The comnts section had been full of impatient readers spamming for updates all day. Seeing the flood of催更 ssages, the little author couldn't help muttering: Alright, alright, you've given so much face. If I sneak in an extra chapter now, you're going to explode, aren't you? (bubble sound effect) Brooo~ ten thousand words!
Ritter had only just stepped onto the cobblestone road of the small town when the sight before him froze him in his tracks.
"Boom!"
All at once, the smithies along both sides of the street flung open their doors. Dozens of blacksmiths surged out as if they were starving wolves. Their eyes glowed green, their broad arms clutched hamrs, tongs, and half-forged blades, and they all charged straight toward Ritter.
"Lord Blood Mist Ritter! Please let forge your sword!"
"Choose ! My skills are ranked top three on this island!"
"Bullshit! Your work isn't even fit for chopping firewood! Ritter, my ancestors once forged blades for the legendary Ryuma himself!"
Ritter froze, his expression blank, then slowly began to edge backward.
"Oi, oi, oi! Back off, you lunatics! If you keep tugging at my pants, I swear I'm going to start swinging!"
The blacksmiths' eyes glead with unshakable fervor. Sweaty, muscular n beaming at him with sunny smiles and sparkling gazes… Even soone as tough as Ritter felt a chill run down his spine.
Tesoro's mouth twitched violently. "This… isn't what they told us about 'aloof master smiths,' is it?"
Enel edged further back, muttering, "What kind of freak show is this?"
Lina, shrinking behind Enel, whispered timidly, "They… they're very enthusiastic…"
Then an older smith, his beard streaked white, stepped forward. Ritter's first impression was that he resembled the classic dwarven craftsman from fairy tales: short, stocky, eyes full of seriousness. Ritter thought at last he had found a proper, respectable master.
Instead, the man suddenly lunged and latched onto Ritter's leg, tears streaming down his face.
"Lord Ritter! The sword intent of your strike, Divine Avoidance, was perfection itself! Please, please let forge for you! I swear on my beard, I will create a blade worthy of you!"
Ritter stared down at him, deadpan. "Old man, maybe let go first…"
"I won't let go! Not unless you agree to let forge it!"
"… …"
Chaos exploded instantly. The smiths began to shove and shout, arguing over who had the right to craft Ritter's weapon. Several were on the verge of brawling.
The reason was simple. Ritter had shown power surpassing the level of a Great Swordsman. Every smith on the island knew the na of the Blood Dawn Pirates. A warrior of his caliber, who would never neglect his blade, was the perfect client. A sword tempered by such a man would be rembered for generations, its maker immortalized.
"My forge runs the hottest flas!"
"My quenching techniques are flawless!"
"I… I'm the best looking!"
Ritter facepald. "What the hell does that have to do with anything? Pretty sure sothing suspicious slipped in there…"
Just then, the gatekeeper of the island, an older smith missing his right arm, barked out a thunderous, "Enough!"
Instantly, silence fell.
The one-ard elder stepped forward and bowed slightly toward Ritter. "These fools are disturbing you. But…" He suddenly produced an ornate forging blueprint from inside his coat and thrust it out. "Please take a look at this design. I've studied it for twenty years, waiting for a true swordsman like you to bring it to life!"
Ritter: "…"
Tesoro: "…"
Ritter finally lost patience. With a growl, he drew the Black Tide greatsword from his blood mist and slamd it into the cobblestone with bone-rattling force.
"Boom!"
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and a storm of crimson fog blasted outward, shoving the smiths back several paces.
"Listen up!" Ritter snarled, face dark. "I'm not here for a new blade! This old partner has been with for over forty years!" He slapped the Black Tide's blood-patterned blade. "I ca here to strengthen it. Anyone else tries to cling to again, I'll toss you all into the ocean for fish food!"
The blood mist coalesced into a grinning demon mask, leering down at the smiths.
For Ritter, the idea of replacing the Black Tide had never even crossed his mind. A man's sword was a man's oath. Strengthening was different: reforging with the sa foundation, tempering with new materials to elevate it further. This was a ti-honored craft. No smith would refuse the chance to guide their "child" into a higher realm.
The street fell silent.
For three whole seconds.
Then
"Ahhh, even when he's threatening us, he's so cool!"
The smiths erupted into even greater frenzy, eyes blazing as they stared at the Black Tide like starving wolves eyeing fresh at.
Tesoro groaned and covered his face. "They're hopeless."
Enel had already retreated ten ters. "This god refuses to remain among lunatics."
The one-ard elder stepped closer, examining the Black Tide carefully. His weathered fingers traced the crimson vein-like patterns in the steel. His eyes widened.
"This blade's blood-forged grain… flawless. The Armant Haki nurtured into it… impeccable. Wait. Is this… the work of that old hamr bastard? Didn't he seal his forge years ago?"
Ritter blinked. He had always known the Black Tide was extraordinary, and he'd often wondered about the old master who forged it for him decades ago. He hadn't expected that man to hail from this very island.
But the elder's expression was heavy, almost grim. Ritter felt a chill of unease.
Could sothing have happened to that old man?
Fragnts of mory surfaced. The day he'd been given the sword, the gruff words echoing in his head: "Kid, a heavy sword has no edge. True mastery lies in simplicity."
Ritter's face hardened. His Conqueror's Haki flared instinctively, rippling through the air. "Who did it? Tell !"
The one-ard elder clenched his teeth. "That bastard… he ca by a few days ago, bragging about his new masterpiece…"
Then, with a sudden change of tone, the elder spun and began mocking in a singsong falsetto, turning side to side as if impersonating soone:
"Ohhh, old one-arm, did you know? My Black Tide is famous now, wielded by a great swordsman, ohhh~"
"You ca here just to brag, didn't you, old bastard?!"
"Yoo-hoo~ yoo-hoo~ you're just here to show off, aren't you, old fooool?!"
Ritter, Tesoro, Enel, and Lina all stared blankly as the elder theatrically spat twice on the ground, as if disgusted by the very mory.
Abruptly, his mockery ceased. His gaze sharpened like tempered steel as he rested a hand upon the Black Tide's blade.
"The foundation is sturdy. But this weight… it no longer suits you, does it?" He grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "Then we'll make it heavier. Heavy enough to challenge even you."
Ritter's eyes glead. "Now that's what I'm talking about. Finally, a real professional."
The elder raised his hamr, pointing it at Ritter. "That old fool boasted you have monstrous stamina. Then 'Molten Core Steel' should suit you perfectly."
"Molten Core Steel?" Ritter tilted his head.
The elder nodded. "It's a rare material. It grows heavier as it absorbs its wielder's strength. But since it only adds weight and not hardness, it must be paired with large quantities of seastone. A lot of seastone. Normally it's useless, but with your body, it might be just right."
"Then I'll gather the seastone," Ritter said, already thinking of it as a quest from so eccentric NPC.
The elder picked his nose lazily. "Oh, no need. I've got enough seastone here. Just bring the money."
Ritter's eyes narrowed, shark teeth flashing. "Then why did you make such a big deal about how much was needed?"
The elder shrugged even as Ritter grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "Because I wanted to prove I'm better than that old hamr bastard! He never added seastone, probably thinking his blade might soday be wielded by a Devil Fruit user. I can make an isolation layer around it. That's the difference in skill!"
Ritter sighed, exasperated. These old n were exhausting.
"Fine then. Master, I'll leave the Black Tide in your hands. Do it right."
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