Late at night, the entire Navy Headquarters was quiet. Only the bright lamps and distant croaks of frogs filled the air.
After returning from Zephyr's place, Ethan immediately sat on his bed, absorbing the rare knowledge he had gained.
After all, guidance from a master far surpassed any blind attempts at understanding on his own.
Even though Ethan had learned some things in his previous life from watching anime, those were mere fantasies lighthearted exercises compared to the harsh realities of this world.
Watching and experiencing were entirely different.
An hour later, Ethan exhaled deeply, a glint of light in his eyes.
"Indeed, having a master makes all the difference," he murmured. Digesting Zephyr's teachings had enriched both his mind and experience. Though it might not be immediately apparent, Ethan was confident that this would save him countless mistakes in the future.
"Meeting a good teacher is rare. I must seize this opportunity."
"The daytime training is done. Now, it's time to develop my Devil Fruit abilities."
Ethan rose from the bed and sat cross-legged on the floor. Golden-red flames began to radiate from his body. The tiles beneath him glowed red and started to melt from the heat.
"I still can't control it fully. Too much energy is spilling over," Ethan frowned. Reluctantly, he admitted that if his flame power were a scale of 100, he could only manage about 70.
"Setting that aside for now, I need to decide the development direction." Flames enveloped his body as he thought.
"The Golden Crow is a creature from Chinese mythology. It can eventually transform into the sun, but that ability is far beyond my reach for now."
Born under the sunlight, the Golden Crow naturally manipulates fire. Then I cannot abandon fire. I remember Ace had the Flame-Flame Fruit, but tragically, he died at Akainu's hands.
Fire a Devil Fruit ability weaker than magma? I don't think so. If the fire is hot enough, even transforming into the sun couldn't surpass ordinary magma. Flames can grow infinitely hotter, while magma tops out at a few thousand degrees Celsius.
If I can raise flame temperatures to millions, tens of millions, or even billions of degrees, then even a faint wisp of flame could incinerate thousands of miles, turning vast lands into seas of molten rock and fire. By then, burning the sky and boiling the seas will no longer be a fantasy.
Fire is versatile. Since Borsalino can turn light into weapons, fire should be able to do the same.
Speaking of light, since the Golden Crow can become the sun, which itself is a light source powered by heat and flames, could its power extend into light-based abilities? Ultraviolet rays, laser beams, cutting rays…?
Fire can even affect magnetic fields gravity, buoyancy, attraction, repulsion. Damn, I should have studied fire more in my previous life. Fire is a fundamental element, affecting light, seasons, temperature… Most importantly, I must train the Golden Crow's form itself. As a legendary beast, it cannot be limited to just flames.
Ethan raised both hands, eyes gleaming with golden-red light. Flames roared around him, and a massive creature emerged, about five meters long and two meters wide.
Pff… pff… Heat waves shimmered in the air.
Within the flames, a majestic and bizarre giant bird stood proud. Its wings folded, body gleaming golden-red, a crown of gold, purple, and blue feathers on its head, three unique long feathers trailing from its tail, and three legs extending from its abdomen, ready to spread its wings and shake the very sky.
Those three legs alone were terrifying. Just looking at them made Ethan's scalp tingle, imagining claws capable of slicing through metal like clay.
The first impression the bird gave was fierce and commanding.
Unparalleled. Every inch of it radiated ferocity, as if it could incinerate the world.
Yet this giant bird was not only ferocious but also exuded noble, indifferent dignity. Like an emperor, no one could defile it.
Power limitless power. At that moment, Ethan felt he could soar across the sky at will. If his strength before transformation was at Vice Admiral level, then now, in this form, he was at Captain level.
It's worth noting that after transformation, Ethan's offensive power, recovery, and endurance had increased by one to two grades. Yet this was still limited by his current overall strength. Ethan believed that once he grew stronger, transforming into the Golden Crow would allow him to burn the skies and seas, unstoppable.
"Truly a legendary beast. Too bad I can't show my full power yet, or I would spread my wings and soar. I've heard Golden Crows can travel as rainbows. I wonder if their speed could rival Borsalino's light speed."
Ethan reverted to human form, a sly, almost sinister smile tugging at his lips.
After a moment of thought, he organized his ideas, muttering: "I'll focus on three development directions first. Trying to do everything at once would be exhausting, and I still have to learn the Six Powers and Haki. Time is tight."
"First, I cannot abandon the essence of fire. Its temperature and diversity must reach their limits."
"Second is fire's heat rays. If I can develop cutting flames or light-energy beams, my combat effectiveness will skyrocket. Ultraviolet and radiation are also potent. Magnetic fields gravity, attraction… unfortunately, I didn't study these deeply in my previous life. These extensions will have to be explored gradually. As the saying goes, 'When you need it, you often regret not learning more.'"
"Third is the Golden Crow itself. Its physical recovery, endurance, strength, and speed must all be enhanced. But all of this relies on my body, so physical training cannot decrease it must increase."
Initially, Ethan considered only these three points, but from experience, he was confident he would grow stronger, not weaker. Most importantly, this Devil Fruit was incredibly powerful.
"Tomorrow, Master will teach me the Six Powers. Which ones should I choose?" Ethan pondered his Devil Fruit's development, then thought of the Six Powers.
The Six Powers included Finger Gun, Iron Body, Swift Slash, Moonstep, Storm Kick, and Paper Trick. These rare techniques surpass human limits. Mastering any one of them could be crucial for surviving the vast sea.
Ethan considered his understanding of the Six Powers and Zephyr's teachings, furrowing his brow. He decided to focus on only three.
"Finger Gun. Combined with my Devil Fruit, its power should be maximized. In Golden Crow form, the three legs become even sharper and stronger. Add Armament Haki, and… hehe…" His eyes gleamed. Imagining a claw piercing through steel made his heart race. He had no doubt Finger Gun could be adapted to his legs.
Hands and feet are fundamentally similar; the only difference is that feet aren't as agile. The extra sweat required is a small price to pay.
"Next is Swift Slash, a high-speed burst technique. Combined with the Golden Crow's rainbow speed, it will be terrifying. Then Moonstep, an aerial skill that is still highly practical. These three can be used in human form and later unleash even greater power."
"As for Paper Trick, once Observation Haki is awakened, its practicality diminishes. Iron Body, with Golden Crow's recovery, becomes less critical. Storm Kick, adapted with Devil Fruit techniques, can be ignored. Life recovery is negligible against mythical beasts. If I have enough time, I can learn all these abilities later."
Ethan smiled wryly. He was human, after all, with limited energy.
He had to focus. Now, there were many things to learn Swift Slash, Finger Gun, Moonstep, and three types of Haki. Conqueror's Haki would be left to develop naturally. And the three directions of Devil Fruit development all require time. Ethan feared biting off more than he could chew. Everything must progress step by step; only then could he master his power as efficiently as possible.