'She's finally become a novice swordsman.'
Ikki glanced at Hina as she was knocked back, then quickly moved behind her to catch her body before she could hit the wall of the training room.
Over the past few days while guiding Hina, who wasn't particularly talented with Flame Breathing, Ikki had fought with her numerous times.
He'd defeated her no less than 50 times, but there had never been a system notification until now.
"Thanks," Hina said, standing upright and glancing at Ikki.
Although she still maintained her cool demeanor toward him, Hina could appreciate Ikki's dedication to teaching her.
For that, she was grateful.
"Let's continue," Hina turned around and pointed Sandai Kitetsu at Ikki.
"No need. You've completely mastered the basics of Flame Breathing, Hina. From now on, you're a qualified swordsman," Ikki said, patting her shoulder and extending his hand. "Whether you advance further depends on your own practice."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, just that I plan to leave Alabasta today, so I need to take Sandai Kitetsu back."
"Leave? Is it time already?"
Hina frowned, then realized that she had been training under Ikki for ten days.
She thought about how Ikki had used Flame Breathing to engulf her in fire every day during that time, inevitably letting him see her body.
'Whatever, just consider it payment for his teaching,' Hina thought, shaking her head as she handed Sandai Kitetsu back to Ikki.
She knew her own affairs, and her strength had grown significantly over the past days.
Although she'd only learned the basics of swordsmanship, thanks to Flame Breathing, her physical abilities had improved dramatically.
She'd even obtained basic Armament Haki during her training.
Ikki took Sandai Kitetsu and immediately uploaded it to his system.
The system notification sounded in his mind right on cue.
[Ding! Host uploaded Medium Grade Sword 'Sandai Kitetsu', congratulations on winning one lottery chance.]
"Come on, Hina, let's head out," Ikki, in a good mood after successfully gaining a lottery chance, waved to Hina and led the way out of the training room.
Though Hina was curious about how Sandai Kitetsu seemed to vanish from Ikki's hands, she didn't ask any further questions.
She knew Ikki wouldn't answer her anyway.
"Congratulations, Hina," Smoker said, coming over with a smile on his face. "Congratulations on successfully mastering Flame Breathing."
"Compared to Vice Admiral Gion, Hina's learning took much longer," Hina shook her head and looked at Gion with mixed feelings.
Compared to her, Gion had already mastered the essence of Moon Breathing and had even integrated her original swordsmanship into it.
If Gion hadn't been waiting for her, she could have left Alabasta and returned to Marine Headquarters long ago.
"It was worthwhile being guided by Ikki," Gion said, looking at Ikki with complex emotions.
Because Ikki had used a special guidance method, although Gion had learned Moon Breathing, she couldn't figure out how to teach others the general method.
She hadn't left early just so she could try to learn from Ikki how others might learn Moon Breathing through regular methods.
Unfortunately, Ikki hadn't shared that information.
"Ikki!"
At that moment, a clear voice came from the door of the Sword Training Room.
Gion, Ikki, and Hina turned to look and saw Nami running in with quick steps.
"Ikki, look at this!" Nami quickly came to Ikki and pointed to the right side of her neck.
There, a small lightning-shaped mark was clearly etched into her skin.
"Is that... a Demon Slayer Mark?" Gion looked at Nami in surprise, suddenly noticing that the orange-haired girl's aura seemed more concentrated.
Confused, she looked at Nojiko and Vivi who had followed Nami into the Sword Training Room.
'These two haven't changed much,' Gion thought. 'But Nami... her aura is changing too quickly.'
'Just a Demon Slayer Mark shouldn't cause such a significant change in someone's presence.'
Gion looked at Ikki with questions in her mind. Recalling the interactions between Ikki and Nami over the past days, she suddenly realized that Ikki seemed to have been intentionally helping Nami train separately.
'I remember Ikki mentioned he gave Nami a challenge. Is that why he's going out of his way to help her train?'
Ikki touched the Demon Slayer Mark on Nami's neck with his finger, and a smile spread across his face.
"Not bad. It looks good on you, Nami," he said. "Congratulations. Your swordsmanship has taken a significant step forward."
"Even though your Demon Slayer Mark was influenced by mine, it won't shorten your lifespan. But when using it, your physical strength will be consumed intensively. Be more careful in future battles."
Ikki put his hand on Nami's shoulder, looking pleased.
"Yeah, I got it, Ikki," Nami replied. "By the way, I want to try completing the challenge you assigned me earlier. Is that okay?"
Nami raised her head and looked at Ikki seriously.
"You've finished your preparation? I understand," Ikki nodded slightly and turned to look at Hina and Gion.
"Sorry, you two. I need to help my crewmate get familiar with her powers. This involves my Devil Fruit ability," Ikki explained. "You two are my friends, but not my crewmates, so I need to keep certain abilities secret. Could you please wait outside or go to the gym for about ten minutes?"
Since he was going to use Gion's Sword Shadow, Ikki didn't want to let Hina and Gion see it.
If Gion were to see Nami rapidly improving her swordsmanship by challenging a 20-year-old version of herself, Ikki felt it might cause unnecessary complications.
"I understand, Ikki," Gion smiled and nodded, pulling Hina toward the exit. "In that case, Hina and I will wait outside."
