"Custom forging is impossible at my age."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo suddenly spoke, then shifted his tone with a mysterious gleam in his eyes: "However, after I settled here, I once exhausted my heart and soul to forge another special sword. If you're willing, you can try wielding it."
"Father, that sword is Kuina's memento! How can you—" Shimotsuki Koushiro hurriedly tried to stop him with obvious distress.
"Fool!"
Shimotsuki Kozaburo raised his pipe and bonked his son on the head with a solid "thunk," scolding irritably: "When did I say I was giving them Wado Ichimonji?"
"Ah?" Shimotsuki Koushiro smiled awkwardly with embarrassed confusion.
In his memory, wasn't Wado Ichimonji the only sword his father had poured his heart into forging that was truly worth showing to such distinguished guests?
Shimotsuki Kozaburo turned and opened the door of the small wooden house, his figure disappearing into the dim interior.
A moment later, he emerged carrying something long wrapped tightly in layers of coarse hemp cloth, his steps steady and reverent.
With solemn and respectful expression, he slowly unwrapped the protective layers bit by bit.
As the final layer of fabric fell away, a pure white katana with a straight, slender scabbard came into everyone's view, gleaming like fresh snow.
"In the first half of my life, I always held the rigid belief that swords should take more lives during their forging."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo's weathered gaze gently swept over the pristine scabbard as he spoke with quiet reflection:
"But after I left Wano Country and came to this peaceful small island, I witnessed my son's birth."
"Looking at that tiny, crying little bundle of flesh, I suddenly realized that not all swords in this world should be forged for killing. There should also be swords that exist purely for protection."
"So, after settling my wife and newborn child safely, I came to this very cliff's edge and went into complete seclusion to forge a sword."
"After three months of relentless work, I succeeded on a violent stormy night."
"That night, just as I was about to complete the final tempering, a bolt of lightning struck the blade directly, completing the ultimate forging process."
"Therefore, I named this sword Futsu no Mitama!"
Shimotsuki Kozaburo solemnly presented Futsu no Mitama to Kozuki Hiyori with both hands.
Kozuki Hiyori received it with reverent care.
Feeling the slight cool touch emanating from the scabbard, she took a deep breath, gripped the hilt firmly with her right hand, and slowly began to draw the legendary sword.
SIZZLE!
The blade had barely emerged an inch when Kozuki Hiyori cried out in surprise and instinctively released her grip.
"It has electricity running through it?"
"That's correct."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes showing both helplessness and obvious pride: "It's a sword forged for protection, but it also possesses the might of the thunder god himself. Only those with unshakeable determination can master its power."
"Time and fate... perhaps at that time, my understanding of the word 'protection' wasn't thorough enough, which is why I forged this sword with such a fierce temperament."
Kai listened from the side, his mouth twitching slightly with amusement.
This old man had quite an intense streak in his youth, specializing in creating cursed swords with attitude problems.
Kozuki Hiyori's eyes focused with steely resolve, showing no retreat as she gripped the hilt once again.
Like Enma, Futsu no Mitama began slowly absorbing the Armament Haki from her body, though much more gently than Enma's violent hunger.
The absorbed Haki transformed into crackling electric arcs that struck Hiyori repeatedly, but she remained unmoved, steadily drawing it out inch by inch with determined concentration.
Having gained experience taming Enma's rebellious nature, her speed was noticeably faster this time.
Finally, Futsu no Mitama's full magnificent form was revealed to everyone.
This was a single-edged straight sword, lacking the traditional elegant curve of classic samurai swords, with a faint purple electric aura flowing throughout its entire blade like living lightning.
Kozuki Hiyori moved her mind slightly and casually waved the sword toward the vast sea stretching before them.
A massive slash wrapped in brilliant purple lightning, like a roaring thunder dragon, instantly tore through the air and crashed into the sea surface with tremendous force.
BOOM!
A towering water column shot skyward like a geyser.
Countless fine purple electric serpents danced wildly within the cascading water column.
When the column collapsed back down, the sea surface was already floating with a thick layer of dead fish that had been electrocuted, bobbing belly-up in the waves.
Well then.
Kai finally understood why elemental attacks were so commonplace in this world.
Kozuki Hiyori sheathed the sword smoothly, somewhat puzzled: "It doesn't seem to reject me at all?"
The entire process had gone so smoothly it didn't feel quite real.
"That's perfectly natural." Shimotsuki Kozaburo said with deep emotion: "Just as swordsmen choose their swords, swords also choose their destined swordsmen."
"It seems I've found an excellent master for Futsu no Mitama."
"Thank you for gifting me this incredible sword, Kozaburo-san." Kozuki Hiyori bowed with sincere gratitude.
"No need for thanks whatsoever."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo waved his hand dismissively: "For a swordsmith, every sword forged with heart and soul is like one's own child. Being able to find suitable masters for them is the greatest blessing possible."
"If you can elevate both Enma and Futsu no Mitama to the ranks of Supreme Grade swords, I could die completely content."
There was no difference in base quality between Supreme Grade swords and Great Grade swords.
Supreme Grade swords earned that title because of the legendary reputation their wielders had carved with them.
Just then, at the edge of the nearby forest, the bushes began shaking violently.
The next second, a green-haired boy burst through, panting heavily from obvious exertion.
"Aha! I knew I wasn't lost this time."
The boy was overjoyed upon seeing the unfamiliar group led by Kai.
Then, his sharp eyes locked onto one figure like targeting radar: "Hawkeye?"
"Zoro? How did you end up all the way here?"
Shimotsuki Koushiro slapped his forehead with sudden understanding: "No, of course you'd appear here eventually."
He shouldn't have forgotten that Zoro was completely directionally challenged.
Before Koushiro's realization was complete, Zoro had already assumed his distinctive three-sword stance and charged at Hawkeye like an arrow shot from a bow.
"I didn't expect our promised moment to come so soon, Hawkeye! Duel with me right now!"
"Don't do it!"
Zoro, who only had eyes for the world's greatest swordsman, turned a deaf ear to his master's desperate shouts.
Hawkeye's golden eyes lowered slightly, swept across Zoro's determined face, paused briefly on the Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth, then raised his gaze again without saying a single word.
To earn a fight with him, one needed either overwhelming strength or something genuinely unique.
He wasn't running a kindergarten for ambitious children.
"Hey! Are you looking down on me?" Zoro shouted with obvious frustration.
Heaven knows how he could shout so clearly while biting down on a sword hilt.
"Enough nonsense! Stop making a scene. These people are my honored guests."
Shimotsuki Koushiro grabbed Zoro firmly, afraid he'd irrationally continue charging forward into certain death.
"Is that green-haired guy a complete idiot? Wanting to challenge the world's greatest swordsman right now?"
Sanji raised an eyebrow with obvious disdain.
Strangely, despite his usually gentle nature, he rarely made such direct mockery of strangers.
But seeing Zoro, he felt inexplicably annoyed for no logical reason.
"Hey! Curly-brow bastard, what did you just say?! Want to fight?"
Sanji's words immediately drew Zoro's fiery attention away from Hawkeye.
"Hah? You dare mock my eyebrows?"
Sanji also got instantly angry. This was a trait he shared with his sister, and mockery was absolutely not allowed.
The two boys, like enraged bulls, instantly went head-to-head with their noses almost touching, glaring at each other with burning fury.
Zoro completely forgot about challenging Hawkeye.
Was this their destined rivalry?
Kai couldn't help but smile with genuine amusement.
Hawkeye had no interest whatsoever in the two young hotheads' ridiculous squabble, his calculating gaze returning to Shimotsuki Kozaburo with renewed respect.