Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

"Yes, you are our chief navigator, and this Devil Fruit suits you perfectly," Zane said with a smile.

Like Roche, Eddie was a former member of the Bellamy Pirates and one of the earliest members of the Hunting Team.

While Eddie wasn't as skilled in combat as Roche, he had been an exemplary navigator throughout their journey so far.

Giving him the Bird-Bird Fruit, Ancient Model: Argentavis would not only bolster his combat strength but also provide him with flight and the keen eyesight of an eagle, allowing him to perform his duties as a navigator even better.

Amidst Eddie's ecstatic thanks, Zane finished distributing the Devil Fruits. He stood with hands on his hips and looked around at everyone. "Those of you who received a Devil Fruit must not waste this power. You must work hard to master and train it."

"As for those who didn't get one, don't be discouraged. There are plenty of Devil Fruits in this world. As long as you perform well, I'll even go out and snatch them for you in the future."

"Yes, sir!!"

The response was a chorus of fervent shouts.

While those who didn't receive a fruit were understandably disappointed, seeing the examples of Wyper and the others quickly turned that disappointment into anticipation.

Seeing this, Zane ended the distribution session, feeling satisfied.

Those who had received a fruit immediately ate them and went off to find places to adapt to their new powers.

Zane did the same.

After handing over management duties to Nico Robin, he returned to the coast.

He selected a dying prisoner from the captured Happo Navy members, gave him the Eye-Eye Fruit, and immediately triggered [LET'S DUEL!].

Equality Space.

He easily dispatched the prisoner.

As the body rapidly dissolved into attribute light orbs, Zane reached out for the one belonging to the Devil Fruit without hesitation.

He grabbed it and refined it instantly!

The attribute energy of the Devil Fruit flooded into his body, immediately converging toward his eyes.

Not just his normal eyes, but also the third eye on his forehead.

Vwoom!

As the energy accumulated more and more, it reached a tipping point.

Zane's vision blurred momentarily.

In the next second, it felt as if a layer of dust had been wiped away from his sight, making everything exceptionally clear.

But that was only the beginning.

The third eye on his forehead twisted violently as it squeezed shut.

Swish!

When the distortion vanished, the third eye had undergone a stunning transformation.

Originally, the third eye had been like his others, with eyelids that opened up and down.

However, the third eye had now transformed into a vertical eye that opened left and right.

Furthermore, the eye glowed with a golden luster, exuding a natural sense of majesty and pressure.

Zane noticed the change in his third eye immediately.

Or more accurately, he saw it with his own eyes.

At this moment, Zane's vision was extraordinary.

Not only was everything he saw crystal clear, but his range of vision was a 360-degree x-ray view with no blind spots.

That's right.

Complete x-ray vision without blind spots.

This allowed him to see the appearance of his own third eye perfectly.

'Byakugan?'

No, this was a power brought about by the Eye-Eye Fruit.

Though he knew the Eye-Eye Fruit would be compatible with him, Zane hadn't expected it to trigger such a metamorphosis in his third eye so quickly.

'This strange sensation doesn't seem like it's just from the Eye-Eye Fruit.'

Due to the change in his vision, Zane instinctively looked around, but as he did, he discovered something else.

Through his normal eyes, he only saw clarity and the x-ray effect, but through the vision of the third eye, he saw even more.

As his gaze swept over the Equality Space, all sorts of information began pouring into his mind through the third eye's perspective.

This information formed a comprehensive breakdown of everything about the Equality Space.

"Insight into the essence of all things..."

As if the knowledge were innate, Zane murmured to himself, understanding the third eye's ability to perceive the fundamental information of the Equality Space.

In legends, the third eye of the Three-Eye Tribe hid a special power.

For example, the ability to decipher Poneglyphs without prior study.

With the evolution—or rather, the awakening—of his third eye, Zane finally understood the true nature of that power.

The so-called deciphering of Poneglyphs was actually gaining insight into the essential information behind the ancient script.

*

*

*

Somewhere in the West Blue.

A fleet was sailing at full speed.

The lead warship featured a tiger's head on its prow.

"Old man, are we really just going to head straight there? Should we look for help from the other Navies?"

On the deck, Sai, who had a '13' tattooed on his left abdomen, couldn't help but ask the burly old man standing in front of him.

The old man was over five meters tall with a broad, stout frame. Though he was bald, he had an exceptionally thick and long white beard.

"Help? Boy, you're too naive. If we do that, we'll have a hard time in the future. If we're not careful, the entire Happo Navy will be swallowed up," Chinjao turned around and looked at his grandson.

He spoke with a stern expression, immediately scolding the younger man.

"Huh? Surely not? At least the Nibao Navy wouldn't do something like that," Sai said in shock, quickly trying to defend his position.

He was already engaged to the daughter of the Nibao Navy's Don.

"Hmph, why do you think I had you get engaged to the daughter of the Nibao Navy's Don? It's because we're weak right now and need a strong ally."

"But allies are unreliable. Once we show any sign of weakness, they might be the first ones to bite us," Chinjao said, looking disappointed at his grandson's naivety.

The current Happo Navy was indeed suffering from a serious gap in talent.

Not just in terms of strength, but in terms of mindset as well.

"But..." Sai hesitated, seeing the disappointed look on his grandfather's face.

If possible, he didn't want to ask outsiders for help either.

However, he felt a lingering sense of unease regarding this enemy.

There was no avoiding it.

While most of the guards stationed at the Jewel Ice Sheet were second-tier members of the Happo Navy, there were also many retired officers who were still capable.

Sai knew the strength of those veteran officers well.

After all, he had received guidance from them when he was younger.

Yet, despite such defensive power, the enemy had still seized the Jewel Ice Sheet.

The other party had even had the audacity to contact them and challenge Chinjao to come to the Jewel Ice Sheet.

In Sai's eyes, this meant the enemy had either set up numerous traps or was incredibly confident in their own strength.

Either way, heading straight to the Jewel Ice Sheet didn't seem like a good plan.

"Brother, don't worry too much. With the old man here, no matter who the enemy is, they won't be a match for us."

At that moment, Boo, the 13th Vice Don of the Happo Navy and Sai's younger brother, walked over.

Carrying three battle axes on his back, he patted his brother's shoulder with confidence.

"Exactly. I might be semi-retired, but I'm not past my prime yet. Hmph, they are incredibly reckless. Once we reach the Jewel Ice Sheet, I'll make sure they taste hell!" Chinjao stroked his long white beard and snorted, his face full of rage.

The treasure within the Jewel Ice Sheet was his lifeblood.

Even though he believed it was impossible for the enemy to break through the ice, the mere thought of outsiders looking at it made his anger boil over.

"I hope everything goes smoothly."

Seeing that the old man was unwilling to seek outside help and his brother was so overconfident, Sai sighed inwardly. He could only pray that they would achieve a smooth victory on this trip.