Shattering the World

A few days later, under the guidance of Kuina and the green-haired brat, Louis and the others followed a path, heading straight toward the forge left behind by Kosaburo Shimotsuki.

Just when everyone thought there wouldn't be any surprises along the way, something that left them speechless occurred.

"Kuina, that Zoro seems to have gotten lost again..." Uta's expression was strange as she reached out and tugged at the simple clothes Kuina wore for sword practice.

When Kuina turned her head, she pointed toward the green-marimo head who had turned around in place and was walking toward the forest not far away, her eyes filled with lingering shock.

She hadn't expected this green-haired brat to be such a hopeless case when it came to directions. He had just been walking along when, without any warning, he turned around and headed in the opposite direction.

Kuina glanced at Zoro, then displayed an expression of being long accustomed to this. "Don't worry about him. He can get lost right in front of his own front door; he's a lost cause."

"Ahaha..." Uta's fair little face twitched slightly, clearly stunned.

"He can get lost even at his own front door?"

"Yeah, it sounds scary. But once you get used to it, you won't think much of it." Kuina remarked that as long as you didn't hold any hope for his sense of direction, you would quickly get used to his truly absurd behavior.

Louis watched Zoro gradually disappear at the edge of his vision and sighed inwardly, I can only say, as expected of the King of Getting Lost...

Soon, the group arrived at their destination.

At the edge of the forest, two dilapidated wooden huts stood at the end of the path.

A wisp of thick white smoke was drifting from the chimney of one of the huts.

Seemingly sensing their arrival, the door of the hut was slowly pushed open. Koshiro, wearing a sweatband on his head and a simple kimono, slowly revealed himself to them.

He raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "You've come at just the right time."

"The weapon is finished!"

He then stepped aside, allowing the group to enter the hut.

The flames in the forge seemed to have just been extinguished, as the surface still glowed red. The scorching heat radiated throughout the hut, making the surrounding environment incredibly stifling.

But at this moment, even Uta, who had the weakest constitution, didn't dwell too much on the sweltering heat. Everyone focused their eyes on the behemoth placed on the stone table.

"Ordinary swords, or even the naginata of Wano or the great halberds unique to the Flower Country, are not suitable for her because they are too light."

"Miss Yelena's strength is also monstrous. For her, the type of weapon isn't actually important; the weight is the true key."

"Therefore, while forging this, I used every method possible to increase its mass."

As he spoke, Koshiro reached up to adjust his glasses, his smile unwavering. "I found the suitable materials to forge it among the scraps left behind by my father."

"Scraps?" Kuina's eyes widened.

"Why would you use scraps?"

Louis looked at the cracks spreading across the stone table under the weight of the pitch-black warhammer, lost in thought. "Because the metal density is too high, it's not suitable for forging swords, right?"

"Correct!" Koshiro swept his gaze around the wooden hut, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Although these materials are excellent, they are too heavy, making them unsuitable for sword forging. Thus, they became scrap."

"As for weapons forged from these materials, I fear only the weapons of Giants could compare to them in terms of weight!"

Yelena slowly stepped forward, reached the stone table, and gripped the handle of the warhammer with one hand, lifting it slowly.

This revealed the full appearance of the warhammer to everyone present.

"She lifted it with one hand?" Kuina was dumbfounded, the Wado Ichimonji in her hand nearly slipping to the ground.

The weapon was entirely black and about two and a half meters long. Unlike the octagonal hammer Yelena had used before, this warhammer was shaped like a flanged mace.

Aside from the area meant for a two-handed grip, the metal handle featured four rows of protruding, metallic-sheened diamond-shaped spikes, and the head of the mace was similarly adorned with diamond-shaped spikes.

Louis stared at the warhammer, momentarily stunned—a rare occurrence for him. This look, why does it feel like... he thought to himself.

On the other side, Uta tilted her head, observing the cold steel that Yelena was holding with a single hand.

Finally, she couldn't help but remark, "Are you sure this isn't a kanabo?"

Beside her, Kuina's expression, which had been one of shock at Yelena lifting a weapon rivaling the weight of a Giant's armament with one hand, gradually turned strange.

Uta's comment hit the mark; once she said it, the weapon really did look more and more like a massive kanabo.

"A shape close to a kanabo isn't bad. I don't mind." For some reason, Yelena didn't reject the flanged mace's resemblance to a kanabo; instead, she felt that the protrusions would significantly increase its lethality.

Koshiro adjusted his glasses and spoke unhurriedly, "Give it a name!"

Hearing this, Yelena turned to look at Louis.

"Worldbreaker," Louis blurted out.

"How about it?"

With that, Louis met Yelena's gaze.

When Yelena transformed into a Wendigo, she occasionally used her scythe-like claws to reap lives. Coupled with the appearance of this warhammer, calling it the Worldbreaker Warhammer felt appropriate.

"Worldbreaker..." Yelena looked up at the warhammer in her hand, thoughtful. "A warhammer to break the World Government?"

"Good." Yelena's eyes brightened, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

At the edge of the coast, under Koshiro's direction, the villagers carried various items onto a warship flying a pirate flag.

That's right, a warship flying a pirate flag.

When Koshiro brought Kuina along to bid farewell to his benefactor and saw their sailing ship, even the usually composed Koshiro couldn't help but lose his composure.

He hadn't expected Louis and his crew to be so bold as to use a warship as their personal vessel.

Aside from the sails and the Pirate Flag, they hadn't even bothered to disguise it.

After a long moment, having calmed down, Koshiro couldn't help but speak up, "Lord Louis, are you sure you don't want to change the paint job on this ship?"

"If you need help, I can assist!"

To this, Louis waved his hand dismissively and replied casually, "No need. Would they really fail to recognize it just because I changed the paint?"

"..." Koshiro fell silent.

It was true; the structure and distinct style of a warship were too unique. Even with a new coat of paint, anyone with a discerning eye would recognize it at a glance.

Soon, all the items gifted by Koshiro were loaded onto the ship.

"We're off. I hope we meet again someday."

Louis and his crew stood on the deck of the warship, waving goodbye to Koshiro.

By the time they were too far away to see each other's faces clearly, Louis's voice carried across the sea breeze to the shore.

"If one day you set sail and have nowhere else to go, then come find us!"

"Kuina."

Upon hearing this, Kuina stood stunned in the wind, but a moment later, she smiled and replied, "Okay."

"I thought you would invite her onto the ship right now," Yelena's voice sounded from behind him.

Louis turned his head and gave her a speechless look. "The average age on our ship is already very low. If we add another one, wouldn't it turn into a kindergarten?"

"That makes sense, too..."

Just then, Uta poked her head out from behind Yelena and asked with an excited expression, "Louis, where is our next stop?"

"Elegia..."