Robin didn't doubt what Ikki said.
His ability to find Alabasta's underground ruins and the poneglyph hidden within was enough to prove he had significant knowledge about these ancient artifacts.
Plus, Ikki always seemed to know where famous swords could be found throughout the sea.
Robin had long ago determined that Ikki possessed extraordinary intelligence-gathering capabilities.
If he said poneglyphs were in the hands of the Yonko, it must be true.
"Yonko? What's that... are they strong?" Nami blinked and asked with confusion.
"The Yonko are much stronger than the Shichibukai," Robin explained. "They rule the second half of the Grand Line, the New World, and their status is truly that of emperors. Not even the Marines or World Government can challenge their position."
"To put it simply, the weakest among the Yonko may be stronger than a Shichibukai like Crocodile," she added with a soft sigh.
As someone who had wandered the seas for many years, Robin had never personally encountered any of the Yonko, but she'd heard plenty about them.
Even Marine Admirals didn't dare confront the Yonko carelessly.
"Since they're such powerful people, can we actually beat them?" Nami asked, shuddering slightly as she looked quickly at Ikki.
"Haha, of course we'll surpass them," Ikki replied confidently. "Otherwise, it would interfere with my collection of famous swords. According to my information, one of Charlotte Linlin's children has a famous sword I want."
"Wano Country, where Kaido rules, also has many famous swords I need. Additionally, both Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks wield famous swords. If I don't surpass them, it'll be quite problematic."
Ikki smiled confidently. Though his current strength wasn't equal to the Yonko, and defeating even a Marine Admiral would depend on the circumstances, both he and his crew had grown tremendously in a short time.
Ikki believed that with enough time, he could succeed even in taking Whitebeard's Supreme Grade sword, 'Murakumogiri'.
"What a bold statement," Robin remarked. "If anyone else said this, the world would consider it a joke. But coming from you, Ikki, I think you might actually accomplish such a feat."
She nodded and looked at Byakuya Kuchiki who still stood before them.
"If everyone on the Explorer could use Zanpakutō to this extent, we might actually be able to defeat the Yonko together."
Hearing Robin's words, Ikki's lips curved upward.
The next moment, the cherry blossom blades surrounding Byakuya transformed once again into thousands of slender swords, all pointing in one direction.
"Ikka Senjinka!" Byakuya murmured softly.
In the next instant, thousands of blades flew toward Ichigo Kurosaki.
There was a deafening roar as the entire world seemed to be engulfed in the light and shadow of countless swords.
"This power... it's truly incredible," Robin couldn't help but exclaim as she witnessed the spectacle.
Ikki placed his hand on Robin's shoulder and smiled.
"It won't be us working together to defeat the Yonko," he said. "If possible, I hope each of you will have the ability to challenge a Yonko individually."
Robin looked at Ikki in shock.
"A one-on-one duel with a Yonko? Is such a thing really possible?"
"I believe it is. If you can use your Zanpakutō to this extent, and reach the level of a great swordsman, you could fight even a Yonko," Ikki stated firmly. "If you follow me, you should at least have this level of ambition. Robin, after hearing this, do you regret becoming my crewmate?"
Ikki laughed softly.
"Not at all," Robin's lips curved into a smile. "Since the Yonko possess poneglyphs, fighting them is inevitable. Don't worry, Ikki. In the coming days, I'll train diligently and strive to become stronger."
After Robin finished speaking, Vivi and Nojiko nodded in agreement.
"Seriously? Even the Marines don't dare underestimate these opponents," Nami groaned, holding her face with a hint of fear in her eyes. "You're way too optimistic. I just wanted to sail comfortably, why do we have to target those monsters? Can't we take it easy with the training?"
"You just want to be lazy," Ikki said with mock irritation. "As the strongest person on the Explorer besides me, you need to set an example for everyone! Come, let me motivate you."
Ikki dismissed the Senbonzakura demonstration, returning the sword to its scabbard at Robin's waist.
He put his hand on Nami's shoulder and pushed her toward the arena.
"No, I haven't rested enough!" Nami protested.
"Nami, how can you think about rest at a time like this? Come, spar with me to improve your combat awareness."
"No, at least let me fight someone else, not you, Ikki."
"Absolutely not! I want to be your opponent this time, so get ready. By the way, I forgot to mention, the Yonko are incredibly wealthy. If we defeat them, we'll definitely collect lots of treasure."
"What? Treasure?! Come on, Ikki, train me hard! I want to get stronger quickly!"
