366
Sabo had enough people who were eager to fight him. But then again this was a pirate crew, and a crew that liked to fight and challenge each other more than anything.
So when Stormforge was built it immediately drew in the try-hards. And the revolutionaries faced them all. Fighting them, and testing out his new weapon.
The young revolutionary was already used to using a pole-based weapon. So he just needed to adjust with Stormforge.
Stormforge had three forms. Pole-from, spear form and lastly the scythe form. Without Stormforge's spearhead or scythe-head, it was a basic metal staff. He was getting used to it first, before trying out the other functions.
Basically testing out the weapon's functions and using it in creative ways.
At first, Sabo only fought against Luffy, but one by one, the rest of the stronger members of the crew threw themselves at the challenge. Making it an all-out brawl by the time Anchor came back.
Only Johnny and Yosaku were watching the fight, Bartolomeo was knocked out with a large bulge on his head when he decided to join in. While the stronger members of the crew, Zoro, Sanji, Kuina, and Sparky had joined the battle. And was having quite a bit of fun.
Anchor, who had just come out of his smithy, watched with some awe, admiring his own work.
He also sighed in relief that he stopped the battle from happening in his workplace. All of them weren't holding back, and that would have surely wrecked his set-up.
A small smile dawned on the smith's face as he saw his newest creation being used. A sense of pride filled his chest as he watched the weapon going up against the harsh challenges his crewmates threw at him.
'It seems joining the crew was worth it…' he thought, his mind going over to when Luffy invited him to the crew in Alabasta.
He gave a few conditions and also wanted something in return to join the crew. Usually, most pirate captains would reject his conditions.
His conditions were simple, that was Anchor wanted to have his freedom in making his stuff. No one in the crew can force him to build stuff for free. Also if he ever did sell his creations he would only have the right to the money generated from it.
And lastly, he refused to do anything that went against his moral compass.
His conditions were very favoring towards him, and Luffy had accepted it, without a hitch.
Then came what Anchor wanted in return for joining the crew. He wanted a fruit, a specific fruit. Anchor had taken it as a gamble, but he was half sure that the baku baku no mi was at the Straw Hat's position.
As a smith, there were few fruits that gave him a bit of an advantage in the craft. And in his opinion, the baku baku no mi was the best that a smith could ever ask for.
Arguably there were better fruits for a smith, like the smith smith fruit or the clank clank fruit. But the baku baku no mi had a special significance that was related to his family. Mainly related to the first Popeye.
Anchor was a smith at heart, but a smith couldn't be weak. A smith needed to be strong so he can make stronger weapons. There was a reason why many good smiths came from the giants of elbaf.
And baku baku no mi had a secret usage that not many knew about. That's why he was looking for the fruit.
It was actually, one of his reasons for joining the marines, that and he was indebted to old man Garp for saving his life. Funny how that went.
After Anchor joined the marines he looked for the fruit, but he later came to know that the fruit already had a user. A corrupt king, who was underutilizing the fruit's abilities and using it to cause problems.
But when he read the newspapers and saw that Wapol was executed by his own kingdom. He found some hope. He did a bit of digging and found that mainly the Straw Hat were involved in it. So there was a good chance that the baku baku no mi was on circulation.
And Anchor had a hunch that they might have had the fruit.
Of course, there's also the possibility of the fruit fruit already being eaten. But fortunately, that wasn't the case. Luffy agreed to give him the fruit, but in return, he would need to at least make every one of the Straw Hats, —current or new— a weapon. And also be the repair guy for their weapon in case they needed it.
The last condition was also Luffy stressing the fact that he won't tolerate any betrayal. As a former marine, Anchor needed to earn everyone's trust. But the Popeye wasn't worried.
Anchor was a man of his word, he would never betray Luffy unless he did something that went against his moral ethics.
And after spending almost a month of the crew, Anchor started realizing why the crew followed Luffy. He was a man that one could trust. So Anchor didn't regret his decision.
Still, the crew had a few secrets that they were hiding form him. But he wasn't too much bothered by it. As long as he could make great weapons and have great fighters use them, he didn't care much.
As he was thinking about it, a person came up to him.
"Uh… Anchor." Yosaku said, brining Anchor's attention to him. "I have a request." He of course had his axe and shield in his hand.
"Me too…" Johnny added, also having his own spear.
"I have one too…" Gin said with a grumble, a bit shy on his end. His weighted tonfa resting on the side of his hips.
Anchor just grinned. "Well, I'm all ears…"
——