I stared at the giant duck that had just phased out of a flying carpet.
Just... stared.
'This world. This absolutely insane world keeps finding new ways to violate every understanding of reality I thought I had. First, rubber and smoke people. Then whales at the size of an island. Now ghost ducks that emerge from flying carpets like some kind of fever dream crossover between Aladdin and a horror movie.'
The duck—Karoo, apparently—was larger than a human adult. Its feathers were a striking yellow, and it wore what could only be described as a determined expression on its bill.
Which shouldn't be possible because ducks don't have facial expressions beyond "quack" and "slightly annoyed quack."
'But here we are. Standing in the middle of enemy territory, watching a princess being protected by her oversized waterfowl companion that can apparently turn into a ghost.'
"QUACK! QUACK!"
The duck positioned itself more firmly between Vivi and me, its wings spread in a protective stance that would have been touching if it wasn't so completely absurd.
'A duck. I'm being threatened by a duck. My life has reached peak ridiculous, and I don't even have the energy to properly process this anymore.'
"Karoo!" Vivi's voice carried genuine relief and affection as she called to her companion. "You're back! Quick—the battle chain!"
The duck immediately turned its head toward its back, where the flying carpet had rolled itself up. And from a bag next to that rolled carpet, Vivi retrieved what looked like a long, segmented chain weapon—the kind used by professional assassins who'd mastered whip-like combat styles.
'A battle chain. Of course. Because hidden knives and sedative perfume weren't enough. She needed to add more weaponry to her arsenal.'
I adjusted my stance, both swords raised, watching carefully as Vivi tested the chain's weight with practiced ease. The weapon was approximately four meters long, made of what looked like reinforced steel with a razor-sharp blade at the end.
'Professional weapon. Not something you pick up at a market stall. This is custom-made, probably commissioned from a master smith. Which means she's been training with it for a while.'
"Karoo!" Vivi called out, her voice taking on a commanding edge I hadn't heard before. "Possess!"
And then the impossible became somehow more impossible.
SHIMMER! PHASE!
The giant duck turned translucent, its physical form becoming ghostly and insubstantial. Then it moved—no, flowed—directly into the chain weapon in Vivi's hands.
WHOOOOSH! GLOW!
The chain began to glow with an eerie blue light, and suddenly it wasn't just a weapon anymore. It was... something else.
'Eh…? The duck just—it just possessed the chain. It merged with it. That's not—that's a Devil Fruit power. It has to be. But I've never heard of anything like this.'
My Mantra, which had been tracking both Vivi and the duck as separate entities, suddenly screamed at me with new information.
The chain wasn't just an object anymore. It had intent. Awareness. It was an existence unto itself, a fusion of metal and... whatever the hell that duck's power was.
'Possession. The duck can possess objects. Not just phase through them or turn intangible—it can inhabit them, control them, make them extensions of itself.'
The realization hit me like cold water.
'I remember this duck from the manga. Vivi's loyal companion, the Super Duck or whatever. But I don't remember it having Devil Fruit powers. I don't remember it being able to do... whatever this is.'
"Now!" Vivi's voice cut through my analysis. "Attack!"
Vivi swung the chain, and the movement was wrong.
Not clumsy or unpracticed—quite the opposite. The chain moved with unnatural fluidity, like it were swimming through the air rather than being swung. Each link flowed into the next with serpentine grace, the metal seeming to defy its own weight and rigidity.
WHOOOOSH!
The chain lashed out toward me with shocking speed, its trajectory precise and calculated.
I brought both swords up in a crossing guard, the Barbossa and Gryffindor blades meeting the chain's strike with a sound like thunder.
CLAAAAANNNNNG!!!!!!!
The impact sent vibrations up both my arms, the force behind the strike far greater than Vivi's physical strength should have allowed.
'The duck's strength. It's not just possessing the chain—it's enhancing it with its own physical power.'
But what happened next was worse.
