Chapter 43: The Birth of the Supreme Blade
Chiba grinned as he looked at Hitoru Tenguyama and Kozaburo Shimotsuki. With these two master blacksmiths by his side, his subordinates would never lack for the finest weapons.
"Hah! You don't understand the vastness of the heavens, kid," scoffed Tenguyama Feiche. "Do you think the supreme sword is just something you can whip up on a whim? True mastery is forged in a thousand fires, not with trash off the street."
Chiba's audacious claim felt like a blasphemy to the veteran smiths.
"If you're afraid to take the challenge, we might as well send you on your way," Chiba taunted, crossing his arms with a smirk. "You're less courageous than a mouse and miles below Shimotsuki Kozaburo's level… not even worthy to carry his shoes."
Before Chiba could finish, Feiche jumped up, enraged. "Fine! I'll take your bet! But if you fail to forge the supreme blade, I'll personally tear that cocky mouth of yours to shreds."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo took a puff from his pipe, looking weary. "To think I'm ranked alongside this idiot who'd gamble on a fool's dare…"
Turning to Kozaburo, Chiba smiled. "What about you? Won't you join in?"
Kozaburo squinted at him. "In this place, it's your rules. If you fail, you'll just ignore the consequences. Why would I join a losing game?"
"And to witness the birth of a supreme blade—that isn't reason enough?" Chiba challenged.
Kozaburo hesitated but scoffed, turning on his heel. "I've no need to stick around for this."
As he departed, Hina sighed in regret. "It's a shame to see such talent walk away."
"Don't worry," Chiba reassured her. "He'll be back." Then, he turned to the Marines and instructed, "If Shimotsuki tries to leave, you're to aid him with all courtesy. And if anyone thinks of stopping him, they'll lose access to my elixirs."
The Marines, who had considered intercepting Kozaburo, quickly dropped any plans. Kozaburo, meanwhile, reached the port, only to find Marines waiting.
"So much for letting me go freely," he muttered.
"Master Chiba instructed us to give you all the support you need, sir," one of the Marines explained. "Where would you like to go? We can even arrange a warship if you desire."
Kozaburo scowled. "Trying to track me down, are you?"
The Marine held his ground, barely hiding his annoyance. "Master Chiba only wants to respect your wishes. But if you're so mistrustful, then fine—let's leave this old fool to his own devices."
"Hold on," Kozaburo stopped them, glancing at the departing boat. "If he truly respects my choice, then a small boat will do."
They complied, and Kozaburo sailed off. Seven days passed as he distanced himself from Marineford, reaching the fringes of the archipelago. Despite his suspicions, no one followed.
"Have they really let me go?" he muttered, recalling Chiba's challenge about the supreme blade. The thought itched at him, gnawing at his resolve. "Could he actually pull it off?"
Unable to ignore the possibility, he turned his boat around—only to stop himself moments later.
"No, that brat's deceiving me. There's no way he could forge such a blade…"
Hours later, the thought returned. "But what if he does? He's done things no one believed possible before. To miss witnessing the supreme blade…"
After half a day's wavering, he finally turned back, resolved to return to Marineford.
Another seven days passed. When Kozaburo finally approached the Marine base, he froze in his tracks at the sight above.
A vision filled the sky—a shadowy serpent, a thousand meters long, coiling above the base. Its presence was overwhelming, a hundred times more potent than the black dragon that had appeared half a month ago.
"This aura… it can only mean one thing—a supreme blade has been born."
Regret washed over him. "I missed it!" He slapped himself in frustration before rushing toward the forge.
In the open-air Marine forge, Chiba stood before a masterpiece—a whip, black as midnight, about two meters long and as thick as a thumb. Its surface was covered in intricate black scales, polished to a glassy sheen like black jade, with a deadly fang-like tip gleaming with a cold, sinister light.
The whip exuded a demonic aura, though strangely, it seemed entirely obedient to Chiba's will.
Feiche's eyes widened as he beheld the weapon, hands trembling in awe. "This… this whip… it surpasses my Black Dragon tenfold. A true contender among the greatest of blades."
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𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼:
• 𝘽𝙤𝙜𝙙𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙪
• 𝙅𝙘𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟮
• 𝘼𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙟𝙖𝙝
• 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗠𝗼𝗲𝗲
𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸:
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟴𝟱+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗢𝘂𝘁: 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩!
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀!
👉 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬: 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣.𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