Chapter 17: The Dream Weaver's Playground
Rather than a simple picture, it was more accurate to describe it as "a world."
Ian understood it intuitively, without the need for lengthy explanations. Within this "Dream World," everything was his to command. He maintained his first-person perspective from the real world, his physical eyes carefully observing the subtle shifts in Peacock's expression. Simultaneously, a part of his consciousness occupied a god-like vantage point within his mind, precisely orchestrating every minute detail of the illusion.
Since this was a test and he had no intention of killing his subject, Ian naturally crafted an environment identical to the real world.
"Hmm? Where did he go? How could he just vanish into thin air?"
Peacock cautiously peered out from behind the tree, simultaneously activating her Observation Haki to sense any movement around her.
He was truly gone! Ian, who had been running moments before, had inexplicably disappeared from the track!
With her proficiency in Observation Haki, Peacock was confident she could detect anyone approaching. She stepped out slowly into a more open area of sand, her right hand gripping the whip at her waist, ready to strike back at a moment's notice.
What she didn't know was that Ian was standing right beside her, so close the distance could be measured in centimeters. To confirm the Dream World's effects, Ian had boldly closed the gap. He had witnessed her Armament Haki during the day and assumed her Observation Haki would be equally sharp.
He waved a hand directly in front of her face.
No reaction.
Peacock was completely unaware of his presence.
Crunch. Crunch.
To test further, Ian deliberately scuffed his feet in the sand, creating clear, audible noises.
"Where did you go? Did you leave the training ground?" Peacock muttered to herself.
"Peacock?"
"Captain Peacock?"
"Little Peacock!"
Ian called out, his voice growing progressively louder.
Still, no response. Enveloped in the Dream World, Peacock was utterly deaf to the sounds of reality.
Ian was ecstatic. The new skill's effectiveness was even more astounding than he'd hoped. Once ensnared, unless the target's Haki and mental willpower could shatter the illusion's boundary, they were completely at his mercy. This risky test was proving immensely valuable.
But this was only the beginning. The next question was... if one was attacked in the Dream World, would the damage manifest in reality?
Ian's mind focused, carefully controlling the shifts within the illusion.
"Captain Peacock, still awake so late? Did you need to speak with me?"
Without Peacock's notice, an illusion of Ian materialized directly behind her in the Dream World.
Peacock's pupils contracted. She instantly sensed the figure that had appeared out of nowhere behind her. How was this possible? Vanishing and reappearing like a ghost? Before he spoke, she was absolutely certain the space behind her was empty. Could his speed truly be so immense that her perception couldn't track it?
Simultaneously, her Observation Haki predicted an incoming kick from the illusion, aimed at her whip-wielding hand. At this close range, attempting to draw her whip would be too slow. Forced to react, Peacock pivoted and lashed out with a backward kick, Armament Haki flaring to meet the surprise attack.
Swish!
The violent collision of force she anticipated never came. Her kick met only empty air, the momentum throwing her off-balance. The psychological shock was greater than the physical misstep.
He'd vanished again!
It was as if Ian had never been there. The premonition from her Observation Haki felt like a phantom, a cruel trick.
Speed? Is it really just a vast difference in speed? She had never experienced such a disorienting feeling, even when sparring with Vice Admirals. Could Ian's speed genuinely surpass that of a Headquarters Vice Admiral?
Peacock didn't realize the true terror was yet to come.
The moment her kicking leg touched the ground, before she could regain her footing, the shadow appeared again. Ian was having a blast experimenting.
SQUEEZE!
In the Dream World, a large hand violently clamped around Peacock's slender neck and lifted her into the air.
"Ghk...!"
A suffocating pain made her instinctively claw at her neck with both hands, desperate to pry the invisible grip loose.
…
On the sandy training ground of the real world, Ian stood to the side, his eyes gleaming with a fiery light. He watched as Peacock was hoisted into the air by an unseen force. Her face began to flush, and clear, bruising finger marks materialized on her neck. The real Ian had done nothing but control the changes within the Dream World. The sudden appearances, disappearances, and attacks were all illusions he directed.
The test results were now clear. Harm inflicted within the fantasy world was perfectly synchronized upon the enemy's real body. Just as Ian had theorized. To control a person's senses and mind was to hold their very lifeline in your hands.
Since dreams could be made manifest, the reverse was also true...
Ian walked up to the hovering, struggling Peacock in the real world. He flexed his knuckles, producing a sharp crack.
"Heh…"
He blew lightly on his fist, infusing it with theatrical menace.
"You really thought this Commodore was some pushover who'd stumble over his own feet at the sight of a pretty face?"
"When it's time to hit, you hit!"
BOOM!
His hardened fist, sheathed in invisible force, shot out like a gale and connected squarely with Peacock's pretty face.
…
In the Dream World, the punch landed in perfect synchrony.
Peacock was thrown backward like a discarded sandbag, landing heavily in a heap of sand at the training ground's center.
Cough! Cough!
Huff... Huff...
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Gasping for air, Peacock looked up from the ground, her vision swimming.
Hiss!
Hiss!
Wherever she looked, she saw crackling, black-and-purple lightning, wreathed around Ian's form like a shroud of ghosts. He began walking toward her.
With every step he took, the very training ground seemed to tremble. High above, the clouds in the moonlit sky churned and rolled violently away from him, as if fleeing his presence.
"This is…!"
"He actually has… Conqueror's Haki?!"
End of Chapter