Super Mario RPG - Part 2: Enter the Smithy Gang

I leave, and I'm now at the world map...

world map

So where I landed is at Mario's house...

Since there's only one way forward on the map, we head back to Bowser's castle.

bowser castle

I swear, why does Bowser abduct Peach a lot?

sword

Holy heck, the sword can talk! The sword calls us 'trespassers'!

Sword: "This castle now belongs to the 'Smithy Gang'. It's our first step towards taking over the world!"

And the sword goes on to blame "nosy characters like [us]" for not letting them take over the world...

The ground shakes again.

What is the sword doing?

The sword's crumbling the bridge to the keep!

That's a pretty view...

After heading back to Mario's place, I go back to the hill to take a screenshot...

vista hill

I head back to Mario's again and save!

I wonder, is the sword itself the Smithy Gang, or is the sword like a gatekeeper or messenger of the actual Smithy Gang?