sg

"I hear something. Let's check it out," said Gion, who'd stayed at the door instead of barging into Ikki's quarters like Hina.

"Right!" Hina stubbed out her cigarette and followed the sound toward the holding cells, with Smoker and the others right behind.

Soon, they found Miss Valentine and the other prisoners all tied up.

"Marine Headquarters?!" Mr. 1 scowled, glaring at Gion and the others outside the cell.

"Is he turning us in to the Marines?" Miss Valentine asked, tears filling her eyes. "No! I don't want to rot in a Marine prison!"

"You're locked up by Ikki, so you must work for Crocodile," Hina said, remembering how Ikki had stored the Black Cat Pirates on his ship before. She figured these prisoners were just more bounties Ikki planned to cash in.

"Your silence tells Hina everything," she said. "We'll take you to our ship for questioning, then find Ikki."

Hina activated her Devil Fruit power, sending black manacles to secure Mr. 1 and the others. Nobody objected. Even though they didn't know all the prisoners, Hina and Smoker recognized Mr. 1 as a killer from West Blue with a big bounty. Plus, for their Crocodile investigation, Headquarters needed to question his crew.

Ikki never thought the people he'd kept as a walking Devil Fruit collection would get snatched up so easily by Hina. While this was happening, he was busy teaching Pell and Chaka swordsmanship and doing his own training.

After dealing with the Baroque Works agents, Hina's group headed into Alabasta toward Alubarna. They sent other Marines to Rain Dinners to dig up dirt on Crocodile's recent activities.

At first, the four officers kept neutral faces. But as they walked through crowded streets, Smoker, Tashigi, and the others started looking uncomfortable.

"What the hell? Ikki married the princess of Alabasta?" Smoker muttered, seeing wedding announcements everywhere. His face darkened as he glanced at Tashigi.

Sure enough, she looked confused and obviously upset.

"The hero who saved the kingdom marrying the princess? Talk about a fairy tale," Hina said, taking a drag from her cigarette. "Wonder if he's settling down here for good."

"Let's hurry up," Smoker said, patting Tashigi's shoulder as he walked faster. "We need to find him and figure out what's going on."

Though he wanted to comfort Tashigi, he clearly sucked at it.

Tashigi bit her lip as she looked at the wedding posters of Ikki and Vivi, unconsciously gripping her sword tighter.

'Ikki, did you really get married?' she wondered.

Meanwhile, in a training room at the Alabasta palace, Chaka and Pell were sparring, sharp wind blades flying between their swords.

At the edge of the room, Vivi, Nami, and Nojiko watched quietly. Behind them were two silver doors labeled "Sword Training Room" and "Gym."

[Ding! You beat Yoriichi Tsugikuni - you get his powers!]

[You've got Mountain-Cutting Realm sword mastery, plus Demon Slayer Mark and Transparent World abilities.]

[Transparent World lets you see through enemies to spot weaknesses. Your own body gets stronger too.]

[The Demon Slayer Mark gives you a power boost by burning energy.]

[Note: Usually the Mark drains your life, but yours won't. Anyone who gets a Mark near you will get the safe version too.]

'Whoa, so that's what this Mark does?' Ikki thought, surprised. 'So I don't have to worry about my friends dying early if they use it.'

Hearing the system's message, Ikki put down his barbell and checked his stats. He already had enough power to get the Demon Slayer Mark, but hadn't activated it because of the known problems. But a Mark without the usual drawbacks? That changed everything.

[Host: Ikki Kurogane] [Age: 25] [Weapon: Zangetsu] [Life Force: 30350, S Level] [Sword Realm: Sky-Cutting] [Special Abilities: Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki, Intermediate Conqueror's Haki, Conqueror's Infusion, Transparent World, Demon Slayer Mark] [Sword Styles: Demon Slayer Breathing, Zoro's Three-Sword Style, Tashigi's One-Sword Style] [Items: E-Level Potion x4, D-Level Potion x1, Mountain-Cutting Swordsman Challenge x1]

'I've got one A-Level Potion left. My life force is over 30,000 now, so I'm S-Level. But with just one potion, I can't help Nami and the others level up.'

Shaking his head, Ikki left the training room. After several days of practice, he knew what A-Level Potions could do. Taking one and training in the gym would boost life force by 5,000 points. For Nami to reach his level, she'd need 12 A-Level Potions. The odds of getting that many in the lottery were terrible.

"Here's some water, Captain," Vivi said, handing him a glass as he came out.

"Thanks," Ikki smiled, taking it.

Looking at Vivi, he couldn't resist trying his new Transparent World ability. Instantly, her clothes and skin became see-through. The princess turned into a map of muscle lines, bones, and organs.

