Chapitre 122: Chapter 122: Tsuru, Lillian, and Lily's Combine Power
"Enough talk…"
"Three days from now, the exchange will happen at Franca Island on Route H2!"
"Franca Island, huh? You've really planned this well, moving further from Navy Headquarters with each location."
"The World Government won't send extra personnel, but this had better be the final exchange. Dragging this out won't benefit either of us."
"Of course. I'm a man of my word—looking forward to a smooth transaction."
"Hmph!"
In an isolated sea region, on an unknown deserted island…
Having confirmed the arrangement, El let Moss and the others stay on standby outside. He'd just ended his call with Saint Mars when he looked over and saw two swift figures collide with a resounding clash not far away.
'Clang!'
Sparks flew as a sharp metallic clash echoed through the air, sending a chill down one's spine. A towering figure, agile as a warrior with flowing green hair, wielded a massive katana and clashed repeatedly with Linlin, who swung Napoleon with fierce intent. Surprisingly, the figure had a striking, sapphire-like eye on their forehead, with hints of Tsuru, Lily, and Lillian in their features.
No matter how fierce the attacks came, Linlin skillfully held her ground, meeting each strike with finesse. She wasn't relying on her natural defenses but parried each strike smoothly, showcasing her advanced swordsmanship.
"Tsuru's swordsmanship has improved rapidly," El observed with a smile.
These past few days, El had left the management of Atlantis to Nef and Rock, letting it patrol high above at tens of thousands of meters while they supervised the training of new recruits. Meanwhile, he had taken Tsuru, Linlin, Lily, Gerd, and Lillian to this secluded island for intense training.
Not only was he refining his own Conqueror's Haki techniques, but he was also guiding them in swordsmanship and haki mastery.
Initially, El assumed that Tsuru, who'd just turned 21 and was already proficient in the Six Powers and two forms of Haki, would lean more toward hand-to-hand combat. To his surprise, she showed an impressive aptitude for swordsmanship. Now, with her new Mythical Zoan powers of the Okuchi-no-Makami, her progress was tremendous.
"She really has," said Gerd, observing with a chuckle.
With Lily's Pile-Pile Fruit ability as a near-unbeatable training aid and Lillian's unique sensory skills from her Three-Eye lineage combined with her Glare-Glare Fruit, Tsuru's progress had been extraordinary. Through continual shared training sessions, Lillian's abilities evolved to include advanced perceptions, effectively creating a "five senses in one" advantage.
Through the combined effect of Lily's shared sensations and El's guidance, Tsuru had refined her use of her Zoan powers, increasing her strength and mastery over her Devil Fruit abilities significantly. Her Observation and Armament Haki had also grown, and she had even picked up techniques from El's swordplay.
Naturally, the key to Tsuru's progress was the fusion of Lily's abilities, Lillian's heightened perception, and El's expertise, each enhancing her rapid development.
"Lillian's swordsmanship is also astonishing," El noted, clearly impressed. "With dedication, I'm confident she'll become a renowned swordsman across the seas."
"Rose Dance!"
At that moment, Tsuru—towering and agile—moved with surprising grace, her katana flashing as she unleashed her attack. A storm of rose petals burst forth, beautiful yet lethal, creating an entrancing display of power.
'Whoosh!'
Sharp slices filled the air as the petals flew toward Linlin with deadly intent.
'Clang! Clang!' With her honed Observation Haki and refined sword skills, Linlin deflected each strike, not yielding a single step.
"Mamamama~! With Lily's support, your strength and Haki have grown substantially. But I suggest using your Okuchi-no-Makami form," Linlin teased, swinging Napoleon to unleash a powerful slash. "Otherwise, even with Lillian's foresight and ability to read my intent, it won't be enough to bridge the gap in power."
'Soru!' Lillian's third eye glowed, her gaze prophetic.
"Thrust!"
A towering figure moved with astonishing speed, narrowly evading the attack.
'Boom! Boom!' The terrifying slash just missed, tearing past her. The nearby hillside was sliced clean off, leaving a shocking sight that would send chills down anyone's spine.
"As you wish!"
Tsuru, who was leading the fight, let out a fierce shout. Her body began to sprout white fur, her eyes gaining distinct markings, with elongated ears, razor-sharp fangs, and claws suited for hunting.
Around her, wisps of cold air swirled. The Mythical Zoan Okuchi-no-Makami ability was indeed unique. Unlike Iron Claw Hark's dark cloud-like aura, this was not a manifestation of awakened Devil Fruit power but rather an inherent freezing effect.
'Swish…'
The surrounding air grew significantly colder, sending a chill through anyone nearby.
"Shukuchi!" With chilling energy emanating from her sword, now surrounded by Conqueror's Haki, Tsuru's transformed white figure, brimming with primal energy, lunged forward with a flash. Her speed now exceeded her prior limits, appearing almost like true teleportation, flitting from one spot to another at incomprehensible speeds.
This move, though not quite like Soru, was a technique El had developed over years of honing his combat skills, utilizing his monstrous physique. It was a high-speed movement technique that was faster than Soru, appearing as near-instantaneous movement to others. However, it demanded extraordinary physical prowess.
Even for Tsuru, mastering Shukuchi required many shared training sessions with Lily and El, using Lily's special "shared perception" ability from the Chaos Fruit. Through relentless practice, El guided her step-by-step until she could finally utilize the technique, though only in her transformed state.
Suddenly, Tsuru's third eye flashed red as she sensed a shift.
'Swish!' Without hesitation, she pivoted, moving like a white phantom to evade.
"Mamamama~! Night Demon Assault!"
At that instant, Linlin laughed wickedly, her large sword gleaming with a sinister red light, ready to strike.
'Buzz!' A massive blood-red slash tore through the air, but with her foresight, Tsuru had already dodged the attack.
'Boom! Boom!' The massive, killing-intent-filled slash raged on, crashing into the ground behind her and leaving a deep scar that seemed endless—an awe-inspiring display of power.
'Swish… swish…'
Now fused with Lily and Lillian, Tsuru moved like a swift giant, nearly matching El in size. Her movements were incredibly fast, zigzagging from left to right in ways that were nearly impossible to track.
"So fast…"
Linlin's eyes narrowed. Without using her Devil Fruit ability, she found herself unable to keep up with such speed.
'Swish!'
In an instant, the giant with three eyes rushed straight behind Linlin. Her blade, brimming with freezing power capable of freezing everything in its path, ripped through the air with relentless force, aiming for Linlin.
"Phantom Blade!"
Linlin's hair stood on end. Though her Observation Haki couldn't foresee the future, it had been finely tuned under El's guidance, allowing her to sense danger instinctively.
'Clang!' Linlin barely managed to turn and block the freezing blow, gritting her teeth against the sheer cold.
'Clang!'
The impact rang in their ears as shards of ice scattered. Frost crept down Napoleon's blade, spreading toward Linlin and encasing her in a frigid shell, turning her into an ice sculpture.
"Of course, I doubt this could hold you for long," Tsuru muttered, her third eye already glimpsing a flash of the future thanks to Lillian's unique abilities. She opened her maw wide.
"Glacial Fang!"
'Swish—'
A terrifying column of freezing energy, visibly compressed and sharp, shot toward the frozen Linlin with explosive force.
'Crack!'
But in the next instant, the ice shattered as Linlin broke free, her massive sword swinging fiercely. Yet, all she faced was an onslaught of frigid energy barreling toward her.
'Boom!'
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone