“Did someone attack?”
The next day, Jack returned to Onigashima, staring in disbelief at the massive hole. His small eyes were filled with disbelief as he wondered who could have been crazy enough to pick a fight when both Kaido and Arceus were on Onigashima.
Genesis sat quietly at the port, indicating that Arceus hadn’t left. As for Kaido, he might not always take a ship when leaving, but it was easy enough to tell if he was around by checking the garbage pile.
If there were a lot of broken sake jars, especially mixed with pieces of Kaido’s gourd, it meant Kaido was in Wano Country recently. His sake gourds never lasted long and were destined to be shattered.
As for why Jack came to this conclusion—Onigashima’s buildings were constructed to the size of Giants, with multiple floors. The enormous hole spanning two floors wasn’t something just anyone could have made.
“No, Sir Jack, it was just a minor matter between Governor-General Kaido, Lord Arceus, and the Oni Princess.”
“……”
Jack took another look at the huge hole above and was at a loss for words. The size of the buildings on Onigashima was anything but ordinary; to cause this kind of damage, one must have truly gone all out.
“By the way, Sir Jack, you’re standing in a construction area. I suggest you move away for your safety.”
“What could happen? It’s just a few bricks, right?”
Jack didn’t think much of it, but before he finished speaking, a shadow loomed over him. A broken beam, mixed with a lot of unknown objects, was thrown down from above.
The previous battle hadn’t damaged the main structure of the building, but it still needed major repairs. Key components of some structures had to be replaced, or another incident like this might actually bring Onigashima down.
Arceus’s Judgment had melted those things into molten steel, and after cooling, the liquid formed into some irregular clusters.
These couldn’t be reused, so, to avoid waste, they were set aside as food for Rock-type and Steel-type Pokémon. To save time, Yamato had simply thrown them down.
In theory, there shouldn’t have been anyone in the construction area, but Jack was quite gutsy. Unless specifically warned to be cautious, he’s still the same reckless guy.
Thud!
With a dull thud, Jack caught the falling materials with one hand. Judging by the marks left under his feet, it was clear how heavy they were. At that moment, Yamato poked her body out from the damaged area.
“Oh, Jack, you’re back? Give me a hand—throw those steel blocks up here. We’ve used up all the ones here! By the way, take those scraps to Corviknight. For the past few days, we gave it to Pupitar, so it’s Corviknight’s turn now.”
Jack didn’t say anything, just grabbed the steel blocks with a frown and threw them up with all his might. Then, he dragged the debris away, having an ominous premonition that if he stayed any longer, something else might fall on him.
Yamato caught the steel blocks with ease and handed them to the people on the side for measurement. Once they determined the required shapes, it was Tinkaton’s turn to step in with their large hammers.
Arceus Steel was of extraordinary quality, and forging it was extremely difficult for ordinary people. Tinkatons, with their natural Super Strength and ever-improving forging skills, were perfect for the job.
Plus, their hammers were also made from Arceus Steel. Using the same material to forge the metal produces better results, saving Arceus from having to individually refine each piece of metal.
Tinkaton’s work is of high quality, but there is one downside: the waste rate is quite high. There’s always a lot of waste material that appears for no apparent reason.
“You guys, be serious. Don’t keep breaking it on purpose!”
“Tinka~ton~”
“Don’t try to deny it! I can see the steel crumbs near your mouth!”
They were excellent craftsmen, but at the same time, they were Steel-type Pokémon. When it came to Arceus Steel, it was hard for them to resist the urge inside. As fellow Pokémon, they could consume Arceus Steel bit by bit, like eating hard candy.
After accidentally discovering how the waste material was handled, this behavior began. Waste during construction was expected, which is why Arceus had initially made a lot of extra steel for the construction crew.
Since there was no specific target, the scrap rate has remained consistently high.
This is also why the leftovers were given to other Pokémon as snacks. Yamato was aware of the Tinkatons’ sneaky behavior but hadn’t said anything, leading them to become bolder.
In fact, Tinkatons were better at demolishing buildings than repairing them, and they could dismantle a structure without leaving a single scrap.
Steel-type Pokémon had previously been banned from the site precisely to prevent this kind of situation. By the way, Tinkaton’s hammers were not only their primary weapons for survival but also served as emergency rations in critical situations.
“Stop eating it! Once we’re done, I’ll take you to get some other delicious treats. But for now, let’s stay on schedule. And you! I saw you hiding stuff. Quickly finish the job, and you can have them!”
The term “Arceus Steel” was a specialized term within the Beasts Pirates, while the people of Wano Country had a simpler name for it—Divine Steel. It was the dream material of every craftsman and swordsmith. While Tinkaton were gluttonous, they would collect the leftover steel powder from around Tinkaton’s mouths.
Lacking the means to forge large steel blocks, the craftsmen could only mix the powder into their materials to improve quality.
This wasn’t against any rules; Arceus Steel was an inexhaustible resource for the Beasts Pirates. Yamato wouldn’t have even mentioned it if it hadn’t been for the delay in progress.
She didn’t think much of it, but the craftsmen saw it differently. Yamato, who didn’t quite understand what was happening, soon noticed that they were working even harder.
Yamato had always thought of herself as kind, and she was, but the craftsmen didn’t see it that way. For them, being caught in the act wasn’t a good thing. They interpreted Yamato’s words as a way to atone for their actions.
As time passed, the newly forged steel frames were put back into place, and the renovation crew began filling in the gaps. Yamato carried a stack of wooden boards to another floor; while the outside had been repaired, the torn-up floor inside still needed to be replaced.
The sounds of hammering echoed throughout Onigashima as the repairs continued, though not everyone was pleased. Over at the training ground in Wano Country, Queen lay on the ground, seemingly devoid of any motivation to rise.
Not long after he went out, he was dragged back by Kaido and used as a practice target to familiarize himself with his new mode.
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