Hearing the word "treasure," Nami's demeanor immediately changed. She grabbed Ikki's hand and practically dragged him into the arena.
'This girl... is money really her only motivation?' Ikki thought, looking at Nami with a mixture of amusement and shame.
He shook his head and contacted the system in his mind.
'System, use the lottery chance from uploading Sandai Kitetsu.'
[Starting lottery... Congratulations to Host for winning: 'Advanced Observation Haki Awakening Potion']
'An Advanced Observation Haki Awakening Potion? What a stroke of luck.'
The corner of Ikki's mouth turned up. Teaching Hina had been worthwhile after all, since she'd given him the opportunity to claim Sandai Kitetsu.
After entering the arena with Nami, Ikki took out the 'Advanced Observation Haki Awakening Potion' and drank it.
"Ikki, what are you doing? We're just about to spar and you're taking enhancers?" Nami pulled out her sword and immediately pouted, looking at Ikki accusingly.
"Haha, don't worry. You couldn't beat me even without this, right? If I become stronger, maybe I'll be less likely to hurt you when we spar," Ikki said with a smile, eager to test his newly acquired Advanced Observation Haki.
As his Observation Haki expanded, Nami's aura immediately became clear in Ikki's mind.
Unlike before, he could now clearly sense the powerful energy surrounding her body.
It was as if he had a combat effectiveness detector right in front of his eyes.
'I see, Intermediate Observation Haki allows users to focus their perception in one direction, increasing detection range and sensitivity along that line,' Ikki thought. 'And Advanced Observation Haki strengthens the ability to sense others' aura strength, emotions, and intentions?'
Ikki's eyes narrowed slightly. He could clearly feel the excitement emanating from Nami.
He could tell she was looking forward to their sparring session.
When Ikki focused on Nami's breathing, he found he could clearly perceive some of the signals her body was sending about her upcoming movements.
He had experienced this feeling with lower-level Observation Haki, but never as clearly as now.
'So this is Advanced Observation Haki. Not bad at all. If I weren't in the arena, the range of my perception would probably be much greater.'
'But why can't I "see the future" or truly read others' thoughts yet? Are those special abilities I need to get through the lottery? Or are they simply obtained through training?'
Lost in thought, Ikki didn't notice Nami preparing to attack.
"Seriously, Ikki," Nami pouted. "Even if I'm not a match for you, at least pay attention!"
She released her Shikai Gonryōmaru, sending a string of lightning toward Ikki.
When the lightning reached him, Ikki activated his Transparent World ability and engaged with Nami.
As the sparring continued, Ikki began to experience something strange.
Though Nami hadn't yet swung her sword, in Ikki's mind he could already see her swinging it in a specific direction!
'Is this... Future Sight?'
'Could it be that Advanced Observation Haki combined with the Transparent World ability unlocks the Future Sight aspect of Observation Haki?'
Ikki was surprised. While evading Nami's attack, he checked his personal attribute panel:
[Host: Ikki]
[Age: 25 years old]
[Weapon: Zangetsu]
[Life Force: 30550, level S]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Mountain-Cutting Realm]
[Abilities: Intermediate Armament Haki, Advanced Observation Haki (Future Sight), Intermediate Conqueror's Haki, Conqueror's Haki Infusion, Transparent World, Demon Slayer Mark, Geppo]
[Swordsmanship Schools: Demon Slayer Breathing Techniques, Zoro's Three-Sword Style, Tashigi's One-Sword Style...]
[Items: E-level nutritional potion x4, D-level nutritional potion x1...]
'So I really got Future Sight!'
Ikki felt happy when he saw the words "Future Sight" in his abilities.
'Demon Slayer's Breathing techniques are really useful. Nami and the others should practice their breathing more carefully. Maybe they can also learn to use the Transparent World and get Future Sight through it.'
Even as he thought this, Ikki knew it wouldn't be easy. Getting Future Sight was hard enough - even getting Advanced Observation Haki would take time.
'Better focus on this fight for now.'
Ikki shook his head and continued his serious match with Nami while getting used to his new ability.
"No, Nami, you're swinging too slow."
"That angle's not right. Lift your sword higher."
"Timing, I've told you many times, timing is key - move faster!"
"That's better. Keep your swings quick."
"Try to match your Thunder Breathing with your sword's lightning better."
"Come on, keep it up!"
Soon the whole arena was filled with Ikki's voice coaching Nami.
