"Look over there! Isn't that Zeke? Isn't he the young master of the Peck family from Forge Star Island? What's he doing entering a competition like this?"
"Yeah, I've never heard of Zeke having any real forging skills. Did the tournament make a mistake?"
"Is it that easy to join now? If that guy can compete, maybe I could too!"
"Stop talking nonsense, all of you. Have you already forgotten the rules for qualifying to step onto one of the hundred forges?"
Those questioning voices suddenly went quiet as the realization hit them. They quickly lost interest.
To step onto the stage in this competition, one must forge a weapon that meets all the tournament standards under the watchful eyes of the judges.
Amid the cheers for other contestants, Zeke stepped onto one of the forging platforms. It was his first time competing in such an event.
Because of Fedray's arrangements, although he had obtained the qualification to participate, he had never publicly forged weapons for others.
Every weapon he had crafted—flawless, without exception—had been used internally by his own family. So while the whole of Forge Star Island knew him as the Peck family's young master, none knew he was actually a qualified blacksmith.
One by one, the hundred contestants ascended the forging stages. Compared to the other muscular smiths—built like towering black bears—Zeke's slim frame stood out starkly.
...
...
When some people noticed him and saw on the list that he was forging a twin-blade sword, they simply shook their heads. He must've just come for fun, to enjoy the atmosphere.
Who in the seas actually uses a twin-blade sword?
Only one man came to mind—Frederick frowned as he saw the name of the weapon. The news of the Sword Demon coming ashore wasn't exactly a secret, and Weiss hadn't tried to hide it.
If even the Navy didn't know someone like him had landed on the island, they might as well all be dead.
And from what they knew, Weiss wielded twin-blade swords.
"Could this sword be for the Sword Demon?"
A sudden thought popped into Frederick's mind—and refused to leave.
He pondered for a moment, then checked his pockets. He had 100,000 Berry. He turned and walked toward the crowd near the gambling booths.
Bets were being placed on who would win the blacksmithing competition.
Phoenix had the lowest odds—practically 0.1 to 1—but most people were betting on him regardless.
To them, even a tiny profit was guaranteed profit.
Frederick found Jick's odds: 12 to 1. Without hesitation, he placed his bet.
A gamble was a gamble—why not bet that this sword was for the Sword Demon?
And would the Sword Demon wield a cheap or shoddy weapon?
---
"Now that all the contestants from across the seas have taken their places, who will emerge victorious as champion of this grand blacksmith tournament?"
"The competition—begins now!"
At the host's signal, the forging stages erupted into action. The blacksmiths began selecting their pre-prepared materials and got to work.
Victory would bring them glory.
And with fame would come fortune.
The burly assistants stoked the bellows, channeling wind into the special furnaces, whose flames roared with intensity—some even subtly shifting in color.
The blacksmiths began tossing their chosen materials into the forges to be refined.
Zeke, unhurried and methodical, laid out his materials in careful categories. Then, he took out a stone the size of a fist from his chest. It shimmered like a starry night sky, speckled with tiny lights.
"Young Master Zeke, shall we begin?" asked a few of the muscular assistants. Despite Zeke's small frame, they showed no disdain—after all, they earned their meals under the Peck family.
"Yes. Let's begin."
"The contestants have now placed their materials into the forge. This marks the official start of the competition!"
"Let's wait and see who will come out on top!"
There was only one match in the entire blacksmith tournament. The duration depended on how long it took for someone to forge a complete weapon.
The shortest time in history was one day—thanks to a Devil Fruit user who could manipulate materials with ease and completed their weapon in just a single day.
That performance left the others utterly convinced.
With only one winner to be determined, that person automatically became the champion.
The longest match had lasted ten whole days.
Weiss moved freely among the crowd. To him, watching a competition like this on-site was rather boring. It wasn't like a martial arts duel where you could enjoy watching people fight.
Here, all you could hear was the rhythmic clang of hammer on metal.
"Look! One of the contestants has already started swinging their hammer. They're pounding on the materials—is this an early lead? Are they determined to win the championship?"
With the host's commentary, spectators swarmed toward that blacksmith's platform. To the locals of Forge Star Island, it was a valuable learning opportunity.
But to outsiders, it was just stifling, sweaty, and dull.
Some couldn't help but wonder: Why did I even come to watch this boring tournament? Wouldn't it be better to wait outside for the results?
But when they saw sparks flying everywhere, it suddenly seemed… kind of interesting.
Ice cream sold out in a flash!
Weiss circled the venue and confirmed—there wasn't much of interest. So, he settled down near Zeke's forge.
He saw Zeke still refining the iron, mumbling numbers under his breath.
Weiss wasn't worried. This was a sword being made for him. Quality took time.
Karina and Joanne, after watching for a while, were already bored and decided to return to the ship.
"Jack, take them back. And while you're at it, go exchange that pirate's bounty!" Theodore raised his chin and pointed his nostrils toward Jack.
"Why me?!"
Jack looked baffled. He still wanted to watch. One of the weapons being made was a revolver, and its blacksmith had already begun assembling the parts!
"You want me, a wanted man, to carry a pirate's severed head to a Navy base for bounty money?" Theodore's voice suddenly rose.
Jack fell silent.
Now that he thought about it… that did sound kind of bad.
Although… it might work.
The Navy might even take you in!
No, no. Better to wait until we're broke to turn him in!
Having reasoned it out, Jack gave up and followed Karina and Joanne back to the ship.
Theodore watched them leave with a puzzled expression.
Why didn't Jack argue with him today? That wasn't like him at all.
Was it really because he was afraid of being handed over to the Navy?
Maybe… I should treat him a little better. Can't always be butting heads.
Weiss kept his eyes fixed on Zeke. The boy was now processing refined material. Glowing-red metal blocks were being pulled from the furnace.
Zeke adjusted his grip on the hammer, repositioned himself, and brought it down with full concentration.
At that moment, Weiss understood why Zeke had surpassed Fedray.
Because some things couldn't be solved with brute strength alone.
And in that moment, Weiss knew—
His sword was in good hands.
---
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