Among all the materials required to forge the Frostfire Gauntlets, Ornn already carried the Heartsteel on him at all times.
As for the blood essence of Fire and Ice Devil Fruit users? That was even easier. Between his own abilities and Yamato's, they could supply it themselves without hunting down external fruit users.
That left only two missing components: cold iron and gorgeous silk gloves.
Unfamiliar with the trade networks and regional specialties of the West Blue, Ornn moved their supplies from the small sailboat onto the captured three-masted ship—renamed the Gospel—and summoned the navigator to the main cabin.
"Cold iron and silk gloves?"
The navigator blinked, momentarily confused by the oddly specific request, but quickly laid out everything he knew.
"Silk gloves are easy," the navigator explained. "You can buy those in the Kingdom of Bellis. It's a world-renowned textile capital. Even the World Government accepts exquisite silk fabrics from the Bellis royal family as part of their Heavenly Gold tax."
"And the cold iron?"
"I've never heard of 'cold iron' specifically," the navigator admitted, rubbing his chin. "But if it's rare ore you're after, the Kingdom of Flowers is your best bet. Their mineral resources are legendary—so rich that neighboring nations have coveted their territory for generations."
"Bellis and Flowers..."
Ornn repeated the names slowly, a spark of genuine interest gleaming in his eyes.
He remembered the Kingdom of Flowers well. In the original storyline, Sai and the Eight Treasures Navy hailed from there. It was a formidable martial power whose official pirate fleet possessed the strength to cross the Grand Line and operate in the New World. Their leader, Don Chinjao, along with Sai and Boo, were all adept users of Armament Haki—with Chinjao himself wielding Conqueror's Haki.
A country like that... Ornn mused. I might be able to recruit a proper crew member there. Not to mention, it's the perfect place to get a closer look at advanced Armament Haki.
Geography-wise, the Kingdom of Bellis lay only five or six days from Reverse Mountain. The Kingdom of Flowers, however, sat near the Calm Belt, on the far side of the sea.
After mapping out the routes with the navigator, Ornn finalized their course: dock at Bellis first, sail onward to the Kingdom of Flowers, explore the surrounding islands at their leisure, and eventually loop back toward Reverse Mountain.
With a skilled navigator at the wheel and several freed laborers handling daily chores, life at sea became effortlessly comfortable.
Free from the burden of steering or maintenance, Ornn poured his extra time into blacksmithing and stacking his Heartsteel stacks.
His daily stacking regimen expanded from four hours to six—the absolute physical limit of his current endurance, and the exact daily threshold he set for his training.
He had no intention of pushing himself for sixteen hours a day like an unfeeling machine, sleeping for eight and spending every waking second swinging a hammer. His body hadn't reached the monster-like vitality of Whitebeard or Roger, who could clash for days and nights on end without rest. Pushing high-intensity forging for sixteen hours straight would likely collapse his body within two weeks.
Even if his constitution eventually reached those legendary heights, he still wouldn't do it.
His current growth rate was already more than sufficient.
Looking back at his recent fights, he had only been traveling for two months, yet he was already strong enough to crush over ninety percent of the pirates in the West Blue.
Sure, compared to the absolute top-tiers of the world, West Blue pirates were nothing. But the main storyline wouldn't kick off for another five years.
At his current pace, three or four years of steady stacking would comfortably put him on par with a Yonko. Beyond that? Unless Im turned out to be an alien entity or possessed an Infinity Gauntlet capable of erasing him with a snap, tens of thousands of Heartsteel stacks combined with a collection of legendary gear would make him practically unkillable.
If maintaining his current, comfortable routine guaranteed he would become the strongest in the world anyway... why force himself into an ascetic, miserable grinding lifestyle?
He transmigrated to enjoy life, not to torture himself.
His goal in this life was simple: live comfortably without worrying about being killed, have enough gold to buy whatever he wanted, and ideally enjoy a peaceful life surrounded by beautiful wives.
Achieving that would make his life complete.
As for liberating the world or upholding global justice? He was happy to lend a hand with easy tasks along the way, but if anyone expected him to carry the burden of world peace on his shoulders after Im fell... sorry, wrong guy.
Well... maybe that's thinking a bit too far ahead.
After five and a half days of smooth sailing, the Gospel glided into the bustling harbor of the Kingdom of Bellis.
Because the ship displayed no pirate flag on its mast, the port guards offered no resistance as they approached the pier.
As soon as the ship docked, Ornn pulled twenty thousand Berries from Captain Balu's chest and handed it to the freed laborers as payment for their hard work, giving them enough coin to start a decent life ashore.
As for the navigator, while Ornn didn't particularly like him, life with a professional at the helm was undeniably easy. Instead of letting him go, Ornn struck a deal: stay on as navigator for the rest of their West Blue voyage, and once they returned to the Grand Line, he would receive his freedom along with a hundred million Beli reward.
The navigator agreed on the spot without a second thought.
With the workers dismissed, Ornn slung a heavy pack of Berries over his shoulder and stepped off the ship with Yamato and the navigator.
Before heading into the city, Ornn took a quick precaution. Rather than following the navigator to visit his local relatives, Ornn approached the captain of the royal harbor guard stationed at the pier.
"Keep a close eye on our ship while you patrol," Ornn said, holding up a pouch of coin. "As long as nothing happens to it, there's fifty thousand Beli in it for you every day."
Hearing that he could earn fifty thousand Beli a day just for doing his job, the guard captain slapped his chest enthusiastically. He even handed Ornn a baby Den Den Mushi on the spot, promising to call the instant anything looked suspicious.
With the Den Den Mushi secured at his belt, Ornn and Yamato finally relaxed, heading straight toward the largest restaurant in town.
After eating dry meat and hard biscuits for nearly a month since leaving the New World, their taste buds desperately needed a wake-up call...