"I… I understand, Arton-san." Conis spoke with quiet resolve.
"Still calling me Arton?" Arton chuckled. "At this point, shouldn't you be calling me Captain?"
"Right. Captain Arton." Conis nodded, then reached out toward Serval's Template.
Arton had trusted her this seriously—so Conis wasn't about to waste that trust.
The instant her fingers touched the Template, purple lightning flickered to life across her body.
Everyone stared without blinking as Serval's Template melted into Conis—then her appearance began to shift. Strands of blue threaded into her hair at the tips, and that gentle, soft expression of hers picked up a faint edge—something a little wilder, a little more untamed.
Raki watched Conis just as intensely—especially her chest.
She wanted to see whether Serval's Template would upgrade Conis a bit.
But to Raki's—and Arton's—mild disappointment, nothing like that happened.
Which, honestly, made sense. Serval was gorgeous, but even she couldn't compete with the absurd standards of the Grand Line. If they wanted Conis to level up in that department… they'd have to find another way.
"How do you feel?" Arton asked, curious. "Anything uncomfortable?"
"I'm fine, Captain," Conis said, then her eyes brightened. "Actually… I feel really good. It's like my whole body's overflowing with strength."
She looked down at what had appeared in her arms—the electric guitar formed by the fusion—and hugged it instinctively.
"And… I think I learned things," Conis continued, excitement rising in her voice. "How to play music a certain way—and this instrument too. I… I know how to play it."
Conis was genuinely stunned.
She'd expected power.
Instead, she'd also gained a whole new instrument and an entirely different style of music—rock.
For someone who loved music as much as she did, it was basically perfect. She still preferred softer, gentler melodies—but that didn't stop her from wanting to try something new.
"So you picked up rock and guitar along with the power?" Uta grinned. "That's awesome. We'll be hearing you play soon, then."
Then Uta suddenly leaned in close, lowering her voice like she was sharing a delicious secret.
"By the way, Conis—Serval wears those black stockings, right? You should get some too. Black, white… whatever."
She flicked her eyes meaningfully toward Arton.
"Otherwise, Captain will have to wait until you use Serval's descent form to see you in black stockings."
"T-This…" Conis flushed bright red, then nodded anyway. "If it's for Captain Arton… I'm okay with it."
Skypiea didn't exactly sell stockings like that, but Conis was clever with her hands. She was already mentally mapping out how to make something that fit.
"Now that's something to look forward to," Arton said with a satisfied little smile. Then his tone sharpened—back to business. "But let's shelve the stockings for now."
He gestured to Conis's guitar.
"Conis, get used to your power first. Once you've got a handle on it… it'll be time to deal with something that actually matters."
Conis's expression turned serious immediately.
She understood what he meant.
Enel.
"I understand, Captain," she said firmly. "Please… teach me."
"Of course, Conis." Arton smiled. "I will."
Chapter 569: Fusion with Conis—Tashigi Gets Enchanted
Conis actually wanted Arton to use the Diary System to record more things related to her—especially photos and videos.
Because photos and videos meant a massive amount of points.
And with points, she could get stronger fast—no bottlenecks, no hesitation. With enough points, even someone like Conis—who didn't exactly trust her own combat instincts—could still believe she'd become strong.
But she couldn't just come out and say that to Arton, so she settled for the next best thing: asking him to teach her.
Maybe Captain Arton will record the training in his Diary, she thought.
Or… maybe I should do what Ain and Robin did when they were trying to win Captain Arton over.
That way, Arton might "accidentally" feel compelled to record it.
Thinking that, Conis couldn't help glancing at Ain and Robin.
Back when they'd just joined and Arton still hadn't fully accepted them, those two had tried all sorts of things to raise his favorability. Showing up in cute outfits was a given.
But especially Robin—she'd gone even further, closing the distance and shamelessly giving Arton little services.
Conis still remembered the day Robin appeared in front of Arton wearing that high-slit cheongsam with the daring neckline, and Arton went absolutely feral—snapping photo after photo with the Diary System.
Remembering that, Conis's resolve hardened even more.
I need to make black stockings… or white ones… as soon as possible.
Maybe then Arton would finally start taking pictures of her, too.
Meanwhile, Arton nodded. "Teaching you is only natural."
He paused, then admitted, "But even I don't fully understand Serval's power yet. So here's what we'll do—you'll fuse with me first, and I'll experience Serval's Template firsthand."
Arton continued calmly, "Fusion Mode drains stamina pretty hard, but I'll take as much of the burden as I can on my side. And I'm only going to test the general feel of Serval's Path—I won't be throwing out attacks."
"So you don't need to worry about burning yourself out from the fusion."
Conis's cheeks instantly heated.
Because she remembered exactly what Fusion Mode looked like.
In that space… she'd be bare, appearing in front of Arton like that.
Still, even with her heart pounding, Conis forced herself to nod, serious and determined.
"I… I understand, Captain. Let's fuse—right now."
As she spoke, Conis reached out her hand toward him.
"As you wish," Arton said, taking it.
In the next instant, brilliant light swallowed them.
Right in front of everyone, the two spheres of light merged into one, becoming a single person.
Golden long hair. Trendy clothes. A guitar that practically screamed stage presence.
Those signatures appeared on Arton's body in an instant.
Nami, Carina, Uta—everyone's eyes lit up.
Arton was always curious what he looked like in Fusion Mode with his partners… and there was no way the rest of the Flameblade Pirates weren't just as curious.
Now that Arton looked like a stylish, rock-star heartthrob, Nami and Carina couldn't help reacting—quietly, instinctively.
Uta was the worst of them. Her eyes practically turned into hearts.
If other people weren't watching, she probably would've already pounced on him and claimed her spot on top of him without hesitation.
Tashigi, on the other hand… went completely still.
And in the privacy of her own thoughts, a dangerously vivid image flashed through her mind—Arton in that look, close behind her, voice low, breath warm, pressing her right to the edge of composure.