In an instant, an ice coffin took form. Hammer stared fixedly at the icy structure in front of him.
Inside the frost were countless sword fragments, the broken remains of the Frostbane. With the support of Cryolite stones and imbuing abilities, the ice coffin was as hard as iron and extremely resistant to melting.
Just as the coffin was about to fall into the water, Hammer moved. He lifted it up with one swift motion and returned it to the deck of the warship.
His trembling hands gently touched the surface of the ice coffin. Hammer's heart was filled with sorrow and reluctance.
Suddenly, a protruding part of the ice drew his attention.
It was a clearly visible shard of sword encased in a chunk of ice crystal, shaped like a rhombus.
Hammer used his strength to remove it and held it tightly in his palm, his expression growing solemn.
"How scary~ Hammer-kun, your sword actually turned World into a popsicle. That's downright terrifying."
The Borsalino walked over in shock, marveling at the ice coffin.
"No doubt. Never thought the World Destroyer, Brynddi World, would end up ,"
Another voice chimed in. Two towering figures appeared in front of the coffin, Garp and Sengoku, who had just fought World.
Sengoku had already deactivated his Devil Fruit powers. Bare-chested, he stared intently at the frozen World.
Even Garp wore an uncharacteristically serious expression.
"My Frostbane was forged using cryolite ore, giving it innate freezing power. Its freezing properties were amplified when World used the Moa Moa Fruit on it."
"The backlash of its destruction unleashed that power, and combined with the sword's fragments, it became his prison."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"This battle wiped out the World Pirates. From captain to crew, all captured. Hammer, well done!"
"Your contribution will be recognized once we return to HQ. Fleet Admiral Kong will see to that, and don't worry, your reward won't be lacking."
Sengoku patted Hammer's shoulder, openly expressing his admiration.
From the first encounter in the Calm Belt to Garp's arrival and the freezing of World, Hammer had indeed done most of the heavy lifting.
But Hammer's mind was far from rewards or World.
He just wanted to know what that mysterious voice from the Frostbane Sword had been...
"Admiral Sengoku, I'm a bit tired. I'll return to my ship to rest."
"As for World, I hope he won't be sent to Impel Down. Just sink him into the sea right here."
With that, Hammer turned and walked away without looking back.
"Ah, poor Hammer-kun. Wounded all over, and his masterpiece is gone too. If I were him, I'd fall into depression."
Houge sighed miserably, causing Sengoku and Garp to shudder.
That creepy tone, combined with the sorrowful vibe — man, it was like a funeral dirge.
"Scram! Borsalino! I asked you to help, and this is what you did?!"
"Yasakani no Miss-every-shot'?! Did you think I wouldn't notice?!"
Borsalino Brother: '...Oh no~, the old man actually heard it.'
Back on his ship, Hammer went straight to the room, locked the door, and ordered strict isolation.
Lance saw the serious look on Hammer's face, then glanced at the now-empty sheath at his waist and understood, Hammer needed personal space.
"A weapon soul... Could it really be a weapon soul...?"
"This world is ultimately a fantasy one. If ship spirits can exist, why not weapon spirits too?"
Hammer took out the remaining cryolite and sword fragment, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
As a blacksmith from Huaxia, He grew up listening to stories of legendary smiths. He knew of weapon spirits and admired the idea deeply.
Take the legendary Zhanlu Sword, for instance.
It was known as the sword of benevolence and righteousness, forged by the master Ou Yezi. After it was made, it passed from the King of Yue to the King of Wu. Legend says it could judge rulers; only the virtuous could wield it.
Such was the allure of a sword spirit.
He always thought those were just legends. But today, today changed everything.
That voice from the Frostbane Sword told him: a weapon can truly have a spirit!
"Frostbane, don't worry. I will rebuild you!"
With a surge of icy crystals and steel appearing around him, Hammer began selecting materials with a solemn expression.
The shard of Frostbane lay on the table, glowing with a unique blue light.
The familiar clanging of forging echoed again.
Due to the incident, Hammer's planned trip to Punk Hazard had to be postponed, and the group returned to Marineford HQ.
"What did you say? Hammer's still forging?!"
"Yes… Admiral Sengoku."
"This is nonsense! That brat's still injured!"
"But... this time is different. The forgeroom door, no matter how I try, I just can't open it..."
At the port, Sengoku exploded when he heard that Hammer had locked himself in and was forging nonstop after the battle with World. He grabbed Captain Lance and shook him so hard that it left him dazed.
"You've got to be kidding! I'll go myself!"
Sengoku flung Lance aside and strode onto Hammer's ship with absolute determination.
But the moment he stepped onto the deck, he felt something was off.
The rhythm of the hammering resonated through the entire ship, filling the space with sonic pressure. Even a battle-hardened admiral like Sengoku felt a mysterious weight in the air.
His face turned serious as he approached the forgeroom door.
"Hammer! We've arrived at Marineford. Get out of here now!"
He reached out to push the door.
But in the next second, Sengoku froze; the door wouldn't budge.
Unconvinced, he applied more force, but still, nothing.
"What... what is this?"
To investigate, Sengoku activated Observation Haki and extended it into the room.
What he saw shocked him.
Inside, Hammer was hammering with a focused expression. On the anvil lay a nearly complete ice-blue longsword.
The shard of Frostbane on the table radiated a soft blue glow, its light slowly wrapping around the sword.
Each hammer strike didn't just fall, it transformed into a strange energy flowing through the room.
The prolonged forging had enveloped the entire space in a unique force.
The room had become a world of its own.
If someone forcibly entered, it would trigger resonance from every hammer strike, unleashing a terrifying backlash.
Even Sengoku was stunned into silence.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 15 chapters ahead.
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