A silver-white warship was speeding rapidly across the sea.
Its silvery hull gleamed under the sunlight.
The only noticeable flaw was a humanoid dent at the bow of the ship.
"Damn that old man Sengoku. I just borrowed a few materials from him, did he really have to hit me that hard?!"
"Look at my glorious and mighty Invincible Warhammer's bow, he totally wrecked it!"
Hammer rubbed his swollen cheek and grumbled with great displeasure.
Lance, Shirley, and the other soldiers fell silent at his words.
They still hadn't forgotten what happened at the port.
When Admiral Sengoku found out that Hammer had emptied his warehouse, he immediately transformed with a brilliant flash of light like some magical girl and turned into a golden Buddha.
That glowing Buddha raised his palm and rubbed Hammer's face hard into the ship's bow.
Muttering as he did so: "My materials… My savings…"
It was like watching a heartbroken old monk.
"Ugh, this pisses me off! Just you wait, Sengoku, when you retire, if I approve even a single berry of your pension, I'll eat my own damn name!"
Lance: '...Almost forgot this guy wants to be head of Logistics. Better tread lightly, or he might actually also dock my retirement pay in the future.'
"Shirley, keep us on course. Our destination is Punk Hazard!"
"I'm going to forge stuff now. Don't bother me unless it's urgent. Oh, and someone, yeah, you, move that pile of flintlocks to my room."
Since boarding the ship, Shirley had seamlessly taken on the roles of lookout and deck officer. With her help, Lance was much more efficient.
Soon, the familiar sound of hammering echoed out.
Strangely enough, Lance, Shirley, and the hundred soldiers all felt at peace hearing that rhythmic pounding, a soothing calm settling in their hearts.
With Hammer gone, Lance, as the first officer, began assigning duties.
"Listen up, everyone. From now on, we're a team. After the ship-refit project, I'd say we're all pretty familiar with each other."
"Our commanding officer? He's basically hands-off, unless he's forging."
"Normally, you can ignore him, but if we enter combat, you must follow his orders to the letter!"
His tone shifted from casual to stern, and by the end, Lance's face was very serious.
That was the rule aboard a warship. Off-duty, you could be like brothers. But once the battle began, the commander's word was absolute.
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"All right, return to your posts. We're about to enter the Calm Belt."
The New World, Punk Hazard.
"Dr. Vegapunk, Rear Admiral Hammer is en route to this location."
"Oh? That blacksmith? He's finally coming?"
"Yes. He was delayed due to his involvement in the operation to take down the World Destroyer."
"Very well. Order the soldiers to place the prepared weapons on the first floor. Notify me when he arrives."
Inside the laboratory, a large-headed old man methodically continued his experiments. At the mention of Hammer's arrival, a hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
Clearly, the man known as "the world's greatest mind" had high hopes for Hammer.
"Huh, so this is Punk Hazard?"
"Looks nice. There's even a central lake?"
Hammer and his group had safely made it through the Calm Belt and finally arrived at Punk Hazard.
Shirley was instantly captivated by the vibrant island.
As a Mink, she was deeply drawn to the natural world.
"Lance, go tell my brother we've arrived."
Lance involuntarily shivered.
"Do I have to? I'm kinda scared…"
As soon as he said that, everyone recalled the scene of Z watching Hammer send Zephyr flying, and everyone shuddered.
"Nope... You're the first officer! If not you, then who?"
Shirley pushed Lance toward the forge room and walked off, leaving him alone and visibly terrified.
The forge room, located at the center-rear of the ship, was the heart of the warship, and of their team.
From the moment they boarded, Hammer claimed the rear command room and renamed it the forge room.
And for the past few days, he'd been inside it constantly, forging and triggering his Absolute Space.
Even the soldiers bringing him meals couldn't get in.
"Come on, Shirley, I've been good to you… Don't do me …"
Seeing the forge door ahead, Lance's knees went weak.
But Shirley ignored him and shoved him to the door, then turned and ran, leaving Lance alone and trembling.
He could hear the heavy clanging, and staring at the closed door, Lance swallowed nervously.
He slowly raised his trembling right hand to knock.
"No need to knock. Tell everyone to prepare for landing."
Just then, Hammer's voice came from inside, and Lance immediately relaxed, feeling as if he'd been saved.
"No talking. Once the Warhammer docks, I'll come out myself."
Without giving Lance a chance to reply, the hammering resumed.
Lance stared blankly at the door, and one phrase flashed through his mind: Observation Haki.
Yes, Hammer had used his Observation Haki to sense the presence of Shirley and Lance.
In the past few days of forging, Hammer discovered something remarkable.
When he activated his Observation Haki during forging, he could precisely sense the changes in the steel, allowing him to strike with perfect timing and force.
And because of his high concentration while forging, even with Observation Haki fully active, he didn't feel tired at all, and it consumed almost no energy.
Hammer swung his hammer with his right hand while grinning at the stack of flintlocks nearby.
"Welcome to Punk Hazard, Rear Admiral Hammer and company. I'm Vice Admiral Edward, the commanding officer here."
"Dr. Vegapunk is waiting for you on the first floor."
Vice Admiral Edward, a veteran marine officer with numerous commendations, was currently in charge of the marine forces stationed at Punk Hazard.
The fact that a vice admiral was guarding this island showed how important Punk Hazard, no, Vegapunk, was to the World Government.
Lance scratched his head awkwardly.
"Hello, Vice Admiral Edward. I'm not Rear Admiral Hammer, I'm his adjutant, Lance. The Rear Admiral is still forging and hasn't…"
"Hm? Dr. Vegapunk is waiting for me? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Before Lance could finish, a figure suddenly appeared between them.
Full of energy, radiating the scent of a forge, it was Hammer.
Edward: '…Yep, definitely a blacksmith. That smell is intense!'
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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