'This woman is incredibly strong! No way I can beat her just using normal methods.'
Ikki frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on Momousagi Gion who was locked in a stalemate with him.
Even using both the Transparent World and Observation Haki to observe Gion, he couldn't find any weaknesses in her.
There seemed to be no vulnerable spot on her body that he could attack to break the deadlock.
'In that case, let's try this.'
Ikki focused intently, and the flame-shaped Demon Slayer Mark on his right forehead began to expand to three times its size.
It looked like it had transformed into an actual burning flame.
"Break!" Ikki shouted sharply and threw Zangetsu upward.
Gion raised her eyebrows as she felt the power of her famous sword Konpira suddenly double.
Caught unprepared, her Armament Haki was blown away.
Her body was launched into the sky by the powerful air current carried by Ikki's slash.
"So that's the Demon Slayer Mark? It's really powerful," Gion said as she landed on the ground. She raised her sword in a graceful stance and continued with a slight smile: "And you actually use Conqueror's Haki for infusion attacks. I really can't underestimate you."
"You mentioned earlier that I could learn Moon Breathing swordsmanship," she added. "I wonder if you could show me a bit of it during this battle?"
Ikki rested the long sword on his shoulder, his legs slightly bent, his face extremely calm.
"Sorry, we're in the middle of a fight right now," Ikki replied. "Your slash just now made me fully understand how powerful you are. To deal with you, I'd rather use the more powerful Sun Breathing. Plus, I'll be using it with my sword."
As he spoke, Ikki's body began to glow with a faint white light.
Gion frowned slightly, her eyes falling on the long sword Ikki had just placed on his shoulder.
She vaguely felt that at this moment Ikki's blade seemed to come alive, possessing the vitality that only living things have.
"It's truly an honor. Although I'm a bit disappointed that I won't get to see Moon Breathing for now, I'd be pretty satisfied if I could see you use the full power of Sun Breathing."
Gion smiled, holding her sword in front of her with both hands as the aura around her body intensified.
"Cleave the heavens and moon, Zangetsu!"
After Ikki finished speaking, the light on his body flared to its peak.
With a roar, Zangetsu, which had looked like an ordinary samurai sword, immediately transformed into a cleaver-like blade as tall as a person.
Swoosh!
A sharp crescent-shaped slash reached Gion almost instantly.
Only then did Ikki's voice reach Gion's ears.
The slash had moved faster than sound.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
'So fast!' Gion's face tensed as high-intensity Armament Haki condensed on her blade. She quickly swung a huge pink slash that collided with the Getsuga Tenshō.
BOOM!
There was a thunderous noise, and after Gion's slashing attack met the 'Getsuga Tenshō', it only lasted for a second before being shattered.
Seeing this, Gion was even more surprised.
Although the slash just now was just a quick attack, it was no weaker than the one she and Ikki had exchanged at the beginning.
But her slashes weren't weak either.
The fact that Ikki's 'Getsuga Tenshō' could overpower her attack showed that it was even more powerful than the Conqueror's Haki infusion he had used earlier.
'Is this Ikki's power, or the sword's power?' The thought flashed through Gion's mind as she swung her Armament Haki-coated sword to intercept Ikki's 'Getsuga Tenshō'.
With a grunt of effort, Gion planted her feet firmly on the ground like an ancient tree with deep roots, and at the same time, she suddenly lifted her hands.
In an instant, she forcibly redirected the powerful 'Getsuga Tenshō' skyward.
Gion smiled, and just as she was about to compliment Ikki's attack, her Observation Haki suddenly alerted her.
Looking down, she found that Ikki had already moved in close, swinging Zangetsu.
Around him blazed a scorching flame hot enough to crystallize sand.
"Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form!"
With a low growl, Ikki slashed at Gion with his Zangetsu.
'Here he comes!'
Facing Ikki's attack, Gion fully activated her Observation Haki and calmly raised her sword to meet Ikki's flame-wreathed slash.
In an instant, the sound of metal clashing rang out between Ikki and Gion.
Their figures were gradually engulfed by scorching flames.
"Ikki can actually fight Vice Admiral Gion to this extent?" Hina exclaimed in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Zangetsu is released! And what Ikki's currently using is the strongest form of Sun Breathing, Sun Breathing Thirteenth Form!" Smoker took a deep breath, lit two cigars for himself, and continued, "If the story of 'Demon Slayer' is accurate, his slashes will keep getting stronger and stronger."
"The story of 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba'?" Hina frowned slightly. "Right, Ikki mentioned that earlier."
"Tashigi, you have that 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' story, right? Hina plans to learn Flame Breathing from Ikki in the future. If you have the manga, can I borrow it?"
Now that she had decided to learn Flame Breathing, Hina naturally wanted to know more about its origins.
"Wait! Would Ikki really be willing to teach Captain Hina his Flame Breathing swordsmanship?" Tashigi looked at Hina with surprise in her eyes.
"Hey, you've never used a sword. Can you really learn it?" Smoker frowned and looked at his old friend with some disbelief.
"Hmph, if Hina wants to learn something, she definitely can," Hina replied. "It just might be a bit tougher."
Hina couldn't help but shake her head as she thought about the intense heat that came with Ikki's Flame Breathing.
"Tashigi, Ikki already said he's willing to teach Hina Flame Breathing," Hina explained. "However, Hina's talent in this area isn't as good as yours. Ikki needs to use some special methods."
"Hina thinks the 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' manga might help Hina understand more about Flame Breathing."