'So this is seeing through the world,' Ikki thought. 'It's a bit too revealing. Maybe I could train it to just see through clothes...'

He shook his head and turned off the ability, planning to work on it later.

"Hey Captain, when'd you get that flame mark on your forehead?" Nami asked, pushing his bangs aside.

A flame-shaped mark the size of a plum blossom was clearly visible to everyone.

"It's not a tattoo—it's a Demon Slayer Mark," Ikki explained, pointing to his forehead. "Doesn't mess up my looks too much, does it?"

"What? A Demon Slayer Mark?!" Nami's face went white as she grabbed his hand. "How'd you activate it? You're already 25! Doesn't that mean you'll die soon?!"

Vivi and Nojiko looked worried too. Chaka and Pell stopped training and rushed over.

"What? Ikki's gonna die?" a familiar voice called out.

"Is that you?" Ikki turned to see Tashigi running toward him, looking panicked.

"Did you really activate the Mark?" she asked, staring at the flame pattern on his forehead.

Behind her were Igaram, Smoker, Hina, and others. Smoker frowned and hurried over. Both he and Tashigi knew from "Demon Slayer" that the Mark burned through life. At Ikki's age, getting the Mark could mean he didn't have long to live.

"Did you use the Mark to beat Crocodile?" Smoker asked, clearly worried.

"Hina doesn't get why everyone's freaking out," Hina said, walking up with her hands in her pockets and looking curiously at Ikki's forehead. "Is this thing bad?"

She reached out to touch the mark.

Off to the side, Gion narrowed her eyes. Though she didn't know the details, she sensed the mark was connected to Ikki's special swordsmanship.

"You don't get it," Smoker explained, frowning. "In 'Demon Slayer,' this mark cuts a swordsman's life short. People who get it after 25 usually die real quick."

"'Demon Slayer'? What's that? Hina has no idea what you're talking about," Hina said, tilting her head in confusion.

"Okay, don't worry, and stop looking at me like that," Ikki said, waving his hand. "I have this Demon Slayer Mark thing, but it won't mess with my lifespan. It didn't show up before because I didn't let it."

"That's a relief! I thought you were gonna die soon," Tashigi sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.

Nami, Vivi, and the others relaxed too.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? You made us worry for nothing!" Nami complained, hitting Ikki's chest.

"But now that I think about it," she added, looking closer, "the mark actually makes you look better. Wait—doesn't it make other swordsmen get marks too? If we hang around you, will we end up with them?"

Nami's eyes widened in panic, though she didn't back away.

"Don't worry, my mark is special," Ikki assured her. "Anyone who gets a mark near me won't die young either. If you get one while you're around me, Nami, yours will work like mine. So don't sweat it."

"You're my first crew member. You think I'd risk your life for power?" Ikki flicked Nami's forehead as she yelped, then nodded to Nojiko and Vivi before turning to Tashigi and Smoker.

"Tashigi, Smoker, thanks for worrying about me. I'm fine."

Smoker nodded. "Not my business, but I see you're married now. And to the princess of Alabasta. How'd that happen so fast?"

As Smoker asked this, Tashigi's head shot up, her eyes fixed on Ikki.

"Well, it's a long story," Ikki replied, glancing at Vivi with a smile.

"Keep it short," Smoker pressed.

"You curious?"

"Let's just say I am," Smoker replied awkwardly. He couldn't exactly admit he was asking for Tashigi's sake.

"We can talk about that later," Ikki suggested. "I doubt you came just to ask about my love life. After all, you even brought a Marine Admiral candidate along."

Ikki nodded toward Vice Admiral Gion, who stood nearby.

"On one hand, we're investigating Baroque Works and Crocodile," she explained. "On the other, we want to know more about how you two defeated him. There's also the matter of Crocodile's goal. He used his position to hunt for an Ancient Weapon. Keep that quiet, okay? The Marines and World Government don't want that getting around."

Ikki nodded. If news about Pluton got out, Alabasta might face more threats like Baroque Works. For Vivi's sake, he'd keep his mouth shut about it.

"Interested in joining the Marines?" Gion asked.

"Join the Marines? No thanks," Ikki replied bluntly.

"That's a shame," Gion shook her head, though she didn't seem surprised. She was just checking a box on Sengoku's to-do list.

"I've heard you're a swordsman with a unique style," she continued, resting her hand on Konpira at her waist. "How about a match?"

Evaluating Ikki's fighting skills was another of her tasks. Hina had said he shouldn't have been able to beat Crocodile, so naturally, Gion was curious. Plus, as a swordsman herself, she had a thing for unique styles.

"So the Admiral candidate wants to fight me? Interesting," Ikki remarked, eyes gleaming. "But just fighting is boring. If I win, will you give me your Konpira?"