The chain, instead of rebounding from the block like any normal weapon would, simply... adjusted.
Mid-strike. Mid-impact.
SLITHER! WHOOSH!
The links shifted, flowing around my crossed swords like water around rocks, the possessed metal bending in ways that violated every principle of physics and material science I'd ever learned.
'It's not being swung. It's attacking. The chain has its own intent now, its own decision-making process.'
I twisted, bringing the Gryffindor sword around in a sharp arc to intercept the chain's new trajectory.
SHING! CLANG!
The blade connected, and for a moment, I thought I'd successfully deflected it.
The chain was pushed away, its momentum interrupted—
—and then it came right back.
WHOOSH! WHIP!
No windup. No telegraphed movement from Vivi. The chain simply reversed direction mid-air, attacking again from a completely different angle.
'This isn't chain-fighting. This is fighting a metal snake that happens to be made of linked steel.'
/Swift attack at his head/
"TSK!"
I dodged left, the chain missing my head by centimeters.
SWISH!
/Quick adjusted strike at his neck/
Then dodged right as it curved back impossibly fast.
WHOOSH!
My Mantra was screaming warnings, tracking the chain's movements, predicting its strikes—but prediction meant nothing when the weapon could change direction faster than I could adjust my defense.
CLANG! SHING! CLANG!
Both my swords moved in desperate blocks and parries, each impact sending shockwaves through my arms.
The chain attacked from above, from the sides, from angles that should have been impossible for something being wielded by a human opponent.
'Vivi's just holding the end of it. The duck is doing all the actual attacking. She's the anchor point, the origin, but the chain itself has complete freedom of movement within its range.'
[QUACK! QUACK!]
The muffled sound came from the chain again, and if I didn't know better, I'd say it sounded smug.
'A smug duck. I'm being mocked by a smug duck possessing a chain.'
"Karoo's Hyōi Hyōi no Mi (Haunt-Haunt Fruit/憑依憑依の実) is quite versatile!" Vivi called out, her voice carrying across the street. "He can haunt/possess any inanimate object and control it as if it were his own body! And while possessing something, he can still have all of his physical abilities!"
'She's monologuing. Why is she monologuing? Is this some kind of villainous tradition I wasn't aware of? "Let me explain my powers while trying to kill you"?'
But even as I internally mocked her tactical oversight, I was analyzing the information.
'Hyōi Hyōi no Mi. Can possess inanimate objects. Can still have all of his physical abilities. Which means...'
I channeled Hamon through both swords, golden energy rippling along the blades.
BZZZZT! CRACK!
If this were a Devil Fruit power, if the duck were somehow merged with the chain, then maybe Hamon energy could disrupt that connection.
'Ripple energy has an effect on supernatural entities. If the chain is possessed by a ghost-like creature, technically, it should count as a target for Hamon. Worth testing.'
'And even if it didn't work, I can still make use of the Hamon ability to channel power to disrupt the movement of the chain.'
CRACK! WHIP!
The chain attacked again, and this time I focused my Mantra more carefully, tracking not just the chain's physical position but the intent driving it.
WHOOSH! SLASH!
I swung the Hamon-charged Gryffindor sword at the incoming chain.
CLANG! BZZZZT!
The golden energy flowed into the metal links at the point of impact, spreading through the chain like electricity through a conductor.
For a heartbeat—just a single heartbeat—the chain's movement faltered.
The serpentine fluidity stuttered, the possessed weapon jerking awkwardly like a puppet with cut strings.
'It works! Hamon disrupts the possession!'
But even as the thought formed, the chain recovered, pulling back with violent force.
WHOOSH!
The possessed weapon retreated several meters, coiling in the air between Vivi and me like a cobra preparing to strike again.
I'd pushed it back. Disrupted its attack. But I hadn't broken the possession, hadn't expelled the duck from the chain.
'Temporary disruption. But, is it the effect of the Hamon or the Effect of the Hamon-channeled power…?'