Although Ikki had already shared some stories about Demon Slayer when they were in the bathhouse, most of what he'd mentioned was about Kokushibo's Moon Breathing.
Hina still knew very little about Flame Breathing.
"Since Captain Hina wants to learn Flame Breathing, I'd be happy to lend you this manga," Tashigi readily agreed, opening the package she carried and handing the 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' manga to Hina.
"Flame Breathing! I really hope to see real-world swordsmen using Flame Breathing like Kyojuro Rengoku soon," Tashigi added excitedly.
After reading the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" manga, Tashigi had developed great admiration for Kyojuro Rengoku. She was excited that a Marine captain like Hina was going to learn Flame Breathing.
Hina gave the excited Tashigi a strange look and was about to ask why she was so happy when a loud roar from where Ikki and Gion were fighting caught her attention.
"What... happened over there?"
Hina turned around and saw that the place where Ikki and Gion were fighting was covered by rising yellow sand. Even with her eyesight, she couldn't see clearly!
Nearby, Nojiko, Vivi, and Nami looked at each other.
They had just heard Ikki shout.
Those were the release words for further liberating a Zanpakutō.
'Is Gion so powerful that she's forcing Captain Ikki to use Bankai?!'
The three of them were shocked.
This was the first time they'd seen Ikki face an opponent who required him to use the full power of his Zanpakutō.
A little while earlier...
"Phew... this isn't working," Ikki suddenly stopped swinging Zangetsu and looked at Gion with some resignation.
"Ikki, are you ready to admit defeat?" Gion put away her sword and stood up with a gentle smile on her face.
Although they'd been fighting for a while, and they were still surrounded by the flames created by Ikki, surprisingly, Gion had barely broken a sweat.
"Admit defeat? No way," Ikki shook his head, raising the Shikai state Zangetsu and pointing it at Gion. "I still want that famous sword Konpira you've got."
"I've fully experienced your power. As expected, even a Marine Admiral candidate has strength that's truly impressive. So I need to take things up a notch."
Hearing this, Gion's eyes showed curiosity.
"Take things up a notch? So you've been holding back," Gion laughed. "Then I'd better be careful, or you might actually take my beloved sword if I let my guard down."
"You should definitely be careful," The smile on Ikki's face gradually disappeared, replaced by an extremely serious look. "Bankai!"
With that sharp command, a massive surge of blue-white light began to rise from Ikki's body.
At the same time, Gion felt a strong pressure instantly filling the air around them.
'This feeling... it's like a heavy weight pressing down on my body, similar to Conqueror's Haki,' Gion thought. 'But it doesn't seem to be Conqueror's. Is it just raw power?'
Gion held her sword in front of her, eyes wary as she watched Ikki become completely covered by the blue-white brilliance.
For a brief moment, he was even hidden from her Observation Haki.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, Ikki swung his sword and dispersed the blue-white light surrounding him, revealing himself to Gion once more.
Now the massive cleaver in Ikki's hand had changed again.
It had become a completely black long sword the size of an ordinary katana, with a chain at the handle.
Not only that, even Ikki's clothes had changed significantly.
His original outfit had transformed into a black coat.
"The sword changed again?" Looking at the blade in Ikki's hand, Gion's eyes flashed with surprise.
With her keen eyesight, she could clearly see the extraordinary nature of the black sword Ikki now held.
"Tensa Zangetsu!" Ikki announced. "The real battle begins now, Ms. Gion. So please, stay sharp."
The corners of Ikki's mouth turned up, and before he finished speaking, he had vanished.
Gion's eyes widened. When she spotted Ikki again, he was already right in front of her.
'So fast!!'
Gion was shocked when she saw Ikki's black blade already coming at her. She quickly raised her sword and blocked Ikki's strike.
BOOM!
The moment the two swords met, the corner of Ikki's mouth turned up, and then Tensa Zangetsu released black spirit energy straight toward Gion.
"Tekkai!"
Gion's heart raced as she immediately used the Tekkai technique from Rokushiki and wrapped her whole body with Armament Haki to defend against Ikki's sudden attack.
Still, she was blown away by the sudden burst of black Reiatsu from Tensa Zangetsu.
With difficulty, she used Geppo in mid-air to stabilize her body.
"What powerful energy, and such a strange aura," Gion said after swinging her long sword to disperse the black Reiatsu from Tensa Zangetsu that clung to her body. She looked at the sword in Ikki's hand with amazement.
Although the black sword in Ikki's hand appeared to be just an object, now that it had transformed into Tensa Zangetsu, Gion's Observation Haki sensed more and more that Ikki's sword seemed alive.
"Geppo, what an enviable ability," Ikki raised his head, looking at Gion walking casually in the sky, and murmured.
This strengthened his desire to learn Geppo even more.
"If you want to learn, I'll teach you," Gion chuckled lightly, and stepped on the air to rush toward Ikki at high speed.
Ikki raised his eyebrows, swung his sword and headed toward Gion.
Almost instantly, he appeared in front of her again.
'He's really fast!' Gion's advanced Observation Haki sensed Ikki suddenly appearing beside her, and she immediately slashed to the side with her sword.
However, her blade only hit an afterimage.
Gion frowned, looked around, and found that she was surrounded by Ikki's afterimages.
Seeing this, Gion frowned even more and immediately focused her Observation Haki around her to guard against Ikki's surprise attack.
Just as Gion finished her preparations, Ikki's attack came again.
Tensa Zangetsu had almost completely turned into afterimages in Ikki's hands. Faced with such attacks, Gion had to keep swinging Konpira to defend herself.
