Regarding the giant race, both BIG MOM and the World Government coveted their combat strength.
The former had killed a giant elder during her childhood. Later, her political marriage with a giant prince fell apart due to Chiffon's escape, but she never gave up. Instead, she turned to experiments on human gigantification.
As for the latter, the World Government had acted even earlier. Sister Carmel staged a play together with the Marines, establishing the House of Lambs specifically to supply giant soldiers.
But were giants truly that strong?
In his memories, whether it was Saul or the giant elder defeated by the young BIG MOM, neither had demonstrated overwhelming strength.
Even the two giants from Little Garden had been successfully manipulated early on by Baroque Works.
However…
In the Egghead Island storyline, those same two giants who came from Little Garden showed something entirely different, making Rowan suspect that Elbaf had a deep connection with the great kingdom from eight hundred years ago.
The Sea King Poseidon of Fish-Man Island, the Pluton warship of Wano Country, and if Elbaf were to produce Uranus, it would not be surprising at all.
"First, the giants currently within the Marines and the World Government. The two giants guarding Enies Lobby were deceived by the World Government. The two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates are still on Little Garden in the Grand Line, dueling every time the island's volcano erupts."
"The other case dates back forty one years. Sister Carmel's House of Lambs in Elbaf was, from beginning to end, a staged act with the World Government… the purpose being the power of the giants."
Hearing this, Saul frowned.
Events from forty one years ago were already too distant.
"What happened back then is not very important now. Your stance is opposed to the World Government, right? Then are you not also seeking the power of the giants?"
Rowan did not deny it.
"That is true. But the premise is that Elbaf's stance aligns with mine. In my view, the giant race is likely deeply connected to the great kingdom from eight hundred years ago. That is a natural alignment."
Saul fell silent for a moment.
"I will bring what you said back to Elbaf. I will also pass a message to those two at Enies Lobby. But Elbaf's stance is not something I can decide."
At this point, Saul smiled and extended his fist.
"But you saved me. That is a debt I owe you. If there is ever a need in the future, I will repay it, Cloaked Man."
Rowan smiled as well and bumped his hand lightly against the giant fist.
Rowan did not know much about the giants. Calling it a secret was somewhat exaggerated, as it was already something from forty one years ago.
Before coming here, the Elbaf arc had not yet begun. That place seemed to hold the Adam Tree and many hidden truths.
Otherwise, Rowan did not believe that the people of Mary Geoise would ignore Elbaf. The giant straw hat in Pangaea Castle and the ancient robot that attacked Mary Geoise alone were enough reasons for them to act.
Unless… they were wary?
If that was the case, then perhaps Uranus really was there.
After the Saul defection incident, the Revolutionary Army gradually entered a more structured phase.
Across the Four Seas and the Grand Line, Revolutionary Army members were quietly developing in various countries.
The research institute in Baldigo had been completed. Over more than half a year, all equipment and instruments were delivered in batches, and Vegapunk officially began his research.
Thanks to ideological education, Vegapunk had genuinely come to agree with the Revolutionary Army's beliefs and realized that only they could help him achieve his lifelong dream.
Even if infinite energy were realized, in the hands of the World Government it would only become a tool of control, not a source of energy.
At the same time, among the newly recruited Revolutionary Army members, anyone with a research background was sent to Baldigo to assist Vegapunk and learn under him.
Over these past months, Rowan also began to notice gradual changes in Kuzan.
The book that described the origin of this world's sickness, along with the burning will of the oppressed masses, had already planted its seed the moment Kuzan opened it for the first time.
This outcome also made Rowan breathe a sigh of relief. If that book had been delivered to Mary Geoise, those five old monsters would inevitably turn their attention toward the still-developing Revolutionary Army.
Kuzan's personality and what he stood for were different from Sakazuki's. That was also the reason Rowan had only chosen to develop Kuzan for now.
Inside the prison space.
Rowan looked at the sin value displayed on the platform. More than half a year had passed, and the corridor imprisoning the two Celestial Dragons had finally gone quiet.
Combined with the gains from sailing alongside Kuzan during this period, the total had reached 1.62 million.