'Well, to test this, I'd need sustained contact or significantly more power to test this and see if I can actually free the chain from Karoo's control.'
And sustained contact meant getting close to that thing, meant letting it wrap around my swords or body long enough for the Hamon to do its work.
'Great. Wonderful. My best weapon against this supernatural nonsense requires me to let the supernatural nonsense hit me first.'
I, of course, can't let it do that. So, I will have to go with the safer option.
The chain hung in the air, swaying slightly, and I could feel the intelligence behind its movements. The duck, possessing the weapon, learning from the exchange, adjusts its tactics.
The chain didn't stay still for long. It coiled like a spring, the links writhing in the air, and then—
SNAP! WHOOOOSH!
—launched itself back toward me with the speed of a striking cobra.
BZZZZT! WHOOSH! SLAAASSSH!!!!
'Hamon—Crushing Wave!!!'
This time, I was ready, charging both of my swords with Hamon and swinging it at the incoming chain.
CLAAAANNNNGGG!!!!
WHOOOSH!! BANG! CRACK!!!
The weapon was thrown away and struck a nearby wall, punching clean through the brick structure like it was paper.
CLINGCLINGCLING!!! WHOOOSH!!! VOOOO!!!
From the middle of the dust and rubble, the chain attacked again.
Both swords came up in a coordinated attack, catching the chain with a strong impact.
I channeled more Hamon through both weapons, trying to force another retreat.
'Hamon—Crushing Wave!!!'
BZZT! CRACKLE! FLASH!
But this time, the chain didn't go far. Instead, it was forcing itself to continue the attack, the links rattling as Karoo apparently decided that avoiding the Hamon was less important than maintaining the assault.
CLANG! CLAANNGG!! CLAAANNNGGG!!!
The chain struck repeatedly, each impact testing my defense from different angles to see what is going to work.
And I kept using strong attacks against it, trying to send as much Hamon and power with each impact.
CLAAAANNNNGGGG!!!!!
I was succeeding, the chain was being pushed away further and further, and soon, I would completely overpower the chain-haunting duck.
However, the duck still kept attacking.
'Persistent. The duck is willing to endure discomfort from the Hamon just to keep the assault going. That's not animal instinct—that's a battle tactic.'
CLLAAAAANNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!
I pushed it back several meters this time, wanting to push forward with my advantage.
The chain didn't stop, moving again like a cobra preparing to strike.
But just as my body was ready for charging, something happened.
/Strong sudden kick at his face/
'What, a kick…?'
I was still processing this information when my Mantra suddenly screamed a warning.
SHIMMER! PHASE!
'The Fuc…?!'
Karoo suddenly phased OUT of the chain mid-attack, his massive form materializing directly in front of me, his body already in motion.
THWACK!
His webbed foot, reinforced with muscle that shouldn't exist on waterfowl, swung toward my face with the force of a cannonball.
WHOOSH!
I ducked under the kick, my Mantra giving me just enough warning to avoid the strike.
CRACK!
The duck's kick missed my head by centimeters, the displaced air actually making a small sonic boom.
'That would have taken my head off. A duck. A DUCK almost decapitated me with a kick.'
I started to bring my swords up for a counterattack, channeling Hamon through both blades for a decisive strike.
But my Mantra screamed another warning.
/Wing Gun Attack/
'Wait. There's something—'
"QUACK!"
The duck's chest feathers ruffled, and suddenly—
CLICK! CLICK!
—Two muzzles emerged from between the feathers under Karoo's wings. Actual gun barrels, somehow integrated into the duck's anatomy or hidden in its equipment.
'MACHINE GUNS?! THE DUCK HAS MACHINE GUNS?! WHY DOES THE DUCK HAVE MACHINE GUNS?!?!'
BRA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!!!!
The sound was deafening, a continuous roar of automatic weapons fire that echoed through the street.
PING-PING-PING-PING!!!
