It didn't take long for Yamato to follow a few small pink creatures out of Ghost Island and head towards Udon, where Wano Kuni's industrial zone is located, and the largest weapon factory is also there.
Weapons mixed with Seastone and Wine Iron Ore are sold worldwide and are the most popular weapons in the Underworld, with the Navy's standard weapons ranking second. These two are both the most expensive but also the highest quality choices.
No one is stingy in this regard. Excellent weapons represent a higher survival chance. Ultimately, only a few rely on physical strength advantage; most people are just ordinary flesh and blood, and excellent weapons are fundamental.
In addition, there is also mass production of the Hundred Beasts' standard weapons and high official equipment there. Some special arrowheads required by Setsuna and the weapons of several high-level official deputies come from here.
The craftsmen of Wano Kuni have a certain advantage in this respect; the weapons they forge are mostly of high-quality creations, and the quality is guaranteed to some extent.
According to local customs in Wano Kuni, those craftsmen will engrave their names or symbols on the weapons to indicate who the creator of the weapon is.
When wielders of these weapons gain fame, the creators' names will spread accordingly. This custom also helps hold accountability well.
Damages due to a power gap are harmless, but accidents caused by quality issues are unforgivable.
Weapons with more complex compositions are made in Queen's laboratory; it's just that Udon has the largest forging space in Wano Kuni, more suitable for creating cold weapons.
"Don't you find it heavy? How about I help you carry it?"
Yamato asked the Pokemon carrying hammers in front of her. These Pokemon are Tinkaton, entirely pink with white hair, looking very much like little human girls.
With an average height of 0.7 meters, each Tinkaton carried a giant hammer on their shoulder, at least twice the size of their bodies, making them appear incredibly petite in comparison to the hammers in their hands.
The hammer seems more like their body compared to their own.
"Huh?"
The leading Tinkaton waved at Yamato and then effortlessly played a trick with its hammer, indicating that Yamato need not worry about such things at all.
Though they seem delicate, they belong to the fairy + steel composite type, demonstrating excellent resistance to strikes, and the hammer is the ultimate tool and weapon for the Tinkaton species.
As Tinkatink, they begin by collecting metal scraps from their environment to forge their hammers from these materials.
This is a continuous effort journey, making new hammers nonstop until they craft one they are satisfied with. During this process, Tinkatink accumulates abundant forging experience.
Even after completing their creation, their forging journey doesn't stop; the hammer is their weapon for self-defense, but Tinkatink's abilities are insufficient to protect themselves and often have their hammers snatched by other Pokemon.
For other Pokemon, especially those that consume metals, hammers infused with various metal scraps are rare delicacies.
If they are not the opponent, they abandon the hammer to escape like a lizard's tail shedding, and this situation continues until they evolve.
When Tinkatink evolves into Tinkatuff, their power changes qualitatively, and conflicts arise with Bisharp, since the sharp metal blades and sturdy armor of Bisharp are ideal materials for forging new hammers.
Tinkatuff will attack Bisharp groups in swarms, and to test the strength of their hammers, they engage in "internal fights," specifically knocking on their comrades' heads to see which is harder: the head or the hammer.
During this phase, they continue to enrich their forging experience and their intelligence develops rapidly. By the time they are Tinkaton, they have reached maturity.
Tinkaton not only brings strength but also higher intelligence. Even the Corviknight flying in the sky becomes their target.
Although they can't fly, they use their giant hammers as baseball bats to calculate trajectories and hit rocks like cannonballs towards the Iron Feather of Corviknight.
Though the hammer is huge, to Tinkaton, it's merely an extension of their bodies and not something needing external assistance.
To showcase their strength to Yamato, the Tinkaton displayed some fancy flying hammers, passing their hammers amongst each other.
....
With the Altaria flight, Yamato and her group quickly reached Udon, and the first thing the Tinkaton did was not forging but learning.
Created directly as Tinkaton, albeit with greater strength, they lacked the delicate skills honed from youth, but in contrast, they possessed a forging learning speed unattainable by humans.
In Udon's forge, the fires in the furnace burned vigorously, with Carkol occasionally tossing in coals, filled with shirtless craftsmen, and the sound of metal clashing never ceased.
The craftsmen here are normally hired; prisoners from the Udon Mine handle the raw materials workshop but are not typically allowed to touch these intricate tasks.
The efficiency of voluntary labor and forced labor differs entirely, especially with an internal ranking mechanism; none want to be outdone by their peers, instead competing to forge higher-quality weapons.
"Ghost Princess, you're here."
The guard at the gate saw Yamato leading the Tinkaton and quickly stepped aside, as their primary purpose was to prevent rare materials from being taken out unauthorized, similar to factory security.
"This way, please; Lord Arceus has already made arrangements."
The Tinkaton dispersed to different locations, leaving only one by Yamato's side. They did not speak, only observing the craftsmen's swinging hammers, quenching, and polishing, absorbing experience tirelessly.
"Ghost Princess, this way, please; Lord Arceus said you could select the materials for new weapons yourself."
Yamato had no role within the factory. Forging is not accomplished by brute force alone; while other Tinkaton learn forging skills, the one beside her assists in selecting materials.
Determining the quality of materials doesn't require learning; to a Tinkaton, it's akin to instinct.
Guided by other pirates, Yamato followed the Tinkaton to the Udon Mining site, bustling with activity here too.
"Quick, quick, quick! Get all the materials to the plaza; Ghost Princess will arrive soon!"
"Behave yourselves, especially you few; with only a few months left on your sentence, offending the Ghost Princess will not be let off by Lord Arceus. Dreaming of mining here after would be futile!"