"Damn that old geezer! He gave me a busted speedboat, and it's practically retired already - even the bottom compartment is leaking!"
With all other recruits departed, Hammer remained at the docks, violently remodeling his assigned vessel, swinging his fist against it.
This scene was being watched from afar by Zephyr.
"Hahahahaha! What did I tell you, Sengoku? The brat would definitely start hammering right at the port. Come on, give me your best sake!"
Standing next to him was none other than Admiral Sengoku.
"Tch. Go get it yourself later."
"This guy Hammer, seriously, couldn't he wait until after setting sail to start hammering? Now I owe you a bottle."
Here's what happened:
Zephyr had deliberately picked out an especially run-down speedboat for Hammer, betting that the guy would immediately start fixing it on the spot.
Sengoku didn't believe it, so he made a bet with Zephyr:
Would Hammer start hammering at the port or only once he was out at sea?
Zephyr had deliberately chosen the most dilapidated speedboat, betting Iron Hammer would start repairs dockside. Sengoku doubted this, leading to their wager.
What did the Admiral not know? That boat was handpicked to sink within 30 minutes if Hammer dared set sail without fixing it first.
After nearly an hour of hammering, the speedboat finally looked somewhat functional. The leaking parts were forcibly sealed up by Hammer's brutal craftsmanship.
[Ding... Critical Crafting triggered. Marine speedboat (nearly scrapped) gains a special property: Indestructible.]
'Indestructible?! Are you kidding me?.'
The boat still looked like it would fall apart any second, and now it had a so-called "indestructible" attribute?
Hammer was speechless.
Still, better than nothing. Thanks to this new property, he was confident he could survive the graduation exam.
Thinking this, Hammer pushed the boat into the sea and climbed aboard.
As the engine roared to life, Hammer was quite satisfied.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look at a nearby building, the very building where Zephyr and Sengoku were currently standing.
"Oi, hey, Zephyr, is that kid looking at us?" asked Sengoku.
Zephyr nodded blankly.
"How the hell did that brat know we were here?"
"No idea. What's he staring at us for anyway?"
"You're asking me? Who the hell am I supposed to ask?"
The next second, they saw Hammer take off his gloves, revealing a metallic-looking ring on his hand.
With a flash of light, a flag suddenly appeared in Hammer's hand.
He unfolded the flag and held it up high. The words written on it were clear:
"SREW YOUR RULES, OLD MAN, MY CHEATS WIN!"
His roaring laughter drowned out the engine as he sped away into the horizon, leaving two stunned Marines in his wake.
"THAT BRAT! Where did he get that from?! I personally checked him before departure!!"
Zephyr was fuming, his face flushed red with rage.
Sengoku, however, squinted thoughtfully. He replayed Hammer's earlier motion in his mind, and suddenly, a gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Zephyr, calm down for a second. Think carefully, remember how that flag appeared just now?"
Knowing Sengoku wouldn't speak without reason, Zephyr quickly recalled the moment.
The two men suddenly locked eyes, and a look of shock crossed both their faces.
Meanwhile, Hammer, now sailing at sea, felt smug satisfaction wash over him.
He looked down at the ring on his right hand and chuckled:
"Hahaha! Old man Zephyr would have never guessed that I managed to forge out something !"
A custom ring with a special ability: storage space.
This was Hammer's proudest creation.
Even though the storage space was only 5 cubic meters, nowhere near the absurd sizes in fantasy novels, for him, at his current stage, it was a game-changer.
Inside that five cubic meter of space was a stash of food, supplies, and tools of all kinds, big and small, all crafted by Hammer himself.
Right under Zephyr's nose, he had smuggled out all of his belongings.
He couldn't be happier.
Hammer's destination: Sabaody Archipelago. As a former Marine stationed there, he knew the area well.
Sabaody is a key passage to the New World for pirates, making it the perfect place to lie in wait.
The archipelago is composed of huge trees, and the ground is formed from their roots — bubbles rise naturally from the soil. Each section of the islands is marked by numbers.
Zones 1–29: Slave trade, human auctions, and lawless areas.
Zones 30–39: Bubble Park and related attractions.
Zones 40–49: Tourist areas and specialty shops.
Zones 50–59: Shipyards and coating engineers.
Zones 60–69: Navy garrisons and government facilities.
Zones 70–79: Hotel districts and lodging.
After half a day of sailing, Hammer finally arrived at the Marine base located in Zone 66.
"Damn you, Phil! I'm back!"
As soon as Hammer stepped into the Marine base, his loud, booming voice echoed like a gong through the place.
The nearby marines all turned their heads, and upon recognizing their familiar blacksmith, they excitedly ran over.
"Hammer, you're back!"
"Finished your training at HQ?"
"How much stronger have you gotten?"
The barrage of questions instantly left Hammer dumbfounded.
Just then, Rear Admiral Phil Jackson, the base commander, approached him and pulled him into a strong embrace.
"Rear Admiral Phil, it's been so lon- hey? Hey? AHHH!!!"
Before Hammer could finish his sentimental words, Phil Jackson hoisted him up and hurled him toward the sea.
"What the hell! Geppo!"
Seeing himself about to fall into the water, Hammer quickly performed Geppo and hovered in mid-air.
"Not bad, kid. You're getting the hang of Rokushiki."
"Rear Admiral, what was that for?! I just got back home- aren't you happy to see me?"
Phil Jackson smiled at the indignant Hammer and scolded with amusement in his voice:
"You think I don't know what you're up to?"
"Admiral Zephyr has already called. He told me not to let you set foot on Sabaody."
"He said to tell you: "No lazy, ambush tactics allowed."
Hearing that, Hammer's face turned black.
"Damn that old bastard-he predicted my movement, damn it!"
"Can't I even stop by to resupply?!"
Phil Jackson shook his head and regretfully announced, "Nope. You're not allowed to land on the Sabaody Archipelago. If you do, your assessment will be considered a failure. Those were Admiral Zephyr's exact words."
Gritting his teeth, Hammer had no choice but to reluctantly climb back onto his speedboat.
"Phil, I know your Den Den Mushi is still on."
"OLD MAN! YOU WIN THIS ROUND! I WON'T FORGET THIS! Hmph!"
With those harsh words, he sped off on his boat again.
And in Phil Jackson's arms, a still-active Den Den Mushi emitted a loud, hearty laugh.
"Well done, Rear Admiral Phil! That brat, I knew he'd try to slack off! Hahahahaha!"
Phil Jackson sighed and pulled out the Den Den Mushi.
"Sir... was this really necessary?"
"Hmph! That brat's gotten too comfortable cutting corners. Tricking me? He's got another thing coming!"
"That's all. I'm hanging up."
The Den Den Mushi hangs up.
Phil Jackson showed a helpless smile.
Looking toward the direction Hammer had gone, he muttered to himself:
"Good luck out there, kid."