Bullets streamed toward me in a metal storm, and I had exactly zero time to dodge.
'Shit!!'
CRACKLE! FLASH!
I channeled Hamon through my cloak and hat, the golden energy reinforcing the fabric to supernatural durability.
THWACK! PING! TING!
Bullets struck my Hamon-reinforced clothing and bounced off, each impact creating small flashes of golden light where Ripple energy met kinetic force.
'Thank God that I have this cloak and hat. Otherwise, I'd be Swiss cheese right now. Killed by a duck with machine guns. That would have been a humiliating epitaph.'
But I couldn't just stand here tanking bullets. I needed to counterattack.
SHIMMER! MATERIALIZE!
My Stand appeared beside me, its lid opened, and I made it clutch my custom flintlock pistol between the lid and the opening.
The Stand gripped the weapon, unholstering it, then aimed it at the still-firing duck.
'If you are going to play the ghost with the gun game, then you will have it!'
I activated the Barbossa sword's control ability, using it to manipulate my flintlock remotely through the Stand's grip.
BANG-BANG-BANG!!!
The custom pistol fired, its ammunition streaking toward Karoo with lethal intent.
But the moment the duck saw the pistol—or maybe the Stand—something changed.
"QUACK!!"
Karoo's eyes widened with what could only be described as alarm. The machine guns stopped firing immediately.
SHIMMER! PHASE!
The duck turned translucent, my bullet passing through its ghostly form harmlessly.
'It can see the Stand. Or at least, it can sense it. Is it because of the nature of its Devil Fruit ability? Allowing it to perceive spectral entities? Or maybe it is something else?'
WHOOSH!
Karoo, still intangible, began moving toward me with surprising speed.
THWACK!
His kick came in fast, his leg solidifying at the last possible moment to deliver a devastating blow.
CLANG! CLANG!
I crossed both swords to block, the impact sending me sliding backward several meters.
'Strong. Way stronger than it should be. I remember from the Manga that it was fast, so its leg strength should be unquestionable. But this is still too much!'
This is most likely the result of its physiology combined with combat training.
SHIMMER!
The moment I tried to counter-slash, Karoo turned intangible again, my Hamon-charged blades passing through empty air.
'So Hamon doesn't work on it when it is intangible, and most likely, when it is possessing something too…'
So when it was hit by Hamon before, it was just disrupted by the power.
CLICK! CLICK! BRA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!!!!!
The machine guns emerged again, forcing me back onto the defensive.
CRACKLE! FLASH!
I reinforced my cloak and hat again, bullets pinging off the Hamon-enhanced fabric in a continuous stream.
'This is the pattern. Attack when solid, defend when intangible. Switch between states faster than I can adapt. Use firearms to force me into defensive positions, then capitalize with physical strikes when I'm unable to counter.'
The tactical analysis was clear: Karoo was a highly trained combatant who'd mastered the applications of his Devil Fruit power. The intangibility gave it perfect defense, the possession ability provided versatility, and apparently, it'd also been equipped with hidden weapons to cover its ranged combat weaknesses.
'And I'm stuck in a reactive loop. Can't hit it when it's intangible, can't afford to ignore it when it's solid. This is exactly the kind of fight I hate.'
WHOOSH! PHASE!
Karoo suddenly turned intangible mid-air, his form becoming ghostly as he dove toward the ground.
SHIMMER! MERGE!
It phased directly into the battle chain that Vivi had dropped during his materialization, his consciousness flowing into the metal weapon like water into a container.
CRACK! GLOW!
The chain came alive again, that eerie blue light returning as the duck's awareness filled every segment.
'Back to the possessed chain. It's switching between direct combat and weapon possession based on which form gives it a better advantage in the moment.'
WHIP! CLING-CLING-CLING! WHOOSH!
The chain attacked with renewed ferocity, its movements even more fluid and unpredictable than before.
CLANG! SHING! CLASH!
I deflected desperately, both swords moving in constant motion to create a defensive perimeter.
