Rodin's reply was immediate.
Before Marine could even react, he made his move. He didn't know how long they would be remain Water Seven, so the sooner they went, the better. Besides, today's battle had been a good warm-up for everyone. The real storm, the true war, had yet to come.
Around three hours later, Rodin came out of his practice session, letting out a soft sigh.
In front of him, a translucent, ghostly figure shimmered into existence. It was Tashigi! Her appearance and figure were perfectly reproduced.
"What... what's going on?" Tashigi stood before Rodin, her eyes wide with confusion. "Didn't I... die?"
But a moment later, a flood of information rushed into her mind, overwhelming her senses. She was now the ship spirit of the Ark. There were new abilities she could wield, and a new kind of powers to master. It was all too much, and so fast, that it left her dizzy.
"Where are your clothes?" Rodin's gaze drifted slightly, causing Tashigi to freeze.
"Ah!" she shrieked, quickly crossing her arms to cover herself. Her reaction was a little slow, but soon, following the new instincts in her mind, she willed a set of clothes into existence and put them on.
"Mr. Rodin, you... you're a pervert!" Tashigi's face was beet-red with embarrassment. "As a man, you..."
"You appeared in front of me yourself. Can you really blame me?" Rodin shot back, a teasing glint in his eyes. He rose from his throne in the main hall and began to walk toward her.
But with his first step, Tashigi's expression changed dramatically.
"Ugh..." She clamped a hand over her mouth, a look of pure pain on her face, and stumbled back.
Rodin paused, confused. He then deliberately lifted his right foot and stomped hard on the golden deck.
"No, don't!" Tashigi cried out, clutching her body. "Mr. Rodin, every time you step on the deck, I... I feel it all over!"
"A simulated touch?" Rodin raised an eyebrow. He knelt down and gently ran a hand along the deck's surface.
"Mr. Rodin, don't touch there!" Tashigi's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. The Ark was her new body, and she could feel every change. Rodin touching the deck... it felt like he was touching her.
"Where?" he asked, looking up at her with mock innocence.
Tashigi trembled, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Mr. Rodin... you..."
"Ahem, by the way, can't you adjust your perception?" he asked, suddenly serious.
"Uh... I think so," she stammered.
"Well, you should get to know yourself better, then." Rodin stopped his teasing. An arc of electricity flashed around his body, and he teleported back to the throne. He had to admit, moving with the speed and form of lightning was exhilarating. It was no wonder Enel had neglected his physical training.
"Tashigi, you have a new life now," Rodin's expression grew serious. "From this moment on, you are the controller of the Ark Maxim. You'll be responsible for the ship's functions, navigation and investigating any issues that arise."
"Understood," she replied. Though the fact of her death still felt unreal, she couldn't disobey the command of the ship's captain.
As Tashigi tried to wrap her mind around her new reality, Rodin opened his system panel.
[Host] Rodin
[Subordinates] Crocodile, Mihoko, Baki, Dove
[Ship Spirit] Tashigi
Abilities: Control Airship, Repair Hull, Self-Upgrade
Note: Ship spirits feed on electricity.
[Bound Ship] Ark Maxim
Level: Two Stars (Core hardness can withstand full attacks from two-star characters)
Rodin closed the panel. Two stars. That was it. It could only withstand the full attacks of characters at that level. It was far from enough. The Ark's initial acceleration wasn't great either; it needed to be faster. If it were discovered and destroyed while it was still getting up to speed, that would be a disaster. They absolutely had to go to Water Seven to collect materials for an upgrade.
Rodin placed his hands on the metal orbs on either side of his throne, and a flash of electricity pulsed through them, beginning to charge the ship.
"Ugh..." Tashigi let out a soft, comfortable murmur. Electricity was her sustenance now.
After just half a minute, the ship was fully charged. One full charge could keep them flying for about half a day. If Rodin had to describe the ship's drawbacks, it was the small capacity. Its biggest advantage, however, was its lightning-fast charging.
"Water Seven, don't disappoint me."
Meanwhile, at Marineford.
Inside the tallest building, engraved with the word 'Justice,' a high-level meeting was underway. All Vice Admirals and higher-ranking Marines were present.
At the head of the table, Sengoku's face was grim and furious. "Another Warlord has died. How am I supposed to explain this?!"
His gaze swept across the room, finally landing on the bandaged Kizaru, who sat silently. "Kizaru, report!"
Kizaru frowned, a feeling like being called on in while whole class watching over him. The difference was, he was prepared.
"Oh... take it easy, Sengoku..." Kizaru began, only to be cut off by a sharp look from Tsuru.
"It's not entirely Marine's fault this time," he said, her fingers laced together. "Doflamingo's String-String Fruit abilities were used in an unexpected way, especially the Birdcage that isolated the area and blocked our signals. That's why our reinforcements couldn't arrive in time. But their actions were simply too fast."
"A-la-la, it's more than that..." Aokiji chimed in, his eye covered by a bandage. "There was Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit. The slashes and power of Hawkeye... and an ability similar to East Blue's Buggy, though it was on a much higher level."
The room fell silent as everyone processed his last statement. "The key point," Aokiji continued, "is that aside from being female... their clothes and appearance all seemed to have corresponding prototypes."
Could it be the Warlords? Or was it the abilities of the Marines... even the Four Emperors... or the Five Elders?!