"The Jewel Ice Sheet really is an extraordinary material. Combined with your black rods, Hina… tsk tsk, I have a feeling this time's weapon will be absolutely perfect."
The Jewel Ice Sheet had once been a troublesome material, but thanks to Kuzan's relentless effort, its molecular structure had now been completely rearranged.
To make sure the forging of this weapon went smoothly, Hammer had specifically called Hina in to use her Devil Fruit powers to supplement the materials.
After all, according to Hammer's plan, this weapon needed to be highly adaptable.
But whether it would truly reach his expectations still depended on whether his special Critical Crafting ability would work as intended.
This brings us to how Hammer's granting ability had evolved once again.
[Critical Crafting! Now includes Ability Extension and Specialized Granting, allowing abilities based on the user's own ideas. Note: Usage consumes resources.]
Originally, this power had no cost. Now, it did, but it also gave Hammer the freedom to decide exactly what kind of abilities to grant.
For his first test piece under this ability, Hammer decided to use Kuzan's weapon as the trial.
But to ensure success, he threw in every luxurious material he could get his hands on:
Jewel Ice Sheet, Black Rod material, Cryolite, and Mithril.
Everything that could combine with ice was present, no less extravagant than what he'd used for Sakazuki's Divine Axe Rhitta.
"Hina, what happens next is unpredictable. Head back, tell Lance and Shirley they're free to move as they like for now. Stick with them."
Staring at the pile of rare materials in front of him, Hammer readied himself.
But to prevent any unforeseen mishaps, he decided to clear everyone out of the area.
He wasn't about to blow up the entire arsenal and hurt someone else by accident.
Hina nodded. As Hammer's only assistant in his workshop, she knew better than anyone how dangerous his extreme forging sessions could get.
She didn't feel the slightest resentment; in fact, she ran off so fast she vanished in the blink of an eye.
Watching her bolt, Hammer let out a helpless chuckle.
"Forget it. Forging comes first."
Hammer took a deep breath.
"Everyone, evacuate Zone One immediately. No one is allowed inside."
The whole Armory was divided into Zones One through Four.
Zone One was where Hammer worked, dedicated to forging powerful, high-grade weapons like the hammer-sword.
Zones Two, Three, and Four handled ordinary weapons and gear.
Zone One didn't have many workers since not just anyone could handle the advanced equipment Hammer designed.
That's why Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku had upgraded and expanded the armory to further strengthen Hammer's status and authority within it.
It also made Hammer's name echo through the entire Marines once more.
Everyone in Zone One took their cues from Hammer, hearing his order, they instantly understood he was about to pull off another big move.
They dropped everything and quickly evacuated the area.
When he could no longer sense anyone else's presence, Hammer finally felt safe enough to begin forging.
Actually, he'd left out one detail about his awakened Fruit ability: he could now directly grant hammering abilities to other objects, though the strength varied.
Whether the material could handle the hammer's impact depended on its quality, but when it came to forging, Hammer wasn't worried at all.
He activated his Assimilation power, and the entire forge echoed with its signature sound.
Before long, Hammer was completely absorbed in his hammering.
"What? He cleared out all of Zone One?"
"That means… he's forging another divine weapon, isn't he?"
Word from the workers reached the Marines' HQ immediately.
When Sengoku heard, he froze for a moment, then burst into delighted laughter.
In his mind, this new exclusive weapon had to be for him.
So, to ensure nothing interfered, he immediately gave an order:
"Pass down my command: No one, marine or officer, is to disturb Hammer for any reason right now!"
"The vicinity of Zone One of the armory will be guarded twenty-four hours a day!"
All for his exclusive weapon, Sengoku went all-in.
"Sengoku, isn't that a bit overkill? The HQ soldiers already have duties, you know."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, watching Sengoku so worked up that he was posting guards, gave a small, helpless sigh.
But Sengoku was having none of it; he immediately laid out his reasoning for Tsuru.
"Little Tsuru, you've got it wrong. Who's the biggest bomb in HQ right now?"
"It's Hammer! Look at that rascal, when has he ever caused anything less than total chaos?"
"So, from where I stand, if he's making a big move, we must take it seriously!"
"Otherwise, we're the ones who'll suffer."
"Just to be safe, having the guards there is absolutely necessary!"
Seeing Sengoku so righteous and determined, Tsuru knew there was no reasoning with him now.
So she said nothing more and let Sengoku have his way.
"Report! Admiral Sengoku! Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
Suddenly, a messenger dashed in, out of breath.
Sengoku's excited expression turned instantly grave.
"According to our intel, the Flying Pirates have reappeared in the New World. They clashed with Silver Axe and Wang Zhi on Hachinosu."
"The battle ended without a winner, the Golden Lion retreated, but soon after, he engaged the Whitebeard Pirates."
"His motives are unclear, but reports say the Golden Lion Pirates are making massive weapons purchases."
Hearing this, Sengoku and Tsuru fell silent.
The Golden Lion, a fearsome figure, everything he did came from his insatiable ambition.
But this time, Sengoku couldn't quite figure him out.
'What was he planning?'
'Could it be that the Flying Pirates were about to expand?'
Before the Edd War, the Golden Lion's pirate fleet had been enormous, even the Marines had treated him as a top threat.
But then came the massive storm Hammer had triggered, which wiped out the fleet and left the Golden Lion badly wounded, keeping him quiet for a long time.
Now he'd resurfaced and was stockpiling weapons?
'Was he planning a comeback?'
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged glances, both saw the same worry in each other's eyes.
The Golden Lion's most terrifying advantage was his mobility.
Thanks to his Float-Float Fruit, he could bypass the Marines' blockades completely.
If that bastard suddenly struck at the Marines, they'd suffer a huge blow.
So the most urgent task now was to figure out exactly what the Golden Lion was up to, and prepare for it.
"Alert all officers, keep watch on the Flying Pirates in their areas. If spotted, report to HQ immediately!"
In an instant, news of the Golden Lion spread throughout the entire Marines.