Though she wanted to know what Ikki was planning, she had to respect his wishes. Considering that Ikki was essentially her teacher, Gion felt obligated to comply.
As the two left, the door to the Sword Training Room immediately closed.
Even if Gion tried to use Observation Haki, she wouldn't be able to perceive anything inside.
"Being able to block Observation Haki perception... what a strange Devil Fruit ability," Gion sighed.
"It must be some kind of fruit that can quickly increase his companions' abilities," Hina observed. "Hina noticed that Nojiko, Nami, and Vivi all have the same mark on the backs of their hands."
"Perhaps Ikki is using that mark to give Nami and the others the ability to grow stronger rapidly," Hina held her chin with one hand and looked at the door of the Sword Training Room thoughtfully.
"Maybe so. It seems our mission can only be completed to this extent. As for mastering Ikki's teaching method, that appears impossible," Gion shook her head calmly.
"That man deliberately prevented us from learning the orthodox methods of Flame Breathing and Moon Breathing swordsmanship styles," she added.
"Vice Admiral Gion, is it really wise to teach this man all of Rokushiki?" Hina asked, taking out a cigarette from her pocket. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers, using Flame Breathing to create a small fireball to light it.
'A convenient ability,' Hina thought to herself as she took a drag.
"The Rokushiki techniques aren't particularly special for a swordsman like Ikki," Gion replied. "Even if I taught him how to learn all of Rokushiki, he might not put in the effort to master it."
"All he wants is Geppo from Rokushiki. Giving him a relatively minor power can be considered our investment in him."
Gion understood the situation more clearly than Hina.
Ikki's friends were growing stronger at an astonishing rate. Even she and Hina had improved significantly since learning breathing techniques.
Of course Gion was willing to befriend someone with such power.
After all, Ikki might be able to help her and Hina develop Demon Slayer Marks in the future.
Meanwhile, inside the Sword Training Room...
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
With a roar of thunder, Nami, who had activated her Demon Slayer Mark, quickly passed by the 20-year-old Gion Sword Shadow with her Shikai-released Gonryōmaru in hand.
After a few seconds of seeming stalemate, the Sword Shadow's body dispersed into a warm energy flow that merged into Nami's body.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host's partner Nami for defeating 'Mountain-Cutting Realm Swordsman Gion' and reaching the Mountain-Cutting Realm in swordsmanship!]
[Tip: Nami's life force has reached S level, and her swordsmanship has reached the Mountain-Cutting Realm. Her Zanpakutō Gonryōmaru can achieve Bankai by absorbing Devil Fruit energy.]
'Finally won. Even 20-year-old Gion is quite formidable,' Ikki thought, breathing a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt even more excited about seeing Nami's Bankai.
"Ikki, I did it! I defeated her shadow!" Nami exclaimed, walking out of the arena and jumping straight into Ikki's arms.
"Congratulations, Nami," Ikki said, patting her back. "You used Thunder Breathing and your Demon Slayer Mark, so you've consumed a lot of energy. Go to the gym and rest well. When it's time to leave Alabasta, we'll let you know."
"We're leaving?" Nami raised her head and looked curiously at Ikki.
Nearby, Vivi and Nojiko also turned to listen.
"I've spent enough time in Alabasta," Ikki explained, the corner of his mouth turning up as he addressed the three women. "I've also fulfilled my agreement with Hina and Gion. It's time to collect new famous swords."
"I received news that there's an excellent sword in the territory of another Shichibukai, Gecko Moria."
Although Smoker and Tashigi had left Alabasta, before their departure, Ikki had learned from them that the Straw Hat Pirates had arrived in the Grand Line.
The Straw Hat Pirates had even appeared in Alabasta. Smoker and Tashigi left because they'd received news about the Straw Hats.
Though there was still some distance between Alabasta and Shichibukai Moria's territory, Ikki felt it was time to set sail, just to be safe.
Based on the fighting prowess Zoro had shown when they first met, if the Straw Hat Pirates contacted Moria before him, the famous sword Shusui might fall into Zoro's hands.
Ikki didn't want to chase the Straw Hat Pirates across the sea just for the famous sword Shusui.
"Ikki, are we really heading to Shichibukai Gecko Moria's territory next?" Vivi asked with surprise.
"That's right," Ikki smiled and nodded.
"Does that mean you plan to confront that Shichibukai?" she pressed.
"Well, it depends on the situation. After all, dealing with a Shichibukai isn't something you do on a whim. You have to consider the Marines' reaction."
Despite his words, Ikki was already thinking about confronting Gecko Moria.
Although Moria wasn't after Ancient Weapons like Crocodile had been, stealing so many people's shadows was enough to make him indefensible even to the Marines.
"By the way, Nojiko, this is for you," Ikki handed the 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Potion' to Nojiko.
"Ikki, what is this?" Nojiko took the potion and asked curiously.
"I only have one bottle of potion that can help you awaken Observation Haki. I'll get more later for Vivi."
Vivi nodded in agreement. As the third crewmember of the Explorer, she naturally had no objections. Besides, Nojiko usually took good care of her.
"This must be the Observation Haki that Nami was using," Nojiko recalled how Nami seemed to predict movements when fighting Gion's sword shadow, and her face showed excitement for this new ability.
