Kále looked the sword and its scabbard up and down once again before looking back to the shopkeeper. "Yeah, I'll take this one."
This sword had some power to it, and Kále could sense it. Kále remembered his old sensei telling him that the sword chooses the swordsman, not the other way around, and Kále never really understood until now. This sword chose him, he couldn't explain it, he just knew that this sword was his. With that thought he walked over to the counter and handed over 40,000 from his 60,000 allowance.
If you're wondering why he only gave 40,000 when the sword is 50,000? It's because he forgot how much the sword was and that's just how much he assumed it was.
The shopkeeper obviously took notice of the missing 10,000 berries, counting up what Kále put on the counter. A frown instantly appeared of his face as his crossed his arms once more, giving the swordsman a daring glare. “What, you tryin’ to be cheap? You just gave me 40,000! I need a lil bit more than that, you know. The price is 50,000 Berry per sword, kiddo. Don’t think you can trick me.”
He took up the 40k into his hand and offered his other hand up towards Kále, making a waving motion with his fingers to make him fork over the rest of the cash.
Kále turned back toward the shopkeeper as he had already started to walk out of the store. The old geezer was demanding more money for this sword? But he only asked for 40,000 originally? What the heck kinda markup is that?
"You said before it was 40,000. You can't mark me up, geezer!" Like hell was the totally competent and intelligent Kále going to be scammed out of his hard-earned money.
"Tell you what, let me get away with the 10,000 that you just added on randomly there, and I won't cut the building in half." He was bluffing, kind of. To be honest, he probably would cut the building in half for 10,000.
He really wanted to buy more food for himself. As soon as Kále finished with his proposition, he just started walking to the exit again, not really being bothered about whether or not the shopkeeper agreed. He doubted that the shopkeeper would be very happy with his shop being cut in half.
“What? I didn’t mark you up! You just agreed to payin’ 50,000 for that sword! Even on the side of that there barrel you just plucked it out from says 50,000!” The shopkeeper barked at Kále, having gone through this sort of exchange many times before with pirates. The geezer just grumbled through his mustache, his eyes rolling. “As if a rookie like you could do somethin’ like that. I’m not gonna just let you off the hook because of some idiotic bluff! Hey! Get back here!”
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He leaned over the counter as Kále started to turn around, placing his hands firmly against the table top. If he were back in his golden days, he could’ve jumped right over this countertop and gotten that 10,000 by force! ….but he was old a decrepit, so he was going to have to stick with plan B. “Well, at least you payed that 40,000 if you’re really gonna just leave! 30,000 extra just for a cursed blade like that! Hah!”
Kále looked at the barrel, seeing the 50,000 number on the side of it. Since when did that get there? Kále had no memory of seeing that before. There was simply no way he would've forgotten something like that! "You're lying, you old geezer. You just put that there." Don't ask how Kále's logic works out, because it really doesn't. Upon hearing that the sword was cursed, Kále was certainly intrigued.
A cursed sword, Kále had heard of such swords before, blades that few can wield and even fewer can brandish. This sword definitely had a special quality and perhaps that curse was why. "Cursed? The heck do you mean cursed?"
Yeah… no, this kid was an absolute fool. If he thought he could get it by the shopkeeper that he didn’t realize it was 50’000 despite AGREEING to the price beforehand and also seeing it on the side of the barrel… he wasn’t gonna make it in the Grand Line, let alone handle that blade. He sighed with a shake of his head. “Did you hit your head, boy? You gotta get your act together if you’re gonna be going to the Grand Line!” His mustache wiggled as he pursed his lips at the swordsman.
“Cursed as in cursed, boy! What’d’ya think I mean? That blade right there.. the wielder can experience terrible agony whenever trying to fight with it. It’s a terrible curse, and only those with a will strong enough can fight down that pain… which, boy, I doubt you got. If you wanna buy it, be my guest.”
Kále listens to the man's explanation about the sword's curse. It was very interesting. A sword that can bring a terrible fate upon its user if they use it in battle. Kále looked at the sword once more at the man's comment about him not having the will to overcome the curse. He looked back at the man, a confident grin on his face and a fierce look in his eyes.
"If I can't overcome this sword's curse, if I do die during battle. Then that's as far as I will have ever gone." He meant that if he couldn't beat a curse then he was never worthy of being the Strongest at all. A weighty bet that he was placing on himself and his will. Randomly, he then lifted his right arm and pointed at the man.
"You keep that 40,000, that other 10,000 will come when you hear my name again, knowing that the blade you gave me led me closer to the heavens!" Quite the speech from the silly swordsman, where did he think of that? Who the knows. It sounded like the right thing to say at that moment.