But something was different this time.
The chain wasn't just attacking me. It was probing, testing, searching for weaknesses in my defense while simultaneously...
'Wait. Where's Vivi?'
I was so focused on Karoo that I almost missed Vivi's next move.
Almost.
FWOOSH!
My nose caught the change in air composition a split second before the sedative cloud reached me. The fine mist spreading from Vivi's position, carried on the night breeze, aimed to surround and engulf me.
'The perfume again. She's using the distraction of Karoo's assault to deploy her chemical weapons.'
I immediately shifted my breathing pattern, drawing air in through the Hamon Rhythm, feeling the Ripple energy purge the sedative before it could affect my nervous system.
INHALE! CRACKLE!
The drugs tried to work—I could feel them attempting to shut down my consciousness, to drag me into chemical-induced sleep. But the Hamon was faster, burning through the foreign substances with golden efficiency.
'Purged. But it's dividing my attention. I have to maintain the breathing pattern while fighting, which means I can't hold my breath for extended periods, can't use certain Hamon techniques that require specific breathing sequences.'
And that division of attention was exactly what they'd been counting on.
WHOOSH! WHIP!
The chain attacked from my left, Vivi wielding it now without Karoo's possession, the metal links moving with normal—but still deadly—momentum.
I brought the Gryffindor sword around in a sharp parry.
CLANG!
The chain deflected, forced aside by superior steel and Hamon-enhanced strength.
But Karoo used that exact moment to attack from my left.
BRA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!
Machine guns blazing, the duck was laying down suppressing fire that forced me to shift my stance, to redirect my Hamon-reinforced cloak to protect my exposed flank.
PING! PING! PING!
'Coordinated assault. They're working together, using each other's attacks to cover openings, to force me into defensive positions.'
I aimed my Stand-held flintlock at Karoo, ready to fire—
SHIMMER! PHASE!
—and the duck disappeared into the chain again.
WHOOSH! WHIP!
The metal weapon suddenly came alive, attacking with renewed serpentine intelligence, flowing around my attempted shot and lashing toward my legs.
CLANG! CLANG!
I leaped back, both swords coming down to intercept the possessed chain.
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!!!
Hidden knives flew from Vivi's sleeves, their trajectories calculated to force me into the sedative cloud that was still dispersing through the area.
SHING! CLANG! SHING!
My Mantra tracked each blade, my body twisting to avoid them, my swords deflecting the ones I couldn't dodge.
'They've fought together for years. This coordination is professional-grade. This isn't bounty hunters working together out of convenience—this is a unit. A team. People who've trained and bled together until their movements are second nature.'
The realization hit harder than any of their actual attacks.
'I've been treating this like individual opponents. Like Vivi plus Karoo equals two separate threats. But that's wrong. They're one threat with two bodies, two skill sets, two attack vectors all working toward the same tactical goal.'
FWOOSH!
Another sedative cloud was deployed.
WHOOSH! WHIP!
Another chain attack from an impossible angle.
BRA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!
Another burst of machine-gun fire.
SWISH-SWISH!!
Another hidden knife aimed at a vital point.
I defended, parried, dodged, and deflected. My Hamon burned through sedatives. My swords blocked physical attacks. My Mantra warned me of dangers before they materialized.
But I was losing ground.
Not physically—I hadn't taken any serious hits, hadn't been wounded or disabled. But tactically, strategically, I was being pushed into an increasingly defensive position.
'They're winning through attrition. Forcing me to react instead of act. Every second I spend defending is a second I'm not advancing, not pressuring them, not changing the fundamental dynamic of this engagement.'
The chain lashed out again, Karoo phasing out to attack simultaneously, Vivi deploying another sedative cloud and throwing more knives—
'Now!'
I'd seen enough of this. Understood their tactics. Mapped their coordination. Analyzed their strengths and weaknesses.
'Time to wrap this up!'
