Before long—responding to El's summons—the massive fortress of Atlantis appeared in the sky.
Under the astonished gazes of Shimotsuki Kouzaburou and Shimotsuki Furiko, it descended majestically.
"Oh my goodness! What is that…?"
Furiko gasped, her mouth agape as she stared in disbelief at the enormous floating fortress.
"This is my 'ship.' You could also call it a 'flying vessel.'"
El smiled warmly as he explained.
"El Oniichan—"
Descending from the fortress, Linlin spread her devilish wings while maintaining her humanoid form.
In recent days, through the rigorous use of Rumble Balls, she had refined various transformation states. Thanks to her exceptional talent—rivaling even El's—Linlin had learned to partially transform with great precision. For instance, she could sprout devilish wings or fangs while keeping the rest of her body humanoid.
"She's so tall—"
Furiko stared blankly at Linlin before exclaiming in surprise. "Is she a Giant?"
"No, Linlin is a mutated human, just larger than most."
El chuckled before Linlin herself grinned mischievously.
"Mamamama, the real Giants are up there…"
She pointed toward Atlantis above them.
At that moment, Gerd—with her enormous frame—descended alongside Streusen on Thundercloud Zeus.
"Is that… a real Giant?"
Furiko gasped, taking a sharp breath as she stared at Gerd's towering figure. The sheer size of the Giant woman, who easily stood over ten meters tall, was overwhelming.
"Unbelievable…"
Even Kouzaburou was stunned. Initially, he had thought Linlin's size was already extraordinary, but seeing Gerd made him realize that Linlin wasn't a Giant at all.
"This is Shimotsuki Kouzaburou, a famed swordsmith of Wano, and Shimotsuki Furiko, the daughter of the Daimyo of Ringo," El said, introducing the two.
"Wano, huh? It's my first time here."
Streusen looked around curiously, his gaze taking in the surroundings with intrigue. Although he had once traveled extensively, he had never dared to enter Wano before. The country's natural barriers—dangerous currents, hidden reefs, and massive waterfalls—made the risk of shipwreck too high.
"Mamamama, nice to meet you…"
Linlin's eyes sparkled as she examined Furiko, though her attention soon drifted to Furiko's kimono, which she found fascinating.
"Is that Wano's traditional clothing? It looks beautiful! I want to try it on!"
"Linlin, at your size, you'd need something custom-made…"
Gerd teased, laughing. "I'd like to try one too!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Shimotsuki Furiko," the young woman replied politely, her gaze flitting between the "little Giant" Linlin and the "big Giant" Gerd. "If you'd like kimonos, I could ask a tailor to make them for you!"
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Linlin's eyes lit up with joy.
Squatting down, Gerd gently picked Furiko up in her massive hands, her face beaming.
"Thank you, Furiko! That's so kind of you."
Held high in Gerd's palms, Furiko wasn't afraid. Instead, she gazed curiously at Gerd's enormous but kind face and asked excitedly, "Could you tell me about the world outside Wano?"
"Of course!"
Gerd chuckled warmly, readily agreeing to her request.
And so, the three women—Linlin, Gerd, and Furiko—quickly hit it off, bonding over their mutual curiosity and shared interests.
…
Time passed. After some casual conversation, Shimotsuki Kouzaburou and Furiko gradually lowered their guard.
El turned to Kouzaburou and stated directly, "If it's convenient, I'd like to borrow your forge to craft a weapon. The weapon I'm forging may be quite large, so I'll need to make some modifications to your workspace. Of course, I'll compensate you handsomely for the inconvenience."
"That won't be necessary, El-sama. You're welcome to use it as you wish."
Kouzaburou paused briefly before smiling. "I just finished forging Enma for Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki and crafted the Wado Ichimonji for myself. Those two projects exhausted my stock of rare materials, so I wasn't planning to reopen the forge anytime soon."
He added thoughtfully, "And since my comrades and I plan to leave Wano soon, the forge may no longer serve much purpose."
"Then I'll thank you in advance!"
El nodded in appreciation before releasing his Life Return technique.
As his bones and muscles shifted audibly, his body rapidly expanded.
"Eh?! He's growing bigger!"
"El-sama, is this some kind of sorcery?"
Kouzaburou and Furiko gawked in astonishment as El's towering frame rose to over nine meters tall, exuding an oppressive presence.
"Don't be alarmed. This is my true height," El said, smiling. "Earlier, I simply compressed my body using a special technique."
At his command, the angelic army stationed on Atlantis sprang into action. Under the stunned gazes of Kouzaburou and Furiko, they began a large-scale transformation of the forge and surrounding area. Thankfully, the site was remote enough to avoid drawing undue attention.
Massive piles of rare and precious minerals were transported in, forming literal mountains. Even Ryan, the user of the Munch-Munch Fruit, refined vast quantities of minerals into rare alloys, shocking Kouzaburou, who had never seen such abundant resources.
Clang! Clang! Bang!
Over the next half-month, the forge was abuzz with activity. The intense heat of the furnace and the rhythmic sound of hammering filled the air.
El openly allowed Kouzaburou to observe the entire forging process and even invited him to assist. He melted down his previous weapon, the Dragon Halberd, to incorporate its essence into the new blade. Occasionally, the two would discuss ways to refine their techniques, each benefiting greatly from the exchange.
"At last, it's finished!"
One day, a sharp and menacing glint soared skyward. The atmosphere around the newly forged blade was eerie and chilling, exuding an aura so terrifying that it sent shivers down one's spine. Even aboard Atlantis, Linlin, Gerd, Streusen, and Furiko were shaken by the ominous energy emanating from the forge.
"Boom! Boom!"
Unnoticed, the sky had grown dark, and ominous thunderclouds loomed overhead. Flashes of lightning danced across the heavens as if heralding the birth of a fearsome weapon.
"Huff... Huff..."
El's imposing figure emerged from the forge, radiating a terrifying presence. In his hands, he held a magnificent broadsword, its wide and intricate blade radiating a sinister aura.
With his right hand, he infused the weapon with his potent Haki, causing the blade to emit waves of overwhelming energy.
"Crackle—"
The blade stood tall, resembling a massive lightning rod. It drew bolts of lightning from the stormy sky, one after another, each strike tempering the blade further.
"Boom! Boom!"
Thunder rumbled endlessly as blinding flashes engulfed El and his sword.
"El-sama!"
"El-dono!"
Kouzaburou and Furiko watched in horror, their eyes wide with fear. However, Linlin and Gerd, familiar with El's strength, remained calm and composed.
Under the onslaught of lightning, El stood firm. Though the continuous strikes left him slightly disheveled, he remained unharmed, his presence awe-inspiring. With each bolt, the sword grew sharper and more menacing, its blade crackling faintly with residual energy.
"If it were an ordinary wielder, they'd be drained dry by your demands for Haki alone."
El's eyes sharpened as he tested the blade's weight and balance.
With a calm yet commanding motion, he raised the ornate, sinister broadsword high above his head.
"Now, let me see if you're truly worthy of standing by my side, accompanying me—Kukulkan El—on my campaigns across the seas!"
In a flash, he unleashed the blade's fury.
"Swoosh—"
A massive energy slash erupted, illuminating the darkened sky as it tore through the storm clouds.
"Boom! Boom!"
The oppressive black clouds were cleaved in two, revealing a streak of clear blue sky. From a distance, it looked as though the heavens themselves had been split asunder.
There, bathed in lightning, El's commanding figure stood tall in the skies, like a god descending upon the world.
~~~
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