One diamond treasure chest and six gold treasure chests. If he saved up a bit longer and found another chance to kill a Celestial Dragon, then in another six months he could open another diamond chest.
A flash of light appeared on the platform, and a crystal clear treasure chest materialized. At the same time, the sin value dropped from over 1.62 million to 620,000.
Power…
Rowan's mind replayed the scene from the shores of the Olga Kingdom. He had seen similar scenes again afterward. So for more than half a year, what he desired most was power.
Power to shatter this world. Power to overthrow the old order and rebuild it anew.
In this world, individual strength had an upper limit. No matter how strong one became, stamina and willpower still imposed a ceiling on Haki.
But the power granted by treasure chests might not have such limits.
The energy of the Dragon Ball world, the Six Paths level of the Naruto world, the Zanpakuto of the Bleach world.
And the talismans that, in theory, could scale infinitely as long as the user's base strength was sufficient.
The Chicken Talisman only granted levitation, yet with enough stamina, that very ability could even lift an entire island into the air.
Then what about the Ox Talisman that represented strength? With enough stamina, could it shatter an island with a single punch?
And the Rat Talisman, which could turn the static into the living. First create a script, then make a toy form, and finally bring it to life.
These powers, in this world, were almost without limits. How far they could go depended entirely on one's stamina.
Rowan brushed his hand across the treasure chest.
In the next moment, an ordinary looking long sword appeared before him.
[Bleach World: Strongest Fire-Type Zanpakuto]
This time there was no double reward with an additional attribute card. Clearly, his desire for power had influenced the result.
The diamond-tier attribute had been integrated into this Zanpakuto.
And the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto…
Ryujin Jakka, the blade wielded by Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13. Even in its Shikai state alone, it could reduce a large island to ash.
In its Bankai state, just the temperature alone could evaporate vast stretches of ocean. Sakazuki's magma would be insignificant in comparison.
With such power, let alone Mary Geoise, the entire One Piece world could be swept through.
Then what meaning remained?
The development of the Revolutionary Army could be left for later. Whether Kuzan joined or not did not matter. Elbaf, Wano, Fish-Man Island, the ancient weapons Uranus, Pluton, Poseidon, did any of it matter?
It had no meaning at all.
When one possessed power capable of easily destroying the world, everything became simple.
Order or chaos, all of it would rest on a single thought.
In his soul form, Rowan stood frozen.
From the moment he was one year old, everything he had wanted to accomplish suddenly became incredibly easy.
On a deserted island in the New World.
Rowan had just arrived from Marineford using Flying Thunder God. The long blade was in his hand.
He slowly drew the sword.
A flash of light passed.
"All things in the universe… turn to ash. Ryujin Jakka!"
The release command was spoken. Rowan gripped the hilt with both hands, anticipating the flames that could burn magma into charred ash.
However…
Waves crashed against the cliffs of the deserted island. Not a single trace of flame appeared.
Rowan froze for a moment, then examined the blade in his hand again. There was indeed no change at all.
"All things in the universe… turn to ash. Ryujin Jakka!"
Rowan sat down on the ground and began carefully inspecting the sword.
Cannot use it?
Normally, items obtained from treasure chests should not have restrictions. Even the Flying Nimbus had lost its requirement of a pure heart. There was no reason a Zanpakuto would suddenly be unusable.
From previous verification, the prison treasure chest system had already proven that it granted what he needed and desired. The only limitation was the chest's level, and the items would always be things he was familiar with.
There was no issue with Ryujin Jakka. He could use it, just like he could ride the Flying Nimbus.
But being able to use it did not mean he could release Shikai or achieve Bankai so easily.
In the Bleach world, power came from spiritual pressure. In the Naruto world, it was chakra. In this world… it was stamina.
And a Zanpakuto was not a dead object.
Moreover, the description from the treasure chest had never explicitly stated that this blade was Ryujin Jakka. It only said it was the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto.
What he could currently use was merely its Asauchi state. That satisfied the condition of being usable…
But the requirement for Shikai was to communicate with the Asauchi, gain its recognition, hear its voice, and learn its name and release command.
