"Instructor Zephyr, you were looking for me?"
"Dammit, Zephyr, why'd you call me over here? Don't you know I'm busy?!"
"That's right. Zephyr, if you don't give me a reason, I'll beat you up!"
Before long, Lance, Sengoku, and Fleet Admiral Kong all arrived.
The former looked humble and confused, while the latter two looked ready to eat someone alive.
Looking at Sengoku's even more explosive afro and Shirley sticking out her tongue beside him, Zephyr instantly realized, Sengoku had definitely been electrocuted earlier.
"Lance, Sengoku."
"What exactly did you two do to Hammer this afternoon?"
"Look at the state he's in now!"
Pain flashed across Zephyr's face.
Mainly because Hammer's appearance right now was simply pitiful.
His entire body radiated lifelessness.
His eyes were dull and empty.
Smoke drifted off him.
He was curled into a ball, completely covered in Armament Haki.
"Huh?"
"When I left earlier, wasn't Hammer still sitting on the sofa?"
"Instructor Zephyr, what did you do afterward?"
"How did he turn into this?"
Shirley and Hina stared at Hammer and Zephyr in confusion.
They were extremely curious about what had happened during the short time they were gone.
"I didn't do anything!"
"He turned into this himself!"
Zephyr's face reddened slightly, but he quickly suppressed it using Life Return.
Was he supposed to admit that Hammer got scared into this state just because he released a little Armament Haki?
Did Zephyr still want his dignity or not?!
"Hm? Nothing happened…"
"Hammer took me to report to Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku."
"And he even got me promoted."
"Afterward he told me to organize the soldiers and prepare for departure."
"Then he just went home by himself."
Lance was full of question marks, completely unable to understand what had happened to Hammer.
However, Sengoku slightly frowned as he looked at Hammer's state.
"Zephyr…"
"Hammer's condition right now is a little similar to how you once were."
"That state of falling into self-reflection and mental internal conflict."
"But the truth is exactly as Lance said."
"Other than reporting in, we didn't do anything to Hammer."
"If we're talking about taking advantage of people, your disciple-plus-son is an expert at that."
"Even when facing me and Fleet Admiral Kong, he's never been afraid."
That part was absolutely true.
With his unique abilities and current strength, Hammer had already firmly established himself among the Marine high command.
He wasn't afraid of the old veterans at all.
If he wanted to argue, he argued.
If he wanted to take advantage, he took advantage.
"Then why did he become like this?"
Sengoku and old man Kong stepped forward and carefully observed Hammer several times.
Then the two exchanged glances and saw confusion in each other's eyes.
"Logically speaking, Hammer is a very optimistic person."
"Though he's a bit cowardly, he's absolutely a good Marine."
"Could he have encountered something?"
Hearing Sengoku's words, Lance and the others shook their heads.
"Impossible."
"During the Skypiea trip, even when facing Roger, Hammer never backed down."
"He directly faced that terrifying Conqueror's Haki infusion."
"And we were with him the entire time."
"He wasn't mentally stimulated at all."
Now everyone was completely baffled.
Then why had Hammer become like this?
"That's strange…"
"Other than going out on missions, all Hammer ever does is forge weapons."
The moment the words "forge weapons" were spoken, Hammer suddenly trembled violently.
Those two words echoed through his heart like a curse.
Forging… Marines… Justice…
The three concepts continuously spun through Hammer's mind, completely throwing all his thoughts into chaos.
"AHHHHH!"
Suddenly Hammer exploded into action.
His entire body transformed into the Oath Hammer and violently smashed through the ceiling into the sky.
BOOM!
An invisible force blasted apart the entire roof of the house.
"Damn it, Sengoku!"
"What exactly did you say?!"
"You stimulated him!"
"He's gone berserk!"
Zephyr's eyes turned bloodshot.
He understood Hammer's current condition far too well.
Back then, he himself had once gone through this exact phase.
At that time, it had taken both old man Kong and Garp to suppress him.
People in this state completely descended into madness.
They ignored pain.
Their combat power exploded by over 200%.
"What did I say?!"
"I just mentioned forging weapons!"
"ROOOOAR!"
Well, that made it even worse.
Hammer went even crazier.
Absolute Space activated.
The area surrounding the Oath Hammer instantly became a forbidden zone.
"Damn it!"
"His ability activated?!"
"Sengoku! Kong! Together!"
"Suppress him quickly!"
"Don't let him cause too much destruction!"
"Got it!"
The three instantly leaped into the sky and charged toward Hammer.
"Buddha Form!"
"Shockwave!"
Sengoku immediately transformed into his Buddha form and blasted a shockwave straight at Hammer.
"RAAAH!"
In Oath Hammer form, Hammer let out a furious roar.
The hammer charged forward wildly together with Absolute Space, smashing directly into Sengoku's shockwave.
"What the hell?!"
"A hammer can be this fierce?!"
"He's directly tanking my shockwave?!"
"No… wait!"
"Something's neutralizing my shockwave!"
Sengoku's eyes nearly popped out from shock.
But he quickly realized something was wrong.
The hammer itself hadn't actually touched the shockwave.
There seemed to be some invisible barrier in front of it that completely canceled out the attack.
"Ten Million Volts!"
"Lightning Spear!"
"Electric Flash!"
"Iron Tree Silver Blossom!"
Two flashes of lightning and several black streaks instantly shot into the sky.
Lance and the others had also joined the battle.
"Oh?"
"A Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit?"
"Lance brat, that's quite the ability!"
Lightning moved incredibly fast.
Even Zephyr had been left behind by Lance's speed.
Although surprised by Lance's Devil Fruit, there was no time to dwell on it.
"Black Arm!"
"Point Kill!"
A pitch-black fist smashed toward Hammer from the side.
BOOM!
After a violent collision, the Oath Hammer was blasted flying.
But confusion flashed through Zephyr's eyes.
He could clearly tell that his punch hadn't actually struck the hammer directly.
Something had blocked it.
"That's Hammer's awakened Absolute Space."
"In his own words, it's a domain."
"It pushes the Hammer-Hammer Fruit's abilities to the absolute limit, forming a combined offense-and-defense field."
"When facing Roger's Conqueror-infused Divine Departure, he used this exact ability to resist it!"
Lance continued unleashing lightning.
Bolts of ten-million-volt electricity repeatedly struck the Absolute Domain, causing endless ripples.
At the same time, he explained Hammer's ability.
This was only because Hammer wasn't conscious right now.
Otherwise he definitely would've hammered Lance into the ground.
'Good brat.'
'Taking advantage of me being unconscious to expose all my secrets!'
"Who cares what ability it is!"
"Overpower it with brute force!"
"Zephyr, move aside!"
"Armament!"
"Collapse!"
Old man Kong let out a disdainful laugh as immense Armament Haki condensed onto his right fist.
Then, he punched.
The Oath Hammer, which had just flown back, was sent flying once again.
"Keep up the pressure!"
"Suppress him before he can react!"
"Black Arm!"
"Star Crusher!"
"Buddha Shockwave!"
"Ten Million Volts!"
"I'll fry you!"
"Armament!"
"Electric Flash!"
Everyone unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously.
The poor hammer was instantly swallowed by the barrage.