Devil Fruit Awakening represents the pinnacle of a Devil Fruit's power.
Only those who have mastered their abilities to the extreme can achieve it.
For Paramecia types, awakening typically involves either affecting the surrounding environment with one's ability or imbuing objects with one's power.
But this time, Hammer's awakening brought about an unusual change.
The deafening sound of hammer strikes, gone.
And Hammer himself, gone too.
"Hey! Hammer, where are you?"
"Hammer-san? Don't hide~ Come out already~"
"Where is he?! How did Hammer just disappear?"
When the silver light faded, everyone poured into the forge, searching for any trace of Hammer.
The forge was big, but the search party was huge too, and they were all elite Marines.
Very soon, they turned the entire forge upside down, but found nothing.
"A big guy like him, after making this big of a scene,"
"And he's just gone?"
Standing in Hammer's forging room, Sengoku mumbled to himself in confusion.
Next to him, Fleet Admiral Kong and Zephyr looked equally anxious and stunned.
Before long, everyone gathered in Hammer's personal forging room.
They had searched every inch of the armory, but no Hammer.
"What's going on here?"
"Sengoku, use that brain of yours, analyze this properly."
Of course, when trouble shows up, just dump it on Sengoku.
Sengoku rolled his eyes so hard they nearly cramped.
But then his gaze fell on the anvil.
On top of the anvil stood a hammer, black and silver, immediately catching his attention.
"Hmm? Was this hammer here before?"
He reached out and grabbed the handle.
The next second, Sengoku's eyes flew wide open.
A deafening hammering sound exploded through the entire forge, and every head turned toward Sengoku.
There he stood, gripping the black-and-silver hammer in his right hand.
His cloak fluttered, though there was no wind, the hammering sound was echoing from the hammer itself.
"This… this feeling…"
Sengoku could feel the power coursing through the hammer, shock flickered in his wide eyes.
"What was this ability called again…? Let me think…"
"Chest-Shattering Hammer, you idiot!"
"Oh, right! Chest-Shattering Hammer"
As Sengoku struggled to remember, a voice suddenly spoke inside his head, reminding him.
And right then, Sengoku unleashed Hammer's signature move: Chest-Shattering Hammer!
An invisible shockwave burst out from Sengoku, spreading in all directions.
Everyone around him scrambled to brace themselves.
"What's so funny, old man?! That's my power, why are you so happy?!"
The wildly laughing Sengoku got scolded right away.
By who? By the hammer itself.
Or rather, the hammer he was holding.
"Sengoku, how are you using Hammer's powers?"
"Don't tell me… It's this hammer?"
Zephyr, shielded by his Fist of Tekko, hadn't been affected by the shockwave; now he stared at Sengoku in disbelief.
"Hmph, isn't it obvious? Sengoku can use my power because that hammer is me!"
A bold voice rang out, everyone looked around for the source.
Silver light flared up again, and in the next instant, the hammer in Sengoku's hand rose into the air and hovered there.
Bathed in silver radiance, the hammer glowed brilliantly, and then transformed into a human figure.
It was him, Vice Admiral of Marine HQ, master blacksmith, Hammer!
Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Hammer had turned into a hammer?
"Impossible, Hammer really turned into a hammer???"
"My god! This is insane! The Hammer-Hammer Fruit turned him into a hammer?"
Amid the shocked cries, Hammer dusted himself off. After all, he'd been forging nonstop for a month, he looked terrible.
Then he plopped himself down on a nearby chair.
"Your Fruit awakened?"
As a fellow Fruit user, Sengoku immediately understood what was happening.
Awakening meant a user's abilities took a huge leap.
Very few on this entire sea could reach this stage.
Hammer didn't hide a thing.
"Yeah, my Hammer-Hammer Fruit has awakened."
"As for what the awakening does, you just experienced it for yourself, old man Sengoku."
Seeing Hammer's smug look, Sengoku just nodded blankly.
This was way beyond anything he'd expected, but that power was undeniable.
"Wait, what is your awakened ability exactly???"
"Can you stop speaking in riddles? Sengoku's annoying enough, you brat, don't pick up his habits!"
Watching Hammer and Sengoku trade cryptic lines, Zephyr was about to explode.
Sengoku: …Why am I always the punching bag?
"My awakening lets me merge my essence into a hammer, creating a strange 'magnetic field'… Well, not really a magnetic field, more like an infusion."
"First, I transform myself into a hammer, that black-and-silver one you saw."
"Then, whoever picks up the hammer gets all of my Devil Fruit's powers!"
"I call this power: The Oath Hammer!"
"In that moment, I am the hammer, the hammer is me!"
"Of course, if someone wants my power, they need my approval. Otherwise, they won't get a shred of it, they won't even be able to lift the hammer!"
"Ah, enough talk, let's go outside. I'll show you what it feels like to wield godlike power!"
Saying this, Hammer pushed through the crowd and strode outside.
Eager to witness a miracle, everyone rushed out after him.
Out in front of the forge, Hammer instantly activated his power again, transforming into the black-and-silver warhammer.
"Zephyr-sensei, you try it!"
Hammer's voice echoed out, Zephyr nodded, removed his arm armor, and stepped forward to grip the hammer.
"Zephyr-sensei, you know my powers well. Use them as you wish."
Feeling the power surging from the hammer, Zephyr was so shocked he couldn't speak, he just nodded.
Then he hefted the hammer, turned to an empty patch of ground, and readied an attack.
"Heavy Hammer Spark!"
Zephyr chose the Hammer-Hammer Fruit's flame ability.
In an instant, a massive blaze erupted from the hammer's head, far stronger than when Hammer used it himself.
"This too is my awakened power, turning the Hammer-Hammer Fruit into its essence, and boosting all its abilities!"
"Whoever wields me, even an ordinary Marine soldier, will instantly gain strength equal to a Vice Admiral!"
"And if top-tier fighters wield me, it's not just a simple 1+1 boost!"
"I swear, if Garp wielded me, the two of us could go duke it out with Whitebeard!"
Hammer's conviction focused on a single hammer!
Hammer the heavens, hammer the earth, hammer all things!
All things are hammer!