"… I'm not selling Wadou, old man, no matter what you offer. It's been in my family for a long time. Now, I'm looking for good blades for my friend here. We can pay."

"Bah," the shopkeeper mumbled. "Katana are there and there. Take your time."

Zoro went to browse the barrels in the corner while Kuina investigated the more high-class display. Neither turned to look as another person entered the shop.

"Good morning! I came to pick up Shigure. Is he ready?"

"Oh… yes. I have it here," the shopkeeper said grumpily, shoving her sword at her with rather more force than necessary. Off-balanced, she squeaked, stumbled back, and came crashing into Kuina.

"Hey-" she said, twisting to get a good look at her accidental attacker, and was brought up short.

"You look exactly like me!" they both exclaimed at once. Zoro turned to look, and froze in shock. Two Kuinas! Only one held Wadou Ichimonji and wore plain black and white clothes, while the other one clutched a much more intricately decorated sword, wore a painfully loud shirt, and had a pair of glasses pushed up on her forehead.

"It's… a pleasure to meet you," Kuina said, barely containing her grin as she offered a handshake.

"I'm Sergeant Major Tashigi. I'm, uh, sorry about crashing into- wait! Your sword- could it be…" Tashigi whipped a small book out of nowhere and began paging through it rapidly as Zoro and Kuina stared at her in bemusement.

"Yes! Wadou Ichimonji, one of the Oowaza-mono 21! Amazing! I never thought I'd see a blade like this here! May I- May I-"

Kuina smiled. "Of course. It's not every day I meet someone who appreciates a great sword. That idiot over there just hefted it and said it had 'good balance,'" she said, carefully placing the sheathed katana into her new friend's trembling hands.

"I'm so surprised to see this… I had heard that Wadou Ichimonji was in the hands of bounty hunter Kuina."

Kuina concealed a smirk as Zoro stared confusedly at them. "So I heard. But here it is, right?"

"Yes! Kuina has a reputation throughout East Blue as a great swordswoman. It would make me happy to see another female so skilled at swordfighting… But she's an evil woman! Using a sword as a tool to acquire money is… unforgivable! Why is it that this is an age where evil is so strong? The great swordsmen of the world are all pirates, or bounty hunters. All the great Meitou of the world are in their hands, you see? The swords are crying."

Kuina barely covered a dark scowl at those last words. Wadou Ichimonji cried in her hands? Unthinkable. Absurd. "How are you different, though?"

Tashigi looked confused. "I'm sorry?"

"You said you were a sergeant major. Do they pay well in the Marines?"

"But I-"

"Does Shigure cry because his edge has led to profit? Or is he silent because your reasons for picking him up are pure, and you don't cut down pirates with him because it means a check at the end of the week?"

"That's different! I fight to preserve my justice and the justice of the Marines! Not to make money!"

"I won't deny that some bounty hunters are evil people. But others pick up swords for pure goals and have to do ugly things with them to survive. So get off your damn high horse and listen to what you're saying!"

Tashigi stared at her double, lower lip trembling. After a long pause, she shoved Wadou Ichimonji into Kuina's arms and ran out of the store.

In the silence that followed, Kuina carefully replaced her sword at her hip. "Did you find any katana you liked, Zoro?"

"Ah… No. Not yet…"