Shimotsuki Kozaburo hesitated, his heart heavy.
He didn't want to destroy the Kitetsu swords—their ominous aura, their cursed metal—they were still the legacy of a swordsmith's hand, the product of sweat, fire, and ancestral pride. But the opportunity to forge a quasi-divine weapon that surpassed even the Supreme Grade… it was too tempting to resist.
Besides, he wasn't melting down Enma or Wado Ichimonji—those were his true masterpieces.
"My dead friend is not me," he muttered. "I can only apologize to the Tenguyama clan..."
If Tenguyama Hitetsu ever learned that he had melted down the Second and Third Generation Kitetsu, would he come for revenge?
But then again, they had sold the blades to the Kozuki clan for collection. Their fate was no longer the Tenguyama family's burden. Kozaburo forced the guilt aside.
Oden stole the swords, Brook made the decision. I'm just a swordsmith. A weak old man caught in the flow of giants.
"Very well," he said at last, clenching his fist. "Let's fuse the cursed Kitetsu steel with the Gungnir Sacred Steel—and forge the strongest sword the world has ever seen!"
"Yohohoho! Excellent! Let's begin!" Brook's laughter rang through the forge.
Just hours ago, he had lamented the lack of a suitable rare metal to blend with Gungnir Steel. Then Kozuki Oden came crashing in with the very solution—a gift wrapped in stolen steel and family betrayal.
Maybe it was fate. Or maybe it was just Brook's ridiculous luck.
Inside the forge, the sacred Gungnir steel had almost fully liquefied. Brook gently placed the Seven Star Sword across the two Kitetsu blades, and immediately, a strange green aura pulsed outward, wrapping around the demon swords.
Without wielders to protect them, the Kitetsu blades stood defenseless. Without Haki, without will, they were like leaves in a storm.
The malevolent spirit of the Seven Star Sword surged. The Third Generation Kitetsu was the first to fall—its spirit weak, barely developed. The Second Generation resisted for a moment longer… but ultimately, it too was swallowed whole.
The Seven Star Sword flared with green, then black, then a new shade—sickly crimson threaded with shadows. An ominous presence burst forth, stronger than before, and far more volatile.
The cursed power of the Kitetsu blades had been consumed entirely.
Brook winced slightly as a searing pain spread up his right arm. A tattoo of seven stars burned into his skin, pulsing with the spiritual energy of the sword.
"Yohohoho… Seven Star Sword," Brook whispered, holding his hand up to the light, "Just rest in my palm for a few days longer. We're going to build you into something transcendent."
With the sword's spirit transferred into his arm, Brook carried the three cursed blades—Seven Star Sword, Second Kitetsu, and Third Kitetsu—into the main chamber.
The sacred forge was ready.
Redfield and Sun Prometheus worked in tandem with molten flame and sun heat, guiding the temperature with surgical precision. Brook instructed them to melt down all three swords into the vat of sacred steel.
The forging of a new alloy began: a fusion of Gungnir's legendary hardness and the soul-devouring, blood-hungry cursed metal of the Kitetsu line.
Brook himself joined the forge, wielding tools beside Shimotsuki Kozaburo. The old smith didn't dare slack off—not when Brook, Redfield, and even Charlotte Linlin were all assisting. He poured every ounce of skill into the hammer strokes, letting his passion burn brighter than the forge.
---
Outside the forge, Kozuki Oden sighed with relief. Master Brook had accepted the gifts, which meant—at long last—he'd finally be able to set sail!
He even began helping out around the forge, playing with Brook's children in hopes of endearing himself to the crew.
The three siblings known as the Children of Hell were currently under the care of Stussy and the ship's doctor, Crocus. Meanwhile, Shimotsuki Kozaburo's wife arrived with their son—two-year-old Shimotsuki Koshiro—in her arms, hoping to introduce him to Brook's daughter.