"I think I'll go exercise now," Robin said, turning away from watching Ikki and Nami's match. "I need to use my time well to train properly."
She picked up the bag with the nutritional potions and spoke to Vivi and Nojiko. "The navigation work is better with two people anyway."
After joining the Explorer and learning about the crew, Robin realized how much weaker she was compared to Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi. Now she needed to make the most of her time using the nutritional potions to get stronger.
"Sure, we'll handle the navigation," Nojiko nodded.
"Feel free to practice," Vivi added with a nod.
Now that they were crewmates, Vivi was starting to set aside her bad feelings toward Robin.
Robin glanced once more at Nami and Ikki, then left the Sword Training Room to start her own workout in the gym.
A few days later.
Under a clear blue sky, the Explorer sailed slowly with the sea breeze.
Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi were lying side by side on deck chairs in casual clothes, enjoying the bright sunshine.
Meanwhile, inside the gym, Ikki sat in a chair with a sketchpad, drawing.
Across from him was Robin, wearing tight workout clothes that showed her stomach and legs.
She was doing squats with a barbell, sweat covering her body and dripping onto the floor after her long workout and the effects of the nutritional potions.
[Ding! Host's partner Nico Robin's life force has reached B level. Special reward: 'Beginner Observation Haki Awakening Potion' x1]
'Beginner Observation Haki Awakening Potion? Shouldn't it be Armament Haki?' Ikki frowned, feeling confused.
When Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi reached B level, they all got "Beginner Armament Haki Awakening Potion."
'Maybe the rewards are random? Sometimes you get Armament Haki, sometimes Observation Haki?'
Ikki chewed on his pencil, thinking it over.
"Ikki, what are you thinking about?" Robin walked up behind Ikki and gently put her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes fell on the drawing in his hands.
When she saw the picture of herself squatting with the barbell, body covered in sweat with some drops falling on her chest, breathing hard, the smile on Robin's face grew wider.
She smiled because the Robin in Ikki's drawing looked so sexy.
"Ikki, before you became a swordsman, were you perhaps making adult picture books?" she asked.
"Huh? Why do you ask that?" Ikki snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Robin with surprise. When he saw her looking at his drawing, he understood.
"Well... Robin, you look too good when you're working out," he said. "If you were wearing a princess outfit, I might draw you looking more elegant instead."
Ikki smiled, put away his sketchpad, and took out the 'Beginner Observation Haki Awakening Potion' he'd just received, handing it to Robin.
"Ikki, I still have two bottles of B-level nutritional potions I haven't used yet. You don't need to give me more potions."
"This isn't a nutritional potion," Ikki explained. "It helps you awaken Observation Haki. It's just the basic level, though."
"Observation Haki Awakening Potion? Ikki, you really have so many amazing things."
Robin's eyes widened in surprise as she took the potion from Ikki and drank it.
Right away, she felt a new power inside her body.
At the same time, Ikki checked Robin's updated stats:
[Name: Nico Robin]
[Age: 28 years old]
[Weapon: Senbonzakura]
[Life Force: 4160, level B]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Iron-Cutting Realm]
[Swordsmanship School: Flower Breathing (Kanao Tsuyuri)]
[Special Ability: Flower-Flower Fruit, Beginner Observation Haki]
[Items: B-level nutritional potion x2]
"So this is Observation Haki? It's amazing," Robin said with wonder. "I never thought I'd master an ability that Shichibukai couldn't use."
"You mean the former Shichibukai," Ikki reminded her. "He's lost that title now. And compared to what a Zanpakutō can do, Haki isn't that special."
"True, he's not a Shichibukai anymore," Robin agreed. "But Ikki, isn't it strange? To save face, the World Government is claiming it was Marine Hina who caught Crocodile, and they've even promoted her to Commodore."
As she spoke, Robin looked at the latest newspaper on the counter.
"Whatever, I don't care about fame," Ikki shrugged.
"Ikki is so generous. I thought you might ask Commodore Hina for something in return."
"Hm? That's not a bad idea. Maybe she could use her Marine connections..."
"Connections? I thought you might ask Commodore Hina to model those embarrassing outfits for you again," Robin teased.
"Am I that kind of person?" Ikki protested.
"Aren't you?"
"Really? Anyway, shouldn't you take a shower? Even you must feel uncomfortable with all that sweat."
As he said this, Ikki looked Robin up and down, his eyes stopping at her chest.
"By the way, Robin, have you gotten bigger in the past couple days?"