It was manageable at first, but gradually, Gion began to feel tired.
'His movement speed and sword swinging speed have both increased. After the sword transformed, his speed doubled. What a strange ability.'
Gion took a deep breath, pushed her sight and Armament Haki to their limits, and used all her strength to slash at Ikki's sword.
With a bang, both of them were pushed back several meters by the force of their own attacks.
"Ikki, you're really strong. If we keep fighting like this, we might not determine a winner for quite a while," Gion said, holding her famous sword Konpira upside down with the tip pointing to the ground. "How about we decide the outcome with one final attack?"
"Sure." Ikki nodded slightly and raised Tensa Zangetsu above his head.
His energy quickly transformed into black Reiatsu through Tensa Zangetsu, gathering on the blade.
For Ikki, Gion's proposal was exactly what he wanted.
Using Tensa Zangetsu required a lot of physical energy.
Although he might not lose if they continued fighting, the chance of winning wasn't very high.
However, if the battle was decided by a single strike, Ikki was quite confident.
After all, the 'Getsuga Tenshō' performed with Tensa Zangetsu was several times stronger than the one performed with Shikai Zangetsu.
When Gion saw the black energy gathering on the tip of Ikki's sword, she immediately gripped the long sword in her hand tightly, and strands of pink energy began to surround her.
"One-Sword Style, Shooting Star!"
After a moment, Gion, who had finished gathering her strength, suddenly raised her sword and swung it from bottom to top.
A pink slash flew from Gion's blade, rushing toward Ikki like a leaping rabbit.
Any ground touched by this sword energy would instantly split open, forming cracks tens of meters deep.
'To produce such powerful sword energy, she must be a swordsman at the Mountain-Cutting realm. Perfect.'
Ikki was overjoyed, and the black energy in his Tensa Zangetsu grew even stronger.
For him, the stronger his opponent's swordsmanship, the greater the rewards he could get.
If Nami and the others couldn't defeat Gion, Ikki planned to let them challenge her.
After all, if they won, they might receive double the rewards from Gion's swordsmanship realm.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
With a sharp shout, Ikki slashed with Tensa Zangetsu.
A huge black crescent rushed toward the sword energy unleashed by Gion.
BOOM!
The two energy slashes collided, causing a deafening sound in the air.
The already fractured earth now completely shattered. Surrounding the two stalemate sword energies, a whirlwind rose directly into the sky and swept away the clouds within a kilometer.
After unleashing their attacks, Ikki and Gion silently agreed not to continue fighting.
Instead, they waited for the battle between the two energy slashes to end.
As time passed, Gion's slash began to gradually weaken until it finally disappeared, as if being swallowed by Ikki's Getsuga Tenshō.
Having lost its opposing force, the black crescent rushed straight at Gion like a wild horse and crashed into her sword.
The powerful impact knocked Gion back hundreds of meters. It wasn't until she managed to redirect the black crescent into the sky that the destruction caused by the Getsuga Tenshō stopped.
"Phew, what a powerful slash," Gion said, taking a deep breath. She squatted on the ground and sighed as she watched Ikki approaching with Tensa Zangetsu. "Ikki is truly a formidable swordsman."
As she spoke, her hands trembled slightly.
Obviously, dealing with Ikki's Getsuga Tenshō had taken its toll on her.
"You're not bad yourself," Ikki said as he walked up to Gion and helped her up from the ground. "If this were a life-or-death battle, it's hard to say who would win."
"That may be, but you didn't use your Demon Slayer Mark or Sun Breathing after transforming your sword. If we really kept fighting, I probably would've lost."
Ikki smiled and couldn't deny it.
Just using Tensa Zangetsu was enough to drain his physical energy. If he used the Demon Slayer Mark's power at the same time, the time he could last would be greatly reduced.
It would be fine for a short battle, but if Gion dragged it into a prolonged fight, the situation would be quite unfavorable for Ikki.
"Well, no matter what, I lost this time," Gion said as she handed Konpira to Ikki with a sigh. "I'll leave this Konpira in your care for now. But I'll tell you this – when I get stronger, I'll challenge you to win it back. You can't refuse when that time comes, Ikki!"
At the same time, a system notification appeared in Ikki's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for defeating Momousagi Gion, obtaining her sword skill 'Shooting Star', and obtaining the 'Mountain-Cutting Realm Swordsman Gion Challenge Permission']
[Host can now claim Gion's famous sword 'Konpira']
'Shooting Star! That must be the swordsmanship Gion just used. This is great,' Ikki thought. 'But the sword shadow summoned by this challenge permission probably won't be as powerful as the real Gion, right? If that's the case, I'm afraid Nami and the others won't be able to challenge her sword shadow for a while.'
Ikki took Konpira from Gion's hand, then turned his attention to the newly obtained "Mountain-Cutting Swordsman Gion Challenge Permission."
[Name: Gion]
[Age: 23 years old]
[Life Force: 30020, S level]
[Weapon: Konpira] [Swordsmanship School: Gion One-Sword Style]
[Abilities: Rokushiki, Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki]
'Gion with only 30,000 life force points? And she's only 23 years old!' Ikki thought, staring at Gion. 'This must be a younger version of Gion who's just reached the Mountain-Cutting realm in swordsmanship.'
'With only 30,000 life force points, the challenge against Sword Shadow Gion has been made easier, but it's still too difficult for Nami and the others right now. We need to get some A-grade nutritional potions.'
"Ikki, why are you staring at me like that?" Gion asked with a smile. "Don't you agree that I can challenge you in the future to get my Konpira back?"