Ikki placed his hand on his sword, eyeing Gion's blade. In the One Piece world, there was no official classification for Konpira, but as a Marine Admiral candidate's weapon, it had to be at least a grade sword.

"You want my sword? Ikki really does have a thing for famous swords, like Smoker said," Gion noted. "But Konpira's been with me for years. I don't really want to bet it... unless..."

The corners of her mouth turned up as she looked at Ikki with interest. Ikki raised his eyebrows—she was clearly open to negotiation.

"Name your price," Ikki said. "What would make you bet Konpira?"

Now that he'd encountered this famous sword, it would be a shame not to try for it.

Tashigi opened her mouth, wanting to stop him, but couldn't bring herself to speak. In her view, no matter how strong Ikki was, he couldn't beat a Marine Admiral candidate. But as a Marine, she couldn't interfere with Gion's plans.

"How about this," Gion proposed. "I don't want your sword. If you beat me, I'll give you Konpira. But in return, you teach me your sword style. And if I win, you still teach me your sword style."

Gion smiled. She hadn't forgotten one of her main reasons for coming—to find out if Ikki's swordsmanship could really make people stronger quickly. If so, she wanted to learn it and maybe share it with other Marines.

As for giving up Konpira, she had no real intention of doing that. The sword had been with her for years, and she didn't want to part with it. Though Ikki was strong, as a Marine Admiral candidate, Gion didn't think he could beat her.

"So whether I win or lose, I gotta teach you my swordsmanship," Ikki shrugged, quickly seeing through her. Clearly, Vivi defeating Crocodile had made the Marines interested in his sword techniques.

'Even if you learn it, doesn't mean you can teach it to others,' Ikki thought with a slight smile.

"Alright, I want to see how I stack up against the best anyway," Ikki said. "I accept your terms. Win or lose, I'll show you my swordsmanship. But if you don't have the talent for it, that's on you."

A fight with Gion would be interesting. Beyond her technique, her sword realm alone intrigued Ikki. After all, beating a swordsman could let him get their sword realm. As a Marine Admiral candidate, her skills had to be top-notch.

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to teach me," Gion replied with a smile, clearly expecting results.

"Let's do it in three hours," Ikki suggested. "I just finished training and need to recover and get used to my current strength."

Though he'd beaten Yoriichi Tsugikuni, it hadn't been easy. Plus, Ikki needed to get familiar with his new Mountain-Cutting Realm, Demon Slayer Mark, and Transparent World abilities. Even with Zangetsu's true power, he wanted to be ready when facing someone of Gion's caliber.

Ikki pulled Sandai Kitetsu from his waist and handed it, with its scabbard, to Vivi. Against Gion, he wouldn't use Two Sword Style. The Sun Breathing style, which worked best with the Demon Slayer Mark and his other powers, was his best bet.

"That works for me," Gion agreed. "Before our match, we have some questions for you, Princess Vivi, and your crew."

"Actually, I was heading to a hot spring," Ikki replied, pointing toward the gym door. "Can we do the questions later?"

Gion glanced where Ikki was pointing, thinking for a moment. Then she smiled and said, "If you don't mind, I could ask my questions while you're there."

"Huh? You wanna follow me to the hot spring?"

"It's not really a good idea, Gion," Ikki frowned and deliberately emphasized her name, trying to remind Gion that guys and girls have different boundaries.

"Ikki, is a guy still worried about someone seeing his body?" Gion smiled and looked at Vivi standing nearby. "Or are you worried that Princess Vivi might get the wrong idea?"

Under Gion's gaze, Vivi immediately lowered her head. She wanted to tell them that she and Ikki were actually married, but she was worried that telling the Marines about it would make the news spread to the people of Alabasta.

"Momousagi Vice Admiral, isn't this kinda inappropriate?" Vivi didn't speak, but Tashigi blushed and spoke up.

Gion smirked and said toward Vivi: "Don't worry, Princess Vivi, I'm just asking Ikki something and I won't mess with your prince."

Though Gion was talking to Vivi, her eyes glanced at Tashigi. Seeing this, Tashigi immediately lowered her head too.

Gion's job was to learn Ikki's swordsmanship style. If possible, she wanted to figure out Ikki's abilities. The disappearance of the 'Gym' and 'Sword Training Room' on the Explorer made Gion think they were part of Ikki's Devil Fruit power.

She wouldn't admit that she followed Ikki into the hot springs to see if Ikki's gym and sword training room could make people stronger quickly. Tashigi had also spent time in Ikki's gym, the bathhouse, and the Sword Training Room.

Gion now thought that the gym and the Sword Training Room had a big part in making Tashigi and Ikki's friends stronger.

Ikki would be shocked if he knew what Gion was thinking. Aside from not knowing about the nutritional potions and other strength boosters, Gion's guess was pretty close to Ikki's real ability.

"Forget it, I'm not into taking a bath with strangers watching," Ikki waved his hand and started to walk away. "Plus, if you suddenly get all excited and pull out your sword while we're bathing, that'd be pretty awkward."

Just kidding, that's Momousagi Gion. If she suddenly pulled a sword on him while he was bathing, Ikki figured he'd have to fight naked. He wasn't into that kind of thing. Although Momousagi Gion was a Marine, she wasn't exactly a friend.

"Oh, so that's what Ikki's worried about," Gion laughed. "How about I just join you in your hot springs?"

'This woman's got guts,' Ikki thought. 'No wonder she can pretend to be a geisha and fool pirates. She's so casual about it.'

Ikki raised his eyebrows and checked out Momousagi Gion. Still, Ikki knew the bathhouse was built like a public bath. For some bold women in the pirate world, going to a public bathhouse wasn't a big deal as long as they had something to cover up with.

Especially if they had something they wanted.

Ikki shook his head and walked toward the gym without answering.

"Hey, wait up, Ikki," Hina called, grabbing his shoulder. "Hina still has a question for you. You said you'd teach Hina your sword skills before, remember?"

"Huh? Teach you swordsmanship?" Ikki turned his head and gave Hina a disbelieving look. "Did you bring a famous sword? I'm pretty sure I told you to bring a famous sword to trade for lessons."

It was just a joke at first. Was she seriously taking him up on it? Waving his hand, Ikki sped up and disappeared through the gym door.

"Damn it, Hina's pissed!" Seeing how Ikki acted, Hina immediately frowned.

Gion patted Hina on the shoulder, then quickly followed after Ikki with her long legs. Seeing this, Hina took a deep breath and went after them.

Smoker shook his head and turned to look at Nami and the others.

"Nami, Nojiko, and Princess Vivi," Smoker said. "Mind helping us answer a few questions?"

He didn't really want to deal with this, but Hina and Gion had already left. Obviously, the job fell to him.

On the other side, Tashigi approached Vivi.

"Hey, Princess Vivi, can we talk?"

Meanwhile, in the gym's bathhouse.

"So, you're still here, Gion?" Ikki leaned against the pool wall, looking at Gion across from him with a resigned face.

"Ikki's worried I'll suddenly pull out my sword and make you fight me naked," Gion said with a smile, wearing just a bath towel. "But I'm in the same boat as you now, so you shouldn't worry about that."

She casually ran her hand through the hot spring water.

"Your ability is really something special. What kind of Devil Fruit makes such an awesome environment? This hot spring water seems great for getting rid of tiredness. Maybe your friends and Tashigi got stronger so fast because of these hot springs."

Gion's eyes lit up as she said this. She didn't just randomly decide to join Ikki in the public bath. She wanted to see if this water had something to do with making Ikki's friends and Tashigi stronger so quickly.

Ikki ignored Gion's question and looked behind at Hina, who was standing by the edge fully dressed in her magenta uniform.

"You and I might be in the same situation," Ikki said, "but that lady behind me is still glaring at me with all her clothes on. By the way, if you keep staring at me like that, it's really messing with my relaxation time, Hina."

"Hina's just as curious about your training methods as I am," Gion said casually. "Besides, don't you and Hina already have a deal?"

"Even if we had a deal, Hina didn't bring the famous sword I mentioned," Ikki replied.

"Teaching one person or two is still teaching. How about you teach both me and Hina?"

Gion's eyes lit up at this. For the Marines, the more people who knew Ikki's swordsmanship style, the better. For Gion, having someone else learning with her meant she'd have another reference point for analysis.

Gion knew Hina was totally different from her. Gion was a swordsman, but Hina didn't know how to use a sword. She wanted to see how Ikki's swordsmanship style would work with both sword users and non-sword users.

"Haha, teaching two people means I'll have to spend a bunch of time," Ikki said. "But I could teach Hina. If you could show me how to do that 'Geppo' thing from Rokushiki, I'll give Hina some pointers."

Ikki's mouth curled into a smile. He really liked Rokushiki's Geppo technique. Although he and his friends could use Zanpakutō, they couldn't float in the air like real Shinigami. So learning Geppo seemed like a great option.

"Geppo? If you can teach Hina, I can show you how to do Geppo," Gion nodded. "Of course, whether you can learn it or not is up to you."

Though Geppo was a Marine technique, Marines weren't the only ones who could use it on the sea. In the New World, plenty of pirates could use Geppo. So Gion didn't mind showing Ikki how to do it.

To show she meant it, Gion started explaining the basics of Geppo.

"...You need these things to learn Geppo. If there's anything you don't get, I can show you myself later."

As a Marine Admiral candidate, Gion could obviously use all the Six Powers techniques, including Geppo.