"You noticed, Ikki? They have grown larger. I was wondering if your nutritional potions have other effects?"
"I don't think so," Ikki said, puzzled. "Nami and the others didn't change like you have. They just got stronger. Maybe because you're 28, the potions are helping you develop more? Also, has your skin gotten lighter?"
"Ikki, do you think I'm old?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow. "But my skin... does seem a bit lighter. Am I really going through a second growth spurt?"
Looking at herself, even Robin found it strange.
Ikki remembered how Robin had changed between the pre-timeskip and post-timeskip in the original One Piece story.
Robin was an adult, so her chest shouldn't be growing anymore, and there was no reason for her skin to get lighter.
But it had!
Ikki had thought the change in the original story was because of her environment.
Now seeing Robin change, Ikki wondered if Robin's appearance two years later was actually because she got physically stronger.
"Second growth is second growth. Nothing wrong with that," Ikki said.
"You should like this, right? After all, you said you like mature and sexy women, didn't you? But Ikki, do you like that my skin is getting lighter?"
Robin laughed.
"Lighter skin is fine," Ikki said. "If you want to get tan again, just sunbathe more. But something seems to be happening on deck. You should clean up, Robin. I'm going to check it out."
Ikki stood up and walked toward the gym door.
His Observation Haki had picked up the rapid heartbeats of Nami and the others on deck.
Nami was even rushing toward the gym.
"Something's wrong on deck?" Robin's face immediately turned serious. She grabbed Senbonzakura from the counter and said, "Ikki, I'm coming with you."
Ikki glanced at Robin's serious expression, nodded, and led her out of the gym into the Explorer's hallway.
"Ikki, this is bad!" Nami cried as she ran up to them in the hallway.
Without explaining, she grabbed Ikki's hand and pulled him toward the deck.
Ikki had to reach out and grab Robin's arm to bring her along.
"Calm down, Nami. What happened?" Ikki asked calmly as they moved. "It's not like we're under attack."
He had already fully activated his Observation Haki and could sense everything within thousands of meters. He didn't detect any enemies nearby.
"I can't be calm, Ikki," Nami insisted. "There's something really scary in the sky. Just look!"
Nami led Ikki and Robin to the deck and immediately pointed up at the sky.
Explorer, on deck.
Vivi and Nojiko stared at the sky with intense focus, their right hands already on their sword handles.
Ikki followed Nami to the back of the deck and looked up where she was pointing.
"That's...a giant?" Robin frowned slightly. In the sky, there were human shadows hundreds of meters tall.
"Yes, yes, Captain Ikki, you know what it is! Why are there giants in the sky? Should we run away?" Nami asked worriedly, holding Ikki's hand.
"No need to run," Ikki said, patting Nami on the shoulder. He gave a calm look to everyone around him.
"Those aren't giants up there. It's just the reflection of people in the sky caught in the sunlight. Since these people live on islands in the sky, we can see their huge reflections on the sea."
As soon as Ikki saw the huge winged figure in the sky, he knew it was a projection of the people from Skypiea. He also understood why his Observation Haki hadn't sensed any enemies - Skypiea was still very far away.
"Islands in the sky? Captain Ikki, are you serious?" Nami blinked and looked at him with curiosity.
"Yes, Captain Ikki, how can there be islands in the sky with people living there? Are they the same as us?" Vivi asked, equally curious.
"I've heard stories about Sky Islands before. So they're not just made up?" Robin added with surprise.
"Sky Islands are real," Ikki said. "Robin, you know the story of the City of Gold, right?"
"Of course I do," she replied. "According to legend, Noland the Liar once found the City of Gold. But when he took the king to look for it, they couldn't find it. So the king executed him. That's how the story of 'Noland' goes."
"Ikki, are you saying the City of Gold exists and it's in the sky?" Robin looked at Ikki with surprise.
"City of Gold? With lots of gold?" Nami's eyes immediately turned into berry symbols when she heard this.
"From what I've heard, the City of Gold was lifted into the sky by a powerful ocean current and became part of Sky Island," Ikki explained. "And yes, there is a lot of gold up there."
"Lots of gold!" Nami hugged Ikki's arm. "Hey, Ikki, since you know about Sky Island, you must know how to get there."
"Of course I do," Ikki nodded slightly. "But instead of using the normal way to reach Sky Island, I think it's better to use Nojiko's Zanpakutō to get us there."
"My Zanpakutō?" Nojiko put her hand on her sword. "Ikki, are you asking me to use it to help us reach Sky Island?"
