"Admiral Sengoku, what are your thoughts on Dragon..."
Hammer and Sengoku stood side by side on the bow of the Warhammer, gazing out at the endless ocean. Eventually, Hammer couldn't hold back his question.
"Attacking government ships, kidnapping a Celestial Dragon, each of those is a capital offense... sigh... that little brat just never lets people relax..."
Sengoku's tone was full of regret, but Hammer heard something deeper beneath his words.
A glint flashed in Hammer's eyes. Then he turned and strode into the cabin, heading straight to the forge.
"Wait... what's he up to??"
Sengoku blinked in confusion at Hammer's sudden departure and turned to ask his adjutant, Lance.
Lance didn't even flinch; it was business as usual to him.
"Reporting, Admiral Sengoku. Rear Admiral Hammer went to the forge. If I had to guess..."
"...You won't be seeing him again until we arrive at our destination."
Sengoku: '?? Is this guy really a rear admiral? He's acting like some lazy bureaucrat!'
Hammer: 'Oh? My man, you get me!'
Borsalino: 'Nah, he doesn't. I get him more than anyone.'
Meanwhile, inside the forge, Hammer stared seriously at the object before him and muttered:
"Dragon... let me complete you."
The Warhammer moved at great speed, faster than most steel behemoths on the sea, thanks to modifications Hammer had made to its propulsion system during construction. Without it, the ship's heavy armor would've made such velocity, it would be a pipe dream.
"Looks like we're going to beat them there after all. Let's handle this before Garp arrives, or it'll get messy."
Sengoku gave the order for Dragon's capture as they approached Whiskey Peaks.
"Lance, notify Hammer."
"Everyone else, prepare to land. Capture Dragon."
At that moment, atop Whiskey Peaks, Dragon sat alone in a bar drinking, hands slightly trembling if one looked closely. Next to him was the unconscious Celestial Dragon, Saint Chiquiddo.
The entire area was deserted. Dragon had cleared it out. Of course, part of that was due to the Celestial Dragon's presence.
When locals saw Dragon arrive with a Celestial Dragon, complete with the iconic glass dome over his head, panic erupted. Everyone fled.
On this sea, everyone knew one truth: Touch a Celestial Dragon and an admiral will come.
No one wanted to die because of one man's wrath.
"So they've come... huh."
"Heh... but I don't regret it."
He downed the rest of his drink, full of resolve.
"Hammer! What took you so long?"
"Hm? What's that in your hand?"
Hammer finally emerged from the forge, holding a black cloth-wrapped item that immediately drew curious stares.
He simply shook his head and smiled.
"Let's go. Time to climb the mountain, don't want to keep him waiting."
As soon as he spoke, a rhythmic hammering sound began to resonate from his body:
Duang, Duang, Duang, DUANG!
Three soft beats, one hard. Then it turned into a cycle of nine soft and one hard.
Before long, the eyes of everyone onboard, including Sengoku, went dull and vacant.
The next second, they all began to move, wandering aimlessly on deck.
Only then did Hammer stop the sound and start walking alone toward the mountain top.
Devil Fruit: Paramecia-type Hammer Hammer Fruit, Development: 85%
Omnidirectional Hammer
Hammering of the Soul
Chets-Shattering Hammer
Armament Haki (Activated): 40% – solid hardening
Observation Haki (Activated): 20% – weak prediction + sensing
Conqueror's Haki: Forget it. You don't have it. Go back to hammering.
Combat: Rokushiki (Mastered) Rokushiki variant techniques (Learned)
Special Skill: Critical Crafting (Fully Activated!)
Hammer Hypnosis, a newly developed technique: Through rhythmic hammer pulses, victims enter trance-like states.
Once Hammer disembarked, Sengoku, who should've been hypnotized, suddenly paused. His blank gaze vanished, replaced with a knowing smile.
"This little brat... really developed his fruit well."
"If I were not a Mythical Zoan: Daibutsu user with exceptional willpower, I might've actually fallen for it."
"Seems he has his own way of handling things. Fine, let him go."
"If things go south, I'll step in..."
Unaware that his hypnosis didn't work on Sengoku, Hammer used his Observation Haki to locate Dragon and entered the bar.
Seeing Dragon drinking alone, Hammer plopped down beside him.
"Dragon, you bastard, I'm here! Pour me a drink already!"
"Didn't expect it to be you, my dear friend."
"Yeah, yeah, Sengoku's down at the base of the mountain. I just hypnotized him."
Dragon trembled slightly, eyes full of disbelief.
"What? You expected me to let him come up and arrest you? Be grateful it was me and not Sakazuki. He'd have greeted you with magma."
Hammer took a drink, sighing.
"You really just went and did it, huh? Kidnapped a Celestial Dragon like that? What were you thinking?"
"If it wasn't for the fact that you're Garp's kid and Sengoku's the one here, you'd be toast by now, you know that?"
"You think CP0 would let this go? They'd chase you down to the ends of the sea."
Crude but true. Dragon knew what Hammer meant.
Son of the Marine Hero Garp, a promising marine officer, those titles had become his last shield.
"I couldn't hold back anymore, Hammer... do you know what that bastard did?"
"Right in front of me, he shot six children. The oldest wasn't even eight. The youngest, two or three years old."
"Is that even human? That's a damn monster..."
"If the world continues letting creatures reign at the top, then it's doomed..."
Watching Dragon's anguished fury, Hammer said nothing.
He knew what the Celestial Dragons were like; he'd just experienced it firsthand.
"So what now? You gonna throw your life away for some scumbag? Is it worth it?"
"Or do you think one act will teach them a lesson?"
"You're dreaming, my friend."
"Here, take a look at this. I made it just for you. Hopefully, it gives you a new experience... maybe even a new path."
He unwrapped the black cloth, revealing a single sandal with red patterns.
Dragon stared at it, confused, then glanced at Hammer, who was grinning.
But somehow, that grin gave Dragon a bad feeling...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu