The navigation logbook of the Fetes Pirates was a valuable treasure, and Fetes's swordsmanship manual was an even rarer gem — at least in Aaron's eyes as a swordsman. To him, both were priceless.
Fetes's swordsmanship notes detailed the techniques he practiced and the insights he gained through his training. With this manual in hand, Aaron now had a real chance to learn and master Fetes sword style himself.
Fetes 's swordsmanship originated from his homeland, the Kingdom of Parros — a style of fencing renowned for one defining trait: speed. So fast, in fact, that an opponent might be struck and only realize they'd been cut several seconds later.
However, this style had extremely demanding requirements for its weapon. The sword needed to be light — any excess weight would slow the user down — and razor-sharp. Hence, practitioners of this style almost always wielded slender rapiers.
The rapier Fetes used in his duel against Aaron was a finely crafted weapon forged by a famed bladesmith from his homeland.
"Nose Song Triple Chord..."
As Aaron turned to the final page of the manual and saw these words, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
This was none other than the sword technique Fetes took the most pride in — though it wasn't his own creation. It was a legendary move invented long ago by a great sword master of the Parros Kingdom, a man who had refined this fencing style to its absolute peak.
This technique required the user to perfectly synchronize their footwork, breathing, sword draw, and weapon choice — all to embody speed in its purest form. When executed correctly, the opponent would only realize they had been cut several seconds later, before being overwhelmed by the devastating shock of the strike.
"Sigh… If you had used this move from the start, I might've spared your life," Aaron muttered regretfully, "Would've been nice to keep you around as a live training manual."
He couldn't hide his envy. The move described was one he recognized immediately — a technique he'd long admired.
Without a doubt, the Kingdom of Parros must be the same homeland that one day would give birth to Brook, the future musician and swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. And right now, in Aaron's hands, was the sword technique that would later become Brook's signature move.
The unexpected discovery of Brook's iconic technique filled Aaron with delight. He was already an accomplished swordsman, and the chance to study such a refined move thrilled him to no end.
At present, Aaron had mastered four sword techniques — three of which he'd learned from his mentor, Reggie.
One-Sword Style: Moonlight Rain — a swift barrage of crescent-shaped sword energy slashes capable of striking distant foes. When combined with the power of his Speed-Speed Fruit, he could unleash a downpour of sword energy — perfect for clearing out large numbers of enemies.
One-Sword Style: Draw Slash — a high-speed, focused strike performed in a single instant. When enhanced by his Devil Fruit, it could cleave through boulders several meters tall — ideal for finishing off powerful opponents.
One-Sword Style: Tornado Slash — using a unique swing technique, he could generate a tornado of sword energy, useful for trapping enemies or clearing groups of weaker foes.
One-Sword Style: Rising Dragon Slash — a powerful, charged upward strike that released a dragon-shaped blast of sword energy, effective against massive opponents.
"Ghostcry was a blade specially sought out by the quick-blade user Clark — its defining traits are lightness and sharpness. It's already a fast sword, so it should be perfect for performing Nose Song Triple Chord: Swallow's Tail Slash. If not… I can always use my Munch Munch Fruit to fuse and modify it."
Aaron drew Ghostcry from his waist, admiring its slender and elegant blade before nodding approvingly.
Since obtaining the Munch Munch Fruit, he had already modified the famous sword, fusing it with a special alloy of his own creation — light yet incredibly durable. The alloy was a result of his Devil Fruit's power to merge metals and create new materials.
The Munch Munch Fruit truly excelled at creating new substances, bypassing the usual difficulties of metal fusion and allowing Aaron to invent alloys with entirely new properties.
Such alloys held enormous potential — capable of bringing to life weapons and tools that scientists could only dream of.
In the anime, Wapol Alloy, created by the former king Wapol, became immensely valuable and made him rich again — even allowing him to reclaim his throne.
Aaron naturally desired to reproduce such a valuable material.
Unfortunately, Wapol's discovery had been a complete accident. No one knew exactly what metals he'd eaten to create that alloy, and replicating it would take countless experiments — and perhaps a good deal of luck.
Which is why Aaron believed he'd need to find the Lucky-Lucky Fruit someday if he wanted any hope of recreating Wapol Alloy.
"Bulu bulu bulu~"
Suddenly, a familiar sound pulled Aaron from his reading.
He traced the noise to a section of the wall, immediately drew Ghostcry, and carefully sliced it open — revealing a dull yellow Transponder Snail ringing inside a hidden compartment.
"So it was hidden in a secret panel… This one must be important. I wonder who's calling?"
Aaron hesitated for a moment, considering whether to answer.
Before the caller could hang up, he made his decision — lifting the receiver while motioning for everyone else in the captain's cabin to leave.
The next second, as Aaron picked up the receiver, the Transponder Snail's face shifted — turning grim and cold, with a stitched scar running across its face. Then a deep, commanding male voice came through:
"I am Mr. 0. What took you so long to answer?"
Aaron's eyes narrowed instantly. He knew exactly who he was speaking to.
The man calling himself "Mr. 0" could only be one person — the Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, the Desert King.
Aaron hadn't expected to encounter two infamous pirates in a single day. The coincidence left him both shocked and intrigued.
"Hey! Why aren't you answering? I asked you a question."
Crocodile's irritation grew. The long delay had already soured his mood, and now the silence only made it worse.
"My apologies," Aaron replied softly, modifying his throat with the Munch Munch Fruit to make his voice light and feminine. "If you're looking for Fetes… I'm afraid he's no longer capable of answering."
Meanwhile, in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, within the study of a luxurious mansion in the city of Rainbase, Crocodile sat smoking a cigar.
He listened to the feminine voice coming from the white Transponder Snail on his desk. After a moment of silence, his expression twisted with anger — but just as quickly, it softened.
Taking a long drag of his cigar, he let out a deep laugh.
"Hah… so Fetes got taken down by a woman, did he? Interesting. Tell me your name, powerful lady — I have a very profitable business proposal for you."
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