
She wanted to see the ocean too.
She wanted her own story.
But as long as the holy sword remained here, she was its prisoner—just like every priestess before her. Their fate was always the same: die by the sword or wither away guarding it.
Kavi saw the doubt in her eyes and pressed forward.
"I promise you I can break this curse. No casualties. No risks to you. Just trust me." He raised three fingers. "Swear on it."
Rosa hesitated. "And if you can't?"
Kavi grinned. "Then I'll be your personal chef for life. Free of charge."
Her eyes lit up—briefly—but she quickly masked it with a frown and a skeptical pout.
"Alright," she said, "I'll take you to it. But don't make me regret this."
'Yes!' Kavi celebrated internally, barely keeping his excitement in check. 'Got her.'
"Great! After breakfast, we go."
He practically dragged her out after the meal, too eager to bother with the dishes. They wound their way through forests and hills for hours until they finally stood before a massive stone gate, etched with arcane symbols pulsing faintly with magic.
Kavi narrowed his eyes. A sealing formation.
"This is it," Rosa said quietly. "Once it opens, there's no going back. Are you sure you can handle it? I'm putting my life in your hands."
Kavi placed a hand on her head and gave a small smile. "I wouldn't risk my life if I wasn't certain."
"Hmph." Rosa turned her head, cheeks red, but didn't pull away.
She stepped forward, pressing her hands to the stone. Chanting softly, she murmured a spell in a language Kavi didn't recognize. The symbols on the gate began to glow.
Then—
Crack!
Boom...
The gate rumbled open, revealing a thick, eerie fog that seeped out like a living thing. A chilling aura rushed over them—unholy and oppressive.
Rosa's body shimmered faintly with a divine glow, shielding them both.
"It's open. You've got ten minutes. If you don't subdue it by then, you must leave. I can't hold the seal longer than that."
Kavi nodded once, then stepped through the gate without hesitation.
"Come back alive," Rosa whispered behind him.
Inside, the miasma thickened. Disembodied whispers clawed at Kavi's mind—temptations, threats, memories twisted into nightmares.
But Kavi merely scoffed.
"Is that all?"
A wave of royal Haki burst from his body, shattering the pressure. The voices screamed and scattered like smoke in a hurricane.
'I am Kavi,' he thought. 'Heir to the power of the gods. You think this sword can break me?'
He pressed on and soon found it.
The Seven Star Sword.
A two-meter-long blade, sleek and ancient, its shape reminiscent of a Chinese longsword. But what stood out most was the glowing green vein running through its center—alive with eerie energy.
"Let's see how terrifying you really are."
Kavi reached out and gripped the hilt.
The sword fought back immediately. A tidal wave of pressure slammed into him—twisting, enticing, repelling. It howled in rage, in fear, in defiance.
BOOM. Kavi's Haki exploded again—an overwhelming, kingly aura that crushed the malicious force trying to resist him.
Still, the sword fought on. A final surge of darkness poured from its core.
"So stubborn," Kavi muttered, activating a sliver of Pangu Fruit's divine power. With a single pulse, light surged through his veins and into the blade.
The sword shrieked—and then went silent.
The green core faded to black.
It bent to his will.
"It's over," Kavi said quietly, lifting the now-subdued sword. "You're mine now."
Outside, Rosa paced nervously. She'd felt the sword's aura rise and fall like waves crashing in a storm. Then—nothing.
Dead silence.
Had Kavi survived? Had the sword devoured him?
Then—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
She spun around. Kavi emerged from the mist, the Seven Star Sword casually resting on his shoulder, a strange grin on his face.
"Kavi?" Rosa asked, hesitating. "Are you… you?"
Kavi said nothing.
He raised the sword slowly.
And swung it—toward her.
"AHH! NO—!" Rosa threw up her hands in terror, bracing for impact.
"PFFFFT—AHAHAHA!"
Kavi burst out laughing, falling to one knee, clutching his stomach.
"…Huh?"
Rosa peeked through her fingers and saw his face contorted with laughter.
"Y-you jerk!" she shouted, red-faced.
"Aww, don't pout. You looked like a baby bird about to cry!"
"Hmph!"
"Come on," Kavi said, slinging the sword over his back. "I told you that demon blade was nothing to worry about. Now, how about I reward your bravery with a feast?"
"Feast! Yes!" Rosa cheered, forgetting her embarrassment. "Let's go, let's go!"
Though the cursed legacy of the Seven Star Sword had been broken, Rosa didn't seem all that excited.
She didn't feel free.
Not yet.
But Kavi didn't notice. He was already dreaming of hot stew and cold drinks.
"Life is beautiful," he sighed later, sprawled on a wooden chair, the sunset painting the sky in orange and gold.
The sword rested against the wall beside him.
Quiet now.
Obedient.
But its story was far from over.
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