Swallowing The Yin Evil And Reforging The Sword

The Dawn headed towards the sea area where Jesse often moved, but they searched all over the place and found no trace of him.

After Salome obtained the Immortal Thief Liuku, her body fully recovered on the third day.

However, due to being a water snake, the effectiveness of cultivating the Immortal Thief of Liuku was much less for Salome than for Arias and others.

After sleeping for a whole day and night, Hiyori's body had significantly healed. When she woke up, she felt extremely hungry and ate five times more than usual.

With her body bandaged, Hiyori stood on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze. She had grown a lot during this battle. Not only did she comprehend the true meaning of Tai Chi, but she also awakened Conqueror's Haki. Her combat skills and experience had also greatly improved. The only concern for her was whether the wounds on her body would leave scars. However, Yamato reassured her, saying, "Scars are a warrior's medal," but Hiyori didn't want to discuss this with her.

Arias spent seven days searching through the sea areas where Jesse often moved and the islands he frequented, but he couldn't find any trace of him. People on the islands mentioned that Jesse hadn't returned after going out once, speculating that he might be scared and ran away. Nonetheless, Arias had memorized his Qi, and even if he disguised himself, Hiyori was confident she could recognize him.

Unable to catch Jesse, Arias began wandering around, also looking for traces of the Sun Pirates. Unfortunately, there was still no news. After the incident at the Bliss Bar, he figured he might be wanted by the underground world, making it difficult to buy information.

After a month at sea, they returned to the island of Forchart.

"Hancock, you and Yamato take turns watching the ship."

After giving the instructions, Arias went straight to the Cave of Miracles.

This time, Arias brought along a considerable number of weapon refining tools, preparing for long-term research in the Cave of Miracles.

Upon seeing Arias and the others again, Guy and the villagers realized that they weren't captured but had taken down the pirates who landed and then went on to hunt the remaining ones. This action further increased their admiration for Arias and his group.

Not only were they good-looking, but their personalities were commendable. Despite their stunning beauty, the attention of one woman was solely on Arias.

Moreover, they not only refrained from harming the island's villagers but also eliminated all the pirates who had landed. The islanders couldn't have asked for more benevolent protectors.

After a month of research on the island, Arias finally made significant progress. He harvested more than a dozen stones of life, still full of vitality, seemingly born in the cave. However, their beats were slower, and their light became more dazzling.

Pleased with his findings, Arias pocketed the stones and returned to the ship. He planned to resume his journey at sea in search of the Sun Pirates.

The prospect of going to sea excited several girls, and Hiyori's determination grew. However, to her disappointment, scars had formed from her previous injuries. She envied Salome, who didn't show any signs of scarring. Hiyori wished she had the same ability.

In the Daybreak's studio, Arias retrieved Vegapunk's research notes once again. With these stones of life, he felt more confident.

Taking out the Second Generation Ki Tetsu from his sac, the sword had been sitting idle since he acquired it. As Arias didn't use a sword, and it was a demon sword, it wasn't suitable for others. Now, he decided to examine it further.

"Demon sword? Let's see how wicked you can be!" Arias said as he pulled out the Second Generation Ghost from its scabbard.

As Arias examined the Second Generation Ghost, an eerie sensation penetrated deep into his heart. He focused his gaze and noticed an illusory skeleton faintly appearing on the knife.

"Evil spirit?" Arias pondered as the sinister aura seemed to try and erode his soul. Snorting coldly, he opened his mouth and took a bite. The rich evil spirit spread out in his mouth and was promptly swallowed.

"Bah! Tastes really bad!" Arias remarked, dismissing the notion that the sword could consume its owner. In this world, where people lacked understanding of concepts like yin and yang, the sword was perceived as a demon sword capable of devouring its wielder.

In truth, with enough blood or a strong will, one wouldn't succumb to the influence of the evil spirit. The misconceptions arose from the addition of a specific iron ore, found in a mass grave, by an ignorant blade forger. The fire had already purged a significant amount of the Yin evil, and the remaining integrated into the knife had minimal impact on a wielder with sufficient strength.

After the evil spirit dissipated, the sword stood out as an exceptional fast knife. Arias couldn't help but lament the roughness of the forging skills, acknowledging that the material alone could elevate it to the status of a supreme sharp sword.

"Let me give you new life!" Arias decided to enhance the knife's quality. He removed the handle, placed the blade into the fire, and took out meteorite, seastone, and stones of life, arranging them beside him.

The rhythmic sound of knocking resonated, and the familiar sound didn't faze Hancock and the others, who had grown accustomed to Arias's peculiar activities.

"I really don't know how he crafts such magical things!" Yamato marveled at the black puppet standing on the deck, resembling Arias. The mysteries of this world never ceased to amaze her, filled with all sorts of wonders.

"Why does he keep looking for the Sun Pirates?" Hancock voiced the question that had lingered in their minds. After spending a considerable time floating around, they had learned about Arias's purpose: finding the Sun Pirates.

Hancock was in the dark about Arias's purpose, and for her, it didn't matter much. What was important to her was being with Arias.

"It seems that the Sun Pirates were formed by fishmen. Could it be that King Neptune asked him to find them?"

"No way. If Neptune has something to do, can't he contact those fishmen directly? He is the king of the sea after all!"

"Or, it's what Shirahoshi requested."

They speculated on Arias's purpose in seeking the Sun Pirates. Meanwhile, as they aimlessly roamed the seas for half a month with no news of the Sun Pirates, their return to Forchart Island was interrupted by the appearance of a pirate ship, raising their alertness.

The ship itself seemed ordinary, but what caught their attention was the flag it bore. A skull adorned the pirate flag, with a crescent moon-like beard at its center – the emblem of the mighty pirate Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.

"It's Whitebeard's ship!"

"What's Whitebeard's ship doing here?"

Yamato, ready to wield her mace, and Hiyori, hand on the hilt of her knife, prepared for a potential confrontation. In the current era of piracy, figures like Whitebeard, BIG`MOM, and Kaido held dominion over the seas as the most powerful beings, akin to emperors.

Arias emerged from the workroom. Although Whitebeard had a good reputation, Arias didn't consider him a benevolent figure. However, seeing that it wasn't the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's flagship, Arias was relieved. It indicated that Whitebeard himself wasn't present, and Arias felt more confident facing Whitebeard's captains.