Ikki shook his head. "That's not necessary. Sky Island is too high, and your strength might not be enough. So I'll have to use your Zanpakutō's Shikai myself."
Ikki had thought about his own physical condition. With his S-level life force, if he used Nojiko's Shikai without fighting or healing others, it could last a long time. Getting to Sky Island wouldn't be too hard.
"So you can use Nojiko's Zanpakutō too?" Robin asked. "Ikki, are we going to Sky Island now?"
Robin glanced at the Log Pose in Nami's hand that was pointing to the sky, then looked at Ikki.
"We definitely need to visit Sky Island," Ikki laughed. "After all, there's more than just gold that Nami likes. There's also a poneglyph you want to see, Robin. Now that you're part of my crew, I have to help you reach your dream."
"A poneglyph?" Robin couldn't hide her surprise. "Ikki, are you telling the truth?"
"Looks like we have to go to Sky Island," Nojiko said, looking at Nami and Robin on either side of Ikki. She shook her head and turned to Vivi.
"Islands in the sky?" Vivi clasped her hands together, her eyes glowing with excitement. "That must be beautiful. We'll have an amazing adventure there!"
"Well, even Vivi is excited about Sky Island," Nojiko shrugged and looked at Ikki. "Ikki, are we heading to Sky Island next?"
As she spoke, she was already preparing to hand her sword to Ikki.
"No need to worry," Ikki said. "Even if we flew up from here, it wouldn't be the shortest path to Sky Island. Let's go to Jaya Island nearby first, and then plan our trip to Sky Island."
Ikki gently took his arm back from Nami. He was still looking forward to finding Bellamy in Mock Town on Jaya Island and using his Devil Fruit to help Nami achieve Bankai with her Zanpakutō.
Sky Island could wait. After all, it wasn't going anywhere.
But Bellamy was a person who might leave suddenly, and Ikki couldn't guarantee he'd still be there later.
"But we can't use this Log Pose now," Nami said, pointing to her Log Pose.
"It's fine, just sail in that direction," Ikki said, pointing. "My Observation Haki senses a ship coming from there. Maybe we can ask them for directions."
"And Robin, if you don't want people seeing you in those clothes, you should go to the cabin and change into something normal."
Robin was still wearing the tight workout clothes from her training session.
"Ikki, are you worried about other men seeing my body?" Robin teased, but quickly walked toward the cabin.
Nami, Nojiko and the others nodded and steered the ship in the direction Ikki had pointed.
Soon, the Explorer found two pirate ships thanks to Ikki's guidance. With just one look, Ikki recognized them as the Masira and Shoujou pirates from Jaya Island that the Straw Hat Pirates had met in the original story.
Meanwhile, at the Holy Land of Mariejois.
"Marine Headquarters announces the arrival of Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo!"
"Marine Headquarters announces the arrival of Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma!"
After these loud announcements, the tall Shichibukai Kuma and Doflamingo jumped from their ships.
"Oh my, I didn't expect Fleet Admiral Sengoku would be at the port to greet us," Doflamingo smirked. "You must be very focused on this Shichibukai meeting, hmm?"
Doflamingo walked up to Tsuru, who was standing at the port, and looked oddly at the Vice Admiral who stood among the Marines.
Though the woman before him was quite old, Doflamingo didn't dare underestimate her. Before he became a Shichibukai, Tsuru had led Marines to chase him across most of the ocean. Doflamingo was quite wary of her.
"Hmph, don't think too highly of yourself, Doflamingo," Tsuru snorted coldly, though a slight smile soon appeared on her face. "But I do want to thank you sea scum for attending this Shichibukai meeting, Doflamingo and Kuma."
Hearing this, Kuma remained silent, just looking ahead quietly.
Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh.
"Fufufu, so you're not waiting for us? Then who are you waiting for... hmm? Hawkeye?!"
"I didn't expect a man like you would come to this Shichibukai meeting!" Doflamingo turned around and looked curiously at the man approaching with a black sword on his back.
"I'm just curious about the man who defeated Crocodile," Mihawk said as he walked up to Tsuru, his eyes extremely sharp. "In this meeting, we should discuss that man, Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"The man who defeated Crocodile?" Doflamingo looked at Mihawk with interest. "I recall the Marines claimed some Marine Captain named Hina defeated Crocodile. You even promoted her to Commodore."
