Ian sensed that the Whitebeard Pirates were charging in fiercely, but he had no idea that so many "old rivals" were waiting for them to mutually annihilate each other.
After wrapping up his meeting with Kaido, Ian was now exploring Onigashima with his friends and the siblings, Ulti and Page One.
This island wasn't particularly large or small; the area inside the skull was quite expansive.
After all, thousands of pirates resided here, so all kinds of shops could be found, including a flower street specifically catering to pirates. Of course, this area was not suitable for children to visit.
"Ian-nii," Ulti tugged at Ian's clothes, beaming with happiness. "Are we going to live here from now on?"
While Ulti was excited, Page One felt uneasy. This place was still too unfamiliar to him, filled with chaotic pirates.
"That's right, this will be your home from now on, Ulti, Page One. But—"
Ian ruffled the heads of the two little ones, then said seriously, "Don't forget Kaido-sensei's words: in the Beast Pirates, the weak will never have a good life."
Even with his protection and the assurance that they wouldn't suffer harm from pirates, if one lacked strength, they could only be looked down upon by the pirates.
The unspoken disdain was not pleasant.
Page One's expression instantly grew more anxious, her small hands twisting together.
But the sister, Ulti, said confidently, "I will become very strong! Then, I'll be able to fight alongside you, Ian-nii, right?"
Page One's eyes suddenly brightened as she hurriedly replied, "I-I will too!"
"Oh my, Ian is really popular, isn't he?"
Black Maria said with a smile.
Both of these kids really liked Ian.
"Hahaha, you're still far from it! Ulti, the only one who can fight alongside Ian is me!"
At that moment, a buzzkill appeared. Yamato cheekily leaned in closer to Ulti with a proud smile, saying, "Ian and I are the strongest duo in the Beast Pirates!"
Ulti immediately puffed up her cheeks.
That annoying white-haired brat!
I'll definitely become stronger than you in the future!
You'll see who really deserves to stand beside Ian-nii!
"Alright," Ian said, feeling somewhat helpless. Yamato was already thirteen, but her mentality seemed no different from Ulti's.
Was showing off in front of the kids really that fun?
"Where should we go next?"
They had already taken a tour around Onigashima, and there wasn't much left to do.
"Let's go to the workshop!"
Yamato raised her right hand high, "I want to see how that guy is doing!"
Ian instantly understood, "That's true; it's been almost two years. It should be nearing completion, right? Let's go check it out."
Ulti's round eyes widened.
The so-called workshop referred to a weapon workshop built on the inner edge of a skull.
Wano Country had now become a massive weapon factory, producing a large number of weapons every day, but this was the only weapon workshop located within Onigashima.
The workshop was not large; it could almost be described as a small forge.
As Ian pushed open the door to the workshop, he was greeted by the respectful greetings of the pirates guarding the entrance.
Immediately, a strong wave of heat rushed toward him, and the air in front seemed to shimmer with distortion.
Ulti peeked out from behind Ian, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around.
Inside the small workshop, the first thing that caught her attention was a massive furnace, flames roaring inside it. Connected to the furnace was a small pool, filled with flowing lava!
Next to the furnace, in front of a gigantic anvil, stood a man with snow-white hair, wielding a huge hammer and continuously striking the iron.
He was hammering a glowing red iron bar.
"Hey, how's my weapon coming along?"
Yamato stepped into the workshop, completely oblivious to the concept of respecting elders and youths, speaking without any politeness.
Upon hearing Yamato's voice, the man—Kozuki Sukiyaki, who had been captured and forced to work as a blacksmith—stopped his work and turned around.
Five years had passed, and he looked even older. The wrinkles on his face were deep and numerous, clearly showing that he had been frowning every day.
Kozuki Sukiyaki glanced at Yamato, then at Ian, his eyes filled with a complicated expression.
"It's almost at the final stage; it just needs one last quenching. It should take another two or three days," he explained, stepping aside to reveal the lava pool to the others.
Ulti curiously leaned forward, braving the intense heat, and spotted a weapon in the lava pool.
It was a red-hot mace, mostly submerged in the molten rock.
"That's my exclusive weapon!"
The annoying voice of the white-haired woman echoed in her ears.
"Is it really that impressive?"
Ulti instinctively turned to Ian.
"It should be quite remarkable, right?" Ian looked toward Kozuki Sukiyaki.
The former shogun of Wano paused for a moment. "Using Miss Yamato's blood as the material, combined with various rare metals, this wolf fang mace has been forged through two years of meticulous crafting. If all goes well, its quality will surpass that of the Ame no Habakiri, wielding power close to that of a supreme great sword."
Ame no Habakiri; that was the weapon he had custom-made for his son, Kozuki Oden, reputed to be able to slice through the very skies.
Kozuki Sukiyaki hesitated before looking at Yamato. "Moreover, it will be the weapon best suited for Miss Yamato."
Ian understood. After all, it was forged from bodily materials.
However, close to the quality of a supreme great sword?
Ian cast an admiring glance at Kozuki Sukiyaki.
He had to admit that this old fellow's skills and work ethic were top-notch. Over the years, he had forged numerous weapons for the Beasts Pirates.
Even Queen sometimes invited him for help in crafting new alloys.
Perhaps this was what they called the spirit of a craftsman; it was indeed touching.
Of course, it likely had something to do with the threat from Kaido that he would eliminate a hundred Wano citizens if he was ever dissatisfied with any weapon he made.
"I've made my decision!" Yamato suddenly pointed at the wolf fang mace in the lava pool and declared, "Its name will be Takeru No. 2!"
A name that truly suits your temperament.
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