"Hahaha, Hammer, I really underestimated you. I didn't expect you to have so many tricks up your sleeve. That beating you got, well deserved!"
"Come on, Teacher Zephyr, I still hurt all over. That old man Sengoku really went all out, Conqueror's Haki + Armament Haki + Shockwave? He wasn't afraid of turning me straight to ash?"
"Well, Sengoku is an Admiral. You really thought he was just some strategist? All of us have crawled out of blood and fire."
"Oh, right, Teacher Zephyr, this is the mask I made for Magellan. It doesn't affect his breathing and can effectively prevent the spread of poison gas."
Hammer rubbed his still swollen cheek and pulled a gas mask out from his ring.
Zephyr took the mask with satisfaction.
"Oh, and here's your mission. Sengoku asked me to bring it to you."
Hammer frowned as he accepted the mission letter from Zephyr.
"That old man Sengoku only ever gives me assignments. Am I wrong to complain?"
"Huh? Find the Crocodile? What for?"
"You seriously want to make him a Warlord of the Sea? Come on! If it were up to me, I'd just kill him."
Hammer was dissatisfied with Sengoku's arrangement. As someone who knew the future, he was very aware of what kind of person Crocodile really was. And yet, they wanted to recruit him instead of eliminate him?
"Hmph. You think I want this? This is a direct order from the Five Elders. If you've got a problem, take it up with them!"
Suddenly, a voice full of presence came from outside the courtyard; it was Sengoku himself.
"Yo, isn't that Admiral Sengoku? Hang on, I'll make you some tea."
Zephyr: "..Why didn't I get tea? Am I not worthy of tea?"
Sengoku: "Ask him. How would I know?"
"Tomorrow, you're heading to Mary Geoise with Fleet Admiral Kong. After the auction ends, I'll have Lance meet you on the Red Line."
"Then go straight to the New World and find Crocodile. Got it?"
Hammer nodded quickly, though he still had doubts. "And what if he refuses to become a Warlord?"
"Do I really need to spell it out? My only demand is that he accept the Warlord's invitation. That's Fleet Admiral Kong's order, and the World Government's."
"So basically, beat him until he agrees."
Hammer was speechless. He really didn't want to go. 'Ugh...'
Suddenly, he remembered an item stored in his ring, something he'd dismissed as useless.
But... it might be perfect for this situation.
That thought sparked a sudden interest in Crocodile.
Holy Land, Mary Geoise
The most magnificent place on the seas. Surrounded by luxurious buildings, Hammer was nearly blinded by the extravagance.
"Impressive, isn't it? I was the same when I first came to Mary Geoise," said Kong, patting Hammer's shoulder.
"It is, after all, the home of the descendants of the Twenty Kings."
Kong liked this junior, strong, capable, and talented. A bit mouthy and prone to annoying others, but still likable.
"It's definitely extravagant. Old man Kong, how's the auction promotion going?"
"It's huge. Hosted by the Ethanbaron family. All 19 Celestial Dragon families will attend."
"As in the family of the Warior God Finance, Ethanbaron V. Nusjurou?"
Hammer nodded in recognition. Even the family of an Elder was involved in this auction?
All representatives of the Celestial Dragon families had taken their seats.
A masked CP0 agent in a suit stepped onto the stage.
Clearly, he was today's auctioneer.
"Honorable Celestial Dragons, welcome to this auction hosted by Saint Ethanbaron V. Orly."
"By now, you've surely read the news, there's a new master forger on the seas, Marine Vice Admiral Hammer, also known as the legendary 'Master Orn.'"
"The Invisibility Hat, the X-Ray Glasses, and even the famous sword 'Winterborne,' which surpasses the 21 Great Grade Blades, all made by him."
"All the items in today's auction were crafted by this master."
His words sent a wave of excitement through the crowd.
The name "Master Orn" was famous even in Mary Geoise, especially among those close to Saint Rosward.
Many of them had seen his extravagant bed firsthand and were very jealous.
Recently, Rosward has also been showing off a flashy electric watch.
"Rosward, that bed and watch of yours, did that guy make them?"
"Saint Kamael! You came too? You're right, my watch came from him."
"Hahaha! I want that bed too! And that watch!"
With the two leading the charge, the crowd of Celestial Dragons quickly erupted in chatter.
The auctioneer was very pleased with this response.
"Ahem. Since everyone is so eager, let's not waste time. We'll begin immediately."
"First item up for auction, The Invisibility Hat."
While the auction was in full swing, Kong took Hammer to Pangaea Castle.
"Old man Kong, aren't we going to the auction?"
"Why would I go to that nonsense?"
"Didn't you say we were?"
"Did I? I clearly said we're here to meet the Five Elders."
Seeing Kong's innocent expression, Hammer wanted to punch him.
'You said auction. Now I'm meeting the Five Elders???'
'That's like walking right into the underworld!'
These were five terrifying old monsters, each one strong enough to blow his head off without blinking.
Kong saw the unease on Hammer's face and patted his shoulder again.
"Don't worry. The Five Elders summoned you for a good reason. This could be very beneficial for you."
"Five Elders, Fleet Admiral Kong, and Vice Admiral Hammer request an audience."
"Kong can wait outside. Let Vice Admiral Hammer enter."
Kong gave Hammer a look, an encouraging one.
As the doors opened, five figures appeared before Hammer.
These were the five top rulers of the world. Well, excluding Imu.
Their gazes instantly shifted past Kong and landed on Hammer, pressing down on him like a mountain.
But Hammer wasn't the type to be cowed.
'You're trying to test me? Suppress me with your aura? Ha!'
'Then don't blame me for pushing back!'
'Hammering of the Soul!'
Sure, he didn't have Conqueror's Haki, but he had his own ways of asserting presence.
And in that instant, the overwhelming pressure diminished.
The Five Elders nodded slightly to themselves, impressed. Most people would collapse just from their presence, let alone counter it.
"Vice Admiral Hammer, yes? Not bad. A worthy representative of the Navy's new generation."
"We summoned you today for two reasons: one, to see you in person. Your abilities are indeed remarkable."
"Two, regarding the electric watch you sold to Rosward. The one with the self-destruct feature."
The speaker was Saint Topman Warcury, red-skinned, bearded, Warrior God of Justice
"Your praise is too much," Hammer replied, bowing slightly in respect.
Warcury was very pleased by this gesture.
"This is both a task and an opportunity, a chance to show your worth."
"That watch had a self-destruct mechanism, right?"
"We want you to create a similar device, one that can kill, and can be mass-produced."
"The detonator must be separate. It must be able to self-destruct on its own and be remotely detonated."
Hammer's heart skipped, kill via self-destruct?
'What were they planning?'
Then it hit him, a certain organization came to mind:
'They wanted tools for covert agents, built-in kill switches to maintain secrecy?'
'The old men were ruthless.'
"You've figured it out, haven't you? Yes, it's for Cipher Pol," said Warcury bluntly.
"If you succeed, your ties to the World Government will deepen; this will help your future a lot."
"I believe your goal is to become the Marines Logistics Chief, yes?"
Hammer: '…WHY DO THE FIVE ELDERS KNOW ABOUT THIS???'
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu