Upon hearing the man in front of him not only take away his beloved knife but also casually reveal his identity, Kozuki Sukiyaki immediately tensed up.
"Who exactly are you? If you've come to kill me, then go ahead. But I hope you've been mistaken for Tama. She's just a child I picked up; she poses no threat to you."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. It seemed this old fellow wasn't entirely bad-hearted; he was still pleading for Tama at a time like this.
"Heh, I think you've misunderstood. I told you, I'm not here to kill you. I even killed a guy named Hokage a few days ago!"
"What? You actually managed to kill the Hokage? So you came here to evade capture?"
Lin Yuan was speechless. It was a miracle that this kind of guy, who was a general, hadn't been overthrown immediately.
"I am Lin Yuan, known in the outside world as the Five Emperors. Have you heard of me?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki stood up instantly, her eyes fixed on Lin Yuan, her body tense.
"You claim to be one of the Five Emperors, one of the strongest outsiders, and the leader of a pirate crew on par with Kaido!"
"If that's your opinion, it's not entirely wrong, but I've never considered myself a pirate; that's a label imposed on me by the World Government!"
Lin Yuan casually found a place to sit down, took out a bottle of sake and handed it to Kozuki Sukiyaki, then took out a bottle for himself and slowly drank it.
Looking at the sake in his hand, Kozuki Sukiyaki couldn't help but swallow hard; he hadn't tasted this kind of sake in many years.
"Lord Lin Yuan, I wonder what brings you here. Since you know me, you should also know that I am of little use to you!"
Lin Yuan smiled as he looked at the old man before him and said softly.
"You underestimate yourself. While your general's position may be insignificant, your other identity is quite valuable to me!"
"For a master craftsman like you, for so many years, crafting those ordinary knives must have been very painful!"
A flicker of pain crossed Kozuki Sukiyaki's eyes as he picked up the sake and took a sip.
"Cough cough cough... This liquor is really strong!"
Lin Yuan remained silent, watching Kozuki Sukiyaki with amusement, confirming that this guy was truly unsuitable to be a general.
Kozuki Sukiyaki coughed violently, but gripped the bottle even tighter, her eyes shining as she stared at it.
As Famous Sword, he also loved alcohol, especially strong liquor.
"You mean you want me to forge Famous Sword for you?"
Seeing that this guy finally understood where he came from, Lin Yuan didn't hide anything and said with a smile.
"That's right. I came here today because I wanted you to forge a batch of Great Grade Sword for me."
"Puff..."
As soon as Lin Yuan finished speaking, Kozuki Sukiyaki spat out the sake in his mouth, then pursed his lips regretfully, stood up and shouted.
"What did you say? A batch, and Great Grade Sword? Are you sure you didn't misread it? Do you know how long it takes to forge a Great Grade Sword?"
As a master craftsman who once forged Ame no Habakiri and Sandai Kitetsu, Kozuki Sukiyaki knew the difficulty of forging a Great Grade Sword. Yet the man in front of him was talking about a whole batch, as if he were dealing with Great Grade Sword as if they were being sold wholesale.
Lin Yuan did not refute Kozuki Sukiyaki's words, but asked calmly.
What conditions are required to forge Great Grade Sword?
Seeing how serious the other person was, Kozuki Sukiyaki suppressed her excitement and explained.
"It's very difficult. It requires extremely hot flames, various special ores, and countless hours of forging. Even then, it's not certain whether it can be successfully forged."
Lin Yuan tilted his head and thought for a moment before speaking.
"No problem. I'm Devil Fruit User the Flame-Flame Fruit, and I'll provide all the ores and materials. I also have the manpower for forging; it'll be faster than you polishing it bit by bit. Tell me, what are your conditions?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki stared blankly at Lin Yuan, her mind still reeling. When had she ever said she would join him?
Seeing that Kozuki Sukiyaki remained silent, Lin Yuan continued speaking.
"I understand your situation. Kaido of the Beasts can't be touched for the time being, but Kurozumi Orochi, those daimyo, and the samurai on this island will all be wiped out."
"Also, Wano Country can be opened to foreign rule, but you won't be allowed to continue ruling it; it will become my territory in the future."
