Chapter 14: Mihawk's Dagger

**

"Your apprentice?"

"Yes, he's quite remarkable, even more talented than I am," Samol said with a proud smile. "Oh, there he is now!"

Samol pointed toward a young boy approaching from the distance.

"What? Are you telling me that child made this?" Mihawk struggled to maintain his composure. The boy couldn't have been more than a few years old—could he really have crafted such a sharp kitchen knife?

In this vast ocean, exceptional swordsmen often became the subject of admiration and conversation. Yet, no matter how skilled, even the greatest swordsman needs support.

A swordsman needs a sword, and only a blacksmith can forge and repair one.

In a way, blacksmiths are the unsung heroes behind every great swordsman, providing the vital tools they rely on.

"Hey, Ryuusaki, someone's here to see you!" Samol called out to the boy from afar.

Ryuusaki had already noticed Mihawk. He was initially surprised but quickly understood why Mihawk had come.

Naturally, Ryuusaki was intrigued by Mihawk.

He took a moment to appraise Mihawk's talents:

- **Basic Physical Ability**: 99

- **Basic Strength**: 98

- **Basic Martial Arts**: 93

- **Swordsmanship Foundation**: 127

- **One-Sword Style**: 122

These attributes were astonishing, reflecting Mihawk's prowess as a formidable swordsman. It was no surprise that he was destined to become the world's greatest swordsman.

Honestly, when Ryuusaki first saw Mihawk, he had the urge to ask to learn swordsmanship from him. But considering his current undercover role, he had to suppress such thoughts.

Ryuusaki walked calmly to the blacksmith shop, wearing a sincere and innocent expression. "Mister, are you here to order a kitchen knife?"

Mihawk almost winced at being called "Mister," especially when he was still in his twenties. Moreover, he wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of being mistaken for a chef.

However, Mihawk just internally grumbled about it and let it slide without making a fuss.

"No, I need you to forge a small dagger for me."

"A dagger?"

Ryuusaki immediately recalled the tiny dagger Mihawk famously wore around his neck—the very one he had effortlessly used to defeat Zoro in the future.

"What kind of dagger are you looking for?"

"Hmm, about this length…" Mihawk gestured with his hands to indicate the size.

"It doesn't need to be extremely sharp; just make sure it's sturdy."

From Mihawk's description, Ryuusaki formed a clear picture in his mind.

"I understand. Give me seven days."

"That's fine! I'll come back in seven days."

After Mihawk left, Ryuusaki began to contemplate.

Crafting a dagger was not difficult; with his current skills, he could forge one in a day.

However, creating a weapon, even a small one, for the world's greatest swordsman had to be special. A mediocre dagger would not only be embarrassing but also a disservice to his skills as a blacksmith.

Ryuusaki was a proud craftsman, striving for perfection in all his creations.

In his mind, the dagger he crafted should have some unique quality, something that would set it apart and make it worthy of being wielded by someone like Mihawk.

In Ryuusaki's view, the dagger he created should ideally possess some special ability.

"Right! Mihawk roams the seas in search of powerful swordsmen to duel. If the dagger could sense the presence of a skilled swordsman, that would be incredible!"

The idea seemed flawless, but the question remained: how could he achieve that?

The world of pirates is full of mysteries—cursed swords that slay their masters, ship spirits born from vessels, and other such phenomena are commonplace.

During his time as an apprentice, Ryuusaki not only learned the craft of forging from Samol but also heard countless strange tales from him.

While he couldn't verify their authenticity, Ryuusaki knew that swords with a life of their own did exist.

For example, some swords are said to be inhabited by malevolent spirits, gaining power by feeding on blood and hatred. Others are rumored to have been forged using living humans… though Ryuusaki had never witnessed such things firsthand, he had heard these stories.

"Let's give it a try!" Ryuusaki finally decided. Of course, he wasn't planning to forge a sword with a human sacrifice or trap a malevolent spirit in it.

Instead, Ryuusaki chose to infuse the dagger with his own "spirit."

Every swordsman has a spirit; more precisely, every strong person possesses this aura. For martial artists, this spirit is often referred to as their "physical aura."

However, a swordsman's aura is distinct—it is sharp.

Though Ryuusaki now made a living as a blacksmith, he was also a swordsman, with a Swordsmanship Foundation at level 56.

As a combination of a swordsman and a blacksmith, Ryuusaki was a level 56 swordsman and a level 62 blacksmith.

Ryuusaki informed Makino in advance that he would be staying in the blacksmith shop for the next seven days.

He then shut himself inside the workshop.

The only sound that proved someone was inside was the constant "clang, clang, clang" of hammering.

"It's not working… The aura disperses and can't be infused into the blade," Ryuusaki muttered after several hours of attempts. Constantly releasing his spirit was exhausting, and the aura dissipated too easily, preventing it from merging with the metal.

Gritting his teeth, Ryuusaki cut his arm and let his blood drip onto the red-hot metal.

He would use his blood as a conduit!

This was merely a theory based on the stories he had heard.

Samol had tried adding blood to a blade before but had failed; it made no difference whether blood was added or not.

But after Ryuusaki added his blood, he noticed that a small portion of his spirit began to gather toward the blood when he released his aura again.

This discovery thrilled Ryuusaki.

He continued to heat and hammer the metal, repeating the process over and over, adding more of his blood at intervals. Before he realized it, three days had passed!

Outside the blacksmith shop:

"Makino, are you bringing food for Ryuusaki?"

"Yes," Makino replied, looking worriedly at the shop.

"Don't worry about him, Makino. Ryuusaki is a tough kid!" someone reassured her.

"I'll just leave the food here," she said, still concerned.

Makino didn't know what was happening inside the shop. She just thought Ryuusaki was too young to endure such strenuous work for so long.

In truth, the physical exhaustion was manageable—the real issue was blood loss. Thankfully, Ryuusaki had undergone rigorous and brutal training at the base, which had prepared him to handle this.

Seven days wasn't a long time, but by the end, Ryuusaki's face was pale.

But he was elated because he had succeeded!

After countless hammer strikes and tempering, a solid and sharp dagger was born!

Ryuusaki had crafted the hilt and sheath in the shape of a cross, with a small hole at the end of the hilt to allow it to be strung and worn around the neck.

When Mihawk came to pick up the dagger, he unsheathed it and inspected it closely, impressed. "The craftsmanship is excellent," he praised.

He gave it a few casual swings, and the sensation of cutting through the air left Mihawk quite pleased.

"Kid, I'm very satisfied with this dagger. How much is it?"

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