After the swords were finally completed, Kouzaburou felt all the years that had been restored to him drain away at once.
The exhaustion was visible on his face, his hands trembling slightly as he handed the finished blades to their rightful owners.
Seeing this, Jack immediately turned toward Laffitte, who still possessed a large reserve of life force collected from the defeated pirates back on the sea.
Without hesitation, Jack told Laffitte to give all of it to Kouzaburou, reasoning that Laffitte could easily replenish it on their future travels, while Kouzaburou, who would remain here in the Shimotsuki Village, would need it more.
Laffitte obeyed silently, placing a hand on Kouzaburou's back as the glowing stream of energy transferred into him.
Slowly, color returned to the old man's face, and his breathing steadied. Jack crossed his arms and smiled. "With that amount of life force, you could live for many lifetimes," he said. "But I know even with that, you'll still choose to spend most of it standing beside a forge."
Kouzaburou chuckled weakly, while Laffitte simply nodded, unconcerned about giving away what he had gathered. For him, it was a small price to pay.
Kouzaburou looked at Jack thoughtfully. "I know you've been trying to convince my son to sail with you," he said, his tone calm yet knowing. "I would not stop that. In truth, I would encourage you to let him go. He has been living too comfortably here for far too long. A man cannot grow if he remains in the same place forever. It is time for him to spread his wings. Unlike Koushirou, who has decided to remain and build a dojo here, Kuwajima has always had dreams that reached beyond this small village."
Jack looked at him for a moment, then replied, "I won't force him to join us if he truly doesn't want to. I only think it's a shame. I would've liked to sail with him."
"Only fate knows what lies ahead," Kouzaburou said softly. "And fate is not something that mortals can predict."
Jack nodded in understanding. Around them, the rest of the crew listened quietly. They all respected Kouzaburou's words. He was not only a master craftsman but also a man of deep insight.
Meanwhile, Kuwajima was perched high on a tree not far from the forge, watching the entire exchange.
He had been avoiding Jack ever since the last talk about joining the crew, not wanting to be cornered again.
As he sat on the branch, listening to his father's words, he felt a strange heaviness in his chest. Before he could collect his thoughts, a voice spoke from behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Koushirou asked.
The sudden voice startled Kuwajima so much that he almost lost his balance. He slipped on the branch, but before he could fall, Koushirou caught him by the collar and pulled him back up, wearing a small smirk on his calm face.
"You scared me, Koushirou," Kuwajima muttered, his heart pounding. He steadied himself on the branch, now standing beside his older twin as they both watched the scene below.
From their position, they could see Laffitte transferring the life force and their father regaining his youth once more.
"So," Koushirou said after a short silence, "have you decided?"
"I don't know," Kuwajima admitted, lowering his gaze. "I want to go on an adventure. I want to see the world. But I don't want to live as a pirate."
He clenched his fists slightly. His view of pirates had always been shaped by the stories of violence and destruction that traveled across the seas. To him, they were men who lived without honor.
Koushirou watched him quietly. "Do you really believe Jack is like that?" he asked. "You've seen him. You've spoken to him. The reputation of pirates does not always tell the truth. Words travel faster than reason, and the truth is often twisted along the way."
Kuwajima said nothing, but his eyes softened a little. The two brothers sat in silence again, each lost in their own thoughts, until the sun began to sink behind the trees.
----------------
By afternoon, the mood around the village had shifted. Issho was testing his new sword in a sparring match against Laffitte and Club, who fought in perfect coordination. Their movements were synchronized, attacking and defending as though they shared a single mind. The rest of the crew watched nearby, cheering occasionally while Koushirou observed their forms with mild amusement.
Jack stood slightly apart, his eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as if sensing something, he turned his head toward the forest. A faint presence was approaching. Moments later, Kuwajima emerged from the trees, walking slowly toward them.
He was wearing a kimono of deep indigo, the same color and pattern as the one Kouzaburou often wore when forging. The difference was that Kuwajima carried two swords at his waist, one shorter and one longer. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with a silent fire.
The crew grew quiet as Kuwajima approached Jack. When he reached him, he gently tapped Sayafushi's scabbard with his own blade — a clear challenge between swordsmen. Jack raised an eyebrow, understanding immediately what that gesture meant. He had seen a similar scene before, long ago, in the tales of Ryuma.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked, a faint grin on his face. "You and I both know how this will end."
Kuwajima met his gaze directly, his voice steady and proud. "If you win, I will join your crew. But if I win, you will leave this island and never return."
The others murmured among themselves, caught off guard by the seriousness of his tone.
"Brother, isn't that a bit too harsh?" Koushirou said as he walked closer. "They saved this village."
"This is a duel between warriors," Kuwajima replied without looking at him. "My pride is already involved. There is no turning back now."
He drew both of his blades, their edges glinting under the afternoon sun. Jack sighed softly, then nodded.
"If I win," Jack said, "you'll come with us, right?"
Kuwajima gave a small nod in response. Jack then looked toward Koushirou, who simply returned the gesture with a serious expression. They both knew that Jack held a vast strength advantage, yet none of them interfered. A duel was a duel, and its outcome was meant to be accepted.
"I accept your challenge," Jack said, pulling Sayafushi free from its sheath. For a brief moment, the sword tried to draw his life force, but Jack stopped it instantly, maintaining control. His immortal body radiated power, and his aura filled the clearing like a silent storm.
Kuwajima made the first move, lunging forward with both swords coated in armament haki. His strikes were fast and precise, though the black sheen of his haki lacked the faint pink hue of Ryuo that the samurai of Wano were known for. Jack raised Sayafushi and blocked each strike effortlessly.
Kuwajima didn't slow down. He attacked again and again, his movements fierce and relentless, but Jack parried every blow with minimal effort. Sparks scattered each time the blades clashed, lighting up the air between them.
After a few exchanges, Jack decided it was time to respond. He parried one of Kuwajima's strikes and countered with a powerful push that sent the younger swordsman sliding backward. Kuwajima dug one of his swords into the ground to stop himself, panting slightly but refusing to yield.
Jack lifted his sword with both hands. His crew recognized the stance immediately. They had seen this attack before, and every one of them had been knocked unconscious the first time they were struck by it.
Seeing this, Kuwajima realized Jack was about to end the fight and prepared his strongest technique. His body straightened, his aura sharpened, and his breathing slowed as he gathered all his remaining haki.
"Swallow's Beak!" Kuwajima shouted, spreading his arms like wings before dashing forward at full speed. Both blades cut through the air in a blur as he charged straight toward Jack.
Jack's eyes narrowed. At the precise moment Kuwajima reached him, he swung his sword.
"Impact!" Jack's voice boomed, followed by a massive shockwave erupting outward. The air itself trembled as an invisible force struck Kuwajima in the chest, hitting him with the weight of a giant hammer.
The attack sent Kuwajima flying backward, his body spinning before landing hard on the ground. He lost consciousness instantly, the fight ending as quickly as it began.
Koushirou exhaled quietly, relief and awe mixing on his face. He knew that if Jack hadn't controlled that strike perfectly, Kuwajima's body would have been destroyed on impact. The difference in strength was overwhelming, yet Jack had shown restraint — the kind only a true master could display.