"Fufufu, I knew a mere Marine Captain couldn't defeat a Shichibukai. Hawkeye, do you know who really defeated Crocodile?"
Kuma also turned to look. He was equally curious about a man who interested even Mihawk.
"Ikki. Just a man with a sword," Mihawk said calmly.
"Hawkeye, you actually know that man?" Tsuru frowned.
The Marines didn't want to reveal the truth about Ikki. It might make Hina's supposed capture of Crocodile seem fake.
But she never thought Mihawk would know about Ikki, or that he'd found out Ikki had beaten Crocodile.
What Tsuru didn't know was that Mihawk had learned about Ikki because of Zoro.
Mihawk was quite interested in Ikki, and after asking around, he'd learned the truth about what happened in Alabasta.
Though the Marines had hidden some information, they couldn't silence all the people of Alabasta.
"I only heard about him from a swordsman who interested me," Mihawk said. "I heard this man wants to collect famous swords from around the world, including my black blade. I want to see what kind of man would dare say such a thing."
As he spoke, Mihawk looked out toward the distant sea.
There, a Marine warship was sailing quickly toward the port of Mariejois.
From a distance, they could see Vice Admiral Gion standing on the deck.
"Fufufu, isn't this Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion?" Doflamingo smiled. "So Vice Admiral Tsuru was waiting for you."
Doflamingo took his hands out of his pockets and looked at Gion with a grin on his face.
Before he became a Shichibukai, apart from Tsuru, Gion had caused him a lot of trouble. He remembered her well.
"I'm back, Vice Admiral Tsuru," Gion said, walking past Doflamingo without even looking at him.
Seeing how Gion ignored him, veins popped out on Doflamingo's forehead.
If he didn't know how strong she was, he would have attacked her right then.
"Vice Admiral Gion, since Hina has brought you here, Hina will head back now," Hina said, lighting a cigarette. She glanced at the Shichibukai and turned to leave.
"Thanks, Hina. Good luck with your mission," Gion smiled at Hina, preparing to follow Tsuru to the Shichibukai meeting room.
But when she saw Mihawk, she couldn't help touching the sword at her waist.
'The world's greatest swordsman?' she thought. 'I wonder how far away I am from his level.'
Learning Moon Breathing hadn't moved her up in swordsmanship rank, but it had made her much stronger.
As a swordswoman, Gion was curious about the gap between herself and Mihawk.
"Hmph, what an arrogant bunch," Doflamingo snorted, watching Hina as she was about to leave.
With a flick of his fingers, several nearly invisible strings shot from his hand toward Hina.
Gion felt Doflamingo move and pushed her thumb against her sword handle, ready to draw it and stop him.
Though she hadn't known Hina long, they'd bonded while training in Ikki's swordsmanship styles. Gion didn't want to see Doflamingo using his String-String Fruit powers to mess with Hina.
But before Gion could fully draw her sword, Hina, under attack from Doflamingo, narrowed her eyes, pulled out her own sword and swung it with flames covering the blade.
"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"
Hina created a circle of rotating flames around herself, blocking the strings that Doflamingo had shot at her from all directions.
"Huh?!" Doflamingo raised his eyebrows, staring at Hina in shock.
Nearby, Mihawk, who had planned to go straight to the meeting room, stopped walking.
Looking at Hina's flame-covered slash, his eyes showed a flicker of interest.
"What do you think you're doing, Doflamingo?" Hina put away her sword and frowned at him.
"Fufufu, interesting," Doflamingo grinned. "So you defeated Crocodile using Armament Haki with these flames? Armament Haki can hurt a Logia like Crocodile, but at your level, beating him seems impossible."
Doflamingo looked with interest at the black energy coating Hina's sword. With his experience, he easily recognized it as Armament Haki.
Hina frowned, watching Doflamingo cautiously. Though confident in her abilities, she knew she was no match for someone who ruled part of the New World.
"That's enough, Heavenly Demon," came a cold voice behind Doflamingo. "If you still want to fight, I'll be your opponent."
Several slashes of sword energy followed, making Doflamingo feel uneasy.
"Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant!"
Gion had drawn her sword. To stop Doflamingo from attacking Hina, she used one of the more powerful Moon Breathing techniques.
She swung her sword several times in quick succession toward Doflamingo, each slash turning into a fierce wind blade accompanied by countless crescent moon shapes.
Doflamingo quickly turned and used his String-String Fruit powers to create a shield in front of him.
But his hastily-made shield only blocked Gion's attack for a moment before being cut through by her sharp slashes.