Everyone knew Brook wasn't just an overlord of the sea—he was the overlord of the moment. His fame now eclipsed that of Daimyo Toramaru, and even Shogun Sukiyaki himself.
A common saying had begun circulating in Wano:
"It's better to offend the shogun than to cross Brook."
And apparently, even babies understood.
Oden, who had once stood proudly in defiance of everything, now melted before the silver-haired, big-eyed bundle of adorableness known as Kanna.
Even little Koshiro couldn't look away. His eyes locked onto Kanna as if hypnotized.
Stussy, however, was vigilant.
She knew how much Brook adored his daughter. No one—absolutely no one—was allowed to hold Kanna without permission. Not even Crocus got more than a few minutes at a time.
---
Meanwhile, trouble brewed elsewhere.
Back in Kuri Province, the Oniwabanshu had chased their way to Haikdou Castle, unaware that Oden had already escaped to Suzugo's Bell Queen town.
Still, their instincts were sharp.
"Hyogoro Daimyo," said Captain Shizo coldly, "Is young master Oden hiding here? I advise you not to lie. The Shogun is furious, and even you won't survive his wrath."
The contempt in his tone was impossible to miss.
To Shizo and many of the old guard, Hyogoro was nothing more than a thug in a daimyo's robe. A gangster who crawled his way into nobility by clinging to Brook's influence.
"Captain Shizo," Heigoro said calmly, "Oden is not here. But rest assured, I'll mobilize all of Kuri's forces to help you search."
Of course, he had no intention of doing so.
He knew exactly where Oden had gone—straight to Brook. And he was fine with that. Oden's reckless theft had likely brought Brook the Fruit, and if so, there might be one left over… for him.
When Brook returned, he would likely reward Hyogoro's loyalty with a Devil Fruit of his own. Even if it wasn't powerful, a "Stretch-Stretch Fruit" that could extend weapons might still be useful.
Shizo wasn't convinced. "Don't forget who you are. You're a daimyo of Wano first. Brook's subordinate second. Remember your place."
Hyogoro smiled thinly but said nothing.
If the Oniwabanshu wanted to search Haikdou Castle, let them. It would delay them long enough for Brook and Oden to finish their business.
As the Oniwabanshu departed, Hyogoro's expression darkened. He'd seen the scorn in Shizo's eyes. No matter how much land or title he held, to the so-called samurai elite, he was still trash.
But he no longer cared.
He wasn't Kozuki's man anymore.
He was Brook's man.
"Pengnan," he called out.
"Yes, Lord Heigoro," replied Ashura Pengnan, the castle's head of security.
"Treat our… guests from the capital with courtesy. Let them enjoy Haikdou's hospitality."
A flicker of amusement passed between them.
Pengnan's older brother, Ashura Doji, was a renowned swordsman aboard Brook's flagship. The Ashura family, like Hyogoro's own roots, hailed from bandits, not nobles.
Two outlaws now stood as the guardians of Haikdou City—and they'd see to it that Brook's will was fulfilled, no matter what the shogunate thought.
"Understood," Pengnan said with a grin.
-----------
Two days later, the Oniwabanshu received word from the Shogun's Palace that Kozuki Oden had been spotted in Isshin Forge, Suzugo. Captain Shizo glared at Hyogoro and Ashura Pengnan, who were still pretending ignorance.
With a furious shout, he led the Oniwabanshu toward Suzugo, gritting his teeth. He'd deal with those two traitors later. Right now, recovering the stolen treasures took priority.
As the Oniwabanshu disappeared into the distance, Hyogoro and Pengnan exchanged scornful smirks.
"Hmph. It won't be long before Wano falls into Lord Brook's hands," Hyogoro muttered. "Maybe we'll be the ones ruling the Flower Capital soon."
Ashura Pengnan snorted. "If that day comes, I'll hang those noble brats from the capital upside down."
Hyogoro grew more serious. "Lord Brook and Kozuki Sukiyaki might come to blows over this. We need to be ready—defensively and offensively."