The moment Karoo phased out of the chain again—its body materializing in mid-air for a kick attack—I moved.
Not toward the duck.
Toward Vivi.
DASH!
'The real problem from the start was not Karoo, but Vivi.'
My Hamon-enhanced speed carried me forward faster than the princess could react, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat.
'Because of how troublesome the duck is, you forget that the one who is attacking you is actually Vivi.'
The undercover agent's eyes widened with genuine surprise, her hand moving, trying to attack me with the chain!
Too slow.
I activated the Barbossa sword's power, establishing an instant connection with the chain she was holding.
WHOOSH!
The chain responded to my will, moving against Vivi's grip, the metal links flowing like liquid steel under my supernatural control.
WRAP! COIL!
"What—!" Vivi gasped, struggling against her own weapon as it wrapped around her body.
The chain wound around Vivi's body before she could drop it, the links tightening with measured force—enough to immobilize but not enough to injure.
I was close now. Close enough to see the shock in her eyes, close enough to position my blade at her throat with professional precision.
Behind me, I heard Karoo's panic.
"QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!"
"Karoo!" Vivi shouted, genuine panic in her voice. "Don't—"
But the duck had already reacted.
"QUACK! QUACK!"
CLICK! CLICK!
Karoo's eyes went wide with alarm. Its machine guns emerged.
'The idiot. It's so panicked about Vivi being captured that it's not thinking. It's not realizing that Vivi is directly in its line of fire.'
BRA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
'Damn it.'
WHOOSH!
I controlled the chain with the Barbossa sword, yanking Vivi sideways just as the bullets started flying.
CRACK!
I jumped as well, avoiding the stream of machine gun fire that would have killed us both.
The gunfire stopped immediately, Karoo's bill opening in what I could only describe as duck-horror as it realized what it'd almost done.
"QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!"
'Fierce before, but actually dumber than I thought. The coordination breaks down the moment one of them is in danger. They stop thinking tactically and start thinking emotionally.'
I landed behind the still-chained Vivi, my sword at her neck and my Stand-held flintlock aimed at the panicking duck.
"Stand down," I said, my voice cold and level. "Or I'll have to hurt both of you."
Karoo looked like it was having a mental breakdown. Its wings flapped frantically. Its machine guns retracted and emerged repeatedly. Its eyes darted between me, Vivi, and the surroundings like it was a computer sending error messages repeatedly.
"QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!"
'Panicking. Completely panicking. All that training, all that combat experience, and it evaporates the moment it partner is in danger. Almost adorable if it wasn't so tactically stupid.'
"Karoo," Vivi's voice was surprisingly calm despite her situation. "It's okay. Calm down."
But the duck wasn't calming down. If anything, it was getting more agitated.
I looked at Vivi, my expression neutral despite the adrenaline still flooding my system from the fight.
"This is the end of the line for you," I said, making sure my sword's edge was visible against her neck. "You guys were troubling, but that ends here."
My Stand adjusted its grip on the flintlock, the ghostly barrel pointed directly at Karoo's center mass. The duck flinched at the movement, clearly able to perceive the Stand in some way.
'Game over. I've neutralized both combatants. Now I just need to—'
"Is that the case?" Vivi asked, and there was something in her voice. Not fear. Not resignation. Something else entirely.
'Wait. What—'
She didn't wait for my question as she took a deep breath.
A very, very deep breath.
'Oh no. What is she—'
FWOOOOOOSH!
A cloud of gas erupted from her hand. Thick, concentrated, spreading faster than should be possible for normal perfume dispersal.
'Shit! This isn't a normal sedative—!'
The gas hit me like a physical wave, and despite my Hamon breathing, despite the Ripple energy actively purging foreign substances from my bloodstream, I felt...
Dizzy.
WOBBLE!
The world tilted slightly, my vision blurring at the edges.
'Fuck…'
…
A/N: Alright, That's it for now!
Thank you all for reading!! Hope you enjoyed this one!
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