"That's not a problem, but since you will learn my swordsmanship style, you might become stronger quickly, so we need to set a timeframe," Ikki replied. "Vice Admiral Gion, you can't challenge me for one year. After a year passes, you can come and challenge me to take back Konpira. Of course, if you're worried that I'm progressing too fast, I can have one of my crewmates accept your challenge instead."
The corners of Ikki's mouth turned up. A year later, he was confident that his crewmates could reach Gion's level.
By then, even if Gion came to challenge them, she wouldn't be getting Konpira back.
"You're really confident, Ikki," Gion said. "You will reach to the level of a Marine Admiral candidate within one year? Forget it, since you've made your conditions, it would be petty of me to argue. Just one year then. In one year, I'll challenge you using the swordsmanship you teach me. I believe it was called Moon Breathing."
Gion fixed her somewhat messy hair as she spoke to Ikki.
"Yes, it's Moon Breathing," Ikki confirmed. "You're very compatible with it. I'll use special methods to help you master this style. You should be able to learn the basics very quickly. Since Vice Admiral Gion wasn't shy about joining me in the bathhouse, I'm guessing you won't have any issues with my special teaching methods."
"With your talent, you might even be able to incorporate Moon Breathing into your own swordsmanship."
At this point, Ikki paused for a second, then smiled.
"Vice Admiral Gion, you said you wanted to see Moon Breathing, right? Now that our battle is over, I'll show you."
Ikki nodded to Gion, turned to face an open space, and pointed his sword at the ground, just like Gion had done when using her "Shooting Star" technique.
"Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!"
Swoosh!
As the sword light flashed, a crescent moon-shaped slash flew from Ikki's blade.
"Is that... the swordsmanship I just performed?"
"Ikki, how did you use my sword skill?"
Gion looked at Ikki in surprise.
Although there were some differences in the 'Shooting Star' Ikki performed, the basics were still the same.
How could Gion not recognize it?
"Didn't you just use it?" Ikki replied.
"So you're saying that because I used it once, you learned it?"
"Yeah! Is that hard to believe?"
Ikki smiled and turned to look at Tashigi, Vivi, and the others who were running toward them from not far away.
"Let's go, Vice Admiral Gion. I'll be staying in Alabasta for a while. I hope you can fully master Moon Breathing during this time."
After saying that, Ikki put Konpira and Zangetsu, which had returned from its Bankai state, at his waist and walked toward Vivi and the others.
"Ikki, you really are a swordsmanship genius. When I first heard you could easily learn Tashigi's swordsmanship, I didn't believe it. But now I completely do," Gion followed Ikki, looking at him with a sigh.
Her sword technique 'Shooting Star' was different from Tashigi's style.
In terms of power, 'Shooting Star' was many levels stronger and naturally more difficult to master.
But Ikki had mastered it just by watching her use it once.
How could this not surprise Gion?
"Captain Ikki, can I ask you something?" Gion asked.
"What else would you like to know, Vice Admiral?"
"It's... about your sword that can transform."
Gion lowered her head and glanced at the Zangetsu at Ikki's waist.
"Your sword... could it be from eating a Devil Fruit?"
"Why do you think that? Couldn't it be that I ate a Devil Fruit myself and that's why the sword changes?"
"That's possible, but you've already shown the ability to create the Gym and the Sword Training Room. I think your Devil Fruit ability must be creating spaces that help you and your friends train. But this sword's ability to transform and create environments for training seems too different."
"So, Vice Admiral Gion thinks my sword ate a Devil Fruit? But dead objects can only eat Zoan-type Devil Fruits, right? My sword doesn't look like it has a Zoan Devil Fruit."
"Maybe you deliberately don't let the sword show its animal form?" Gion laughed.
"Who knows? If that's what you think, there's nothing I can do about it. But since you asked me a question, let me ask you one too."
"Go ahead, Ikki."
"I'd like to ask if you were around 20 years old when your swordsmanship reached the Mountain-Cutting realm?"
"Huh? Why do you ask that? But yes, I did reach that level at that age."
"I thought so..."
Thinking of the "Mountain-Cutting Swordsman Gion Challenge Permission" he'd just obtained, Ikki felt clearer about it now.
Gion glanced at Ikki suspiciously, but before she could ask anything more, the others had already arrived.
"Ikki, are you okay?" Having learned Thunder Breathing, Nami was the fastest to reach them. She threw herself in front of Ikki and frantically checked him for injuries.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. It was just a friendly match," Ikki smiled and took the Sandai Kitetsu from his crewmate's hand.
"Momousagi Vice Admiral, are you alright? Did this man really manage to defeat you?" Hina stepped forward with a deep frown.
"I did lose this time," Gion admitted. "Ikki's sword power and talent are beyond what ordinary people can reach. Perhaps the position of the world's greatest swordsman will change soon. After all, the man in front of me learned my swordsmanship after just one glance."
The corner of Gion's mouth turned up. She was now looking forward to seeing what would happen when Ikki and Hawk-Eye met.
As the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
But Gion believed that with Ikki's potential, he was definitely qualified to challenge Hawk-Eye for the title of the world's greatest swordsman.
"This guy... is so powerful!" Hina looked at Ikki with a slight frown. "Ikki, Hina has thought about it. Hina agrees to you teaching her Flame Breathing!"
"Oh, have you now?" Ikki raised his eyebrows. "But you're saying it like I was begging you to let me teach you."
"What, you're not happy? You don't want to learn Geppo anymore?"
"Geppo is still something I want to learn. Now that you're ready, I'll make sure to teach you properly."
