Clang! Clang! Clang!
Deep within the subterranean levels of the Royal Palace of the Crimson Empire, the rhythmic, deafening sound of metal violently clashing against metal echoed continuously.
York, bare-chested and wearing simple straw sandals, stood over a massive anvil. In his left hand, he held a heavy pair of tongs, clamping down firmly on a glowing, white-hot ingot of metal. In his right hand, he wielded a massive blacksmith's hammer, striking the metal with varying degrees of immense force and blinding speed.
He was forging a sword.
In his battles against top-tier masters over the years, York had always relied heavily on his bare fists, his Ryuo, and his martial arts. It was only recently, after his Devil Fruit Awakened into a Mythical Zoan, that he began heavily incorporating his reality-warping abilities.
But York had actually always wanted a bladed weapon.
Not just because a sword suited the terrifying aesthetic of an Emperor, but because it was genuinely pragmatic. At the highest tiers of the New World, a blade could significantly boost a warrior's lethal combat power. Furthermore, as a transmigrator, York knew that when fighting certain specific enemies in the future—like a certain rubber boy—a supreme slash was infinitely more effective than a blunt-force punch.
Unfortunately, the number of existing weapons in this world that could meet York's monstrous physical requirements was astronomically low, making them even harder to find than a Devil Fruit.
So, York thought, why not forge one myself? There was nothing more intuitive or perfectly balanced than a weapon you had crafted with your own two hands.
Moreover, he now had Dr. Myscina Asie—the world's absolute foremost materials science expert—under his command. If the alchemist could successfully synthesize Pure Gold, then concocting an indestructible alloy steel that met York's ridiculous tensile demands was child's play.
And so, after successfully isolating the four massive, bickering egos of the MADS scientists inside the Mirror World, York wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the forge.
Another four months passed in the blink of an eye.
After countless trials and shattered prototypes over those four months, York finally mastered the ancient, complex forging techniques of 'Twisted Damascus' and 'Three-Piece Clad Steel.'
He didn't even need a traditional furnace. He simply activated his Light Sun God (Ra) Awakening, using his bare hands to effortlessly heat the experimental alloy steel to a blistering 1,500 degrees Celsius, directly using his own body as the ultimate forge fire to fuse the metal.
The fused steel was twisted into a rebar-like shape, hammered into a flat sheet, cut in half, and then used to sandwich a carefully forged, high-carbon steel core. The entire piece then underwent a brutal second round of fusion forging.
Finally, after this arduous, grueling process, the twice-fused steel billet was gradually hammered by York into the rough shape of a long blade. This was followed by a meticulous series of water quenching, thermal tempering, grinding, polishing, acid pickling, and handle installation.
When all the processes were complete, a masterpiece was officially unveiled.
It was a slender, elegant Miaodao—a two-handed blade resembling a giant rice seedling. It boasted a mesmerizing, swirling Damascus pattern along its razor-sharp edge, with a total length of exactly three meters, including the long hilt.
Why were there no dark clouds or heavenly phenomena indicating the birth of a divine, cursed blade?
Because York didn't need flashy, cursed gimmicks. For him, a sword's most important function was singular: cutting.
If a second function absolutely had to be added, it was extreme, unbreakable toughness. Any other magical abilities beyond those two traits were just unnecessary distractions in York's eyes.
After York's rigorous testing, this Miaodao truly cut through solid blocks of naval pig iron like a hot knife through butter. Its toughness was absolutely guaranteed by Dr. Asie's proprietary alloy formula; York personally bent the three-meter blade over 90 degrees with his bare hands, and it instantly sprang perfectly straight without a single micro-fracture.
"The number of Supreme Grade Blades in this world officially increases to thirteen starting today," York murmured, playfully spinning the three-meter sword with a hint of profound pride.
He had previously observed Whitebeard's Murakumogiri and Rocks' Sword of the Abyss up close, and had even clashed his Haki-coated fists against them. Both of those legendary weapons were Supreme Grade Blades (Saijo O Wazamono), but in terms of pure material toughness and sharpness, York was confident they were still slightly inferior to this Miaodao he had forged with his own hands.
Now, the only thing his sword lacked was a legendary reputation bathed in blood.
Clang!
The sword slid smoothly into its custom scabbard, emitting a soft, resonant ringing sound.
York contentedly slung the massive longsword over his shoulder.
Over these past four months, and the preceding half-year, York's body had undergone a dramatic secondary growth spurt as his Lineage Factors fully adapted to his Mythical Zoan Awakening. He currently stood at exactly 2.8 meters tall, and his frame was expected to grow even broader, estimated to eventually cap around 3 to 3.2 meters.