Doflamingo focused, quickly coating his arms with Armament Haki to block the attack with his hands.
BOOM!
With a loud crash, Doflamingo was thrown several meters back, hitting a wall and raising clouds of dust.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Gion," Hina said, putting her sword back in its sheath.
"Of course. We're fellow disciples after all," Gion nodded to Hina with a smile, then turned to look where Doflamingo had landed.
"You'll pay for that!" With a roar, Doflamingo burst out of the dust cloud, landing a few meters from Gion.
Though he wasn't injured, his clothes had been shredded by the attack. He looked like he was wearing rags.
This situation wasn't something the proud Doflamingo could accept calmly.
"Doflamingo, let me remind you," Gion said, raising her sword to point at him. "This is the Holy Land Mariejois, not your Dressrosa. If you want to cause trouble, I don't mind being your opponent."
Under the influence of Moon Breathing, several crescent-shaped currents of air wrapped around her sword. Her powerful aura pressed directly toward Doflamingo.
Doflamingo clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and stared at Gion.
He could play games with Hina, but facing Gion, he knew he was outmatched.
If he really fought here, he'd likely be taken down by Gion and Tsuru.
Though he wasn't worried about actual punishment, being defeated in front of the other Shichibukai would ruin his fearsome reputation as the Heavenly Demon.
"Hmph... As expected of a Marine Admiral candidate," he said. "Your swordsmanship has really improved since I last saw you."
"But I'm curious - where's your previous sword? Why would you choose to use an ordinary blade instead of your famous one?"
Doflamingo took a deep breath, looking at the sword in Gion's hand.
"That's none of your business, Doflamingo," Gion smiled, clearly not wanting to tell him what had happened to her famous sword.
But even though she didn't want to answer, someone else did.
"Did your sword fall into the hands of the man named Ikki?" Mihawk asked in a deep voice.
"Ikki? Interesting! So this is the man Hawkeye mentioned who actually defeated Crocodile," Doflamingo laughed. "This guy not only beat that Sand Crocodile, but he also took a Marine Admiral candidate's sword?!"
"How amusing! That man stole your sword. I wonder what you'll do about him, Vice Admiral Tsuru?" Doflamingo put his hand on his forehead, laughing.
He was clearly happy to hear that Gion's sword had been taken. Though he'd never met Ikki, Doflamingo was already interested in anyone who dared to take Gion's sword.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Tsuru," Gion said. "My sword wasn't taken by Ikki. I just lost a bet with him. That's why I left it with him temporarily, and agreed to challenge him for it after a year. Of course, I'll need to beat him in a sword fight to get it back."
"While I did give up my sword for now, it wasn't without rewards. Both Hina and I learned swordsmanship styles that suit us from Ikki. These techniques have helped us a lot."
Gion smiled as she explained, not wanting Tsuru to get the wrong idea about Ikki because of her sword.
"Is that man better than you with a sword?" Tsuru asked, holding her chin thoughtfully.
Swordsmen at Gion's level admiring Ikki's skills and admitting his style had improved their strength - this made Tsuru more interested in him.
"Unfortunately, Ikki is clearly cautious around us," Gion said helplessly. "Although we each learned different sword styles from him, it's hard for us to teach these techniques to others."
Hearing this, Tsuru felt a bit disappointed.
"We can discuss this later," she said. "Let's have the Shichibukai meeting first. Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Kuma, please follow me."
Tsuru led them toward the meeting room.
Mihawk walked up to Gion and fixed his sharp eyes on her face.
"Is that man still in Alabasta now, Momousagi?"
"You mean Ikki," Gion smiled. "Unfortunately, when we left, he had already sailed for the next island. If you want to find him, Hawkeye, you'll need to put in some effort."
"That's too bad," Mihawk nodded. "But you mentioned learning swordsmanship from him. I'm very interested in that crescent moon technique you just used. When you have time, could you tell me more about it?"
"Moon Breathing interests the great Hawkeye? Ikki would be happy to hear that," Gion replied. "I'm also very interested in your swordsmanship. If you have time after the Shichibukai meeting, we could have a friendly match."
"That works," Mihawk nodded slightly and walked quickly toward the meeting room.
Behind Gion, Doflamingo watched Mihawk leave, growing even more curious about Ikki.
'A swordsman who can teach Momousagi and interest the world's greatest swordsman?' he thought. 'I've never heard of such a man before. Fufufu, I should get to know this person.'