As Ikki spoke, he took out Sandai Kitetsu from his waist and handed it to Hina.
"What do you mean by this? You're giving Hina your sword?" Hina took Sandai Kitetsu with a confused expression.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just lending it to you temporarily," Ikki laughed. "When your skills improve further, I'll ask for this sword back."
Since he had to teach others anyway, why not let Hina use Sandai Kitetsu, which he couldn't upload to the system yet?
Once she became more familiar with the sword, Ikki could upload Sandai Kitetsu as a reward by challenging her.
Hina knew nothing about swordsmanship now.
As long as she could learn the basics, she'd be considered to have made progress. At that time, Ikki would naturally gain the authority to challenge her.
Off to the side, Tashigi pushed up her glasses.
Looking at Ikki's smile, she felt like he had some ulterior motive, just like when he gave her the Yubashiri in Loguetown.
[Ding! Host uploaded the Supreme Grade Sword 'Konpira'. Congratulations to Host for gaining 4 lottery chances.]
'Four chances? As expected, a Supreme Grade Sword can be exchanged for four lottery attempts,' Ikki thought.
'System, let's draw the lottery and see what rewards I'll get this time.'
[The lottery begins... Congratulations to the Host for winning: 'A-level Nutritional Potion' x5, 'Intermediate Armament Haki Awakening Potion', 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion', Zanpakutō 'Senbonzakura'.]
'Great, more A-level nutritional potions! This means another crewmate can reach S-level life force. After some training, I should have the strength to challenge the 'Sword Shadow of Gion'.'
Ikki felt happy at the thought that one more of his friends could gain the power to release their Zanpakutō's Bankai.
Ikki took out the Zanpakutō Senbonzakura he had just obtained from the system space.
'As usual, the sword that contains the power of a Zanpakutō was included in the lottery rewards. That's good. When Gion comes to challenge me in the future, I'll have another sword to use.'
Ikki patted Konpira, tucked it into his waist, and then planned to take out the 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion' to increase his observation abilities.
He easily opened his personal attributes panel.
'Wait! When did my Observation Haki reach the intermediate level?'
Ikki rubbed his eyes and looked at the attribute panel that only he could see.
[Host: Ikki]
[Age: 25 years old]
[Weapon: Zangetsu]
[Life Force: 30550, level S]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Mountain-Cutting Realm]
[Abilities: Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki, Intermediate Conqueror's Haki, Conqueror's Haki Infusion, Transparent World, Innate Demon Slayer Mark]
[Swordsmanship schools: Demon Slayer Breathing Techniques, Zoro's Three-Sword Style, Tashigi's One-Sword Style...]
[Items: E-level nutritional potion x4, D-level nutritional potion x1, Mountain-Cutting Swordsman Gion Challenge Permission x1, Intermediate Armament Haki Awakening Potion, Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion]
'Observation Haki has indeed reached the intermediate level... but when?'
'Was it when I was fighting Gion?'
Ikki recalled his battle with Gion. After using the Transparent World for a while, his ability to observe Gion had suddenly improved greatly.
'Is it because the Transparent World, which is also a sensory ability, drove the growth of my Observation Haki? Or was it simply because of that intense battle?'
Ikki shook his head and set aside the Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion.
'I'll give this to one of my crewmates instead. It can help speed up their progress toward reaching the Mountain-Cutting swordsmanship realm.'
With that thought, Ikki turned around and walked toward Vivi, Nami, and Nojiko, who were watching the demonstration of the 'Gion Sword Shadow' move in the Sword Training Room.
"Ikki!" After the demonstration, Vivi noticed Ikki beside her and immediately nodded politely.
"It's amazing that Ikki only fought Gion once and was able to create a swordsman's shadow of her," Nami said, raising her hand to her chin with some confusion. "But why does this Gion look much younger than the real one?"
"Maybe it's because it's easier for us to challenge a younger version of Gion's swordsman shadow," Nojiko suggested. "After all, this Gion seems weaker than the one who fought Ikki earlier."
'Exactly!' Ikki looked at Nojiko and silently praised her intelligence.
"Still, even this weaker Gion seems like more than we can handle right now," Nami pursed her lips and looked at the fading shadow of Gion with some concern. "Even if we use our Zanpakutō's power, it'll be hard to defeat her."
"That's why you need to train hard, Nami," Ikki took out the 'Intermediate Armament Haki Awakening Potion', 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion', and 4 bottles of 'A-level Nutritional Potion' from the system space.
"Nami, you were my first crewmate. Your Zanpakutō Gonryōmaru is also a strong attack-type Zanpakutō. I only have one Sword Shadow of Gion, so I want you, as my first crewmate, to improve your swordsmanship first. As for Nojiko and Vivi, I'll need you to wait a little longer."
"Ikki, are all these for me?" Nami took the six bottles of strengthening potion and asked in surprise.
After saying that, she glanced at Nojiko and Vivi with concern.
As a crewmate, she felt that hoarding so many strengthening potions was a bit too selfish.
"As you saw just now, Gion's sword shadow is very powerful," Ikki explained. "I want you to defeat her and quickly advance in your swordsmanship. The six bottles of strengthening potion in your hand are the key."
"If we spread them out among everyone, I'm afraid none of you will be able to defeat Gion's sword shadow for a long time. But if one of you can defeat her and move one step closer in your sword realm, your Zanpakutō might be able to achieve Bankai."
"So instead of spreading our resources thin, I think it's better to let one of you gain the full power of your Zanpakutō first. You've all seen what your Zanpakutō can do after achieving Bankai in your inner worlds. It can take your abilities to a whole new level."