Therefore, carrying a three-meter-long Miaodao on his shoulder now felt perfectly natural for York, scaling flawlessly with his imposing Emperor's physique.
Stepping out of the stifling heat of the smithy, he predictably ran into Kaido in the hallway.
"Wororororo! York, is your new toy finally finished?" Kaido grinned, looking down at the scabbard.
"Ah," York nodded slightly. "From today, the Supreme Grade Blades have increased from twelve to thirteen."
As he spoke, York's gaze flickered to the massive, spiked iron club hanging from Kaido's waist.
"Your Hassaikai is still made of ordinary, high-density iron, isn't it?" York noted. "Do you want to try forging a new one using Dr. Asie's alloy? Maybe we could birth a fourteenth Supreme Grade weapon."
Hearing this, Kaido looked down at his trusted Hassaikai. He had to admit, seeing York's masterpiece made him a little tempted.
So, Kaido unhooked the massive club and lazily held it out toward York.
York looked at the giant strangely. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Didn't you just say you'd help me reforge my Hassaikai?" Kaido blinked.
"Get lost!!" York rolled his eyes in sheer annoyance, slapping Kaido's hand away. "A weapon you wield yourself is best forged by your own hands! You lazy bum! If you want a new club, go forge it yourself!"
With that, York walked directly around the towering Oni. "I'm going out to sea to test my blade! If you want to forge a new spiked club, feel free to use my anvil."
Watching York's retreating figure, Kaido looked down at the Hassaikai he hadn't managed to hand off and scratched one of his horns.
"Tch. Fine. If I have to forge it myself, I will," Kaido grumbled. "Anyway, forging a spiked club is much simpler than folding a damn sword."
After parting ways with Kaido, York immediately informed his core cadres of his impending departure.
Stussy and the others were somewhat surprised to hear this. After all, York had been staying inside the Royal Palace for nearly a year, barely stepping out as he consolidated his empire and governed the nation. Now, he was suddenly going out to the turbulent New World seas completely alone.
However, there wasn't really much to worry about. With York's current, unfathomable strength, even if Fleet Admiral Kong, Sengoku, and Garp teamed up to ambush him, he could still retreat unscathed.
So, after a brief moment of surprise, Stussy stopped asking questions about his safety.
York, however, had a question for her.
"Where is there an active, high-intensity war happening nearby? I need to test this sword on a real battlefield."
Stussy tapped her chin in thought. Now in absolute charge of the Mirror World network, she had completely transitioned into the Crimson Empire's unrivaled Intelligence Chief.
She quickly pulled a suitable answer from her mental database.
"Our neighboring country, the Hart Kingdom, is currently engaged in a brutal border war with the Clandia Kingdom," Stussy reported. "If you want to go, you don't even need a ship. You can just take your new Striker."
"The jet ski?" York raised an eyebrow. "They finished building it so quickly?"
Stussy smiled. "Yes. Dr. Asie and Vinsmoke Judge successfully built the concept you proposed a few months ago. We've already tested the prototypes; they are incredibly effective and perfectly suited for single-person travel and 'wolf pack' naval tactics."
York nodded in approval. Led by Stussy, he walked down to the Royal Port. Out on the sparkling water, he saw Ginny and little Olga joyfully racing two high-tech, single-rider jet skis, kicking up massive wakes of seawater.
Stussy raised her hand, pointing to a sleek, aggressive-looking red jet ski docked securely at the VIP pier.
"That one was built specifically for you, tailored to your exact physical specifications and Devil Fruit abilities," Stussy explained. "If you're heading out to sea alone, it's the fastest option. I also had a small mirror permanently installed inside the dashboard compartment, so you can contact me or return via the Mirror World anytime you wish."
York couldn't help but pull Stussy in and plant a big kiss on her forehead.
"Excellent! Truly my most capable assistant!"
York bent down, untying the thick mooring ropes. He jumped onto the sleek red vessel alone. Gripping the handlebars, he activated his Mythical Zoan ability.
Instead of an engine combusting standard fuel, the Striker's exhaust instantly erupted with York's blazing, scorching white flames. The sheer propulsion violently shot the jet ski away from the pier like a fired torpedo.
York quickly familiarized himself with the hyper-responsive controls in the shallow waters of the bay. Satisfied, he pulled out the Eternal Pose to the Hart Kingdom that Stussy had just handed him, banked hard to the left, and blasted off toward the bloody horizon of the New World.
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