There were even limits tied to spiritual pressure. For example, Toshiro Hitsugaya and his Hyorinmaru had an incomplete Bankai for a long time before the Thousand-Year Blood War.
Spiritual pressure… stamina?
So the Rowan who had always relied on kunai in his "Kindling" identity and fought barehanded as a Marine… now needed to start training with a sword?
Sheathing the Asauchi, Rowan disappeared from the island. In the next instant, he arrived at Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue.
If he wanted rapid improvement in stamina and willpower, he would need treasure chests and attribute cards.
But swordsmanship, or more precisely communication with the blade, required living together with the Asauchi, constantly training, and infusing it with the essence of one's soul to create a true Zanpakuto.
The essence of the soul… was willpower.
In that case, this Asauchi might become the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto, but whether it would still be Ryujin Jakka was uncertain.
In theory, all Zanpakuto were created by Oetsu Nimaiya. But this one came from a treasure chest and replaced spiritual pressure with stamina and willpower. There was no way it was still something he created.
While pondering the nature of the blade, Rowan had already arrived at Shimotsuki Village.
Mask and cloak remained his standard attire. But before he could even enter, he was stopped by Koushirou and dragged into a small forest.
"Not even letting me enter the gate, that is not how you treat a guest."
Koushirou gave a bitter smile.
"After your bounty poster came out, do you have any idea how conspicuous your outfit is? The moment I heard you landed, I rushed over."
…Right.
That did seem true.
Rowan felt a bit awkward, but still said, "I came this time because I need a favor."
Koushirou sighed.
"The food supplies we gathered before have already been sent out. The autumn harvest is still far away. Even I cannot do anything about that right now."
Rowan shook his head.
"No. I want to learn swordsmanship from you."
Learn swordsmanship?
Koushirou froze for a moment. Only then did his gaze fall on the blade at Rowan's waist.
Just from Rowan's stance and the way he carried the sword, he could tell that this man, whom Dragon called "Sir," had never learned the sword at all.
And did not know how to use one.
Zero foundation, at this age?
How was that even possible?
"I can sense that your Haki is already very strong. In that case, there is no need for you to learn swordsmanship. And although you are wearing a mask so I cannot tell your exact age, it is obvious you have already passed the best time to start learning the sword."
Rowan fell silent for a moment.
"There is a reason I must learn. I can start from the beginning. I need to communicate with my sword."
Koushirou felt a headache coming on. The person in front of him clearly was not someone who would listen to reason.
Once a person had already developed their own rhythm of using power, starting over with swordsmanship at this stage would make it extremely difficult to ever reach their original level again.
Even something like Ryuo would only coat the blade with Armament Haki. With enough time, perhaps a black blade could be forged, but becoming a great swordsman was out of the question.
Koushirou was about to say more, but when he saw the determination in Rowan's eyes beneath the mask, he could only sigh.
"Fine. You cannot go to the dojo. Every day, I will guide you here for half a day."
He understood very clearly that if he did not agree, this man would come every day anyway. And if he ever entered the dojo and got exposed, Shimotsuki Village might not continue to exist.
With his "Kindling" identity's sword training settled, Rowan immediately began learning. He did not want to wait even a single day.
The power of the Zanpakuto could accelerate his plans, or even allow him to directly sweep through everything. There was no way he would not take it seriously.
In the small forest, Rowan placed the Asauchi horizontally and sat cross-legged.
Opposite him, Koushirou began teaching from the very basics, occasionally adding remarks about how using a sword was not that useful.
Two hours later, Rowan directly asked,
"If I want to communicate with the sword, what should I do?"
Koushirou replied,
"Sleep with it, live with it. Over time, you will be able to sense the sword's breathing. That is when communication begins."
"But in reality, communication is just a way of speaking. No sword can actually talk. To put it another way, it means you can sense it and treat it as a part of your body."
"The same applies to cutting practice. Only by gripping the hilt again and again will you truly feel the presence of the blade."
"Now begin."
Begin? Begin what?
"Swing with full force three thousand times."
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