"There's a Devil Fruit hidden in the estate of Bell Queen's Daimyo, Shimotsuki Toramaru?"
Brook's eyes lit up at the news delivered by Uzuki Maikan. He immediately began laying the groundwork to win over this local power, seeking to pull the Udon daimyo fully under his influence—and away from Kozuki loyalty.
Brook recalled that Shimotsuki Toramaru's son, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, was the future daimyo of Ringo. His pet, a komainu named Komakitsu, was rumored to have eaten a Mythical Zoan—Model: Daimyūdō.
That fruit... it reminded Brook of Chopper's Human-Human Fruit, Model: Ordinary Human—turning animals into humanoid forms. But unlike Chopper's fruit, this one didn't seem to enhance intelligence or speech. Rather, the Mythical Model: Daimyūdō focused on transformation—adjusting size at will.
In Wano's ancient mythology, the Daimyūdō could shift between monstrous sizes, from a few meters tall to towering heights like a mountain. A terrifying ability in the wrong hands. If a human were to eat it… would they gain the power to become a kaiju-like beast? A villain's dream come true in any Ultraman world.
After socializing with Maikan, Brook decided he too would head to Bell Queen. Whitebeard Newgate and the others were already en route to forge weapons with Shimotsuki Kozaburo. It was the perfect excuse.
Brook also had his eyes on another target: the Northern Cemetery of Bell Queen. The legendary Dragon Slayer, Ryuma Shimotsuki, was buried there—with his sword, the black blade Shusui, embedded in his grave. Forged and tempered through Ryuma's lifetime of Armament Haki, Shusui was nearly a Supreme Grade blade. In Wano, it was considered a national treasure.
But beyond Shusui, Brook knew that the Northern Cemetery was a treasure trove. Countless elite swordsmen of Wano were buried with their swords—many of them famous blades. To the average samurai, it was sacred ground. To Brook?
A wholesale market for legendary swords.
He couldn't openly loot the cemetery, of course. That would spark outrage across Wano. No, he needed someone else to take the blame. Doflamingo would be perfect for this sort of trickery. Whether it was the manipulation of the String-String Fruit, his had the tools.
Speaking of which, the Mimicry Fruit was now in Brook's possession. Who should he give it to? Creating a Mystique-style infiltrator was too tempting to ignore.
"Any woman you want, at any time… That's an S-tier spy in the making!" Brook mused, half-joking to himself.
Still, he felt reluctant to part with such a versatile fruit. Female cadres with the right talent were rare, and Brook wanted only the best.
Sigh… "When will the World Government or CP finally send me some competent spies? The talent pool's dry. One-star review, no joke."
After finalizing plans and resting overnight with a celebratory banquet, Brook, Redfield, and a small team flew off toward Bell Queen.
Half a day later, a dusty figure in an orange kimono charged into Haikdou City.
"What?! That bastard Brook left again?!"
Kozuki Oden gritted his teeth, furious. But he wasn't about to give up. After scarfing down a quick meal, he bolted off toward Bell Queen, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.
This time—this time—he would board Brook's flying ship.
Over the last two years, Kozuki Oden had grown significantly in strength. His father, Kozuki Sukiyaki, had tried every tactic to prevent him from going to sea—even threatening to sever ties with Brook. But Oden ignored him.
He knew Brook was his best shot. A pirate captain with a flying fortress, a vast crew, and an empire of ninety islands. If he couldn't go to sea with Brook, then with whom?
He'd trained relentlessly. He could now defeat full-fledged members of the Oniwabanshu. He had earned the right.
And besides, Fisher Tiger was just a year older and had been sailing with Brook for over two years. Rumor had it another newcomer, the same age as him, had also joined.
"Why them and not me?!" Oden thought bitterly, legs pumping faster.
He would prove his worth this time.
---
Bell Queen Region – Return Bridge Town
This quiet town was home to Shimotsuki Kozaburo, master swordsmith of Wano. To the north lay the Northern Cemetery, resting place of the nation's greatest warriors. Southward stood Ringo Castle, seat of power in Bell Queen.
Bridge Town served as a supply hub, funneling goods and materials into the capital. The Shimotsuki family thrived here, especially after the rise of the Dragon Slayer, Ryuma. Their strength and prestige now rivaled that of the Kozuki shogunate.
Decades ago, the Kurotan family had staged a rebellion, trying to usurp the throne. The Shimotsuki family crushed them and claimed their territory in Shiramushi. That victory earned them the status of equals to the Kozuki line.
The Hakumai daimyo, Shimotsuki Token, was technically a branch of Ringo's Shimotsuki Toramaru, though the two lines now stood on equal footing. Shimotsuki Kozaburo hailed from a smaller branch, one specializing in weapon forging. While Toramaru's line preserved Ryuma's swordsmanship, Kozaburo's focused on steel.
---
Bridge Town – Isshin Forging Hall
Inside the forge, Shimotsuki Kozaburo's eyes gleamed as he examined a sample of Gungnir Sacred Steel. He had already forged two famous blades—Enma and Wado Ichimonji. His skills were unmatched.
Now, standing before him was a chance to make history: forging a Supreme Grade blade.
"This… This is my chance to surpass Shusui! To be remembered as Wano's greatest swordsmith!"
Kozaburo's face lit up. He would pour everything he had into this.
"Brother Newgate, thank you for trusting me. I'll forge you a weapon worthy of legend!"
Whitebeard gave a hearty laugh. "Gurarara! Your forging is the best in Wano—and maybe the whole world. I trust your hammer more than I trust some people's swords!"
Kozaburo nodded solemnly. "This time, I'm using my most treasured metals—including leftovers from forging the Wado Ichimonji. There's even a piece of energy-absorbing ore I saved for a special project… But I'll use it all now."