Ikki patted Nami on the shoulder reassuringly.
"Ikki is right. Rather than spreading resources around, it's better to let Nami become stronger first," Nojiko added, putting her hand on Nami's other shoulder with a smile. "As long as one of us has a Zanpakutō capable of Bankai, the overall strength of the Explorer will improve dramatically. It's good for all of us."
Though Vivi didn't speak, she also nodded to Nami in agreement.
"Well... okay then," Nami said. Though she felt a bit guilty, with the encouragement of the other three, she accepted the six bottles of strengthening potions.
Under Ikki's guidance, she first took the 'Intermediate Armament Haki Awakening Potion' and the 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion'. The remaining four bottles of 'A-grade nutritional potion' would be used over the next four days of training.
"How do you feel, Nami?" Nojiko asked curiously.
"It's a really weird power," Nami stretched out her hands and instinctively activated Armament Haki.
In Nojiko and Vivi's eyes, Nami's normally pale hands instantly turned black.
"Is this the Armament Haki that Ikki used before? It's so hard!" Nojiko poked Nami's blackened arm curiously, her face full of wonder.
"We'll try it out later. Armament Haki can be used in many ways, and it works really well with swordsmanship," Ikki said. "And there's also Observation Haki. With intermediate Observation Haki, you might be able to quickly develop your Transparent World ability through this knowledge. If you have any questions, just ask me."
With that, Ikki turned to Nojiko and Vivi and handed them each one of the remaining bottles of A-grade nutritional potion.
"Each of you can take one of these. Though they won't increase your life force to the next level, they'll at least improve your physical abilities significantly. But since we have visitors these days, be careful to avoid them when using the potions."
Hearing this, Nami and Nojiko nodded.
They understood that over the next few days, Hina and Gion would be spending a lot of time in the gym area.
"Alright, you guys can watch the training. I've accepted Gion's sword, and I need to keep my promise." Ikki waved to his crewmates, then opened the door of the Sword Training Room and walked into the gym next door.
"What? You were defeated by Ikki? Gion, you're not lying to me?" In the gym's bathhouse, an exclamation came through the Den Den Mushi in Gion's hand.
"Yes, I was indeed defeated by Ikki, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Gion replied. "It wasn't a life-or-death battle, but after the strange sword in Ikki's hand transformed a second time, his power rose to a truly terrifying level. I believe his strength might be equal to mine."
Gion sat on the edge of the bath with her white legs dipped in the water.
In the middle of the pool was Hina, who had submerged her body completely, with only her head above water.
"His sword can transform twice? What kind of bizarre ability is that?" Sengoku asked, scratching his afro doubtfully.
"My guess is that Ikki's sword ate some kind of Zoan-type Devil Fruit," Gion explained. "Based on what I've seen of the sword's abilities, I think it might have eaten a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. That would explain why it doesn't take on a specific animal form."
Hearing Gion's words, Sengoku immediately frowned.
"Are you sure about this, Gion?"
"I'm not certain, but my Observation Haki sensed that Ikki's sword seemed almost alive."
"I see! Can you tell me what abilities his sword showed?"
"After transforming into its second form, Ikki's sword..." Gion was explaining, but suddenly stopped as if sensing something, and looked toward the door.
There, Ikki was walking over with a smile on his face.
"Gion? What's wrong?" When Gion suddenly stopped talking, Sengoku immediately asked.
"That voice... is that Fleet Admiral Sengoku speaking with you?" Ikki asked with interest as he walked up to Gion and sat down cross-legged.
"Are you... Ikki?"
"Hello, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"Don't misunderstand, Gion is just giving me a routine report," Sengoku clarified.
"Haha, don't worry, I'm not bothered. You're just curious about my sword, right? Go ahead, I'll just listen." The corner of Ikki's mouth turned up. Although he hadn't heard the entire conversation between Sengoku and Gion, he got the general idea.
As for Gion reporting Tensa Zangetsu's abilities to Sengoku, Ikki didn't mind at all.
Those abilities had already been revealed to her during their fight.
Gion smiled gently at Ikki, then continued speaking to the Den Den Mushi:
"I believe Ikki's sword significantly increases his speed after transforming to its second form. When I was fighting him, I felt like I was facing Admiral Kizaru. The second notable thing is the strange black energy it produces."
On the other end of the call, Sengoku raised his eyebrows. "Comparable to Kizaru's speed?"
"By the way, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'm calling because there's something else I want to tell you," Gion continued. "Ikki has agreed to share some of his swordsmanship knowledge with me and Hina. The exchange is my sword Konpira and teaching him Geppo from Rokushiki. I've already agreed to this."
"Because we need to learn Ikki's swordsmanship, Hina and I will need to stay in Alabasta for a while. I've handed command of my warship to my assistant, so they can return to base. Hina and I will come back together on her ship later."
"That's excellent news," Sengoku replied. "If Ikki is willing to share more of his swordsmanship knowledge, we'd be willing to teach him the complete set of Rokushiki techniques."
Learning Ikki's swordsmanship was just one of Sengoku's goals.
As for Geppo, it was fine to share that with Ikki.
If Ikki's swordsmanship knowledge proved truly valuable, the entire Rokushiki set could also be shared with him.
"No thanks, I'm only interested in Geppo from your Rokushiki," Ikki shook his head. "The others aren't that useful to me, especially Tekkai. People who rely on that technique against enemies often end up defeated."
Among the Rokushiki techniques, the only one valuable to Ikki besides Geppo was Soru.
