Chapter 44: The Sickle-Weasel Awakens
If there was a second enemy, why hadn't he shown himself until now?
Under the immense mental pressure of the unseen attacks, Cavendish pushed his Observation Haki to its absolute limit. He held his breath, concentrating, refusing to miss the slightest fluctuation in the world around him. This time, he finally caught it—the entire process of the gravel's appearance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two pieces of rubble materialized out of thin air just two meters in front of him. It was as if something isolated in another dimension had suddenly torn through the fabric of space to launch an attack. This time, he managed to dodge the projectiles. When he looked up again, the "giant" Ian had morphed, taking on Cavendish's own appearance. But this doppelgänger wore a ferocious, twisted expression that utterly ruined the perfect, handsome face he was so proud of.
"An illusion? Have I been hypnotized?" Cavendish's eyes widened in dawning horror. "Damn it! When did this happen? What a tricky ability! I didn't realize it until now!" He gripped Durandal tightly in his right hand, shouting his frustration to the empty, warped sky. If he still didn't realize he was trapped in an illusion now, then all of Ian's efforts would have been wasted.
The giant version of himself was, naturally, a product of Ian's conscious control, designed to shatter his perception of reality and force him to understand his predicament.
Here we go! Ian thought, watching from the real world. Now for the real test.
With Ian's deliberate "help," would Cavendish find a way to break the Dream World? Before facing more formidable enemies, Ian needed to find the flaws in his own skill so he could improve it. He was thoroughly engrossed in the experiment.
However, he had overestimated Cavendish's analytical skills...
"Haha! Since it's an illusion, then everything in front of me is fake!" Cavendish declared, a triumphant, if slightly unhinged, laugh escaping his lips. "A 100-meter giant? How could such a thing exist? So! There's no need to hide! I see through everything now! I... ack—!"
BOOM!
The 100-meter-tall doppelgänger delivered a brutal kick to Cavendish's side. The wild, domineering force sent him flying dozens of meters through the air before he tumbled and skidded across the broken ground. The Armament Haki he'd barely managed to activate mitigated some of the damage, but it only made his overall situation more pathetic and embarrassing.
"What is going on?!" he coughed out, spitting dust and blood. "Isn't this... a hypnotic hallucination? How could it feel so... real...?" He struggled to push himself up from the rubble, his body screaming in protest, feeling as if it were on the verge of falling apart completely.
Ian, watching the spectacle from reality: "..."
Is this guy for real? So stupid!
Just as Ian was writing Cavendish off, the pirate did something unexpected. Instead of continuing his futile struggle, he flipped over onto his back, lay flat on the ground, and began to consciously regulate his breathing, forcing his body into a state of slumber.
Ian's eyes, watching from a distance, lit up with excitement.
It's finally here!
The second personality—with combat power said to be twice that of the original—Hakuba, the Sickle-Weasel!
Huuuuh... haaaaah...
A low, rhythmic snore escaped Cavendish's lips. The fact that he could force himself to sleep in such a critical situation proved he was a nervous oddity of the highest order.
Ian didn't wait long. He commanded the giant doppelgänger to continue its assault. A massive foot descended toward the sleeping Cavendish's head, creating another life-or-death crisis.
BZZZT!
BZZZZZT...!
At the same moment, a faint but distinct buzzing filled Ian's mind, accompanied by a sharp, tingling sensation in his brain.
A warning sign? Is the Dream World about to collapse?
He focused his will, observing the subtle shifts within the illusory realm with pinpoint precision. Testing opportunities like this were rare; he didn't know when he'd find another suitable opponent.
The giant's foot was a hair's breadth from crushing Cavendish when the sleeping "Sickle-Weasel" finally awoke.
A powerful mental force, wild and untamed, erupted from within the Dream World. It was like a volley of psychic arrows, assailing the fabricated space from all sides. Cavendish's body transformed into a black blur, shooting out from under the foot in a bizarre, contorted posture. His previously battered mental state was not just restored; it was now sharper, more feral, and infinitely more dangerous.
The "facial expression" Cavendish was so proud of had completely collapsed. His pupils were pale and vacant, his lips were pulled back in a wanton, evil grin, and a dark, malevolent aura seemed to cling to him like a shroud. It was a stark contrast to the "Pirate Prince" of before.
BZZZZZZT—!
The buzzing in Ian's head intensified, the tingling sensation sharpening into a definite pain.
Finally...
CRACK!
A sound like shattering glass exploded in his mind. A dull, throbbing pain made Ian frown and take a sharp, deep breath. The sensation was deeply unpleasant! But the test had been worth it. The pre-collapse buzz, the headache—these were clear warning signs. He now had valuable data on the skill's characteristics and limits. The next time he faced a powerful enemy, he would have a much clearer judgment of how long the Dream World could hold.
"Fuck!" Ian swore under his breath, the word leaving his lips at the exact moment the Dream World shattered.
Almost simultaneously, a black shadow—Hakuba—materialized directly in front of the real Ian. The sword in its hand swung with terrifying, destructive force. Its movement speed and attack speed were on a completely different level from Cavendish's.
It was rumored that after entering this second personality, the "Sickle-Weasel Form," Cavendish's swordsmanship became twice as strong. Feeling it firsthand, Ian realized it wasn't just swordsmanship; his speed, reflexes, and the raw power of his Haki had all been dramatically enhanced!
Shing! Boom!
Shing! CRASH!
Ian moved at high speed, deftly evading while analyzing the Sickle-Weasel's attack patterns. Blades of sword energy whizzed past, slicing through the air and scattering wildly, brutally carving up the surrounding buildings that had already suffered so much. Many residential houses were caught in the crossfire, collapsing into piles of splintered wood and shattered stone. In just a few minutes, the civilian street for dozens of meters in every direction was utterly devastated.
"Kill!" Hakuba shrieked, its voice a distorted, inhuman screech. "Kill them all! I will definitely kill you!"
It attacked with the frenzied, unpredictable fury of a madman. The sword strokes seemed to have no pattern or technique, yet they somehow managed to hem Ian in, systematically closing off his avenues of retreat.
"Great speed and reaction time!" Ian noted, a flicker of respect in his eyes as he weaved through the storm of slashes, countering where he could. "To be able to fight back while dodging my attacks... No wonder he has such a high bounty."