Gunfire hammered across the deck, bullets ripping through the air like a storm of steel needles. They tore into Mahoraga's arms, stomach, and thighs, blooming into crimson bursts that splattered across the planks.
But the strange part was how quickly the wounds closed. Flesh knit itself together in seconds. Aside from the blood stains, there was no sign he'd ever been hurt.
Above Mahoraga's head, the Wheel let out a deep hum as it spun like a propeller.
That sound marked the start of adaptation.
In only a few moments, Mahoraga had already adjusted to the Marines' guns, reading their rhythm and power. It could even predict a bullet's path from the flash at each muzzle, giving it enough insight to dodge.
Even so, Mahoraga stayed put and continued taking some of the hits. As Dan's innate Shikigami, it was far more intelligent than it looked, willingly tanking damage just to accelerate its analysis.
"Where did this thing come from?"
Vice Admiral Olek strode onto the deck, eyes locked on the white figure ahead. "Some kind of Zoan user? Or a member of a special race? One thing's certain. Its regeneration is incredible."
The Grand Line was full of odd species. Even Kaido, chained in the ship's brig, belonged to the horned oni race.
But Olek had to admit: this white demon was stranger than anything he'd seen before.
Even with his years of battlefield experience, he couldn't tell what it was.
He didn't forget his job, either. He turned sharply. "Where are Dan and Kaido?"
A Marine stuffing powder into a rifle shouted back, "Still in the prison! No movement! But Vice Admiral Olek, our guns can't kill this monster!"
"Of course they can't!" Olek snapped. "They're too weak!"
"Fall back. Leave the rest to me."
He tore off his cloak with one swift motion and tossed it aside. After loosening his collar, he rolled his shoulders and straightened his stance.
High above them, the surveillance Den Den Mushi opened its eyes, transmitting everything to Marine HQ where Fleet Admiral Kong watched intently.
This was Olek's chance to shine in front of the top brass.
"Soru."
With a low command, power burst beneath his feet, blasting the air apart. His figure vanished in an instant.
"Shigan."
He reappeared in front of Mahoraga, the distance closed in a heartbeat.
From observation, this white demon didn't seem capable of sharp offense. It behaved more like an extremely durable sandbag.
If he struck a vital point, he could probably bring it down.
In that flash of a moment, both of Olek's index fingers darkened with Armament Haki. His arms blurred into shadows as his Shigan thrusts pierced toward Mahoraga's heart like a storm of blades.
Bright red holes erupted across Mahoraga's pale skin.
The Marines watching exhaled in relief. Their frantic reloading slowed as confidence returned.
"As expected of Vice Admiral Olek! To unleash dozens of Shigan strikes in a single second…!"
"He must've pierced that thing's heart! It's done!"
"Look at all that blood, it won't last!"
Meanwhile, inside the prison—
Kaido listened to the Marines cheering. His appetite died instantly. He hefted his spiked club and paced restlessly.
"Big bro, what's happening out there? Maybe I should go."
Dan shook his head. "No need."
Because at that moment, his mind was filled with crisp notifications.
---
Ding.
"Mahoraga has detected the movement pattern of 'Soru.' Adapting…"
"Mahoraga was struck by 'Armament Haki.' Parsing…"
"Mahoraga was struck by 'Rankyaku.' Adapting…"
Ding.
"Mahoraga was struck by 'Shigan.'"
"Adaptation complete."
"Parsing complete."
"New combat technique 'Flying Shigan' has been generated."
"You have gained full understanding of 'Shigan' and 'Flying Shigan.'"
---
A surge of combat experience poured into Dan like a tidal wave. Force application, angles, timing — every detail etched itself into his mind. For the first time since arriving in this world, the feeling of growing stronger had weight and warmth.
He almost couldn't stop himself from smiling.
With the Shikigami Temple enhancing everything, Mahoraga's battle data became so clean and precise that Dan could internalize it instantly.
In just a short period, he'd gained the equivalent of years of harsh training.
"Good. Keep pushing him. Once he's out of options, finish him."
Dan understood Mahoraga's weakness. When hit by an attack far beyond anything it had encountered before, it could be one-shot before adapting. That "first encounter kill" was always possible.
Fortunately, Olek was a vice admiral. Strong, but not overwhelmingly so. With that in mind, Dan let Mahoraga operate freely.
He intended to squeeze every last drop of value from this first opponent.
"Time's up."
Dan turned toward the now-broken cell door. "Let's go."
---
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
The surveillance Den Den Mushi projected a beam of light onto the wall, showing the live battle on the warship.
Kong frowned as he watched. "Only Dan and Kaido are listed as prisoners. This creature isn't on any manifest. Can any of you identify what it is?"
Sengoku sat on a sofa, thumb tracing the rim of his teacup as he spoke thoughtfully.
"Maybe one of them is an ability user. Devil Fruits are unpredictable. Summoning a white demon isn't too far-fetched."
Kong didn't look away from the screen. "But according to my information, neither Dan nor Kaido is a Devil Fruit user."
Tsuru rested her chin on one hand. "Its movements are clumsy. It's relying purely on regeneration to stay in the fight. It's too early to draw conclusions. Once Olek captures it, we can study it."
Garp sat with his arms crossed, leg bouncing lazily. "Weird stuff shows up on the sea all the time."
"Olek has used almost every technique he knows, and it's been ten minutes. He still hasn't won." Kong's voice dropped. "Normally, wounds like these would drain stamina even with strong regeneration. But this situation… something's off."
On the monitor—
Olek had been burning through every skill he had, stacking damage to try to force the white demon down.
But the price was steep.
His breathing turned shallow. Sweat poured down his face. His limbs trembled from exhaustion.
Mahoraga looked completely overwhelmed, constantly knocked around.
But its condition remained disturbingly stable.
At that moment—
Olek leapt high into the air, rage twisting his expression. "Bastard! Watch closely! This is my last Rankyaku!!!"
A dozen massive blue crescents burst from his kick, screaming through the air toward Mahoraga.
But this time..
Mahoraga blurred, its arms moving so fast they seemed to multiply. In the blink of an eye, it plucked every Rankyaku cleanly out of the air.
Then tossed them into the sea.
Booming explosions erupted across the water as pillars of spray shot skyward.
Olek's pupils shrank. His breath caught. His face twisted in disbelief.
"How… how is that possible?!"
Only minutes earlier, his Shigan, Rankyaku, and strikes had all landed without fail.
They had only been negated by that terrifying regeneration.
But now—
Mahoraga had caught every single Rankyaku barehanded.