But such a movement technique didn't have much benefit for Ikki, who had already mastered Thunder Breathing.
As for the rest, they had no appeal.
Especially Tekkai.
He didn't want to become overconfident after learning Tekkai, which might lead to him being defeated when facing enemies in the future.
"Using Tekkai leads to defeat? I don't quite understand what you mean, Ikki!"
"Haha, it's just a joke, don't mind it, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"I see... Ikki, I wanted to ask how much time you'll need to train Gion and Hina. I need to make arrangements for their duties."
"About ten days. After that, I plan to continue exploring the sea."
"Understood!"
Sengoku nodded, and after a few more words to Gion and Hina, he hung up.
As for inviting Ikki to join the Marines, since Gion had already tried and failed, Sengoku didn't plan to attempt it again.
"Let's get started then. Who wants to go first?" Ikki looked at Gion and Hina.
"Let Hina go first. I can wait," Gion smiled at Ikki, then looked down at Hina in the pool with her hair tied up.
"Alright." Ikki nodded slightly and extended his hand to Hina. "Give me your hand, Hina. To make sure you can learn this within ten days, I may need to use some harsh methods. I hope you don't mind."
Hina nodded, approached Ikki, and took his hand.
She had already prepared herself for the pain.
Ikki focused and rhythmically changed his breathing pattern to Flame Breathing.
The next second, blazing flames appeared on his body's surface.
They quickly spread to cover Hina's entire body, turning her into a human torch.
Engulfed in scorching flames, Hina immediately frowned.
At the same time, the bathhouse water began to boil and evaporate from Ikki's intense flames.
Hina's flame-wrapped body was now exposed to both Gion and Ikki.
Ikki raised his eyebrows and unconsciously glanced downward.
"Where are you looking? Eyes up, Ikki!" Hina endured the burning pain and spoke in a strained voice.
"Sorry, that was just instinct," Ikki smiled apologetically at Hina, then began to concentrate on helping her body adapt to the flames.
After ten minutes, feeling the time was sufficient, Ikki waved his hand to disperse the flames covering Hina's body.
"Haaah..." Hina took a deep breath and examined her body.
Her skin had turned bright red from the intense heat of the flames.
There were even some minor burns in certain areas.
Of course, these small injuries alone weren't enough to make Hina flinch.
What made her uncomfortable was the feeling that every cell in her body had been set on fire.
"Are you okay, Hina?" Gion asked with concern, her eyes fixed on Hina.
"Hina is fine, just need to rest for a bit," Hina replied, raising her hand to cover herself. She looked at Ikki accusingly. "By the way, Ikki, you evaporated all the water in the pool. You did that on purpose."
Ikki shrugged, looking helpless. "Can't be helped, it's fire after all. Isn't it normal for flames to evaporate water?"
As he spoke, Ikki raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The evaporated water immediately filled the bathhouse again, wrapping around Hina's body.
"This water will help you recover quickly," Ikki said. "After you heal up, I'll help you continue adapting to Flame Breathing. Besides, you've got a nice figure, Hina."
Hearing this last comment, Hina immediately frowned.
"You jerk! Hina says delete what you just saw from your memory!"
"Sorry, I've got a pretty good memory, especially for beautiful scenes."
Ikki waved his hand dismissively and turned to Gion.
"Gion, it's your turn next."
When Hina saw Ikki changing the subject to Gion, she could only temporarily give up on scolding him.
"Ikki, you're not planning to burn my clothes off like you did to Hina, are you?" Gion asked with a smile, extending her hand to hold Ikki's.
"Moon Breathing doesn't have that effect, don't worry," Ikki assured her. "But... I hope you can control yourself better and not make those strange sounds like last time."
As he spoke, Ikki's body gradually became surrounded by the feminine aura unique to Moon Breathing.
Several crescent moon energy waves rose up from his hand that was holding Gion's.
Gion's normally smiling face showed a moment of shock. Hearing Ikki's words, she recalled how it felt when Moon Breathing energy first invaded her body.
"Don't worry, Ikki, I'll be careful," Gion nodded firmly.
Obviously, even she was unwilling to show such reactions in front of relative strangers like Hina and Ikki.
"Then I'll begin," Ikki said. "Please don't use Haki or any other energy to resist, Gion."
After Ikki finished speaking, the crescent energy from his body instantly covered Gion.
As the cool energy entered her body, Gion's face first showed surprise, then quickly turned red. Her body began to tremble slightly.
"Vice Admiral Gion, are you... uncomfortable?" Hina asked, looking confused.
"It's not uncomfortable, it's actually... quite pleasant," Gion replied to Hina before immediately biting her lip.
She clearly didn't want to make any embarrassing sounds.
'The effects really are different for different people,' Ikki noted mentally.
"You have high compatibility with Moon Breathing, so your experience is different from Hina's," Ikki explained. "Since your compatibility is so high, I'm going to increase the intensity."
Ikki warned Gion, and when he saw her slight nod, he suddenly increased the flow of Moon Breathing energy into her body.
Even though Gion was prepared, she couldn't help letting out a soft moan.
Hina, who was watching Gion, had a strange expression on her face.
'Is it really that pleasant?' she wondered. 'Does Hina really have no talent for Flame Breathing? Is that why it felt so uncomfortable?'
Looking at Gion's intact clothes and her own still-reddened skin, Hina couldn't help but sigh.
Perhaps it was because Gion was naturally more compatible with breathing techniques.
This time, Ikki's guidance for Gion took a full three hours to complete, which was eighteen times longer than Hina's session.
"How do you feel, Vice Admiral Gion?" Ikki asked with a smile as he released Gion's hand.
"I feel great. My physical condition has never been better," Gion took a deep breath, calmed her mind, and then spoke. "The breathing swordsmanship you've mastered is truly unique, Ikki."
"When you completely master Moon Breathing, you'll feel even more special effects," Ikki smiled. "Rest for a while first. In a bit, I'll help you adapt more to this breathing style."
As they were talking, the bathhouse door was pushed open.
Ikki turned around and saw Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi walking in with light steps, all sweating profusely.
Ikki glanced at the attributes of the three women and immediately knew they had used A-level nutritional potions and had completed their training.
"Hope we're not interrupting," Nojiko said with a smile as she approached Ikki.
After seeing Hina's situation, the smile on Nojiko's face seemed to grow even wider.
Facing the gazes of Nojiko, Vivi, and Nami, even the cold-natured Hina couldn't bear it. She quickly turned around to face away from them.
Meanwhile, Gion's eyes were fixed on the three newcomers.
'Their auras seem stronger... is it my imagination?' Gion frowned as she carefully observed Nami, Nojiko, and Vivi.
"Ikki just finished using his special training method on me and Hina," Gion said. "You three look pretty sweaty. Did you just go through some special exercise too?"
Gion's eyes lit up with curiosity as she asked.
"Just normal workout in the gym for a few hours, nothing special," Nami replied casually, waving her hand.
Of course, she wouldn't mention the A-grade nutritional potion since Ikki had warned her not to.
Though Gion seemed a bit confused, she didn't press the issue. She simply filed away her suspicions.
"Ikki, aren't you going to bathe in the hot spring?" Nami asked with confusion after she put on her bathrobe and stepped into the pool.
"I'd like to, but I'm worried a certain lady might object," Ikki said with a smirk, looking at Hina who had her back turned to everyone.
Hearing this, Hina immediately spun around and glared at Ikki.
Ignoring her glare, Ikki stepped into the pool. At the same time, he activated his Demon Slayer Mark.
Instantly, the flame-shaped mark on the right side of his forehead expanded to several times its normal size.
"Ikki, what are you doing?" Nami asked, looking at the Demon Slayer Mark on Ikki's forehead with confusion.
"Nami, don't you have a major challenge ahead?" Ikki asked with a laugh. "My Demon Slayer Mark can influence you and help you develop the same type of mark. If you can activate a Demon Slayer Mark, completing your future training tasks should be much easier."
Nami nodded, understanding that Ikki was referring to the challenge of "20-year-old Gion's Sword Shadow."
"In that case, I'll stay closer to you, Ikki," Nami giggled and moved nearer to him.
"By the way, do I need to do anything special, Ikki?"
"No, just stay close to me."
"That's it? Well, how about I scrub your back?" Nami chuckled and raised her hand to remove the towel wrapped around her hair.
Before Ikki could refuse, she pushed him to the edge of the pool and began to wash his back.
'Activate a Demon Slayer Mark?' A thoughtful light flashed in Gion's eyes, and she moved forward to sit closer to Ikki.
Nojiko and Vivi did the same, but Hina remained at a distance, watching Ikki suspiciously.
Ten days later.
Alabasta, Sword Training Room.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host's partner Nami for reaching S level. Special reward: 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion' x1.]
'Finally reached S level?' Ikki thought. 'And the reward is an Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion. Nojiko can use that. Nami's getting stronger first and pulling the others along.'
Hearing the system's sudden notification in his mind, Ikki's lips curved into a slight smile.
He checked Nami's personal attributes panel:
[Name: Nami]
[Age: 18 years old]
[Weapon: Gonryōmaru]
[Life Force: 30210, S level]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Iron-Cutting Level]
[Swordsmanship School: Thunder Breathing, First Form]
[Special abilities: Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki, Demon Slayer Mark]
'Huh? Demon Slayer Mark? SHe already got it?' Ikki wondered, his eyes showing confusion as he noticed the words 'Demon Slayer Mark' on Nami's personal attributes.
'She didn't have this before. Could it be... because her life force broke through to the next level, bringing her physical condition closer to mine? Is that why she also developed a Demon Slayer Mark?'
After thinking for a moment, understanding dawned on Ikki.
Over the past few days, he had activated his Demon Slayer Mark and spent a lot of time with Nami.
That must have laid the foundation for her to develop her own mark.
It made sense that reaching S-level life force would activate the Demon Slayer Mark.
'With these attributes and her Zanpakutō Gonryōmaru, she should have a chance to defeat 20-year-old Gion's Sword Shadow,' Ikki thought. 'Looks like we'll soon see Nami's Bankai Gonryōmaru.'
Thinking about how he could use Nami's Bankai after she achieved it, the corners of Ikki's mouth turned up involuntarily.
"What are you thinking about? Can you take Hina seriously?" Hina frowned as she looked at Ikki, who seemed lost in thought yet was still easily handling her attacks.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something good," Ikki replied.
"You really are an annoying man!" Hina pursed her lips and took a deep breath.
"Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku!"
With a shout, the Sandai Kitetsu in Hina's hand carried scorching flames and launched at Ikki like a meteor.
Seeing Hina's Flame Breathing form, Ikki nodded with satisfaction, raised his hand and performed the same move as Hina, deflecting her attack.
At the same time, a system notification sounded in Ikki's mind:
[Congratulations to Host for defeating novice swordsman Hina. You can now claim Hina's Sandai Kitetsu.]