"What kind of tal is this? Especially this one." Rosen pointed to a brass-colored chunk of tal and asked. The small piece was about the size of a fist, yet his Devil Fruit ability seed to react to it with a hunger-like sensation.
"You really are strange. Every outsider who lands on Lantis Island cos here precisely for these things, yet you know nothing about them. What you're pointing at is Golden Sand Copper. This tal has no singular place of origin and occasionally appears within deposits of Dark Gold."
"But it's extrely rare. It's mainly used to enhance the flexibility and sharpness of weapons. Although valuable, it's not as widely used as Dark Gold because its tal molecules are too active..." Lisa explained upon seeing Rosen's curiosity.
"What do you an by 'too active'?" Rosen reached out to touch the tal.
"Pick it up and give it a light squeeze, and you'll understand." Lisa found it difficult to explain the tal's structural properties, as even on Lantis Island, it was considered rare.
Rosen did as instructed. The mont he held the tal, he was struck by an odd intuition—it didn't feel like tal at all, but more like a handful of sand. This sensation puzzled him.
Applying slight pressure, Rosen saw the brass-colored tal indent imdiately. But rather than simply being crushed, it seed to break apart on its own, flowing like a non-Newtonian fluid.
"Try using more force," Lisa prompted.
"What is this? Such a peculiar tal... And it's not just tal—it contains an extrely high concentration of fine sand particles." Rosen squeezed harder.
With a soft *puff*, the tal in his hand exploded into a cloud-like mist, floating near his palm like a miniature nebula.
The cloud neither fell nor dispersed. Instead, it seed to possess a magnetic quality, keeping it suspended within a certain range.
Rosen, intrigued, tested his ability on it and discovered that he could control this tallic sand just as easily as he controlled ordinary sand.
He traced a circle in the air with his finger, and the brass-colored sand followed, forming a perfect ring. Then, it shifted into a finger, a dagger, a thin shield…
"Wow, Uncle! Are you performing magic? I think my parents took to see sothing like this when I was very little!" Natasha exclaid with admiration.
"This is impossible! Golden Sand Copper only has two known states—fluid-like and sand-mist. How are you making it change shape so freely?!" Lisa looked completely shocked. Was he manipulating Golden Sand Copper so effortlessly?
Despite its rarity, extensive research had been done on Golden Sand Copper. While soft, its actual strength surpassed that of refined steel several tis over.
It was resistant to extre heat and cold, making it nearly impossible to forge directly. When crafting weapons, even a small amount could significantly enhance sharpness and durability, making it a favorite among master blacksmiths.
However, smiths capable of lting and incorporating Golden Sand Copper into weapons were exceedingly rare—far rarer than those who could work with Seastone. This was why, despite its remarkable properties, its market value didn't surpass that of Dark Gold. The difficulty of working with it was simply too high.
Yet now, in Rosen's hands, it behaved like clay, transforming effortlessly into various shapes. This completely defied conventional understanding.
"Lightweight yet incredibly strong… And in its flowing state, it should be able to absorb the impact of powerful shockwaves. Truly fascinating." After so experintation, Rosen grasped the fundantal properties of the tal.
"Finger Gun!" he exclaid curiously. His right hand turned to sand, but this ti, he detached a single finger and replaced it with Golden Sand Copper. He then struck the reinforced tal wall of the room.
Boom!
A deep, thunderous noise erupted, followed by a burst of sparks. When Rosen withdrew his hand, he found that his attack had pierced clean through eight centiters of solid steel.
"Such powerful single-point destruction… This is leagues beyond ordinary sand, even more so than condensed sand." Rosen was both astonished and thrilled.
One of the biggest weaknesses of his Sand-Sand Fruit ability had always been its lack of single-target destructive power. While he could summon massive sandstorms, formidable opponents could easily withstand or evade them.
Even his strongest technique, the Desert Spada, was potent but incapable of penetrating such thick steel.
The two warriors who had been carrying tal monts ago stood frozen, staring at the hole in the iron wall.
"Lisa, where did you find this outsider? He's unbelievably strong!"
That steel wall—hacking at it with a sword all day wouldn't make a dent, yet he had pierced it with a single finger.
"I don't want any of the other tals. Just this one. However much you have, I'll take it all," Rosen said, his excitent rising.
If this tal could compensate for his lack of single-target destructive power, his combat effectiveness would increase dramatically. He might not gain imdiate mastery over it, but with enough of this tal, he could amplify his offensive power significantly.
If he could acquire enough Golden Sand Copper, he could coat himself in it as armor. Then, during battle, he could instantly turn the armor into tallic sand, concentrating its power for even greater impact. His overall strength would surge.
"That's possible, but we don't have much of it. I doubt we have enough to match the value of your contribution," Lisa said indifferently.
Golden Sand Copper wasn't the most valuable material around—it was just rare and strange enough to be noteworthy.
"If it's not enough, we can settle the difference later with sothing else."
Lisa then retrieved all the Golden Sand Copper available in Ming City. The amount was indeed limited, which left Rosen slightly disappointed. However, it seed there was just enough to form an arm—an acceptable outco.
"You'll get half now. The other half will be yours once you help us secure food or when your fleet arrives with supplies."
"That's fair." Rosen had no objections. Even half was a great gain.
He removed his golden prosthetic arm—it was mostly ornantal and not particularly useful. Then, he absorbed the Golden Sand Copper into the stump of his left arm.
A seamless transformation occurred. The tal reshaped itself into a fully functional arm.
"It feels just like the real thing."
Because his arm hadn't been severed at the shoulder, the amount of tal available was enough to reconstruct the missing portion. Now, his upper arm remained flesh and blood, but from the elbow down, it was composed of tallic sand.
Most importantly, it was connected to his nervous system, making it functionally indistinguishable from a real arm.
Though it retained its brass-colored hue, the imnse flexibility and strength far outweighed any costic concerns.
Since Golden Sand Copper rged seamlessly with sand, and Rosen himself was essentially composed of sand, it had completely integrated with him.
"However, I suggest you wait here for your fleet. If you co with us into the Demon Lands and die, our deal will be ruined," Lisa warned.
Rosen's task was to help the people of Underground City secure food—whether by bringing it from outside or hunting within the Demon Lands. Lisa had no preference.
The problem was, the Demon Lands were perilous. If Rosen perished, their hard-won agreent could collapse.
"You're not wrong, but if the Demon Lands have food, then retrieving it counts as fulfilling our deal. It could save a lot of ti." Rosen preferred efficiency.
Besides, Law was in the Demon Lands, so he had to go.
"Alice is back!"
A sudden, exhilarated voice rang out from outside the door.
Lisa's face changed, and she turned to Rosen with a solemn warning.
"Try not to say anything."
(End of Chapter)
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