"Sengoku, what are you doing? Why haven't you dragged Hammer out yet?"
A loud, boisterous voice rang out, it was Garp. But the moment he stepped onto the warship, he became just as stunned as Sengoku.
The situation before them was simply too extraordinary.
A completely sealed space, the sound of endless hammering echoing from within.
"Garp, have this ship sealed off. No one is to approach. We'll wait until Hammer comes out on his own."
In the end, it was Sengoku's order that temporarily resolved the matter.
Meanwhile, Lance, having left the ship, first took Shirley to the hospital before rushing straight to the Marine training camp.
The camp was unusually quiet. The second batch of recruits had already graduated, and the third batch was still in the recruitment phase.
Zephyr, for once, was enjoying a rare moment of leisure until disaster struck.
"Instructor Zephyr! Something's happened!"
"It's Hammer! Hammer's in trouble!"
Lance's shouts echoed from below the training building, nearly scaring Zephyr out of his wits.
The newspaper in Zephyr's hands trembled as he instantly vanished from his seat, shattering the window in his haste to reach the ground.
Window: ...Being glass in Marineford is suffering.
"What happened to Hammer?! Wasn't he heading to Punk Hazard?!"
"Lance, explain yourself!"
Zephyr knew about Hammer's journey to Punk Hazard to study seastone. But how could something have gone wrong so soon after setting sail?
"Sir, we were on our way to Punk Hazard, but we ran into the World-Destroyer, World..."
He knew World well, had even fought him before. He understood exactly how dangerous that man was.
"And then?! Where's Hammer now?!"
Lance: "On the warship. He's currently-"
"Damn it! Of all people to run into..."
"Never mind, I'll see for myself!"
Without letting Lance finish, Zephyr demonstrated the true meaning of utter frenzy.
He shot forward like a rocket, his feet tearing up the ground beneath him, leaving Lance in a cloud of dust.
"W-wait, Instructor! I wasn't done. Ugh... Whatever. I give up."
Meanwhile, Sengoku had dragged Garp and several newly promoted officers into a debriefing session. Even Fleet Admiral Kong and Vice Admiral Tsuru were present.
As the primary officer in charge, Sengoku delivered his report to the assembled group: Borsalino, Dragon, Garp, and several other high-ranking strategists.
"The World Destroyer, Brynndi World, has been frozen by Hammer. His crew's officers have also been captured."
"While this battle was unexpected, the results are undeniably favorable."
"Among them, Rear Admiral Hammer's performance was the most outstanding. First encountering World in the Calm Belt, then leading his men in a desperate resistance, buying us the opportunity to surround and eliminate the World Pirates."
Sengoku's summary was thorough, and Kong nodded approvingly.
World's capture was a major victory for the Marines. That lunatic had been a thorn in everyone's side, attacking Marines, pirates, and even the World Government without hesitation.
"Excellent. This is a significant achievement."
Kong rose to his feet, scanning the room, only to notice someone missing.
"Sengoku, where's Hammer?"
At the mention of Hammer, Sengoku's expression turned grave. He explained the situation honestly.
"Hammer sustained injuries in the battle, and his forged weapon, the Frostbane Sword, was completely destroyed."
"After the fight, he immediately began forging again. Even now, he's-"
Kong's face darkened. "What kind of idiots are you?! Letting him work while injured?! Are you trying to kill him?!"
Wiping sweat from his brow, Sengoku continued, "Fleet Admiral, Hammer's current state is... unusual. The room he's in has been enveloped by his Devil Fruit ability, creating an absolutely sealed space. If anyone were to recklessly enter-"
Before Sengoku could finish, a series of deafening explosions erupted from the harbor, shaking all of Marineford.
In the meeting room, Garp and Dragon, who had been dozing off, jolted awake.
Garp's face turned serious, his Observation Haki instantly told him what was happening.
Dragon, meanwhile, mumbled groggily, "Is it mealtime?"
Borsalino also activated his Observation Haki, his expression twisting into exaggerated shock.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Rewind: The Moment Zephyr Made His Move
Zephyr stormed onto Hammer's warship at the docks.
The familiar sound of hammering eased his worries slightly, but his urgency to see Hammer overrode all caution. He marched straight for the quarters, fully intending to barge in.
But the door refused to budge.
"Hammer! Are you in there?! It's Zephyr, open this door now!"
No response. Only the relentless hammering.
A bad feeling settled in Zephyr's chest.
Had someone warned him, he might've used Observation Haki to assess the situation.
And in his panic, he completely forgot about it.
The legendary "Black Arm" Zephyr was not one to be stopped by a mere door.
His pitch-black palm slammed against the wood.
And in the next instant.
The hammering erupted.
The absolute space collapsed, unleashing days' worth of condensed hammer strikes in a catastrophic explosion.
The shockwaves tore through everything, steel, wood, nothing was spared.
Zephyr realized his mistake too late.
Now he understood why Lance had said Hammer was in trouble.
But there was no stopping it now. Gritting his teeth, Zephyr charged inward.
Only to be met with increasingly powerful hammer strikes, laced with soul shockwaves.
Caught off guard, Zephyr took a full-force hammer blast to the face and was sent flying off the ship.
His Armament Haki spared him injury, but his pride was thoroughly bruised.
Hence the furious cursing.
With the absolute space destroyed, the warship disintegrated in an instant.
All that remained was a single floorboard, one man, a shard of cryolite, an anvil, and a nearly completed sword.
But fate had one last twist.
The moment the ship collapsed, Hammer's eyes flashed with brilliance.
He grabbed the cryolite shard and pressed it against the blade.
"HEAVY! HAMMER! SPARK!"
Fire erupted, engulfing both Hammer and the sword in a blazing inferno.
Zephyr, barely regaining his balance midair, watched in horror.
But before he could act, multiple figures shot past him.
"EVERYONE, FALL BACK!"
"LOCK DOWN THE HARBOR!"
Kong's commanding voice restored order.
"Dragon, control the flames!"
Before Dragon could move, a dark-haired young man stepped forward, unleashing a wave of freezing energy that encased the flames in an icy prison.
"A Logia, the Ice-Ice Fruit?"
Dragon and Borsalino exchanged glances, impressed.
"Good work, Kuzan!" Garp praised, though his eyes remained fixed on Hammer.
Kuzan grinned and flashed a peace sign.
But then, the flames vanished.
In their place, a surge of freezing air, nearly rivaling even the Ice-Ice Fruit's power, erupted.
And Hammer's voice echoed softly.
"With the broken soul as the forge, I ignite the flames of legacy."
"With cryolite as the core, I carve the path of ice."
"Blood and sweat unite, forging the sword's pinnacle."
"Steel and iron merge, heralding a new chapter."
With each verse, a mental hammer strike resonated.
By the final word, eight strikes had rung out.
Then, the freezing energy spiraled uncontrollably into the sky, forming a dazzling pillar of ice above the harbor.
From within, a sword emerged, gleaming ice-blue, its edge shimmering with an eerie light.
"Only through destruction can rebirth be achieved."
"'Frostbane' no longer suits you."
"Henceforth, you shall be known as—
"Named Blade: Winterborne!"
Blade Length: 1.5 meters
Design: From hilt to tip, the blade narrows and sharpens. Within the blade core reveals a tree-like structure from special steel, surrounded by cryolite-forged edges. A perfect replica of the Seven-Star Sword, but in ice-blue.
Guard: Fully crafted from cryolite.
Hilt: 30 cm, forged from refined iron.
As Hammer spoke, Winterborne pulsed with a blue glow.
The freezing energy twisted into a cyclone, soaring skyward.
The sword seemed to come alive.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 15 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu