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The Strongest Frost Loli (122)
🕑 Added 2024-09-12 17:00:04 +0000 UTCChapter 122 - A King's Disposition
"Rocks…?"
Kanata looked at the man before her with suspicion.
Rocks' wanted poster was no longer in circulation. She might have encountered it if she had actively searched for it, but she had never been interested, so she had no idea what he looked like.
Was this man truly Rocks?
And why was he here? Rocks was supposed to be dead… countless questions raced through her mind.
"If you’re here… Does that mean I'm dead?"
It was a natural assumption, considering she was speaking with someone who was supposed to be dead.
But… something felt off.
This wasn't the Land of the Dead. This wasn’t what the afterlife looked like.
It should be darker, colder, more… hopeless.
“–!”
A sharp pain shot through her head.
She shouldn't think about it.
It was unbearable for ordinary humans. This flaw in her soul shouldn't even exist.
She pressed her hand against her throbbing forehead, blinked a few times, and refocused on the man before her.
“You’re not dead yet. It’s impossible to meet someone who’s dead. Unless, of course, they have a Devil Fruit ability that allows them to return from the Land of the Dead.”
“…You’re saying there are people who can come back from the dead?”
“There’s the Phoenix, a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user. Strictly speaking, they don't actually die, but it’s essentially an immortal zombie.”
“Then what are you? An illusion?”
“Close, but not quite.”
Rocks continued his explanation. The answer, he said, tapping the sword at his waist, was this.
“Muramasa?”
“This was the weapon I used until the day I died. It seems there was some residual… what do you call it… thought? Perhaps it’s a property of the sword itself, or maybe it was my will, burned into the blade… I don’t know.”
Kanata always carried Muramasa at her waist, though she had never used it. She had never heard of such a thing.
It was a cursed blade that drove its wielder to seek death. A good weapon always had a story, and the rumors surrounding Muramasa were particularly grim.
Reproducing a person’s will through a sword was an absurd notion, but in this world, nothing was impossible.
“I’m not projecting an image through the sword. You’re pulling information from the blade.”
“…Me?”
“Haki blossoms in the midst of battle. It’s not uncommon to see or hear things you couldn’t perceive before, especially with Observation Haki.”
“So you’re saying that my Observation Haki has evolved to the point where I can read the will embedded in Muramasa?”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
Kanata was the one seeking information.
This entire situation had been unconsciously orchestrated by her, simply to obtain it.
“We don’t have much time. Listen carefully – As you’ve probably realized, Octavia’s black lightning isn’t a Devil Fruit ability. She’s channeling Conqueror’s Haki.”
Kanata’s ice would turn black if she infused it with Armament Haki. She had initially assumed Octavia was doing the same with her lightning, but that didn't explain how she could attack without touching her target.
Her Observation Haki had shown her that Octavia was using Conqueror’s Haki. But she didn't understand how.
Rocks scoffed, as if mocking her ignorance.
“Hah, you’ve been through a lot, but you still don’t understand?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no specific technique.”
Haki was the power of will. If you believed you could use it, you could. If you didn't, you couldn't. It was that simple.
“Do you think about how to breathe? Of course not! It’s the same thing!”
It was something that should be taken for granted.
“Haki allows you to do anything… if you believe you can. “Maybe I can, maybe I can’t” – You’ll never defeat Octavia with that kind of thinking.”
“…So you were the same?”
“I never even considered the possibility of failure. I always believed I could do anything.”
Rocks had always considered himself the strongest.
He had been a storm that swept across the seas after the disbandment of the Giant Warrior Pirates, a brief period of peace before the rise of Roger.
He had conquered countless seas, a legendary pirate whose name was known throughout the world.
While he had been defeated by Roger and Garp, their combined strength was a testament to his power. He had pushed those two legends to their limits.
He believed in his strength without a shred of doubt, fighting with everything he had. His defeat at the hands of Roger and Garp was… simply bad luck.
“Don't doubt yourself. Believe. That’s the essence of Haki.”
“Believe in my strength without a shred of doubt…”
It was hard to simply believe without ever having done it before, but she wouldn’t defeat Octavia otherwise. Rocks grinned. His back was still turned to her.
“You can do it. After all, you’re my daughter.”
Rocks had never doubted his own strength. Nor had he ever doubted Octavia’s, his trusted comrade.
Then, there was no reason to doubt the strength of Kanata Novem, who had inherited their blood.
Kanata sighed, accepting, albeit reluctantly, the fact that this man was her father.
“…I’ve never met you before.”
“I saw you when you were born. You don’t remember because you were too young.”
“I see.”
She wasn’t interested in the past. She was about to ask if that was all when Rocks spoke again.
“Oh, right. One more thing – You were able to hear my “voice” within Muramasa, even if it was unconsciously. That means you have the potential. I have something to teach you.”
“Is there something else?”
“Do you really think Observation Haki is simply about reading people’s emotions?”
Kanata froze.
She turned to face him, urging him to continue.
“Voices reside within all things. Not just humans. Everything has a voice. Do you understand?”
He had spoken to Roger about this once.
Roger had said he could hear the voices of inanimate objects, especially a powerful voice emanating from the Poneglyphs. There was precedence. Rocks wasn’t lying.
Rocks chuckled at her immediate acceptance. “I’d complain about Roger being the example, but…” he trailed off, then continued.
“Not everyone can hear these voices. Talent, training – those are a given. But you can hear more voices through a shift in consciousness.”
“A shift in consciousness? Are you going to tell me to believe again?”
“That’s a prerequisite. In this case, you simply need to accept the fact that everything has a voice.”
If you didn't know something existed, you wouldn't even try to listen. But once you were aware of its existence, you could pay attention. It was a crucial difference.
He crossed his arms, his back still turned to her. It seemed he had nothing more to say. Kanata closed her eyes, understanding that he was right.
This was simply a manifestation of her subconscious, a space she had created to access the “voice” within Muramasa.
She could return to reality whenever she wanted.
She was about to leave when –
“–Novem,” Rocks called out to her.
“If all you seek is strength, then defeating Octavia will be easy. Simply discard your empathy and focus on honing your Armament Haki. I can teach you my methods.”
“Even if I could defeat her with that… It’s not my way. I refuse to follow your path.”
“Fuhahahaha!! Well said!! – But that’s precisely why it’s meaningful. What’s the point of following a preordained path when you have the power to command others?"
He grinned. He could sense her leaving and watched her go.
“You are you. Do as you please, Kanata.”
***
A massive explosion shook the ship. Crew members clung to the deck for dear life.
The explosion had sent Octavia, Kuro, and David, who had caused it, flying into the air.
“Guh…!”
Octavia was caught off guard. She usually deflected such attacks unconsciously, but this had come from outside her expectations. It was an unexpected blow.
The damage had been minimal, but she had lost her grip on Kuro.
“That man…”
Kuro’s left arm was severed. A gaping hole was in his abdomen and he was on the verge of death. But his abilities – to pinpoint a Devil Fruit user’s location and nullify their powers through touch – were troublesome.
She had to eliminate him before he caused any more problems. She raised her spear, aiming for the kill. He was already dying. One more blow would be enough– but something flew past her, moving at incredible speeds.
“Oraaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!”
It was David.
He was using explosions to propel himself through the air. He grabbed Kuro and moved away from Octavia, putting as much distance between them as possible.
“I won't let you die! Absolutely not… Absolutely not!!”
It wasn't because Kuro was weak.
Or because he was one of Twilight's oldest members.
It was because he couldn't bear to lose another comrade, not after experiencing the pain of losing his friends in the past.
“I won't lose another friend… in front of my eyes!!”
“Brave words.”
Octavia was as fast as lightning.
No matter how fast he propelled himself, escaping from her was an impossible feat.
She closed the distance in an instant, and David, shielding Kuro, took the full brunt of her lightning attack.
Their bodies were scorched as they crashed towards Angel Island. While the ground was soft cloud, the impact was still considerable.
“Damn it… I can’t… let him die…!”
He could escape if he abandoned Kuro.
Octavia was only focused on Kuro. To her, David was an insignificant ant who couldn't even use Haki.
But.
He couldn't run away.
If he did, he wouldn't be able to face the friends he had lost, the new friends he had gained, his family – anyone.
He refused to be so cowardly.
David crawled towards Kuro, and Octavia stepped on his back, pinning him to the ground.
“You…!”
“You’re worthless. You can’t even use Haki… And you thought you could oppose me?”
She had seen countless pirates like him.
All bark and no bite, their spirits broken by some traumatic experience, no longer able to believe in their own strength.
Doubting your strength was synonymous with being unable to use Haki. Repairing a broken spirit wasn’t easy.
She assumed this was why David couldn't use Haki, and, uninterested, stabbed him in the back.
He screamed in pain, but she ignored him and turned towards Kuro.
“David…!”
“…You’re still conscious? Even after losing an arm, being impaled, and being so close to that explosion? You’re resilient.”
He seemed to have trained, but his durability was strange for someone who couldn't use Haki.
The Yami Yami no Mi, while a Logia Devil Fruit, didn't allow its user to become intangible. Instead, it granted them an abnormal pain tolerance.
While she didn't know the specifics of his ability, she could sense something was off.
“I should kill you here. You’ll die anyway, but I don’t want you interfering any further.”
She raised her spear, aiming for his heart – but he simply grinned at her.
“Are you sure you should be focusing on me? My role is over.”
What was he talking about?
As she pondered his words, she sensed someone behind her. She spun around and slashed, but the figure – Kanata – intercepted her attack without touching her, and punched her, sending her flying.
Black lightning crackled. She had been struck without being touched.
“She didn’t touch me…”
Kuro stared at her in disbelief, and Kanata, lifting him into her arms, asked, “Are you okay, Kuro? You’re still breathing, right?”
“Ouch! Don’t worry, I’m tougher than I look… So, can you win?”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
George landed beside them and lifted David, who was on the verge of death, over his shoulder. They headed for the ship. While he had been struck by Octavia, George was a seasoned fighter. He wouldn't be knocked unconscious so easily.
“George, I’m leaving them to you.”
“Got it… You’ll be okay, right?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t have her spear. She had rushed here.
But she still had Muramasa.
She drew the cursed blade for the first time, black lightning crackled around its dark surface.
“I won’t lose again.”
Her wounds hadn't healed, and her stamina hadn’t recovered. But with Muramasa in hand, she seemed larger than life.
George retreated. Feiyun and Kaie, who had been knocked unconscious, were levitated onto the ship by George’s ability.
There were no distractions. She would defeat Octavia.
“–That wasn’t bad.”
Octavia hadn’t sustained any major injuries from Kanata’s surprise attack. A small crack in her mask was the only visible damage. She raised her spear, facing Kanata.
“I thought that would keep you down for a while, but it seems I underestimated you.”
“My subordinates worked hard to buy me time. I couldn’t just stay unconscious.”
Kanata was the only one who could match Octavia’s strength. They both channeled black lightning into their weapons, and the air crackled as thunder roared.
“–Come. I’ll teach you how to use your power.”
“–I don’t need your instructions. I’m going to defeat you this time.”
An explosion erupted as their weapons clashed. The air throbbed as their Haki collided.
The clashing Conqueror’s Haki, reverberating across Skypiea, was a declaration of war.