Without hesitation, she opened the bottle and drank the entire potion.
As the liquid entered her body, a red light flashed in Nojiko's eyes — the sign of Observation Haki activating.
Feeling the new power awakening, Nojiko immediately responded.
Ikki checked Nojiko's personal attribute panel:
[Name: Nojiko]
[Age: 20 years old]
[Weapon: Minazuki]
[Life Force: 15008, level A]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Iron-Cutting Realm]
[Swordsmanship Schools: Water Breathing, Sun Breathing, Tashigi's One-Sword Style]
[Special Abilities: Elementary Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki]
'Now Nojiko has two types of Haki,' Ikki thought. 'But I wonder how long it will take for her A-level life force to activate a Demon Slayer Mark.'
Ikki looked up at Nojiko as she came back to her senses.
"Nojiko, Vivi, you two go prepare for sailing and say goodbye to King Cobra," he instructed. "Nami, go rest for a while. We'll set off in two hours."
Hearing this, Nojiko and Vivi immediately nodded and left the Sword Training Room with Ikki.
"Is the special training over, Ikki?" Gion asked as they emerged from the room.
Her eyes were fixed on Nami. She could clearly feel the powerful aura surrounding her now.
'This feeling... it's the same as when I advanced in swordsmanship,' Gion thought. 'This woman has definitely grown stronger again!'
Gion narrowed her eyes slightly. Nami's transformation made her even more curious about both Nami and Ikki.
"You're still here, Gion, Hina," Ikki said. "We're getting ready to leave Alabasta. I think it's about time you two returned to Marine Headquarters."
While Ikki was talking, Nami walked into the gym.
Vivi and Nojiko headed toward the palace to say goodbye to Cobra and prepare supplies for the voyage.
"We'll leave with you and then head to Marine Headquarters," Gion said with a smile. "May I ask where you're going next?"
"Well, we're following the Log Pose to the next island," Ikki shrugged. "If we find any famous swords, I'll collect them."
He started walking toward Chaka and Pell, Alabasta's two great warriors. Before leaving, Ikki planned to give them some advice.
"By the way, there's something I forgot to tell you, Ikki," Hina said, following him. "The senior Baroque Works agents captured on your ship have been taken away by us."
"What?" Ikki stopped and looked at Hina with a slight frown. "You took the agents from my ship? Although we're familiar with each other, isn't it inappropriate for you to board my ship without permission?"
At this moment, Ikki thought of Nico Robin hiding on his boat.
"Hina just wanted to find you at the time," she explained.
"So you just took away the agents I worked so hard to capture?" Ikki asked.
"The purpose of capturing them was to learn more about Crocodile, and the bounties would have been given to you."
"This isn't about bounties. Did you capture everyone on my ship?"
Ikki rubbed his head, feeling a little frustrated.
He couldn't tell Hina that he'd captured those Baroque Works agents intending to use their Devil Fruits to help his crewmates achieve Bankai with their Zanpakutō.
"High-level agents Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger, Mr. 2, Mr. 3... a total of 7 people," Hina listed. "We released Mr. 3's partner, the child. As for the rest, Hina plans to take them to Impel Down after we leave."
"Ikki, weren't you going to hand them over to the Marines anyway?"
Hina looked at Ikki suspiciously. With her intelligence, she could clearly see his disappointment.
'Seven people, so Nico Robin wasn't caught,' Ikki thought with relief.
"Well..." Ikki hesitated, "I like beautiful women."
"You like beautiful women?"
"Yeah, Miss Doublefinger and Miss Valentine on the Explorer are both good-looking. I captured them because I actually wanted to keep them on the Explorer."
"Hina sees that you're a man who's greedy for beauty," Hina snorted coldly, remembering how Ikki had looked at her during their training sessions.
"What about the others? Why did you keep Mr. 1 and the rest? And why did you treat that Mr. 1 specially?"
"Those guys... I wanted to keep a few to help me control the ship. Do you believe that?"
"Haha, your Explorer isn't big enough to need that many people to control it."
"Don't worry about it, Hina. Just return those people to me, they'll be useful."
"Unfortunately, they've already been taken away by the warship that left earlier."
"What?!"
Hearing this, Ikki frowned even more.
Nami was just one Devil Fruit away from being able to achieve Bankai.
He'd thought the Devil Fruit was ready, but now he learned that all the senior agents had been taken away.
It was quite a setback.
"It seems Ikki is very upset about those senior agents being taken," Gion observed with a chuckle. "In that case, how about Hina and I accompany you for a while? Consider it compensation for taking those agents."
"Seriously? You think taking a walk with me counts as compensation?" Ikki covered his face, looking embarrassed.
"What, you don't think it's good enough for Hina and Vice Admiral Gion to accompany you?" Hina grabbed Ikki's collar impatiently. "Are Hina and Vice Admiral Gion not as attractive as Miss Doublefinger and Miss Valentine?"
"That's not it at all. You two definitely have the advantage in looks and figure," Ikki sighed. "But... fine, since you want to make it up to me, be my models. Before I leave, let me paint some pictures of you two to keep in my collection."
Ikki gave up on the idea of getting Mr. 1 and the others back.
He couldn't tell Gion and Hina that the Zanpakutō needed to absorb Devil Fruits.
He'd have to settle for the next best thing and satisfy his artistic desires.
'Devil Fruit power... there's Bellamy with the Spring-Spring Fruit on the next island,' Ikki thought to himself. 'Maybe we can use him to help Nami achieve Bankai.'
Although it was disappointing to lose Mr. 1 and the others, since there were alternatives at their next destination, Ikki figured it wasn't a major problem.
"Models? Are you going to make us wear sexy outfits while you paint us, Ikki?" Gion asked with a laugh.
After spending the past few days with him, she knew Ikki had a hobby of drawing beautiful women.
During their training, he often sketched Nami and the others.
Gion even knew that Ikki had painted some rather revealing pictures of Hina.
Of course, she hadn't told Hina about this.
"Ikki, how exactly do you want us to model for you?" Hina asked with a frown.
"Well, I'd like you to wear all kinds of outfits," Ikki replied, his mouth curving into a smile. "Alabastan dancer costumes, bunny girl outfits, maid uniforms, qipaos, gothic styles, swimsuits, and so on!"
As he spoke, he seemed to be imagining Gion and Hina wearing these various clothes.
"In that case, let's go shopping first, Ikki," Gion suggested with a smile. "If we don't buy these clothes, we can't change into what you want to draw, right?"
For her, Ikki had already seen her in a bathrobe.
It didn't matter to Gion if she wore other clothes and posed as his model.
As long as he didn't paint anything too revealing.
Alabasta Coast, Explorer.
"Ikki, let's... what are you doing?"
Nami walked into the captain's cabin and gave Hina and Gion a strange look. They were wearing Marine uniforms and striking poses next to Ikki.
"The Marines captured the Baroque Works agents I originally kept on board," Ikki explained, pausing his painting to carefully compare his work with the models standing opposite him.
"So these two are compensating me by letting me draw their portraits in various outfits."
"I have to say, you two look best in your original Marine uniforms. Strength and beauty coexisting perfectly."
Ikki smiled and handed the portraits of Gion and Hina to them.
"Hmph, Hina thought you liked the swimsuit paintings more," Hina took the picture and her eyes lit up with surprise. "This painting... is different from how we were just posing?"
"What I'm working on now is a portrait of you using your respective breathing styles," Ikki explained. "What Hina's holding is a portrait of her wielding Flame Breathing. And Gion's shows her using Moon Breathing."
"Are you planning to give us these paintings?" Gion asked.
"Well, you've given me plenty to look at and I've done lots of drawings. I've already finished your portraits in Marine uniforms, and you two learned Moon Breathing and Flame Breathing from me. Though it was a transaction, you could say it was fate that brought us together. These paintings are tokens of our connection. If you like them, maybe hang them on your wall."
Ikki stood up and put his brushes and a stack of drawings into the cabinet beside him.
"It's a nice portrait. Hina will give you the honor of hanging it up," Hina nodded slightly and tucked the drawing away.
"Then I'm truly honored," Ikki laughed. "Now, if you two don't mind, it's almost time for us to set sail."
Hearing Ikki's polite dismissal, Gion and Hina nodded. After saying goodbye to Nami and the others, they left the Explorer and returned to their Marine warship, setting course for Marine Headquarters.
"Ikki, are you really letting them leave like this?" Nojiko asked after the Marine warship departed. "Without a Devil Fruit, Nami won't be able to achieve Bankai with her Zanpakutō."
"We don't have much choice. The senior agents have already been taken by another Marine warship," Ikki shook his head and sighed. "It's partly my fault for not checking on this sooner. But don't worry, even though those agents are gone, I can still find other Devil Fruit users. That Nico Robin couldn't even call to tell me what was happening here."
"Ikki, are you blaming me?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind everyone.
"Nico Robin, it's you!" Vivi exclaimed, immediately walking toward her angrily. "You woman, do you know that because of you, Ikki and I..."
"Is it because of me that you married Ikki?" Nico Robin interrupted with a smirk.
"You... you know?"
"Haha, it's all over Alabasta. How could I not know?"
"You know everything and you're still laughing? Do you realize how much trouble you've caused me?" Vivi fumed.
"Really? But you seemed quite happy touring various places with your husband. Or do you think marrying Ikki is such a burden? Don't you like him?"
"No... that's not what I meant!" Vivi quickly shook her head.
"Okay, stop teasing Vivi," Ikki stepped in. "Robin, you're such a troublemaker. I let you see that poneglyph, and then you told Cobra that Vivi was pregnant with my child? And why haven't you contacted me? If I'd known earlier that Hina and the others were taking those senior agents, I could have stopped them."
"I'm sorry, Ikki," Robin apologized. "The Marines were conducting a large-scale manhunt in Alabasta, so I had to keep hiding. I lost my Den Den Mushi while evading them. I feel very guilty about the trouble I've caused, so I'd like to offer my services during your next voyage."
Robin placed her hand over her heart, looking sincere.
"It's not like you to be so sincere, Robin," Ikki said skeptically. "Besides, taking you on our voyage might be problematic. My crewmates might not agree with you sailing with us. Right, Nami, Vivi, Nojiko?"
The three women nodded, confirming Ikki's statement.
"I see..." Robin turned to look at them. "Actually, I've prepared some gifts for everyone. I hope you'll accept them."
She took out a bag of treasure and a bag of oranges from her package, handing them to Nami and Nojiko respectively.
"Well, that's a start," Nojiko said, taking the oranges and glancing at Nami who had quickly accepted the treasure.
"I love oranges. They're hard to find in this desert country," she added with a chuckle. "But how do you plan to convince Princess Vivi and Ikki?"
Robin smiled and looked at Vivi.
"Princess Vivi, I did play a part in saving Alabasta."
"Maybe, but you also did plenty of harm to my country," Vivi pouted. "Besides, it's not up to me. Ikki decides who boards the ship."
She stepped back, revealing Ikki.
"Ikki, will you take me in?" Robin asked directly.
"What if I say no?"
"Please let me come aboard," Robin stepped forward and took Ikki's arm. "Actually, after everything that's happened, I've found that I like you."
"Like me? So you're being sincere? Does that mean I can do whatever I want with you? Is that what you're saying, Robin?"
"As expected of Ikki, always knowing what I'm thinking."
Robin brushed her hair back, a smile flashing in her eyes.
"As I thought, I can't fool you even by pretending to like you. It's surprisingly difficult to appeal to a man's desires."
"How about this — if you let me join your crew, not only will I wear any outfit you want for your paintings, I'll also provide physical therapy and massages whenever you need them."
Hearing this, Ikki's expression remained unchanged as he raised his eyebrows.
"Thanks for the massage offer, but I already have a masseuse," he said, glancing at Nojiko.
Robin smiled, stepped back, and crossed her arms to activate her Devil Fruit ability.
The next moment, Ikki felt two arms growing from his legs, reaching straight for a sensitive area.
'Holy crap, is this how she treated Franky in the original story?' Ikki thought, stunned as he was caught off guard.
Nami and the others watching from the side were equally shocked, looking at Robin with disbelief.
Even Ikki, who knew the original story, hadn't expected Robin to use this tactic, let alone Nami and the others.
"Ikki, you know my Devil Fruit abilities," Robin said with a laugh. "I can make my hands bloom like flowers anywhere within sight. I think my ability would be perfect for helping you relax."
"Dammit, let go of me, woman!" Ikki complained, quickly reaching out to grab the arms created by Robin's Devil Fruit power.
Robin released her ability just in time and looked at Ikki without changing her expression.
"You win, I'm convinced," Ikki shook his head and looked seriously at the tall, black-haired woman. "Do you really want to follow me to see the poneglyphs that badly?"
At the mention of "poneglyphs," Robin's expression immediately became extremely serious.
"Ikki, you know it's my life's dream to explore the poneglyphs. In this world, you're the only one I know who can lead me to some of them. I want to follow you no matter what the cost."
"You said you like women like me. If you haven't already decided to accept me, I'll do my best to win you over during our voyage. If you want children, I can give you as many as you wish."
After hearing this, Ikki didn't react.
Nami and the others, however, immediately blushed.
Even though they all had feelings for Ikki, none of them had thought about having children yet, let alone making such a frank proposition.
"You... I'm convinced," Ikki conceded. "Fine, you can join us. But to avoid trouble, make sure to hide your face when we land on islands. I don't want to deal with problems because of you."
As soon as Ikki finished speaking, Robin broke into a smile.
Although she had appeared calm, only she knew how nervous she'd been.
She had tried similar tactics before to get Ikki to let her aboard the Explorer, without success.
To be honest, she hadn't been confident it would work this time either.
It wasn't until Ikki nodded that she truly felt relief wash over her.
"Give me your hand, and I'll seal our partnership," Ikki said.
"Does your partnership seal have to be on the back of my hand, Ikki?" Robin asked.
"Not necessarily."
"If it doesn't have to be on my hand, why not place it over my heart?" Robin chuckled softly, raising her hand to her chest.
"Or perhaps here?" she added with a suggestive smile, moving her hand lower.
"Hey, that's enough!" Vivi finally exclaimed, unable to hold back any longer. "I'm telling you, he's not that kind of person."
She pursed her lips, scolding Robin for her extremely flirtatious words and behavior.
"But maybe Ikki would prefer to place his mark on other parts of my body?" Robin continued, undeterred. "Besides, my identity is quite sensitive, so it would be better to engrave your partner's seal somewhere more private. Don't you think so, Ikki?"
Robin glanced at Vivi, then looked at Ikki with a smile.
Since Ikki had promised to let her aboard, Robin was truly happy. With his promise to show her more poneglyphs, she couldn't help but look forward to their journey together.
"That makes sense. It should be placed somewhere less visible," Ikki nodded.
To everyone's surprise, Robin actually lowered the waistband of her skirt slightly, revealing her pale skin.
Seeing this, Ikki felt a bit embarrassed but didn't comment further. He simply placed his mark on her body.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for gaining Nico Robin, the 4th partner. Special reward for Host: Novice Swordsman Challenge Permission.]
[Name: Nico Robin]
[Age: 28 years old]
[Weapon: None]
[Life Force: 660, level C]
[Swordsmanship Realm: None]
[Swordsmanship School: None]
[Ability: Flower-Flower Fruit]
'For C-level life force, her starting points are quite high,' Ikki thought. 'That'll save some training time.'
Ikki looked at Robin's personal attributes, then handed the Konpira sword (which contained the power of Zanpakutō Senbonzakura) to her.
"Welcome aboard, Robin. This Senbonzakura is yours to use. Its ability is somewhat similar to your Flower-Flower Fruit," he explained. "Now that we're partners, it's better not to behave like you just did. It doesn't match the mature, intellectual impression I have of you. That's something only Nami would do."
As he finished, Ikki glanced at Nami standing nearby.
"What do you mean 'only I would do'?" Nami protested. "Do I usually touch you so casually? And you even placed your partner's seal in such a place!"
Nami pouted, looking at Ikki accusingly.
"Alright, enough complaining," Ikki said, patting Nami's shoulder reassuringly. "Let's set sail first. Then we'll have a welcoming ceremony for our new crewmate."
Ikki looked at Nojiko, Vivi, and the newly joined Robin.
"Yay!" Nojiko and Vivi raised their hands in the air and gave a half-hearted cheer.
"Come on, can't you be more enthusiastic?" Ikki shook his head. This was the problem with having only female crewmates – sometimes they lacked the energy he wanted.
Nojiko and Vivi smiled and turned to prepare for the voyage.
"Ikki, where are we going next?" Robin asked.
Unlike the others, as a new crewmate, she knew nothing about their planned course.
Of course, what she really wanted to know was where they might find another poneglyph.
"First, we're heading to Jaya Island," Ikki explained. "There's a town called Mock Town where a pirate named Bellamy is staying. If Nami wants to achieve Bankai with her sword, we need the Devil Fruit in his body as a catalyst."
Now that Robin was a crewmate, Ikki didn't mind explaining that Zanpakutō needed Devil Fruits to progress.
"I see, so the sword you gave me needs Devil Fruit abilities to gain power," Robin said thoughtfully. "That's why you kept Mr. 1 and the others – for the Devil Fruit abilities in their bodies."
"By the way, Ikki, if Zanpakutō can absorb Devil Fruit power without killing people, could I contribute my Flower-Flower Fruit power to help Nami achieve Bankai? After all, it's because of me that you lost those Devil Fruit users."
After understanding Zanpakutō better, Robin felt even more apologetic and eager to make amends with Ikki and Nami.
Hearing this, Nami looked over with surprise.
"No way," she said before Ikki could speak. "It's just a Devil Fruit. Robin, you're already our crewmate. I don't want to use my friend's power to achieve Bankai with my Zanpakutō."
"Nami's right," Ikki agreed. "I don't intend to make you lose your Flower-Flower Fruit ability either. Besides, if you lost that power, how would you fulfill your promise about using your ability to give me massages?"
Ikki waved his hand dismissively.
"So Ikki was looking forward to my massages after all," Robin observed with a smile.
"A massage is just a massage," Ikki clarified. "Don't pull that sneaky move you did earlier."
"Then I'll save it for when I truly fall in love with you."
"Well... that seems fair," Ikki nodded thoughtfully.
"I said, if you two have time to flirt, how about helping us with the work?" Nami interrupted, pouting.
"Haha, looks like my senior crewmate is jealous," Robin laughed. "I'll go help with the preparations, Ikki."
Robin waved to Ikki, then quickly walked over to Nami and began following her instructions.
Ikki, having rested enough and with nothing else to do, went to help Nojiko with her tasks.
A few minutes later, the Explorer officially sailed away from the coast of Alabasta, heading toward their next destination.
Explorer, Sword Training Room.
A petite figure flew up and down in the arena, swinging a long sword in her hand.
Every slash she made was as elegant and soft as flower petals, as if blossoms were unfurling with each movement.
"Watch carefully, Robin," Ikki said, turning to look at Robin after the demonstration ended. "With your abilities, even though you haven't learned swordsmanship yet, you should be able to defeat the sword shadow of 'Kanao Tsuyuri' in this training room."
Looking at the beautiful woman before him, Ikki couldn't help but feel the coincidence was remarkable.
Robin not only had the Flower-Flower Fruit ability, but the Zanpakutō he gave her was also Senbonzakura, which had flower-like characteristics.
Now, even the sword shadow obtained using the "Novice Swordsman Challenge Permission" was from Kanao Tsuyuri, who used "Flower Breathing."
Robin seemed destined to be associated with flowers in every way.
"What beautiful swordsmanship," Robin commented. "Ikki, if I defeat her, I'll gain her swordsmanship style, right?"
Though Ikki had explained how the sword shadows worked, Robin still found it quite mysterious.
"That's right. Beat her and you'll master the 'Flower Breathing' style she uses."
"I understand," Robin nodded slightly, confidence flashing in her eyes. "Though I don't know swordsmanship, if my opponent is who I just saw, I can win. She was fast with her final move, but against my Devil Fruit ability, that speed isn't enough."
Ikki nodded in agreement. In the original story, Robin had defeated many swordsmen using her Flower-Flower Fruit ability.
Without sufficient strength, it was difficult to get the better of Nico Robin.
"Go ahead then. I believe in you," Ikki encouraged. "After you defeat Kanao Tsuyuri, try to defeat Zoro's sword shadow, a Mountain-Cutting realm swordsman. That will let you reach the Iron-Cutting realm of swordsmanship."
Ikki glanced at the remaining 'Iron-Cutting Realm Swordsman Zoro Challenge Permission' in his system space.
Hearing this, Robin smiled softly and stepped into the arena.
Just as she predicted, Robin, with her higher life force and Flower-Flower Fruit ability, easily defeated Kanao's sword shadow.
She then used the same method to defeat Zoro's Iron-Cutting realm sword shadow.
[Name: Nico Robin]
[Age: 28 years old]
[Weapon: Senbonzakura]
[Life Force: 660, level C]
[Swordsmanship Realm: Iron-Cutting Realm]
[Swordsmanship School: Flower Breathing]
[Ability: Flower-Flower Fruit]
'Now she's somewhat like a swordsman,' Ikki thought, glancing at Robin's updated attributes before looking up at her as she walked out of the arena with a relaxed expression.
Robin approached him. "Ikki, what kind of training will we do next?"
She looked at Ikki with excitement in her eyes.
After truly experiencing the power gained from challenging sword shadows, she understood how Vivi had become stronger so quickly.
She also understood Ikki's abilities better.
Just the fact that someone could quickly gain swordsmanship knowledge by challenging sword shadows would make swordsmen all over the sea go crazy with envy.
'No wonder Ikki is confident about forming a fleet of great swordsmen,' Robin thought to herself.
"Next is training in the gym," Ikki said. "Here, these nutritional potions are for you. Using them while exercising in the gym will help you become stronger quickly."
As he spoke, Ikki seemingly pulled seven bottles of C-level nutritional potion and two bottles of B-level nutritional potion out of nowhere, handing them to Robin.
With Robin's life force at 660 points, these potions would be just enough to raise her to A-level.
"I understand, Ikki. I'll go to the gym to train," Robin said, placing the nine bottles of nutritional potion into a box.
Having easily gained swordsmanship power, she was highly motivated to benefit from the system's training.
"Wait a moment, Robin," Ikki raised his hand to stop her.
"What is it, Ikki?"
"Nothing important. I just want you to see the power of the sword you're holding before you go to the gym."
"My sword?" Robin looked at the blade in her hand that Ikki had called Senbonzakura. "So it does have special powers!"
Inside the Sword Training Room.
Ikki raised his hand and pointed at Senbonzakura, the sword at Robin's waist.
Senbonzakura let out a low hum, then flew toward the center of the Sword Training Room.
Just as Robin was beginning to look confused, Senbonzakura emitted a pink light that enveloped everything around them.
Robin closed her eyes instinctively. When she opened them again after adjusting to the brightness, she found that she, Ikki, Nami, and the others were standing in a vast, empty wasteland.
A few hundred meters away stood a handsome man with long hair, light purple eyes, a cold expression, and wearing white robes with a nobleman's kenseikan headpiece.
Senbonzakura was now in this man's hands.
"Is this... a sword shadow?" Robin murmured, glancing at Nami and the others.
She noticed they were all looking at the mysterious man with neutral expressions, clearly not surprised at all by what was happening.
'They must have experienced this before,' Robin thought, looking at the swords at the waists of Nami and the others.
"Robin, the Zanpakutō Senbonzakura's original owner is Byakuya Kuchiki, the man you see before you," Ikki explained, placing his hand on Robin's shoulder and pointing forward. "Your current strength isn't sufficient to use Senbonzakura's full power yet, but I can show you how Byakuya Kuchiki wields it."
"Byakuya Kuchiki?" Robin looked toward where the nobleman stood.
Byakuya was now surrounded by several monstrous Hollows over 5 meters tall.
Ikki snapped his fingers, and Byakuya's previously vacant eyes became more lively.
Robin watched as he held Senbonzakura in front of him, his eyes growing colder.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura."
As he spoke these words, Robin was amazed to see the Zanpakutō in Byakuya's hand dissolve.
It transformed into thousands of cherry blossom petals surrounding him.
The Hollows attacking Byakuya were sliced by these tiny, petal-like blades, falling to the ground and dissolving into black smoke.
"Such beautiful petals... but so dangerous," Robin murmured, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"It is truly a beautiful sword. I've only seen such beauty in the Sode no Shirayuki that Vivi carries," Nami commented. "Wait, Ikki, you said Senbonzakura's original owner was Byakuya Kuchiki! And the original owner of Vivi's Sode no Shirayuki was Rukia Kuchiki. They share the same family name. Are they related?"
"Indeed," Ikki nodded slightly. "Rukia Kuchiki is Byakuya Kuchiki's sister. Rukia's biological sister was Byakuya's wife."
"I see!" Nami nodded in understanding.
"I didn't expect that my sword and Princess Vivi's have such a connection. This must be fate," Robin said with a slight smile, looking at Vivi.
"Honestly, I could do without this kind of fate," Vivi sighed, holding her forehead as if she had a headache.
"Keep watching, Robin," Ikki directed her attention back to Byakuya Kuchiki.
"When Senbonzakura is in Shikai form, the blade breaks down into thousands of tiny blades invisible to the naked eye, cutting enemies from all directions. But this means after releasing Shikai, you have no sword in hand for defense."
"However, to protect its wielder, Senbonzakura creates a 'safe zone' within a radius of about 85 centimeters around you, where the blades never enter. So you don't need to worry about being vulnerable when your sword disperses, unless your opponent is exceptionally strong or you voluntarily deactivate the safe zone."
"Also, while Shikai prevents you from using Senbonzakura as a normal sword, this limitation can be overcome with Bankai."
As Ikki finished speaking, Senbonzakura reformed into its original sword shape in Byakuya's hands.
Once again, many Menos Grande Hollows surrounded Byakuya.
"Bankai! Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Byakuya turned his blade downward and gently released Senbonzakura.
The blade fell to the ground, creating ripples as if dropping into water, and then disappeared into the earth.
Just as Robin and the others were looking on in confusion, hundreds of giant blades suddenly rose up on both sides of Byakuya.
Immediately afterward, these huge blades exploded, transforming into millions of tiny cherry blossom blades that engulfed all the Menos Grande.
In an instant, the Menos Grande were shredded by the countless petal blades and dissipated into the air.
"What a beautiful sight!" Robin couldn't help but exclaim at the scene that was both breathtaking and deadly.
"In Bankai, the blade fragments of Senbonzakura increase a thousandfold," Ikki explained softly. "Of course, the exact number depends on the wielder's ability."
"They truly are siblings," Nojiko observed. "Both Byakuya Kuchiki and Rukia Kuchiki have such beautiful swords. By the way, Ikki, you said Bankai solves the problem of having no sword for defense, but Byakuya still doesn't have a blade in his hand."
"Just keep watching," Ikki replied with a mysterious smile.
Everyone turned their attention back to Byakuya.
"Gokei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Byakuya whispered, and all the petal blades transformed from Senbonzakura gathered around a newly appeared Menos Grande.
Then they suddenly contracted, slicing into the Hollow from all directions.
Robin's eyes widened slightly. Though she couldn't see what was happening inside the sphere of petals, she understood the outcome.
Any Hollow caught in this technique would certainly be destroyed.
'If he used this move against Crocodile,' Robin thought, 'even with his Logia ability, it would be quite troublesome.'
Though Crocodile could transform his body into countless grains of sand, Robin doubted he could escape unharmed from millions of cutting blades.
"Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Another low command from Byakuya.
He suddenly raised his hand toward the sky.
The scattered petal blades began to gather around him, forming into a series of slender swords.
A cylindrical barrier of blades formed, penetrating sky and earth, surrounding Byakuya completely.
Then, one of the blades from the barrier flew out and landed in Byakuya's hand.
Byakuya, now wielding a solid blade again, immediately began fighting with an orange-haired young man in a black coat who held a slender black sword.
"Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is a technique Byakuya developed for his Bankai," Ikki explained. "Within this barrier, external attacks are ineffective against Byakuya. The battlefield inside favors him completely. And those swords surrounding him can fly to his hand or attack his enemies through his thoughts alone."
"I see, that does solve the no-sword problem," Nojiko nodded. "But Ikki, isn't that sword the orange-haired boy is holding the same black sword you used when fighting Vice Admiral Gion?"
Nojiko looked curiously at the orange-haired fighter, then at Ikki.
Besides his appearance, the clothes Ikki wore and the blade he wielded when fighting Gion were exactly the same as the orange-haired boy's.
Robin looked at Ikki with interest when she heard this.
She was surprised to learn he had fought Gion, and also curious about his own sword.
If a new crewmate like her could receive a Zanpakutō like Senbonzakura, Robin imagined Ikki's own sword must be even more powerful.
"Well... the original owner of my sword is indeed that orange-haired boy, Ichigo Kurosaki," Ikki admitted. "However, my sword is more direct, focusing on increasing attack power and speed. Anyway, let's keep watching. Byakuya's techniques with Senbonzakura aren't finished yet. Robin, since you'll be using this sword from now on, pay close attention."
Hearing this, Robin nodded solemnly and focused on Byakuya.
"Shūkei: Hakuteiken!" Byakuya called out, pointing his blade forward.
The surrounding blades transformed back into cherry blossom petals and began to gather on his sword.
In an instant, white light radiated from the blade.
From a distance, the petals gathered on the sword appeared to form two white wings.
After completing this transformation, Byakuya faced off against Ichigo Kurosaki.
Ichigo fearlessly rushed toward Byakuya.
The two collided, creating an explosion of white and black light.
The surrounding landscape was instantly torn apart.
A powerful wave of pressure enveloped Robin, Nami, and the others as the two fighters clashed.
They involuntarily stepped back and closed their eyes.
"So beautiful and so powerful!" Robin exclaimed. "Can I really master such power?"
"Of course, as long as you train diligently," Ikki assured her. "Just don't waste the nutritional potions I gave you."
His expression grew serious as he placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Robin, exploring the Void Century is extremely dangerous. The World Government will try to stop you, but many poneglyphs are also held by the Yonko in the New World. If you truly want to discover that history, you must become stronger. That way, you'll have more opportunities to unveil the truth of those hundred missing years."
"In the hands of... the Yonko?" Robin's heart raced, and she clenched her fists involuntarily.