When they pushed open the wooden door of the forge, they were engulfed in heat. A gray-haired old blacksmith was hammering at the hot metal, sparks flying in all directions.
"Guests, take a look around. I don't take orders anymore. If you like something, buy it. If not, then no," the old blacksmith didn't even look up.
Reith's gaze was immediately drawn to the enormous two-handed sword hanging on the wall—it was completely black, with a blade approximately thirty centimeters wide.
"T-this sword..." Reith's eyes stopped, and he involuntarily came closer.
The old blacksmith finally raised his head and stared at Reith:
"Kid, this sword is not a toy. Go play outside."
Reith retorted, offended:
"I didn't come here to play! I'm serious! And I really want a heavy sword as a weapon!"
Roger came closer and whistled:
- Oh? And this sword is interesting.
The old blacksmith chuckled:
"This is my finest creation, its name is 'Black Tide.' I discovered the material by chance when I was young. The average person couldn't even lift it."
Hearing about the weight, Reith swallowed, but he was not going to give up:
— Let me try!
The old blacksmith smiled coldly:
- Okay. If you can lift it, I will give it to you.
Reith took a deep breath and grabbed the handle with both hands.
- Wow... Heavy!
The sword didn't move an inch.
Gaban laughed loudly:
- Kid, come on, with your puny body you can't even lift a sword.
Reilly frowned.
— The weight of this sword is really not suitable for a child.
Roger, rubbing his chin, said thoughtfully:
- Reith, try it with Armament Haki.
The old blacksmith's eyes lit up: this five or six year old child can use Armament Haki!
Reith froze for a moment, then nodded. He closed his eyes, summoned all his strength, and Armament Haki slowly enveloped his hands.
- Ha-a-a!
The Black Tide was finally raised, but Reith's hands were already beginning to shake.
The old blacksmith narrowed his eyes:
— …Interesting kid.
Roger smiled broadly:
- Well old man, is this sword his now?
The old blacksmith was silent for a moment and finally sighed:
— …Okay. This sword is gathering dust here. Since you were able to pick it up, take it.
Reith's eyes widened in surprise:
- You really serious?
The old blacksmith turned to the forge and, waving his hand at them with his back to them, said:
"Remember, a sword is both a weapon and a comrade. Don't let it down. Its name is Black Tide. Can you make it famous across the seas?"
Reith partly understood why Captain Roger had made such a solemn promise to Uncle Tom.
It was a promise from one man to another.
Reith pressed the Black Tide to his chest and, looking firmly at the old blacksmith, said:
"I will make this sword famous across the seas. That is my promise."
" Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, I believe you. Go, I'm retiring soon . This is my finest creation, and it's also my farewell. I'll be watching you closely."
Having secured the Black Tide, Reith strapped it to himself. He needed to get used to its weight as quickly as possible. He ran ten laps around Water Seven with the Black Tide on his back. The journey, which had once seemed easy, now felt incredibly long.
Even with Reith's monstrous stamina, he was drenched in sweat. Even though humans in the world of One Piece have more muscle mass, Reith only weighed about thirty kilograms.
That huge sword was truly heavy for Reith. All of this was only possible because Wraith was a time traveler with cheats.
If it were anyone else, the Black Tide would be many times heavier than he was. Not to mention fighting it, even living with it would be problematic.
But Reith wasn't disheartened. He believed that once he could wield the Black Tide as easily as his own hand, his combat power would increase exponentially.
"Look at Lola, after turning Luffy into Nightmare Luffy, gave him a weapon that eight seasoned pirates combined could barely lift. This sword isn't much heavier."
Reith's feet sank deep into the ground of the Water Seven dock. That enormous sword, taller than he was, now pressed down on him like a small mountain.
"Wow, all his predecessors who'd traveled here possessed monstrous strength; at four or five years old, they were three or four meters tall—easily! And yet, for some reason, he's still such a shorty."
"De... the ninth circle..." Reith was breathing heavily, his vision swimming. Even through his Armament Haki, the ropes that bound the Black Tide dug into the skin of his shoulders.
"It must be taken into account that Reith could now constantly maintain low-intensity Armament Haki."
Gaban, leaning against the railing on the shore, was gnawing on an apple:
"Kid, maybe I should help you hold it for a bit? Rest up, this sword is yours anyway, it's not going anywhere."
"No... no need!" Reith muttered two words through his teeth and began to move his leaden legs again. "It's a promise between two men."
Rayleigh watched from the perch, a thoughtful look hidden behind his glasses.
He noticed that although Reith's steps were heavy, the distance between them was measured to the millimeter—the child used Observation Haki to precisely control every muscle, every effort. "Such fine control and observation... why do you need that huge sword then?" he shook his head and chuckled.
In fact, Reith's choice of a heavy sword was carefully considered. Had he chosen a slender sword or a rapier, Reith would certainly have been able to wield them masterfully. The disadvantages of a heavy sword are its high stamina consumption and slowness of movement, which placed extremely high demands on the user's physical fitness.
He never worried about his stamina. His slow movements could be compensated for by the abilities of the Mist-Mist Fruit. Given equal strength, Reith was certain that no swordsman who didn't specialize in physical strength could withstand his blow.
"One might ask: doesn't the art of the sword require going straight ahead?"
"But I'm a user of the Mist-Mist Fruit! You want me to confront him head-on? The fact that I didn't knock his black sword out of his hand already speaks volumes about my high culture. Cast aside personal culture and live a quiet and cunning life."
Boom!
At the finish of the tenth lap, Reith finally gave in and collapsed to the ground, sword in hand. The Black Tide, hitting the ground, emitted a dull roar, scaring away the nearby seagulls.
Roger joined Reith with a loud laugh:
— Ku-ha-ha-ha! On the very first day, I was able to run the entire distance with it on my back, not bad!
"Oh... not at all..." Reith went limp in the captain's arms, unable to move a finger. "The last half lap... I crawled..."
The old blacksmith stood at the dock, his pipe flickering on and off. He watched as the little boy, mustering his last strength, rose again and shouldered the enormous sword. A smile flickered in his eyes.
"Hey, kid" the old blacksmith suddenly called out. "Do you know why it's called the Black Tide?"
Reith raised his sweat-drenched face. He hadn't expected to see the old blacksmith here.
"The tide may seem slow, but it can wear away the hardest rocks," the old blacksmith blew a smoke ring. "A heavy sword has no edge, and great art requires no refinement."
"Do you think I'd give it to such a brat based on just a few words? Of course, I came to see for myself. Come on, kid, I believe in you."
"You damn old man, you'll see! Wait until I become famous across the seas!"
In the following days, in the courtyard where Reit lived:
Even before the morning fog had cleared, Reith was already practicing the most basic chopping strikes.
Under the blazing midday sun, he hung upside down from the mast, strapped to the Black Tide, and did sit-ups.
In the moonlight of the deep night, he fed the Black Tide with his Haki.
Reith had never tried so hard in his life. It turned out that a promise made to two men was the best motivator.
"A fake honey trap is when they palm off a hottie on you. A real honey trap is when they say, 'I can't take this anymore, but take my dream, go for me, and see the world beyond. I believe in you.'"