"You're being pretty generous," Ikki said. "Guess I should return the favor."

After memorizing how to practice Geppo, Ikki stood up from the pool with a bath towel wrapped around him and went over to Hina.

"Give me your hand, Hina," Ikki smiled and held out his hand.

"Handshake?" Hina looked at Ikki's wet hand, reached out and took it.

"Now I'm gonna test which breathing style would work best for you," Ikki explained. "There might be some weird elemental stuff happening, but don't worry, it won't hurt you. Might feel a bit uncomfortable, though."

Ikki activated his Water Breathing first, making a ball of water form on the hand holding Hina's. As soon as the water appeared, it crawled up Hina's arm and spread across her whole body, like it had a mind of its own.

Hina frowned, but not because the cigarette in her mouth got put out by the water from Ikki. It was because besides the water on her skin, she felt like water vapor was somehow getting inside her body. Her body seemed to be fighting against this invading water.

Gion got up from the pool and walked over to Ikki and Hina. She didn't know what Ikki was doing, but she wanted to remember everything she saw.

"Looks like Water Breathing isn't your thing," Ikki shook his head and made the water around Hina disappear. Still, her clothes and hair were soaking wet.

"Sorry about that, Hina. This is a new test I came up with," Ikki said with a smile. "It quickly shows which breathing style someone's body would be good at. It has some downsides, though. If you're not used to it, your body might feel swollen and sore."

"Hmph, you better try that fire power next," Hina snorted, clearly annoyed. "I'm more into that anyway, and I need you to dry off my clothes."

"Whatever you want," Ikki's smile widened, and the next moment, his hand holding Hina's was covered in warm flames.

'Water and fire. And it can be used in swordsmanship, and can be taught to others. Sure enough, just like I heard before, this guy's power is pretty unique.'

Looking at Hina surrounded by flames, Gion thought to herself.

After a few seconds, the flames surrounding Hina's body disappeared.

Ikki let go of Hina's hand.

"So, Ikki. Is Hina suited to learn the fire power?" Hina patted her clothes that had been dried by the flames, looked up and asked Ikki.

Although she was surrounded by flames just now, Hina surprisingly didn't feel any discomfort. Instead, she felt warm. Hina even enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped in flames.

"It's possible, but your talent in this area isn't that great," Ikki said with a wave of his hand. "If you wanna learn, you'll probably need to spend a lot of time. My suggestion is that you should focus on developing your Devil Fruit power. That might help you get stronger faster."

When Ikki used his Flame Breathing to create flames that covered Hina's body, he also sent the flames in the form of air into Hina's body. Although the flame's airflow seemed to resonate with Hina's body, Ikki felt the resonance wasn't very strong.

If this were a martial arts novel, it would probably say that the internal energy of Flame Breathing could move through Hina's body without harm, but because her channels weren't wide enough, the energy couldn't flow smoothly or in large amounts through her body.

"Huh? Ikki, are you just making excuses to avoid teaching Hina?" Hina put her hand on Ikki's shoulder, clearly not buying that he couldn't teach her. "Hina knows that Nami, Nojiko, and even Princess Vivi weren't fighters at first. The fact that they can use your swordsmanship now proves you have a special way to let others master this power, even if they don't have natural talent, right?"

Beside them, Gion's eyes were also fixed on Ikki's face. This was exactly what she wanted to understand too.

Ikki's cheeks twitched. There was no way he could tell Hina and Gion about the nutritional potions that helped Nami, Nojiko and the others master Water Breathing.

But... there were other ways.

Ikki had an idea. He smiled and gently moved Hina's hand off his shoulder.

"It's not impossible to find a way," Ikki laughed. "As long as your body can adapt to Flame Breathing, I can use some special methods to help you master it."

"Oh? What kind of method?" Hina asked.

"Haha, you've already experienced it."

"I have? Could it be what you just did..."

"Yep, that's it! If I regularly use my ability to guide and develop your body, I can quickly help you master this power."

"Sounds good! Hina agrees. You can use your abilities to help Hina develop it." Hina crossed her arms and nodded with satisfaction.

The feeling of being surrounded by flames earlier didn't make her uncomfortable. On the contrary, it felt warm and pleasant. So she didn't mind having Ikki use his power to help her learn Flame Breathing.

"I think you're misunderstanding something, Hina," Ikki said. "You didn't feel anything weird in your body just now because I was only testing you. If we really want to help you learn Flame Breathing, and make you master it quickly, I'll have to apply the flames much harder to your body."

"When that happens, your body will actually feel the burning sensation of the flames. Getting burned a bit is pretty much unavoidable. Because of how strong the flames are, your clothes, hair, and stuff might get burned away. I can protect your hair, but there's no way to spare the clothes on your body. I'm guessing you don't want to be naked in front of a guy you barely know."

Ikki shrugged as he spoke to Hina.

Hearing this, Hina immediately frowned.

Gion nodded thoughtfully beside them.

"I see. Ikki, is this how you helped your friends master swordsmanship so quickly?" Gion asked with a smile. "But if your flames can avoid hair, couldn't they also avoid the important parts of Hina's body? Wearing a heat-resistant swimsuit should work fine."

"And where exactly am I supposed to find a swimsuit that can handle that kind of heat?" Ikki asked.

"Good point, Ikki," Gion acknowledged. "If you're guiding Hina to master this power, you mentioned the flames need to be pretty intense."

"For faster learning, yeah, you need really hot flames. I could teach the normal way too, but I can't guarantee Hina would be able to learn it that way. Let Hina decide for herself," Ikki said.

"What I'm more curious about is, if I used Water Breathing to quickly guide someone, what would happen to them?"

"What else? Their body would get kinda swollen. But don't worry, my power won't cause any permanent damage. My hot spring has healing and skin-improving effects, so ladies don't need to stress about their appearance getting messed up."

"It has healing and beautifying effects too? I like your hot spring more and more, Ikki." Gion smiled and extended her hand to Ikki. "You've already tested which swordsmanship style suits Hina, and you'll be teaching me in the future anyway. Could you test which style would work best for me now?"

Ikki nodded slightly, raised his hand and grabbed Gion's palm.

The next second, flames generated by Breath of the Sun enveloped Gion's arm. However, as soon as the flames touched Gion's hand, they quickly faded away.

"Hmm?" Ikki raised his eyebrows and gave Gion a strange look.

"What's wrong, Ikki? Was there something odd about what just happened?" Gion asked.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big deal actually! Those flames weren't from my Flame Breathing style," Ikki explained. "They were produced by Breath of the Sun, which is the strongest among all the breathing techniques and swordsmanship styles."

"I wanted to see if you, as a Marine Admiral candidate, could learn Breath of the Sun. But what just happened... your body strongly rejected the Breath of the Sun. When you came into contact with the Sun Breathing flames, your own energy extinguished even the weakest flame."

"In other words, there's absolutely no way you can learn Sun Breathing."

Unless, Ikki thought to himself, she used the Sword Training Room to defeat a swordsman who had mastered the Sun Breathing style. Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud.

"That's too bad, not being able to learn the strongest style." Gion pursed her lips, looking disappointed.

"But since your body rejects Sun Breathing so strongly, you might be able to learn Moon Breathing, which is the opposite of Sun Breathing," Ikki smiled and used Moon Breathing to test Gion again.

Gion and Hina watched as several crescent-shaped air currents formed on Ikki's hand. This energy flowed up Gion's arm, and soon her whole body was covered by countless crescent air currents.

Gion herself felt a cold sensation pouring into her body from Ikki's palm.

"Oh!" Gion let out a soft gasp, her legs involuntarily tensing as she felt a strange sensation flooding her heart.

But she quickly recovered and returned to her previous expression of calm curiosity.

However, that little sound made both Ikki and Hina look at her strangely.

"Seems like Vice Admiral Gion is very compatible with Moon Breathing. Your body reacted quite naturally to it," Ikki's cheeks twitched as he let go of Gion's hand.

"It's probably because your power is so unusual," Gion's expression remained calm, as if she hadn't made that excited sound moments ago.

"Ikki, you just said Moon Breathing is the opposite of Sun Breathing," Gion asked curiously. "Can you tell me more about this style? We've got time before our practice session, right?"

Since Ikki said she was very compatible with Moon Breathing, that would probably be the style she'd learn in the future.

"Sure, why not." Ikki nodded and sat down cross-legged.

"Moon Breathing was developed by Kokushibo, the older brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni who created Sun Breathing," Ikki explained. "In terms of power, it's like how the moon can't compete with the sun. Kokushibo, who mastered Moon Breathing, wasn't stronger than Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

"Wanting power that could surpass his younger brother's, Kokushibo eventually turned to evil ways..."

As Ikki spoke, the story about Kokushibo, the Moon Breathing master, gradually unfolded before Gion and Hina.

As the story progressed, Gion and Hina gradually became more serious, dropping their initial indifference.

"That's the gist of it," Ikki concluded. "If you want to know more, go ask Tashigi for the manga called 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.' It has a lot more details. Anyway, our break's almost over."

"Vice Admiral Gion, let's find a place to fight. It's time for you to hand over your famous sword 'Konpira' to me." Ikki smiled at Gion and Hina and turned toward the door.

"Yes, it is indeed time," Gion gently stroked her hair, then followed after Ikki with her long strides.

"Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Dancing Blade Cascade!"

