As the Warhammer docked at Marineford, an ominous chill ran down Hammer's spine.
"Lance… why do I feel like I'm about to walk into a disaster?"
"Something bad's gonna happen, isn't it…"
Lance rolled his eyes at him.
"What could possibly happen? You think Admiral Sengoku is gonna eat you alive?"
With that, he walked off, leaving Hammer to his impending doom.
Right… How could he forget? He had deliberately hidden the whole thing about Scarlett and himself.
This would basically have handed Sengoku leverage on a silver platter; he would have been doomed. With that old bastard's personality, there was no way he'd let Hammer off easy.
"Vice Admiral Hammer, the Fleet Admiral Kong, and Admiral Sengoku want to see you."
"Right now. Immediately."
'Great. Just great. The more you fear something, the more it happens.'
Hammer instantly dropped his head, like a rooster beaten in a fight.
As he trudged on, he brushed past Sakazuki.
"Relax. So what if it's an arranged marriage or you marrying into royalty? Dressrosa's lucky to have you."
Hammer: '…You snitched on me?!'
"You traitor! How could you sell me out ? Does your conscience not ache? Does it not ache for the Divine Axe Rhitta?"
"Fine! Some good brother you are!"
He clutched his chest dramatically, as if he had been stabbed. Betrayed by your own bro… was there anything more painful
"Hmph. I'm doing you a favor. You think Sengoku couldn't figure it out on his own?"
"Better to confess early."
Sakazuki snorted, turned, and left.
"Damn you, axe-carrying dog! You're rotten to the core!"
Hammer had no choice but to drag his defeated self toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
But as he reached the door, a huge figure appeared, walking toward him too, looking puzzled.
"Oh? If it isn't Hammer, so the Dressrosa matter's settled, huh?"
'Sengoku, you are one hell of a monster.'
Standing in front of him was Hammer's mentor, his godfather, Zephyr.
And judging by his smile, Zephyr clearly didn't know the details yet.
"Teacher Zephyr… What brings you here?"
"Ah, that bastard Sengoku said there's something big to discuss, turns out you're here too. Must be serious. Well, let's go in."
Hammer: '…Sengoku, you're ruthless. You want an exclusive weapon? How about I forge you a glow-in-the-dark stick instead, just to make you suffer?'
The moment Hammer and Zephyr arrived, Kong's voice sounded from inside.
The two pushed open the door.
Inside sat Kong at the head, with Sengoku and Tsuru sitting on either side. It looked just like an ancient court, making Hammer's heart pound like a drum.
Back then, Sengoku and Tsuru would sit together. Now they sat apart, which was definitely not normal.
"Hey, Kong, Sengoku, what's this about? Hurry up. I've got work to do back at the training camp."
Zephyr barged right in, clearly annoyed. He had plenty to do; his Fist of Tekko Cannon was only half-polished.
"Zephyr, sit down. Today's about Hammer."
"Isn't that right, Hammer?"
Fleet Admiral Kong's voice was calm, so calm you couldn't tell what he was thinking. Which usually meant the storm was about to hit.
Now, even Zephyr's eyes focused on Hammer.
"Hammer, what stunt did you pull this time?"
"Don't tell me you finished Sengoku's exclusive weapon already?"
He shot a side glance at Sengoku.
Sengoku's eyelid twitched. 'Crap. I completely forgot about the exclusive weapon deal. If Hammer got too mad, my personal gear would be out the window.'
'No way, I need to fix this somehow.'
"He did pull something huge."
Before Hammer could speak, Sengoku pushed up his glasses and cut in.
His performance began.
"Hammer, you hid what happened in Dressrosa, including the fact that Princess Scarlett awakened Conqueror's Haki, putting Dressrosa in danger."
"And even if you're involved with her, hiding it from us? Do we look like heartless match-breakers?"
Hearing Sengoku's righteous speech, Tsuru and Kong's eyes went wide, and they stared right at him.
Kong: "You hypocrite! Weren't you just ranting about Hammer 'corrupting a child'?!"
Tsuru: 'As I thought, Sengoku remembered the exclusive weapon and changed his tune on the spot. This man… sigh.'
Sengoku: 'Desperate times call for desperate measures!'
Zephyr: 'Hm?? So this brat fell in love? And with a princess? What does she look like? Is she worthy of Hammer?'
The four each had their own thoughts, while Hammer's mind was racing.
"Hammer! You're dating a princess? That's my boy!"
"Dressrosa's a powerhouse, too. Guess getting injured there was a blessing in disguise, well done!"
"But really, you should have told me! Should've shouted it out proudly!"
Zephyr was thrilled; his "son" had found love. He was already daydreaming about grandkids.
"Ahem, Zephyr, don't celebrate just yet."
Seeing Sengoku waver, Kong stepped in himself.
"Yes, she's a princess, Dressrosa's princess. But she's only eight years old."
Zephyr's smile froze. The words eight years old exploded in his brain like a cannon blast.
'An eight-year-old princess?'
'His boy's with an eight-year-old princess??'
All four stared at Zephyr as his face went from red, to white, to purple, to black, and back to red.
"Hammer, you damned brat! She's an eight-year-old child! How could you even?!"
"All these years, and this is how you turn out?! Regressing with age, are you?!"
"I'll beat you to death, DISGRACE!"
"Black Arm: Falling Boulder!"
In a rage, Zephyr's fists turned black, his terrifying punch hurtled straight for Hammer's face.
"Wait, Sensei, let me explain-!"
Feeling Zephyr's full-force strike, Hammer didn't dare slack off. This wasn't the ailing Zephyr of later years; this was the Black Arm in his prime.
He instantly formed a compressed space with his hammer blows, turning them into barriers that stopped Zephyr's fist in its tracks.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu