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Smoothie: "From the power Signora is displaying, if someone can truly push her template to its limit, it's not impossible for them to surpass Admiral Kuzan."
Stussy: "As long as someone's name keeps appearing in Arton's diary, their diary copy will gain a ton of points and they can strengthen themselves. If Robin or Ain really put in the effort, they might actually surpass Kuzan quite quickly."
Stussy: "Maybe, one day in the future, every crew member on Arton's ship will have admiral-level strength. It'd be nice if I could be one of them~."
Ulti: "That blonde girl can use three different elements. She's kind of similar to Captain Kaido."
Nami: "Is the Raiden Shogun supervising the duel between the blonde girl and Signora? If that's the case, then the Raiden Shogun's strength should be above Signora's, right?"
While everyone was talking, Signora gradually fell into a disadvantage in her battle with the Traveler.
Seeing this scene, Ain and Robin both tensed up unconsciously. After all, Signora's power might soon become their power, so of course they were on Signora's side.
Suddenly, the Traveler lunged, the tip of her sword thrust straight toward Signora.
Just when everyone thought Signora was about to be hit, a solid wall of ice suddenly surged up and wrapped around Signora's entire body.
The Traveler's thrust stabbed into the ice but failed to inflict any damage at all.
She followed up with all sorts of other attacks but still couldn't break through Signora's defense.
Every time her attacks shaved away a bit of the icy shield around Signora, a new layer of ice would quickly appear, protecting Signora again.
Yamato: "What's this? She can't win, so she's just switching to full defense?"
Ulti: "Right? Isn't that way too useless?"
Baccarat: "Sure, the ice layer's defense is great, but if she keeps turtling like this, there's no way she can win. Signora can't seriously be planning to rely on defense alone to wear that blonde girl down, right?"
Smoothie: "If you look closely, it's not that Signora's template is weak—it's that the blonde girl's power is too strong."
Galette: "So as long as you properly train with Signora's template, the user can become really strong too."
As Signora shifted into a defensive posture, many of the diary copy holders started to think she was about to lose. And it wasn't just them—Robin and Ain thought the same thing.
Arton: "You're not thinking Signora's power is only at this level… are you?"
As if he had seen the doubt in Robin's and Ain's hearts, Arton spoke with a smile.
Robin: "Captain Arton, don't tell me she has some other kind of power?"
Arton smiled and nodded.
Arton: "I'll let you in on a secret—she's known as the Crimson Witch of Flames."
Arton: "Her strongest power isn't ice, but scorching fire."
As if to prove Arton's words, the icy shell wrapped around Signora was suddenly burned away from within by flames.
A surge of crimson fire erupted and spread through the entire hall. For a moment, even Robin and Ain felt as though the temperature around them had really risen.
The two of them lifted their heads to look at Signora, and saw flames gathered around her like wings.
Every time those wings beat, the surrounding fire seemed to grow even more searing.
In no time at all, the blonde Traveler, who had previously held the advantage, was now being chased all over by the intense flames. It looked as if just brushing against those flames would cause her tremendous damage.
Chapter 428: Ain and Robin Await the Verdict
Whitey Bay: "Unbelievable… Signora actually isn't an ice-type, but a flame-type? In that case, her template doesn't really suit me."
Ulti: "What the heck, she can use fire on top of ice? Another person who can use multiple elements?"
Ginrummy: "Th-that fire is incredible… it feels like if you so much as brush against it, you'd be burned to nothing."
Doll: "Ice, plus flame that looks like magma… is this Lady basically a fusion of the powers Kuzan and Sakazuki have?"
Sadi: "If Ain or Robin really train up Signora's template, could they end up like a combined version of Kuzan and Sakazuki?"
Viola: "That blonde Traveler's power is pretty insane too. If only I could get her template, that would be amazing."
As Signora unleashed her true strength, everyone could clearly feel that her power had gone up a level.
If not for the Raiden Shogun's lightning protecting the entire hall, the whole building might already have been burned to ashes.
Even so, as the fight dragged on, the Traveler gradually adapted to Signora's flames. In the end, she reclaimed the advantage and successfully defeated Signora.
That said, even though Signora lost, not a single person dared look down on her power. Her defeat didn't mean she was weak; it only meant that the Traveler she was up against was just too strong.
That naturally made some of the diary copy holders start to wonder whether Arton might draw the Traveler's template one day.
Just as everyone was getting curious, the scene of the Raiden Shogun stepping forward and felling Signora with one strike gave them another shock.
In the end, among Signora, the blonde Traveler, and the Raiden Shogun, the one who truly had overwhelming strength was still the Raiden Shogun.
That couldn't help but make the diary copy holders once again feel envious of Nami—envious that she had received Raiden Ei's template from Arton.
Whitey Bay: "The Raiden Shogun really is incredible, huh…"
Gion: "I didn't expect that, through Signora's skill demonstration, we'd get to see the Raiden Shogun swing her blade too."
Doll: "Even if that strike isn't her 'Thoughtless One-Slash,' it has to be a terrifyingly powerful sword technique."
Smoothie: "If Nami manages to truly master Raiden Ei's template, this world might actually see the birth of a world's number one female swordsman… I'm honestly jealous."
…
"You've all seen Signora's power now, right? She's a witch who originally commanded flames."
"After her lover died, her own blood and flesh began to burn, but later a goddess who controlled ice bestowed the power of ice upon her and temporarily sealed away her flames."
"That was how she came to gain control over ice. However, when it comes down to it, her truly fearsome power is still that searing fire."
After dispersing Signora template's skill demonstration, Arton turned to the Ain and Robin in front of him and spoke.
So her lover died… Is that why she carries 'Hatred' among her traits? Robin thought to herself, then said to Arton. "Thank you, Captain Arton, for letting us see that. I think I've already understood her power."
With that, Robin fixed her blazing gaze on Arton, quietly waiting for his verdict.
At her side, Ain was likewise staring straight at Arton, hoping to hear the answer she wanted from his mouth.
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