Iron One fell silent for a while.
“What will you do to me if I refuse, Mr. Vir? Will you kill me?” Iron One asked calmly, his gaze steady and untroubled.
At his age, he no longer feared death.
“Well, I haven’t decided yet. Let me think,” Vir replied, genuinely pondering the question like a student facing a difficult homework problem, looking up as he thought.
After a moment, Vir broke into his characteristic, slightly deranged smile.
“Iron One, if you refuse me, I won’t kill you right away. I’ll cut off your hands and feet and then take you along as I slaughter all your family members. Once they’re all dead, I’ll kill you.
Don’t worry, I won’t kill Little Six. She’s Ferdinand’s girlfriend, and I still need Ferdinand to help me find another smith. Maybe she’ll get strong enough to seek revenge on me and actually kill me someday?
What do you think of my proposal, Iron One?” Vir asked, his tone both serious and utterly mad.
Iron One pondered deeply. If Vir had said this earlier, he might not have believed him, but after witnessing the recent events, he believed Vir would actually do it if he refused.
“May I have some time to think about it?” Iron One requested, closing his eyes in contemplation.
Vir didn’t disturb him and leisurely drank his wine.
After about half an hour, Iron One opened his eyes.
“I can agree to forge the swords for you, but you must fulfill one request for me,” Iron One said, his eyes burning with intense emotion, as if recalling a memory filled with rage and longing.
“Tell me, if it’s within my power, I will agree,” Vir replied, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Help me kill a man. His name is Shiryu of the Rain. He’s currently imprisoned in Impel Down. If he ever gets out, kill him for me. That’s my only request,” Iron One stated, his voice filled with hatred, as if he wanted to tear Shiryu apart.
“Shiryu of the Rain? He’s a formidable opponent. If my strength allows, I will kill him. So I agree. And it shouldn’t be too long,” Vir responded, knowing that soon Luffy would cause a commotion in Impel Down, leading to Shiryu being freed by Teach. That would be the perfect time to kill him.
The old man had finally chosen his descendants over his lifelong stubbornness.
It seemed that sometimes, familial love could indeed change deeply ingrained beliefs.
Iron One didn’t ask Vir to swear an oath or make any other promises. Instead, he opened the chest and examined the ore inside.
Upon opening the chest, although Iron One had expected the materials to be of high quality, he was still surprised to see what Vir had brought.
Iron One picked up the red ore and began to inspect it closely.
“This rare metal… How did you get it? It’s incredible,” Iron One marveled as he studied the ore.
“Do you recognize this ore, Iron One? What exactly is it, and how suitable is it for forging weapons?” Vir inquired, curious about the origin of the ore, as it would be the main material for his future swords.
“This ore doesn’t have a name because it’s so rare. According to our family records, one of my ancestors used this ore to forge a Supreme Grade sword,” Iron One said, his excitement growing. What craftsman wouldn’t want to create a legendary weapon?
“Heh, heh, heh, heh. That’s excellent news. Ferdinand, you’ve finally done something reliable. I’ll repay you for this,” Vir said, patting Ferdinand on the shoulder.
Ferdinand, looking at this unpredictable person before him, didn’t know what to say. He felt that apart from the rabbit on Vir’s ship, Vir didn’t seem to care much about anyone, himself included.
“Iron One, I have another request. Can you melt my two broken swords and combine them with this rare metal to forge new ones?” Vir asked, displaying his broken swords.
Iron One took the swords and examined them. While the craftsmanship seemed basic to him, he felt something different when he touched the swords. His expression changed, and he closed his eyes, sensing something.
“How many people have you killed with these swords? They were ordinary swords, but now they are on the verge of becoming cursed blades. If these swords weren’t broken, they would soon become cursed,” Iron One said, shocked by the realization.
“How many people? Let me think,” Vir pondered but soon gave up, as the number was too high to remember.
“I can’t recall the exact number. These swords have been with me for a long time, from when I started practicing swordsmanship until recently.
If I hadn’t been careless, the swords wouldn’t have broken,” Vir said, feeling a tinge of sadness as he recalled the moment they broke.
Others in the room were stunned by Vir’s words but couldn’t help but feel curious about his past and what experiences had shaped his character.
“Fusing the materials is possible, but it might create cursed swords,” Iron One noted, intrigued by the idea.
“Cursed swords? Heh, heh, heh, heh. If they become cursed, I’ll make them mine through sheer force. How long will it take to forge them? It won’t take years, will it?” Vir asked, still concerned, as he had always thought legendary weapons took a long time to create.
Iron One gave Vir a surprised look and said something that made Vir blush.
“Of course not. Forging is about skill and technique, not time. It should take about a month,” Iron One replied, questioning today’s youth’s logic.
“Alright, I’ll wait on the island for a month. If you need anything in the meantime, just let me know,” Vir said.
Iron One didn’t say anything more. He called for someone to clean up the bodies in the room, knowing no one would care since they were all pirates.
Iron One took the chest of rare metals to his private forging room, with Vir and the others following.
Iron One first asked Vir for the sword tips in the forging room, then examined the rare ores.
After a while, he seemed to have a plan for the forging process.
At the furnace, instead of coal, Iron One filled it with a large box of transparent crystals and started the fire.
Initially interested in the forging process, Vir soon felt an intense heat from the burning crystals and left the room, unable to bear the temperature. Ferdinand and Little Six had already exited, unable to withstand the heat.
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