His dream was clear: forge a Supreme Grade sword and claim the title of the world's number one swordsmith.
--------------
Shimotsuki Kozaburo hadn't expected forging with Gungnir Steel to be such a nightmare. Even drawing magma directly from Fujiyama's underground fire veins wasn't enough to melt the steel after two full days. His patience wore thin as worry crept in.
Fortunately, Brook arrived in time with backup.
"Redfield," Brook said calmly, "let's bring thunder into the forge."
Utilizing the principle of an electric furnace, Redfield unleashed high-voltage lightning—far hotter than magma. The instantaneous temperature of lightning can reach up to 20,000 degrees Celsius, dwarfing even the fiercest natural fire. While magma only peaks around 1400°C, lightning? It obliterates limits.
Under Brook's direction, they constructed a crude but effective thunder forge. For master smith Shimotsuki Kozaburo, this was revolutionary. He had never imagined that lightning could become a tool of metallurgy. For the first time, the ancient art of swordsmithing collided with futuristic power.
With the Hell Pirates assisting in full force, the legendary Gungnir Steel finally began to yield.
Redfield's lightning melted the steel, Shiki used the Float-Float Fruit to turn and stabilize the material, Newgate hammered the molten alloy with all his monstrous strength, and Charlotte Linlin's Sun Prometheus kept the temperature blazing hot. It was a team effort unlike any Wano had ever seen.
Kozaburo, serving as technical director, stepped in only during the most critical phases—guiding the blend of rare metals, refining the balance of the blade, and leading the final thousand-forge hammering process.
After weeks of intense labor, they did it.
The blade was born.
A naginata, sleek and terrifyingly beautiful. Its blade shimmered with a mirror-like gleam, sharp enough to reflect Newgate's own face back at him with haunting clarity. It wasn't even fully assembled yet, but Newgate couldn't resist grabbing the blade and testing it like a chef inspecting a butcher's knife.
The instant he touched it, the blade drew in his Haki. Newgate's massive arms—normally thick as barrels—shrank, skin stretching over bone as the naginata drank greedily from his life force.
With a roar, Whitebeard swung.
A colossal shockwave erupted. A thousand-meter-long slash screamed through the air, tearing the distant mountain in two. Kozaburo's jaw dropped.
"A divine weapon…" he whispered in awe.
Even little Koshiro, only two years old and tucked away in the back of the hall, burst into tears from the sheer force of the mountain-shattering strike. Chaos spread across the forge.
"We did it!" Kozaburo sobbed, overwhelmed. "This… this is a Supreme Grade blade!"
Although he hadn't forged it alone, he had led the process—and that alone made the achievement monumental.
"Hahaha! Damn it, Newgate, I'm jealous!" Shiki cackled. "This naginata is legendary!"
Over the weeks, he had rotated the steel and tempered the blade with unwavering precision while Newgate hammered it into shape. It was a joint victory.
"Tch… return!"
Newgate grunted, reclaiming his Haki with a pulse of will. His arms returned to normal, but his grin betrayed his pride. This was his weapon now—and nothing in the world could separate them.
"Easy there, Newgate," Brook said, motioning for him to hand the blade over. "Let's attach the hilt first. I've got the best segment of Adam Wood saved just for you."
The hilt was crafted from the hardest, most divine part of the Adam Tree—reserved specifically for Newgate's naginata.
"Alright," Charlotte Linlin chimed in, "what are we naming this beauty? Will Newgate name it, or will Kosaburo? Or shall we let our dear Captain Brook do the honors?"
The mood turned ceremonial. Naming a Supreme Grade weapon wasn't just tradition—it was legacy.
Newgate chuckled. "Gurarara! This blade will be mine until the day I die. But let Kosaburo name it—let his name rise with my naginata!"
Kozaburo's eyes widened. He looked to Brook for confirmation. Brook gave a silent nod.
After a long pause, Kosaburo solemnly declared: "Its name shall be—Kusugawa."
Forged by the master of Isshin Forge, tempered by lightning, and born from the collaboration of legendary pirates—Kusugawa, the Supreme Grade Naginata, stood as a new myth of Wano.
"Yohohoho! Party time!" Brook shouted.
Cheers erupted. The entire Isshin Forge rang with laughter, toasts, and joy. Even Daimyo Shimotsuki Toramaru arrived personally to congratulate the team. Kozuki Oden also appeared days earlier, finally managing to rejoin the Hell Pirates—though he now spent his days sparring endlessly with Kaido. Brook didn't bother intervening. Boys will brawl.
In the days that followed, the crew didn't stop.
Redfield's Noble Sword, Shiki's dual blades Oto, Kogarashi and even Charlotte Linlin's Emperor Blade were all reforged using the remaining Gungnir Steel. Though they didn't reach the Supreme Grade level, they were now top-tier Great Grade weapons—powerful enough to be feared worldwide.
The Gungnir Steel, however, was now gone.
Brook's own Seven-Star Sword had long evolved into a magical Supreme Grade weapon after years of personal cultivation. But if he wanted to refine it further, he'd need even more Gungnir Steel… possibly from King Odin himself.
While the Hell Pirates upgraded their weapons in peace, things weren't so pleasant for the Navy.
Admiral Coss Davo and Hoss and his unit stationed in Elbaf found themselves utterly ignored. Brook had vanished before they could even arrange a formal meeting. After wasting over a week accomplishing nothing, they were ordered back to the G1 Branch.
Back at HQ, Fleet Admiral Kulkukan had a new plan—he wanted to outflank the Rocks Pirates and deliver a critical blow.
His proposal was bold: infiltrate enemy supply lines disguised as common soldiers, while the main fleet returned to G1 to draw attention away.
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