Chapter 41: The Battle of Famous Swords

The next morning.

Marine forge.

Hitoru Tenguyama and Kozaburo Shimotsuki glared at each other while Chiba smiled, enjoying the tension in the air.

"The most important thing in forging is the material," Tenguyama declared.

"As a blacksmith, it's essential to bring out the energy of the material itself and showcase its spirituality," Shimotsuki countered.

"Only in this way can we forge a famous sword that can cut through anything," Tenguyama continued.

"Thus, the quality of the material will ultimately determine the quality of the knife," Shimotsuki added.

"The reason my Third Generation Onitoru is less powerful than the Second and First Generations is due to the lack of good materials, not because my forging skills are inferior to that old bastard Shimotsuki Kozaburo," Tenguyama asserted.

"Stinky boy, are you ready with the black dragon horn I asked for?" Tenguyama demanded.

"Ready! Senior Feiche, please take a look." Chiba lifted a black cloth, revealing a black dragon horn, thick as a thigh and about two meters long, its crystal-clear surface shimmering in the sunlight.

"Senior Feiche, this black dragon horn is extremely rare. I searched through all the treasure houses in Marine Headquarters and found only this piece. Most are gone, so you must handle it carefully," Chiba explained.

"Stop talking nonsense; I know how precious the black dragon horn is better than you do." Tenguyama's eyes sparkled with excitement as he stroked the horn, his hands trembling slightly.

"What a strong power, what a material, what a good..." Tenguyama marveled in awe.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo snorted coldly. "The sword is a weapon meant to protect those important to us. If you blindly follow the will of the material itself, the will of the final forged sword will be too strong and could harm its owner and loved ones. This violates the core principles of our craft."

"A true famous knife should embody the blacksmith's own intention of protection within the blade," he continued. "The stronger the blacksmith's will, the more potent the forged knife will be."

"A blacksmith must continually pursue excellence, tempering their will in the process. A man can forge a knife, and a knife can forge a man. It's a virtuous cycle."

"One day, when a blacksmith's will is strong enough, even the most common materials can yield powerful famous knives."

"Boy, are you ready with the ten thousand catties of refined iron I asked for?" Shimotsuki asked.

Chiba lifted another piece of cloth, revealing pieces of refined iron the size of a human head, arranging them before the two masters.

"Stop talking nonsense. Let's see whose knife is stronger," Tenguyama said, grabbing the dragon horn and tossing it into the furnace, adding some liquid to soften it.

He then wrapped his hammer with Armament Haki and began hammering the dragon horn repeatedly.

Chiba focused his Observation Haki, keenly feeling the energy of each strike as Tenguyama concentrated the remaining black dragon power towards the center of the horn.

Chiba thought to himself, he could smash the dragon horn into pieces, but he needed to avoid completely destroying the will of the black dragon—it had to be moved, not obliterated.

As expected of a master capable of forging demon knives, Tenguyama was truly impressive.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo poured the ten thousand catties of refined iron into a boiler, melting it down before pouring the molten iron into a special spherical mold.

Once formed, he too wrapped his hammer with Armament Haki. Chiba noticed that every time Kozaburo struck the iron, traces of Haki remained on its surface.

With each hit, the Haki gradually penetrated into the refined iron, continuously enhancing its toughness and hardness. Chiba watched in amazement as the rudiments of a massive knife began to take shape.

He realized he could now attach Haki to surfaces, but he couldn't yet infiltrate objects without damaging them, let alone shape them into knives.

As he harnessed his Observation Haki to its utmost, Chiba carefully tracked every movement of these two great masters.

He dismissed the other Marines, ensuring no one would disturb the forging process.

The two masters continued forging diligently, and three days and nights passed without pause.

Both old men were panting and coated in sweat, but their resolve showed no signs of waning.

Chiba admired their willpower but worried for their health. Seeing them pushing themselves to the brink, Hina stepped in with a cart full of food. "You two old men, take a break and eat something."

But the masters continued, seemingly deaf to her words.

Hina tried to persuade them again, but Chiba interjected, "Forging requires total commitment. A moment's hesitation can alter the material's internal structure, causing its energy to collapse."

"They might normally take a break, but this forging is a matter of their honor. They won't stop until the blade is complete."

"But if they go on like this, they might exhaust themselves," Chiba said, frowning. He realized that forging both the black dragon horn and the ten thousand catties of refined iron in one go was no small feat.

After a moment of thought, Chiba said, "Hina, go fetch some foundation building liquid for the two old men."

Hina nodded and returned with two bottles of the liquid, inserting straws and handing them to the masters so they could continue forging without interruption.

The foundation-building liquid provided powerful energy, soothing their muscles and healing hidden injuries, revitalizing them with a steady influx of strength.

"This is the potion that kid developed? Its effects are much better than the body-building potions I've bought elsewhere," Tenguyama remarked, feeling rejuvenated.

"It feels like I'm back in my youth. This time, I will definitely forge a magnificent blade!"

With renewed vigor, the two old men raised their hammers high, the sound of their strikes growing louder as they forced the remaining black dragon energy to the center, gradually shaping it into a blade.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo's ten thousand catties of refined iron had shrunk in size, and the knife's essence began to form within the iron.

The two forging masters continued their relentless effort, and in the blink of an eye, another half month passed.

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