"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"

Swoosh!

The figures of Tashigi and Vivi passed each other, and a few seconds later, Tashigi's clothes suddenly tore open at the collar.

"Huh... I lost."

Tashigi slid her sword back into its scabbard and glanced with complicated feelings at the Yubashiri held by Vivi.

Originally, this blade had been in her hands.

Tashigi hadn't expected that the her sword 'Shigure' would fall into Nojiko's hands and that the sword 'Yubashiri', which was taken away by Ikki before, had gone to Vivi.

"Princess Vivi, you're really strong," Tashigi said as she walked up to Vivi, her eyes looking a bit conflicted. "And to be able to use the 'Eleventh Form: Dead Calm' of Water Breathing, which is something I can't do."

It wasn't just because Vivi had taken the Yubashiri that she originally owned and mastered the 'Eleventh Form: Dead Calm' that she had never learned.

It was also because Vivi had gotten the man she had a serious crush on.

"No, compared to me, you're the real deal, Tashigi," Vivi shook her head.

She was self-aware—without the special power-ups given by Ikki, she would never be stronger than Tashigi was now.

"Um, Tashigi, do you like Ikki?" After putting the sword back into its sheath, Vivi lowered her head and whispered in Tashigi's ear.

"Huh?" Tashigi looked at Vivi in shock.

"You don't need to look at me like that. Actually, I've been watching you for a while. You clearly have feelings for Ikki."

"This... you, you've got it all wrong, Princess Vivi. Ikki is your husband, I..."

"Tashigi, what if I told you that Ikki and I have a fake marriage?"

"What?!"

Tashigi's voice suddenly got louder and she stared at Vivi with surprise.

"Shh! Keep it down, I don't want others to know about this."

Vivi put her fingers to her lips and carefully looked at Smoker who was observing the contest between her and Tashigi not far away.

"I'm only telling you this. I hope you can keep it secret, at least don't let the people of Alabasta find out."

"Actually, the reason why Ikki and I had a wedding was because of a misunderstanding... A cunning and manipulative woman set us up."

Considering Nico Robin's wanted status, Vivi didn't reveal her specific identity.

As Vivi continued her story, Tashigi's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her originally disappointed expression gradually became cheerful.

"So that's... that's how it is."

After listening to Vivi's story, Tashigi breathed a sigh of relief, raised her hand and patted her still slightly immature chest.

'As expected, Ikki is a sinful man,' Vivi sighed in her heart. 'Not only do Nami and Nojiko have feelings for him, but even Tashigi from the Marines likes Ikki.'

Originally Vivi wanted to keep this secret and not tell anyone else.

But seeing Tashigi's absent-minded and lost expression all the time, and thinking of her behavior after meeting Ikki, Vivi decided it was best to tell Tashigi.

That way, there wouldn't be any misunderstandings that she didn't want to see.

However, after saying these words, Vivi felt an inexplicable flash of loss in her heart.

'That's weird, what's wrong with me?' Vivi frowned and put her hand on her heart in confusion.

She didn't understand why, after seeing Tashigi's excited and happy expression, she felt a sense of crisis.

"By the way, Princess Vivi, did Ikki also teach you the breathing swordsmanship style that can create ice?" After regaining her energy, Tashigi, also aware of the Marines' purpose, asked Vivi.

"Breathing style that creates ice? What style is that?" Vivi blinked and quickly realized that Tashigi was referring to Sode no Shirayuki's release.

"Actually... this is..." Vivi pursed her lips, a little unsure whether she should tell Tashigi about Sode no Shirayuki's power.

At that moment, Ikki's voice reached her ears.

"Tashigi, Vivi, are you two done competing?"

Vivi turned around and saw Ikki, dressed neatly, walking out of the gym door.

Behind him were the tall Gion and Hina.

"Ikki!"

Seeing Ikki, Tashigi immediately forgot her previous question and quickly ran to Ikki's side, her face turning bright red.

Smoker patted his head, feeling helpless at Tashigi's expression.

Ikki nodded politely to Tashigi, then turned to look at Gion.

"Vice Admiral Gion, come with me," Ikki said. "Let's find a more open place. With your power, if you really go all out, you might demolish this building."

Ikki waved and took the lead, rushing off in one direction. His figure quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

Gion naturally had no objection to this.

After telling Smoker and Hina a few words, she used "Soru" to follow Ikki.

"Let's follow them," Nojiko said, placing her hand on the sword at her waist. "Hopefully my help won't be needed."

Although she was very confident in Ikki's strength, she was also worried that he might get injured.

As the ship's doctor of the Explorer, she felt it was necessary to follow them.

After Nojiko, Nami, Smoker, Hina, and the others also followed.

"Let's stop here. If we fight here, no one will disturb us and no one will get hurt."