"Sukiyaki doesn't have the spine for a war," Pengnan said with a shake of his head. "The question is whether Brook-sama wants to make a move. Still, there are many samurai who remain loyal to the Shogunate."
In truth, Pengnan preferred a slow takeover. More and more daimyos leaned toward neutrality. With time, Sukiyaki could be isolated or quietly replaced.
---
Isshin Forge, Bell Queen Town
After three days of intense forging, the Seven Star Sword, the cursed Kitetsu blades, and the divine Gungnir Steel had finally fused into one.
The new blade was broader, longer, and thicker—perfectly suited to Brook's tall frame. It radiated a domineering presence far beyond its predecessor.
Brook ran his hand along its edge and grinned. "Yohohoho... finally, a sword made just for me."
He remembered trying to wield the Enma Sword before—it had felt off, too long even for him. How Zoro managed to handle Enma, a blade crafted for the towering Kozuki Oden, was a mystery.
"Oda must not understand sword lengths at all," Brook muttered, shaking his head. "Maybe the Supreme Blade 'Yoru' was stolen. It doesn't match Hawkeye's build at all."
He'd even investigated and discovered that the current holder of the Supreme Blade Yoru was a massive swordsman on Swordsman Island, a towering figure whose strength rivaled a Rear Admiral. Brook vowed to visit him someday.
---
The newly forged sword pulsed in his grasp.
The Seven Star Sword Spirit couldn't wait any longer. Its old body had been merged into the blade, and its soul was itching to awaken.
The blade trembled violently.
"Blood... sacrifice..."
Brook heard the whisper in his mind. The sword needed blood to complete the fusion.
Without hesitation, he sliced open his arm. Underworld blood spilled onto the blade, absorbed instantly like water into sand.
Brook didn't stop there. Activating life detection, he rushed into the nearby forest. Komashio, Komadeer, Komamaru, and even Komakitsune—rare beasts unique to Wano—all fell before the new blade, feeding it.
"Soul... sacrifice..."
Brook answered. He summoned a portion of his ghost army and offered them to the blade. The sword drank them greedily.
Now it pulsed with a twisted, malicious energy.
More cursed than any Kitetsu. Hungrier than any demon blade.
Only Brook could wield it.
Blood-red light shimmered across its surface. Seven crimson stars etched themselves into the blade.
"Master~... I like this body..."
The voice came again, more clearly.
A spectral child formed—blood-soaked, mischievous, fanged. A demon baby. A twisted mix between Red Boy and Nezha. Clearly malevolent... but oddly adorable.
"Why does Merry look so cute," Brook muttered, "and my sword spirit looks like a delinquent infant?"
"From now on," Brook declared, "you are the Seven Star Demon Sword. And your name... shall be Seven Stars."
The baby spirit purred at his touch, clinging to Brook like a kitten.
Maybe... not so evil after all.
"Alright," Brook said, hoisting the blade. "Let's make your hilt and scabbard. Time to become the strongest and most stylish demon sword in the world."
He returned to the forge.
Scarlet veins crawled across the steel. The seven blood-red stars glowed with eerie light. Even without speaking, the blade exuded danger.
"Time for a test."
Brook swung lightly. A wave of blood-red energy surged forward. Trees several hundred meters ahead toppled like twigs.
He whistled. "Yohoho! That's more like it."
"Master," the sword spirit said again, eager, "try using your Conqueror's Haki... I want to show you something."
Brook chuckled. "Alright. Show me your true power."
Crimson lightning cracked around him. Brook activated his most potent Haki and gripped the sword with both hands.
The sky trembled.
He slashed.
A roaring, blood-red wave exploded outward. Wind howled. Trees bent and snapped. The clouds above...
Split.
All of residents in town stared skyward. Thick, dark clouds had been parted like curtains.
Even Redfield, back inside the forge, looked up in shock. A gash of sky now cleaved Wano's heavens.
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