Beside Doflamingo, Kuma closed the book in his hand, his eyes flashing with interest.
'Ikki, the swordsman from East Blue that the boss mentioned. To be better than Momousagi with a sword, and to teach skills she'd trade her own sword for... another person worth watching in this sea.'
An hour later.
Mariejois, training ground.
"Tsuru, what do you think of this Blackbeard that Lafitte mentioned?" Sengoku asked, arms crossed as he stood at the edge of the training ground.
"Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, the only traitor from the Whitebeard Pirates," Tsuru replied. "I don't know why he wants to become a Shichibukai, but a man who could hide in the Whitebeard Pirates for so many years must have big ambitions. He might be another Crocodile."
"Sengoku, even if you make him a Shichibukai, watch him closely," she added, looking at Mihawk and Gion fighting in the training ground.
"Let's see if he can bring in a pirate with a bounty over 100 million berries. But Tsuru, are you sure it's okay for Momousagi to fight Hawkeye?"
Sengoku looked worriedly at the duel. He had been surprised when he heard Gion and Mihawk planned to have a sword match. He'd thought Tsuru would stop it, but she seemed to approve.
"Gion is a swordswoman after all," Tsuru said. "Of course she's curious about the world's greatest swordsman's strength. Let her have this. And with Hawkeye as her opponent, we can better evaluate the swordsmanship she learned from Ikki. If anything goes wrong, you and I can stop it."
Hearing this, Sengoku nodded reluctantly, then looked at Doflamingo and Kuma standing nearby.
"The Shichibukai meeting is over. Don't you two have your own business to attend to?"
Doflamingo smiled. "What's the rush, Sengoku? Since we're all here, watching the fight for a while won't hurt. Besides, Vice Admiral Gion's swordsmanship has really changed. This Moon Breathing seems to have transformed her fighting style."
Looking at Gion and Mihawk fighting, Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with interest. Though not a swordsman himself, he was impressed by Gion's continuous, sharp attacks. He understood that if he were fighting Gion instead of Mihawk, he might not lose, but he'd definitely have trouble.
Though Kuma didn't speak, he was clearly interested in the duel too.
Sengoku narrowed his eyes, knowing he couldn't make them leave...
"Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant!" Gion shouted, swinging several slashes carrying crescent-shaped energy at Mihawk.
'The same move she used against Doflamingo?' Mihawk thought, swinging his black blade upward to create a massive green slash.
His powerful attack hit Gion's Moon Breathing slash, swallowing it and rushing toward Gion herself.
CLANG!
Metal clashed as Gion was pushed back several meters by Mihawk's sword energy.
"You really are Hawkeye," Gion sighed, pointing her sword toward the ground. "The title of world's greatest swordsman isn't just for show."
"Moon Breathing is indeed an elegant style," Mihawk said, pointing his black sword at Gion. "But if that's all it offers, I'll be disappointed."
He clearly wasn't satisfied with what he'd seen.
"I agree," Gion smiled. "To face Hawkeye, I need to use the advanced forms of Moon Breathing."
She tightened her grip on her sword, pouring Armament Haki into the blade. The normally silver sword turned pitch black.
"Advanced Moon Breathing? Let me see it," Mihawk raised his eyebrows, swinging another powerful slash at Gion.
Facing Mihawk's attack, Gion took a deep breath.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
Gion swung her Haki-coated sword, creating a huge horizontal slash.
BOOM!
Her crescent-shaped slash collided with Mihawk's green flying slash, creating a massive explosion. The training ground floor cracked instantly.
"Now it's getting interesting," Mihawk said with a faint smile, feeling the power of Gion's attack.
Gion's lips curved slightly as she held her sword horizontally.
"Ikki once told me that Moon Breathing was created by a sword demon," she explained. "The Eighth Form marks the beginning of the true demonic techniques. To perform these moves, he would first make his sword larger with his power."
"I can't do what Kokushibo did, so I use Armament Haki instead. Luckily, Ikki helped me adapt the advanced Moon Breathing forms."
"Get ready, world's greatest swordsman. The real fight begins now."
As soon as she finished speaking, Gion pushed off the ground and appeared in front of Mihawk almost like she'd teleported.
"Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!"
Gion swung her Haki-infused sword, unleashing three giant wheel-shaped crescent moon slashes that spun forward, surrounding Mihawk.
"Excellent technique!" Mihawk's lips curved into a smile. "Now I want to meet Ikki even more."
His black blade danced to meet Gion's attack.