"And as for those samurai who were prophesied by Kozuki Toki and could slay the dark demons, don't even think about it; they won't appear."
Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Kozuki Sukiyaki was filled with horror and fear. The man in front of her was too terrifying. He knew everything about her, even the prophecy.
Seeing that Kozuki Sukiyaki silent, Lin Yuan added fuel to the fire.
"Don't harbor any illusions. I'm telling the truth. Go out and see for yourself. I'm the strongest person in the world now. Even if those warriors you're thinking of appear, I can wipe them out with one hand if I want to."
"The world's strongest!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki exclaimed again, his mind still a little fuzzy.
It was quite a while before Kozuki Sukiyaki finally spoke.
"If what you're saying is true, I can agree, but you have to promise me a few things."
Lin Yuan smiled and spoke.
"First, I want Kurozumi Orochi dead."
"No problem!"
"Secondly, I want you to take good care of Tama!"
"Can!"
"Thirdly, if possible, I hope you can help me find my grandchildren."
"Well, if it's about Kozuki Momonosuke and Kozuki Hiyori, I can tell you that Momonosuke is dead, killed by pirates. As for Kozuki Hiyori, I can bring her here."
"What?! Momonosuke is dead!"
"Yes, if you're talking about that lecherous brat, he's dead. But I killed those pirates too!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki bowed deeply, kneeling directly before Lin Yuan in a deep salute.
However, at this moment, a gentle energy prevented him from kneeling down; Lin Yuan was not used to such an old man kneeling before him.
As for the death of Kozuki Momonosuke, he simply said it was a weak pirate killing him, without any remorse. His grandson died, but the grandfather is now working for him; just thinking about it makes him feel good.
"Lord Lin Yuan, I agree to forge it for you, but I'd like to see the sword at your waist."
"Hehe, alright then, I'll give you some compensation. Kozuki Hiyori, you'll be my woman from now on. As for your dowry, besides the Nidai Kitetsu, bring out Enma, Ame no Habakiri, and the Futsunomitama you wear on your waist!"
Yeah, I'll kill your grandson, marry your granddaughter, and then make you work for me. That makes perfect sense.
Kozuki Sukiyaki was taken aback for a moment, but instead of refuting, a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes.
"Okay, I agree. Here, take this Futsunomitama. I'll go get Enma and Ame no Habakiri."
As if afraid that Lin Yuan would change his mind, Kozuki Sukiyaki hurriedly took off the Famous Sword from her waist and handed it to Lin Yuan, then ran to the backyard.
Looking at the Famous Sword Futsunomitama, in his hand, Lin Yuan smiled.
"Should I give this guy a piece of Pure Gold and have it forged into countless Great Grade Sword for me?"
"Ahem, let's forget about it for now. Let's talk about it later and see what his contributions have been over the past two years."
Lin Yuan casually tucked the Futsunomitama into his waistband, placing it alongside the Nidai Kitetsu.
A short while later, Kozuki Sukiyaki rushed out wielding two Famous Sword; they were none other than Enma and Ame no Habakiri.
Lin Yuan took them one by one, examined them carefully for a while, and found that they were indeed two good Great Grade Sword, not much worse than the Supreme Great Grade Sword, and even stronger than Golden Lion Shiki's Oto and Kogarashi.
Seeing Lin Yuan examining the several Famous Sword, Kozuki Sukiyaki couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"Ahem, well, can I see this knife now?"
Lin Yuan smiled and took out the " Mandala " flower, speaking softly.
"You can't withstand the power of this knife. You can only look at it, and whatever you do, don't touch it!"
"Clang..."
The slender, black-and-white, red blade of " Mandala " flew out and stood upright in mid-air. Surprisingly, it did not fall, even though no one was holding it.
As the " Mandala " was fully drawn, the light in the entire room seemed to dim, and Kozuki Sukiyaki even felt the air temperature drop by more than ten degrees.
"What a terrifying sword! It's a demonic sword, too terrifying! Even the Shodai Kitetsu can't compare. How was it forged?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki at it, muttering to herself, before finally letting out a deep sigh.
"Alas, I could never forge such a divine artifact in my lifetime."