Chapter 43: The Dream World
Sword energy slashed wildly and indiscriminately around him, carving deep gouges into the earth. The surrounding buildings suffered a similar fate, their facades shredded and support structures critically damaged. In a short, frantic period, Cavendish launched over a dozen consecutive attacks, yet not a single one found its mark on Ian.
As the dust and debris from the destroyed environment began to cloud the air, Cavendish's vision became obstructed. Forced to retreat ten meters to regain his bearings, he scanned the chaotic area, desperately trying to locate his opponent.
"Damn it... Jock Ian!" he swore, his voice a mixture of fury and disbelief. "What kind of ghostly speed is this? Are you kidding me?!"
He was deeply shaken. During his flurry of attacks, he had been absolutely certain he had Ian's position locked down. Yet, each time, at the very last moment, Ian had evaded with impossible ease. Now, he couldn't even pinpoint where Ian was anymore!
Shave!
A slight, almost imperceptible vibration in the air nearby made Cavendish's spirit freeze. A primal sense of crisis screamed from the depths of his mind. Ian's figure materialized instantly in front of him. Cavendish barely had time to raise his left arm in a desperate block.
BOOM!
A fist, burning with heat like red-hot steel, slammed into his guard. The colossal force behind the punch was irresistible, sending him flying backward like a discarded ragdoll. He crashed through the wall of a building beside the street, disappearing into the dark interior amidst a shower of splintered wood and shattered stone.
The test of Haki was complete.
Ian now had a much deeper understanding of his own level. Both his Armament and Observation Haki were superior to this era's Pirate Supernova. Now, for the final test...
His awakened Devil Fruit skill.
The system had not yet issued a notification signaling his opponent's defeat, meaning Cavendish, while battered, was not out of the fight. The fact he could withstand a direct, Haki-infused punch meant this Pirate Supernova wasn't completely useless.
One kilometer away, in a remarkably short time, T-Bone and Nami had successfully completed their task. A full perimeter was established, isolating all non-combatants. The roar of the ongoing battle echoed from the cordoned-off zone.
T-Bone gripped the hilt of his massive sword, a look of profound admiration on his face. "Commodore Ian is truly formidable. To completely suppress such a powerful and talented swordsman..."
After his brief clash with Cavendish, T-Bone had a rough idea of the pirate's level. In a one-on-one fight, with his current abilities, victory would have been impossible. At a critical moment like this, it all came down to Ian's performance.
"Don't worry, Uncle T-Bone," Nami said, her voice filled with unwavering confidence. "Commodore Ian will never lose. We just need to do our part. We can't let the island's residents be harmed by these pirates. As for the rest... we trust Commodore Ian!"
T-Bone nodded in firm agreement. "You're right, Ms. Nami. We must hold this perimeter for Commodore Ian!"
Within the Battle Circle
Boom! Crunch!
Cavendish shoved a heavy stone slab off his body and stumbled out of the ruins, his left arm hanging limp and useless at his side. His pristine white coat was now tattered and stained with dust and blood. The bone in his left arm, where Ian's fist had connected, was clearly broken, and blood dripped steadily from his fingertips onto the rubble.
Hisssss!
Cavendish tentatively tried to make a fist with his injured hand. A bolt of searing pain shot up his arm, making him gasp. It could still move, but that was about all it could manage.
"Jock Ian!" he snarled, his eyes burning with rage as he glared in the direction he'd last seen his opponent.
And then, his world changed.
In his vision, Ian's body began to rapidly enlarge. Five meters... ten meters... fifty meters... The figure expanded to a monstrous, building-crushing height of nearly a hundred meters in an instant!
"Uh..." Cavendish's breath hitched in his throat. His body began to tremble violently, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. "What kind of ability is this... to transform into a giant?!"
It wasn't just Ian's size that was magnified; his aura, his sheer oppressive presence, was also amplified to a soul-crushing, despair-inducing degree.
Of course, this terrifying spectacle existed only within Cavendish's mind. In the real world, nothing had changed.
[Dream World]!
One of the awakened skills of his Devil Fruit, granting him control over the mind!
The mental attack had successfully landed even after the physical blow. Back in the real world, Ian observed the sudden, stark changes in Cavendish's expression and his subtle, panicked movements. It was now absolutely certain—Dream World had worked!
The skill's description mentioned the failure rate increased against enemies with strong Haki cultivation and mental willpower. It seemed the level of an "Injured Pirate Supernova" no longer fell within that reference range.
From Ian's perspective, Cavendish now resembled a frightened rabbit, scrambling and rolling on the ground. That was because, in his virtual prison, the hundred-meter-tall giant had begun its ferocious assault.
Since this was a test, and Cavendish was a rare, viable target, Ian decided to make the most of it. The proof was sufficient that Cavendish was trapped in the fantasy. Now, Ian wanted to try something else...
If the target realized they were trapped in an illusion, could someone of Cavendish's current level break free from the Dream World through their own strength?
Ian bent down, picked up a few small pieces of gravel, and held them in his palm. He watched Cavendish's movements closely, waiting until the pirate completed a frantic dodge roll in his dream. Then, with a sharp flick of his wrist, Ian sent a piece of gravel shooting through the air. It struck Cavendish's knee with pinpoint accuracy.
In the Dream World...
"Ugh!"
Cavendish felt a sharp, real pain explode in his knee, forcing him to kneel on one leg. "A little stone? Where did it come from? Are there other Marines here? Impossible!"
The first hit left him no time to think, because high above, the mountain-sized fist of the giant Ian was already descending toward him at a terrifying speed.
BOOM!
Cavendish scrambled backward in horror, looking at the swath of civilian houses flattened by the illusory impact with a lingering fear. "Is this guy a monster?!"
Thwack! Thwack!
Two more stones struck him, one on the same knee and another directly on the broken bone of his left arm. The pain was sharp and undeniable. Cavendish could now confirm it wasn't an accident. Someone was deliberately targeting him!
But where? Where were they hiding?! His eyes darted around the nightmarish landscape, searching for an enemy he couldn't see, trapped in a battle on two fronts—one real, one imagined.