Chapter 105 : Training with lan
T-Bone and Nami consciously retreated to the far edge of the training ground, giving the two combatants a wide berth.
"Hmm? Little Skylark, are you ready?" Peacock called out, her whip coiled and ready. She noticed Skylark still seemed hesitant.
"Sister Peacock... could you move back a bit further?" Skylark requested, her voice slightly muffled by her hands.
"Now? Is this better?" Peacock took a few more steps back.
"A little further still..."
"This far?"
"Maybe... just a bit more..."
Peacock arched an eyebrow, now standing near the very boundary of the training field. "Are we about to leave the training grounds? Just how much range does this ability have?"
"Okay! Sister Peacock, I'm going to attack now!" Skylark finally announced, waving her hand in a gesture of warning.
Peacock focused, her curiosity piqued. At such a distance? Could the Dark-Dark Fruit's power really reach her? But this was a test, and holding back would defeat the purpose. She had to take it seriously.
Skylark took a deep, steadying breath and focused, activating the ability as it had manifested in her mind.
"Darkness!"
An immense, invisible force of gravity instantly locked onto Peacock. The power of the ability far exceeded anything she had imagined.
Boom!
The moment a sphere of swirling, pitch-black energy materialized in Skylark's outstretched hand, a colossal gravitational pull erupted around Peacock. It was like an invisible giant's hand had clenched around her, utterly inescapable.
"This... this is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit?!" Peacock gasped, straining against the force. "Such immense... gravity! I can't resist it at all!"
After struggling for mere seconds, the irresistible pull yanked her off her feet, sending her hurtling directly towards Skylark at high speed. Though Skylark knew the theory of her "Darkness" ability, seeing its effect firsthand was as shocking for her as it was for Peacock.
Boom!
The moment Peacock collided with the sphere of dark energy, the power of her Whip-Whip Fruit was completely nullified. Her Devil Fruit abilities vanished in an instant.
Click.
Skylark's hand trembled slightly as she raised a specially modified pistol with her left hand, its barrel pressing gently against Peacock's side.
"These are tranquilizer rounds," Skylark said softly, her voice firm yet polite. "Sister Peacock, I won't fire, okay? You might be able to use Armament Haki to defend, but tranquilizer rounds... should still have some effect."
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Peacock's temple. Thank the seas this ability is on our side, she thought. If an enemy possessed such a power, the consequences would be unthinkable. It also gave her a newfound, chilling appreciation for the monstrous strength Ian must have possessed to defeat the previous user of this fruit, Blackbeard Teach.
"The test is over. Both of you performed well," Ian's voice cut through the tension. "Skylark, you will continue to explore the other applications of the Dark-Dark Fruit. How you integrate it with your sniper skills is up to your creativity. With just this one ability, Skylark, your combat potential is now..."
"Heroic!" Skylark finished his sentence, a spark of understanding in her eyes.
Ian nodded. The key was to follow up the nullification with a swift, decisive strike. Armament Haki was the crucial component. The reason the Dark-Dark Fruit was so devastating in Blackbeard's hands was because he was already a powerhouse of Haki before he ever ate the fruit. Skylark's current Haki level was still her greatest weakness and her most important training goal.
"Our newly promoted Lieutenant General..." Peacock's voice shifted to a playful, teasing tone as she poked Ian's arm, the previous tension forgotten. "Hehe, now that Skylark has shown off her new trick, isn't it your turn? When you explained things earlier, you failed to mention you had such a... dashing transformation."
"That's right! That form was the most powerful fighting stance I've ever seen!" T-Bone added, his voice filled with awe.
"Lieutenant General Ian, will we get to see it again?" Nami asked, her eyes shining.
"I didn't get a proper look this morning. Was it really that impressive?"
Once Peacock started, the other cadres quickly joined in, their voices a chorus of eager anticipation.
"Then... shall I give you a demonstration?" Ian asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Everyone shouted in unison: "Show us!!"
In an instant, black and white flame-like clouds erupted around Ian. His muscles condensed and tightened with audible force, his entire frame radiating immense, explosive power. The shocking sight of his Awakened transformation left his cadres in awe.
"I sensed you were in danger," Ian explained, his voice a low rumble in this form. "Under that pressure, I somehow unlocked this transformation. After eating the Human-Human Fruit, I thought I'd never achieve a proper transformation in my life. I never imagined it would develop alongside the fruit's awakening. In this combat form, my body can change more freely... If I want to be smaller, I can be smaller. If I want to be bigger, I can be bigger!"
As he spoke, his arms began to swell dramatically. The colossal fist that had sent Garling flying reappeared before their eyes.
"Wow! Lieutenant General Ian, this is amazing!" Nami exclaimed, gazing up at the mountain-sized fist. "Can I... can I touch it?"
"Go ahead, touch whatever you like!" Ian said, bringing his massive fist closer.
Nami and Skylark quickly gathered around, gingerly touching the fist that thrummed with strange, immense power.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, a cool, slender hand slipped inside his Navy uniform jacket.
"Washboard! That's amazing, little Ian!" Peacock's eyes were full of stars as she "appreciated" Ian's transformed physique from an extremely close distance.
"We were just touching his fist, why are you sneaking a feel?" Nami complained.
Peacock bit her lip, her voice dropping to a sultry, suggestive whisper. "You said you can get bigger just because you want to? Hehe... Lieutenant General Ian, are you bragging? What's on the agenda for tonight? Do you want to... show your subordinates your true capabilities?"
Again!
Ever since arriving at Sabaody, Peacock had seized every opportunity to harass him anytime, anywhere. Previously, Ian hadn't minded too much. But now, with her hand still wandering inside his jacket and her implication crystal clear in front of the entire crew, he decided it was time to put a stop to it.
In a flash, his gigantic hand, which Nami and Skylark had just been touching, shot out with impossible speed. Before Peacock could even react, his thumb and forefinger gently but firmly pinched both of her cheeks, squeezing her lips into a comical, pouting shape.
"Oww! Liefenanant Ia, thas hurths!" she mumbled, her words distorted.
"Consider this your punishment for insubordination," Ian declared, a wide, triumphant grin on his face. He held her there for a moment longer, letting the lesson sink in, before finally releasing her.
Peacock rubbed her sore cheeks, a furious blush on her face, but the mischievous, undeterred glint in her eyes promised that this was far from over.
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