Weiss leapt directly from the Chris to the other ship, with Jack and Theodore following closely behind.
The moment he landed on the deck, Weiss stared at the lifeless head that still wore an unwilling expression. With a mocking smile, he said:
"This is the first time I've heard such a ridiculous request. Since you seek judgment, allow me to deliver it."
Theodore quickly stepped forward and stuffed the severed head into a box—something to be exchanged for bounty at the nearest naval base.
The pirates on the enemy ship were completely stunned. They had just finished taking control of the passengers and were about to enjoy the spoils of robbery—and perhaps harass some women—when the situation flipped on its head.
Their expected double delight had turned into a nightmare. Now, even surviving seemed uncertain.
Seeing the dazed pirates, Weiss narrowed his eyes and grinned.
"Go on. I don't kill the weak. You're not worth the effort."
The pirates thought they must've misheard. They froze, not daring to move.
"Still not leaving? Waiting to be slaughtered?" Theodore barked.
Startled into action, the pirates scrambled back to their ship like frightened chickens, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
---
Zeke, lying on the ground, wanted to say something, but when he saw the playful look Weiss gave the pirates, he swallowed his words.
The surviving pirates all rushed back onto their ship and shouted frantically on the deck, eager to sail away from this demon in human form.
They now recognized who he was.
The infamous Sword Demon.
Suddenly, it was as if the sound of swords humming filled the air. On the pirate ship's deck, clouds of blood erupted from the pirates' bodies. One after another, they collapsed, lifeless.
Weiss retracted his Sword Domain. After the battle on Flying Bird Island, he had made significant progress. However, he still couldn't fine-tune it enough to distinguish friend from foe, so he had let the pirates return to their ship before unleashing it.
"Thank you for aiding us, Lord Sword Demon!"
Zeke and Beck were helped up. Beck, severely wounded, was carried into the cabin to rest, while Zeke, thanks to some martial training, could still stand.
"It was nothing. No need to thank me," Weiss said casually.
These pirates had interrupted his match viewing, so the only appropriate response was to send them back to the sea.
"Regardless, Lord Sword Demon, I'll have someone bring compensation to the Chris shortly," Zeke insisted earnestly.
Given the bloodstains on Weiss, someone unaware might've assumed he was the one doing the robbing.
"That won't be necessary. You weren't even on my ship. Besides, I was just bored," Weiss replied. Definitely not because they interrupted my game.
"I must insist. This isn't about whether I was on your ship or not—it's a matter of principle. Please accept this small token of appreciation."
Seeing Zeke's firm stance, Weiss didn't push further. Who was he to refuse free money?
"So, where are you headed with this ship?"
"To Forge Star Island!"
What a coincidence. That was exactly where Weiss was planning to go.
The sword Koushirou had gifted him had developed cracks after the prolonged battles with Doflamingo and Kaido, even though he had used Armament Haki to reinforce it.
He needed a new blade.
Because of this, he had skipped over several uninhabited islands, marking them only with a Log Pose as he searched for the right destination.
"Do you know exactly where Forge Star Island is?"
Back then, Koushirou had only mentioned the island's name and who to look for—never the precise location. He said it was somewhere near the South Blue, close to the Calm Belt.
Weiss had never really looked into it. Yet now, he'd coincidentally run into someone headed there. Call it fate.
"Of course I do. I was born and raised on Forge Star Island. I was just on another island to buy some crucial materials when the pirates attacked."
"In that case, forget the payment. Just take me to Forge Star Island and we're even."
"No, that's not right. Taking you to Forge Star Island is our pleasure, but proper etiquette must still be observed."
Seeing Zeke's persistence, Weiss simply shrugged—consider it accepted.
After excusing himself, Zeke retreated to the cabin. He was still injured and needed treatment.
The sailors silently tended to their wounds, avoiding his gaze out of shame.
Zeke didn't blame them. In a situation like that, only someone like Beck—who had grown up with him—would charge forward without hesitation.
For now, he just wanted them to finish treating their wounds so he could find a reason to board the Chris—like personally delivering the payment.
---
Back aboard the Chris, Weiss returned with his companions. Unfortunately, the game was over.
Karina and the others must've known people were boarding, so they had put away the volleyball.
Now, Weiss reclined in a chair under the shade of a parasol, sunlight filtering through, casting a soft glow over his face.
Joanne brought over two glasses of a specially-made drink and placed them on the table.
Ever since Joanne modified Weiss's coconut juice recipe, he refused to drink the old version.
A moment later, Zeke appeared with a box in hand.
"Lord Sword Demon, here is five million Berry. It might not be much for all the lives you saved, but please don't take offense."
He placed the box on the deck. Theodore picked it up without a word and carried it off.
Zeke said nothing. He knew very well that man was from the Carmeline family. If...
Best not to say more and ruin the mood.
"Are you heading to Forge Star Island for the Forging Tournament as well?" Zeke asked, seasoned enough in business to know how to ease into conversation.
"Forging Tournament? Never heard of it. A lot of forging masters attend?"
Now that piqued Weiss's interest. His reason for going to Forge Star Island was to craft a new sword. Though Koushirou had given him a name, there was no guarantee that person was still alive.
If this tournament really attracted so many masters, maybe he could just find the champion and commission a weapon.
And money wasn't an issue.
"There will be plenty of masters from the Four Seas and the Grand Line. The tournament only happens once every ten years."
"Only one champion is ever chosen. Just one."
"The reward and fame are tremendous, so competition is fierce."
"To put it in perspective, every single champion has crafted a weapon at minimum on the Great Grade Blade level."
Great Grade Blade?
Weiss was stunned. There weren't that many known Great Grade weapons in the world. If every tournament produced one, that was pretty extraordinary.
Then again, since it only happened once a decade, any weapon of merely "Fine Grade" wouldn't justify the effort. The organizers wouldn't dare risk their reputation on mediocrity.
But then, why were there so few Great Grade weapons?
Important detail—these were weapons, not just swords or blades. The prize weapons could be spears, axes, even gauntlets.
Weiss didn't need many—just one that suited him.
"So, when are we setting sail? Are you ready?"
"We can leave anytime!"
"Good. Let's go!"
The two ships sailed side by side toward Forge Star Island.
Behind them, a flash of sword light split the pirate ship clean in two, sending it sinking into the depths.
---
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