"Don't get so excited. Let's go back to the dojo and see for ourselves. It won't be long before Kuina masters her own Black Blade!"
Vic said nonchalantly, as if it were a very ordinary matter. Although he had mastered two Black Blade, Vic was not particularly satisfied, but he could still make do with them.
So far, there hasn't been anyone who can make him go all out. The top-grade Great Grade Sword Blood Wither and the Black Blade forged by Allen have already surpassed Shusui. He doesn't have enough materials to forge Supreme Great Grade Sword, and even if he did manage to forge it, he wouldn't have enough time to master the Black Blade. That's it.
"Excited? These are Black Blade! You might only see one in your lifetime, how could I not be excited? And there are two of them, I'm so excited I can't contain myself!"
Upon hearing Vic's words, Kozaburo shoved the blade back into its sheath, brandishing the Black Blade as if he were about to strike Vic. He seemed both disappointed and annoyed that Vic was being disrespectful to the Black Blade, and that he deserved a beating.
In the end, he didn't make a move, still feeling somewhat dejected. The Black Blade was forged by Vic, and as Black Blade owner, he could have any attitude towards Black Blade. However, he himself was genuinely agitated, perhaps because he resented Vic for abducting his granddaughter for ten years and wanted to teach him a lesson. But in the end, for some unknown reason, he didn't make a move.
"Grandpa! Vic! Let's go back and talk again!"
Kuina sensed that her grandfather was in a low mood, so she quickly changed the subject. They had been there for quite a while, and the three of them hadn't left the blacksmith's shop yet. She was worried that her father was getting impatient.
"Let's wait a little longer. Let's take some meat back so everyone can have a good meal. After all, he's our junior brother."
After Vic finished speaking, he stood there motionless. He said he was going to take meat back, but he didn't go hunting in the forest. He could have hunted on the way back, but Vic just stood there calmly.
Kozaburo didn't mind, stroking Vic's Black Blade with a look of tenderness. Seeing Vic's reaction, Kuina wasn't in a hurry. Vic was a man who could always surprise people, Kuina firmly believed that he could achieve his goal even if he was standing here.
The three of them stood outside the blacksmith's shop and waited for a while. Kuina turned her head and looked around in surprise. She was much stronger than Kozaburo and could already faintly hear the roars of wild beasts.
Moreover, the cries didn't come from just one direction; roars came from all directions, and from different kinds of beasts.
As time went on, the roars of the wild beasts grew louder and louder, and the sounds that reached Kuina's ears were already very clear. By the time Kozaburo also noticed something was wrong and felt a series of vibrations under his feet, he could already see the figures of different white and black beasts.
These wild beasts were everywhere, surrounding the blacksmith shop as if it were their center. When Kozaburo saw this group of beasts, sweat began to bead on his forehead. Individually, these beasts might not be very strong, but their sheer number was terrifying.
Just as Kozaburo assumed a defensive stance, all the wild beasts stopped. Kozaburo looked at himself in surprise. Had he somehow acquired an aura of dominance? Had he intimidated these beasts simply by assuming a defensive posture?
Koshiro thought this because Vic and Kuina hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end, so he could only suspect that it was his own fault. Just then, Vic's voice came over, and he realized that he had been presumptuous.
"Brother! You know this forest best. Take a look and see which animal's meat tastes the best. Let's just pick one or two and head back to the gym."
These animals were naturally summoned by Vic. Of course, Vic didn't have the magical ability to communicate with animals and make them willingly offer themselves up as food; Vic simply covered the forest with an illusion.
Even humans with strong mental fortitude couldn't withstand Vic's illusions, let alone these lowly beasts. Whether chasing food, water, mates, or territory, these beasts all had their own purposes as they rushed into the scenes woven by the illusions.
Once they reached the blacksmith's shop, they were completely engrossed in an illusion and stopped moving. Now, these beasts were like goods on a supermarket shelf, available for Kozaburo to pick up at will—it was that convenient.
At this moment, all the larger animals in the forest arrived, spreading out in dense circles around the blacksmith's shop, like a beast tide about to attack it. If viewed from above the forest, it was quite a spectacular sight. All the wild beasts faced the blacksmith's shop in harmony, without daring to roar or bark, standing there quietly.
"Um! The meat of the ox and the gray donkey tastes the best, while the meat of the antler deer is the most nutritious, but its taste isn't the best. Which would you like to choose?"
Kozaburo had never experienced anything like shopping in a supermarket before. All the wild animals in the forest had gathered around him for him to choose from. To be honest, he was a little confused. But having lived in this forest for so many years, he had hunted all sorts of wild animals and knew exactly what they tasted like.
"Let's get two of each then. There are a lot of people at the dojo, so we won't have to worry about not being able to finish them."
Vic is now immune to delicious food. Even if he eats burnt food, he can make his brain release a delicious sensation. So he no longer cares about food. Eating is mainly for filling his stomach and accumulating energy in his body.
However, he can do this, but others cannot. He can also influence others with his Devil Fruit power, but it's just a meal, there's really no need to do that, so just choose some food that Kozaburo thinks tastes good.
"Where are you going? Do you need to get something?"
"I'll go inside and get a knife. These wild animals need to be dealt with properly before taking them back. Using Black Blade to handle them would be an insult to the Black Blade!"
"No need to bring knives, just let them follow us. We can deal with them when we get to the dojo. It's not convenient here, and it's not good to get them involved in bloodshed."
After finishing speaking, Vic headed back the way he came, and Kuina followed without a word. Only Kozaburo was still a little confused.
But when Vic approached the animal enclosure, the beasts there automatically parted to make way for him, creating a path about two meters wide. The beasts bowed slightly to Vic, as if they were seeing off a king.
While Kozaburo was still in a daze, a stag walked up behind him and nudged him with its long antlers, which brought him back to his senses. Then, the stag ignored him and followed Kuina slowly forward.
Behind the antlered deer were another antlered deer, two bulls, and two gray donkeys, all following closely behind Vic and Kuina as they headed towards Shimotsuki Village. Kozaburo glanced back at the blacksmith shop, shook his head, and followed.