That said, Don wasn't in any rush to leave Frost Moon Village.
After all, he had already paid. Walking away now would just be a loss.
"Are you serious about this method?"
Several days later, Koushirou looked at Don with a troubled expression.
Hadn't the boy been calm and steady before? How had he suddenly turned so eccentric?
Wearing flames hot enough to reach fifteen million degrees like a coat, and wrapping them around a blade?
What kind of sword could withstand such heat?
And more importantly—how could flames even reach such terrifying temperatures?
"That's why I came to ask you, Master!"
Don's gaze was earnest, locked on Koushirou.
"...Hm?"
Koushirou took a long breath, pressing down his exasperation.
"Sorry, I can't claim to understand what you're describing. But this 'caressing slash' you spoke of—that does exist. Many great swordsmen at sea use Haki to coat their blades, releasing devastating strikes.
Such strikes might resemble the 'caressing slash' you mentioned."
After listening, Don raked a hand through his slightly overgrown hair and stood with a sigh.
"Thanks, Master!"
"No need to thank me. I haven't really helped you much. Still… this 'caressing slash' you mentioned—I can try to imitate it. Of course, it won't be anywhere near as powerful as you described."
With that, Koushirou rose and stepped out. Moments later, he returned carrying a sword—its scabbard and hilt pure white.
"Come. This place isn't suitable."
Don followed as Koushirou led the way.
Before long, the two stood atop a sheer cliff on the far side of the island, the vast ocean stretching endlessly before them.
Koushirou drew a deep breath, settled into stance, and placed his right hand on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. In the next instant, Armament Haki spread across his hand, flowing along the sword's blade.
Don watched in silence.
In a flash, a draw-slash burst forth—followed by a razor-sharp strike of astonishing speed. Then, the sound of the blade sliding smoothly back into its sheath.
Across the sea, the flying slash carved a gash more than a hundred meters long. Yet within moments, the ocean healed, the scar disappearing without a trace.
"No. According to what you described, it should've been vertical."
Koushirou shook his head slightly.
That had been a diagonal cut.
"That's enough. I understand now."
Don stopped him before he could continue.
Different worlds, different techniques—the effects naturally varied.
That old man Yamamoto, in the other world, wielded flames of tens of millions of degrees. But here, achieving that with just a Devil Fruit was far too ambitious.
And truthfully—if flames really could reach such extremes, no technique would even be necessary.
Tens of millions of degrees? Even hundreds of thousands would be enough to incinerate anything alive.
Even the magma of the Magu Magu no Mi, considered a superior Logia, was only one or two thousand degrees at most.
Just a few thousand degrees would be enough to vaporize magma itself.
Yet right now, the flames he could control barely reached five or six hundred degrees. Of course, with better control, that temperature could rise.
Since this was the Flame-Flame Fruit, the priority should be increasing heat.
Don exhaled heavily.
Without sufficient temperature, no matter how flashy the technique, the power would remain limited.
As the thought crossed his mind, his eyes fell upon the glowing data panel hovering before him.
[Flame-Flame Fruit (Fully Mastered): A powerful Logia-type fruit granting the ability to transform into and control fire; continuously strengthens the body; fruit's flaws removed (weaknesses and parasitic spirit); Current development: 25%]
"Fully mastered?"
So his line of thinking was correct?
Don blinked in surprise.
But—he had only just begun to consider ways to raise the flame's temperature. Nothing concrete yet, and already the panel claimed "fully mastered"?
Maybe "fully mastered" didn't mean exactly what he thought it did.
Frowning, he sank deeper into thought.
Noticing his pensive silence, Koushirou sheathed his blade and quietly left without disturbing him.
Don felt the dojo master's departure but kept his mind fixed on the panel.
How to raise the temperature of fire…
Compression!
That was the simplest method.
Compress the flames, and the temperature would inevitably rise.
He raised a hand. A fireball the size of a watermelon floated above his palm.
How to compress it?
With Haki?
Covering the fireball in Armament?
He tried. Again and again. But the result was disappointing.
Haki simply couldn't touch the flames.
Either Haki couldn't interact with fire in that way—or his mastery of Armament was still lacking.
Perhaps if the element were given physical form—like magma, swamp, or ice—it might be possible.
But fire, and light as well, didn't exactly take on solid form when transformed.
And yet, the Mochi-Mochi Fruit, though not Logia, created tangible mochi that could be clad in Haki.
If this didn't work… then perhaps another method.
A spark of inspiration flashed.
Another fireball bloomed above his palm.
Back when he'd just eaten the fruit, he'd once accelerated the cooking of bird eggs by making the flames swirl and flow.
Faster flow meant more oxygen intake, faster combustion, more active plasma—higher temperatures.
The fireball began to swirl, ribbons of orange-red flame streaming into blade-like spirals.
As the rotation quickened, the orange-red brightened into pale orange-yellow. At its core, white-hot fire flickered.
"…The hell—this is basically a Rasengan!"
His eyes widened.
Unbelievable—but it worked.
White flames. At least a thousand degrees. Proof that this method succeeded.
But the rotating fireball in his palm looked exactly like a Rasengan made of fire.
With a wry grin, Don hurled it toward the ocean.
No dramatic explosion followed.
After flying just over ten meters, the spinning fireball sputtered out, burning itself to ash.
"…Well, long road ahead."
Don wasn't disappointed. He didn't try again, simply turned back toward the village.
And once more, the panel flickered.
[Flame-Flame Fruit (Initial Control)]
The development bar ticked up—31%.
"A step forward, huh?"
So as long as he discovered new ways to develop the Flame-Flame Fruit, the percentage would rise. From initial, to skilled, to full mastery… and after that?
Could it be… awakening?