In a vast desert area, Ikki stopped walking and turned around to face Gion.

At the same time, he drew Zangetsu, which was not yet in its Shikai form.

"The name of my sword is Zangetsu," Ikki said with a smile. "Please give me your guidance, Marine Admiral candidate, Ms. Gion."

"My sword is named Konpira, and it is one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords!" Gion replied. "Please show me what you've got, Ikki!"

Gion also drew her long sword and looked at the Zangetsu in Ikki's hand with interest.

"I heard that the Zangetsu in Ikki's hands is comparable to the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords, and seeing it today, it seems that's true," Gion said. "I hope to see the transformation of Zangetsu in your hands today."

Ikki smiled, not surprised that information about Zangetsu's ability to transform would be known to Gion.

After all, he had released Shikai Zangetsu in front of Tashigi.

Besides, he planned to use Zangetsu's power to deal with Gion anyway.

Even though his life force had now reached S level, and his swordsmanship had reached the Mountain-Cutting level, Ikki didn't feel confident that he could handle a Marine Admiral candidate without relying on the power of Zangetsu.

To defeat Gion, Ikki thought he might have to use Tensa Zangetsu's power.

"Konpira, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords," Ikki said. "Now I want your blade even more."

"Don't worry, I'll show you the power of Zangetsu in my hands."

Ikki held his sword in front of him, his face gradually becoming serious, and his eyes looking towards Gion grew sharper.

In an instant, Ikki was able to see through Gion's skin to her muscle structure and movements...

The world around him seemed to slow down.

He had entered the state of the 'Transparent World'.

The corner of Gion's mouth turned up, and without any hesitation, she stomped the ground with both feet and leaped into the air.

Holding her sword with both hands, she struck at Ikki with a powerful and heavy slash.

Ikki's eyes narrowed as he used Observation Haki to read Gion's movements.

Intermediate Armament Haki wrapped around the Zangetsu sword like flowing cherry blossoms.

But that wasn't all—after the Armament Haki, Ikki's eyes flashed red, and mid-level Conqueror's Haki also coated the Zangetsu blade.

'Is that Armament Haki coating?' Gion thought in shock. 'No, there's Conqueror's Haki too! This man can use both at once!'

Gion was shocked. She knew Ikki could use Conqueror's Haki.

After all, Ikki had used his aura to stun tens of thousands of royal and rebel troops. Anyone could find this out just by asking.

However, she hadn't realized that Ikki could use 'Conqueror's Haki Infusion'.

Realizing something was wrong, Gion quickly enveloped her slash with high-intensity Armament Haki.

As Konpira swung forward, the powerful Armament Haki and sword energy flew from the blade and hit Ikki before the blade itself arrived.

Ikki's mouth cracked into a wicked smile as he stomped his foot on the ground. He gripped the handle of Zangetsu with both hands and swung it upward toward Gion.

BOOM!

A deafening thunder!

When Ikki and Gion's swords made contact, the surrounding terrain instantly changed.

The clouds in the distant sky were blown apart by the powerful shockwave caused by their clashing attacks.

Although Gion didn't use Conqueror's Haki, her Armament Haki, which was stronger than Ikki's, withstood his attack.

The Conqueror's Haki that was blocked by Gion's Armament Haki began to continuously emit red and black electricity.

"Wait... the swords are not touching?" In the distance, watching the black-red energy continuously spilling out from the gap between Ikki's Zangetsu and Gion's Konpira, Smoker's jaw dropped, and he didn't even notice when his cigar fell from his mouth.

"Is this Haki release?" Smoker wondered. "But can external Armament Haki reach this level? Isn't that red energy Conqueror's Haki?"

Hina was also surprised, but luckily Gion had warned her beforehand.

The Den Den Mushi in her hand showed no signs of shaking, faithfully recording everything.

"Hina, do you know what's happening with Ikki and Vice Admiral Gion?" Smoker looked at Hina and asked.

"I heard Fleet Admiral Sengoku mention it when I was at Marine Headquarters," Hina replied. "Armament Haki released externally is a power that only top Armament Haki users can access. Ikki used this technique against Crocodile."

"No, what Ikki's using now is way more dangerous and powerful than what he used against Crocodile!"

Hina looked at Ikki in the distance with complicated emotions.

She originally thought she had already overestimated Ikki enough, but every time she believed his power had reached its limit, Ikki would reveal strength she hadn't known he possessed.

'Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the others will definitely be surprised after seeing Ikki's performance,' Hina thought, glancing at the recording Den Den Mushi in her hand and remembering what Ikki had mentioned in the gym.

'Flame Breathing is definitely worth trying,' she thought.

At that moment, Hina's desire for strength overcame the small bit of shame in her heart.