One Piece: My Crew Uses Zanpakuto

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'I never imagined I could summon Astolfo already.'

Ikki stroked his chin, turning the thought over in his mind. 'Looks like Sadi-chan is quite adept at using her Noble Phantasm. I'll have to thank her properly later.'

He had assumed that Hancock would be the one to give him the opportunity first, opening the path to summon the Red Emperor, Nero. And honestly, he had been looking forward to it.

Setting everything else aside, just thinking about Nero's personality made him smile. Back when he used to watch Fate adaptations and play through the games, he had developed a genuine fondness for that particular emperor.

Nero was not just extraordinary in personality; she was a breathtaking woman, lavishly generous, who had ruled at the age of seventeen. Ikki had always imagined that if he ever got to meet her, she would probably let him serve as her painter and immortalize her beauty on canvas, if he only asked.

Now that the opportunity to summon her was within reach, he naturally wanted to act on it. But Emperor Nero, linked as she was to Hancock's Noble Phantasm, had not yet come through. Instead, Sadi-chan had been the one to open the door, and to Astolfo of all people.

Not that Ikki wasn't fond of Astolfo. He was, genuinely. The Paladin was adorable in a way that defied easy explanation, so thoroughly charming that he could apparently walk into a women's bathroom without anyone raising an objection. Still, if Ikki were being honest with himself, he would have preferred summoning a girl.

'Either way, being able to summon at all is a good thing.'

He let out a slow breath. 'But it's not like Sadi-chan would suddenly get this opportunity out of nowhere. Could something have happened to her over there?'

The thought made him still. He was well aware that the chance to summon a Heroic Spirit was not something that came easily. If it were, he would have already called on Nero, bound as she was to his Noble Phantasm, or any number of Shinigami tied to his Zanpakuto. He would have had that opportunity back when Sadi-chan was still with him.

The fact that it had arrived now, without warning, meant something. When Ikki turned it over, his instincts pulled him in one direction. 'She ran into something serious.'

He checked the interface in his mind. Sadi-chan's status was still visible, still active. 'She's alive, then. She's fine.'

'This must mean she's grown even more proficient with the Casseur de Logistille. And in Impel Down, even when things get dangerous, she can handle it.' He smirked to himself. 'Better summon Astolfo quickly. This will push the team's capabilities even further.'

The smirk faded the moment he checked the summoning condition.

A Devil Fruit. He needed a Devil Fruit to complete it. He scrolled through his items. Nothing.

'How am I supposed to summon without a Devil Fruit?'

Ikki pressed his lips together and resisted the urge to curse out loud.

"Um, Lord Ikki."

The voice came from inside the training hall. He turned toward the sound and saw Ginrummy and Belo Betty walking over together, side by side. He pushed the summoning problem to the back of his mind and faced them.

"Ginrummy, Belo Betty." He nodded to each of them. "What brings you here? Something you need, Ginrummy?"

Ginrummy pressed her hands together, her expression somewhere between hopeful and sheepish. "Lord Ikki, I noticed we had a free moment, and I was hoping I could ask for a bit of your time. I was thinking we could go to the public bathhouse and... if you were willing, you could help me activate my Innate Demon Slayer Mark?"

Since traveling with Ikki, Ginrummy had come to understand the abilities of each crew member well enough. Everyone aboard the Explorer had already activated their Demon Slayer Mark, and a good number had gone further and awakened their Innate Demon Slayer Mark.

The difference in raw power between the two was substantial. More than that, those who possessed the Innate Demon Slayer Mark were spared the cruel fate that claimed ordinary Mark users, the sudden death that came after crossing age twenty-five.

Ginrummy was still roughly a year away from that threshold. There was time. But whether it was the hunger for greater strength, or something closer to fear, she had begun to feel an urgency she could not quite quiet. She wanted to master it as soon as possible.

The method itself was straightforward. Ikki would expend his life to activate his own Innate Demon Slayer Mark, and Ginrummy would do the same with hers, and the two of them would remain in close proximity.

Over time, the resonance of Ikki's Mark would bleed into hers, gradually reshaping it until it transformed into a true Innate Demon Slayer Mark. Many of the crew had walked that same path.

Even Gion, who now carried the strength of a Marine Admiral and whose connection to Ikki ran deeper than most, had awakened through exactly this method. It had saved her life.

Ginrummy had learned the details from Robin.

Ikki stroked his chin and gave her a measured look. "Activating your Innate Demon Slayer Mark, hm. Don't be in too much of a rush, Ginrummy. You have time, and it will happen sooner or later." He shifted his gaze to Belo Betty. "And you? Did you come for the same reason, or were you just passing by?"

Belo Betty's lips curved into a slight smile. "I heard you'd returned from the Marine warship and brought Robin along for training. I thought I might join in if the opportunity was there. I still have quite a few questions about flow state cultivation in the Transparent World."

Ikki listened, then nodded. "So it's all about cultivation. You really do hunger for strength, both of you." He crossed his arms, and something warmer crept into his voice. "I'm glad for it. I'm genuinely happy when any of you push to become stronger."

"That means a great deal to hear, Lord Ikki," Belo Betty said. She chuckled softly, then tilted her head. "Though, you seem like you had something weighing on your mind just now. If you don't mind sharing, I'm all ears. I'd be glad to help if I can."