One Piece: My Crew Uses Zanpakuto

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Belo Betty had meant every word sincerely.

She had witnessed Ikki's strength firsthand, and lived through the process of cultivating that kind of power herself. The more time she spent around him, the more firmly she believed she had made the right choice in seeking him out. He was worth investing in, worth earning the trust of.

If helping him meant deepening his goodwill toward her and toward the Revolutionary Army, Belo Betty was more than willing to do whatever it took.

"I appreciate the offer, Belo Betty. But what I'm after right now isn't something you can help me with."

Ikki shook his head.

"Don't be so sure of that." Belo Betty held her ground, her expression steady. "At least tell me what you need, Lord Ikki. Let me hear it."

He gave her a look, then let out a short breath. "A Devil Fruit. Can you give me one?"

That was the whole of it. Belo Betty had pushed, so he'd told her.

Ikki already knew the answer, of course. He had spent enough time with Belo Betty to know exactly what she'd brought aboard for this journey. Besides the Pep-Pep Fruit she'd eaten herself, she carried no other Devil Fruits. They were too rare, too precious to cart around casually. So there was no way she could give him what he needed to summon Astolfo.

Belo Betty rested her chin on her hand and let out a thoughtful breath. "Right now, I genuinely can't produce one for you. But since you have a need, Lord Ikki, I'll make sure to gather some for you once I'm back." Her voice carried quiet resolve. "Consider it done."

Helping Ikki collect famous swords and helping him collect Devil Fruits amounted to the same thing in her mind. If sourcing more resources meant earning more of his goodwill and support, the effort was worth it.

Devil Fruits were valuable, certainly, but they were still easier to come by than truly exceptional blades. If the Revolutionary Army turned its attention to acquiring them, she was confident they could have a supply ready for him before long.

"How many do you need, Lord Ikki?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"As many as possible, naturally. They're rare enough that I'd take every one I could get. Right now I'd want one immediately, but I understand that's not realistic for you." He glanced toward the horizon, in the general direction of Marine Headquarters. "We're still in transit, and your people can't exactly sprint all the way to deliver one mid-voyage."

He shook his head and then smiled, his tone shifting. "Still, since you're willing to help, I'll hold you to it. And since you and Ginrummy both came here wanting to train, I'll make use of the time. Consider it good timing."

He raised one hand. Zangetsu materialized in his grip, still sealed, and he released his Innate Demon Slayer Mark in the same motion. The intent was plain. He wanted a real bout with both of them.

Belo Betty and Ginrummy read his expression immediately. Something lit up in both of their faces, and they drew their weapons without hesitation, leveling them toward Ikki.

A moment later, three auras erupted outward simultaneously. Each one was distinct in character, and yet each carried its own considerable weight.

"Come on, then. Both of you, full strength." Ikki smiled at them. "Don't hold back on my account."

"Understood, Lord Ikki," Belo Betty said.

"Yes, Lord Ikki," Ginrummy echoed.

Neither of them hesitated. They both knew his strength dwarfed theirs, and that knowledge didn't dampen their intent at all; if anything, it freed them. There were no reservations, no measured pacing.

Fighting Ikki while his Innate Demon Slayer Mark was active was one of the most effective paths to accelerating their understanding of the Transparent World, and both of them knew it. That awareness only made them more eager.

They fell into their breathing rhythms, and the match began. Belo Betty moved through her forms with Rock Breathing, Ginrummy through Sun Breathing, the two of them pressing Ikki from different angles.

The result was never in doubt.

Before long, both of them were flat on the ground in front of him, drenched in sweat and well past their limits.

"Better than last time, both of you. You've made real progress." Ikki sheathed Zangetsu and turned toward the far side of the training hall where Nico Robin had been watching the entire bout with quiet amusement. "Robin, take them to the bathhouse. Use the special pool water to help them recover."

"Captain Ikki, won't you be joining us?" Robin's lips curved into a smile as she raised her hands, her Flower-Flower Fruit abilities lifting Belo Betty and Ginrummy off the floor with effortless grace. "It's such a rare chance to spend time with three lovely girls at once."

"Pass."

Ikki shook his head. He had considered it for about half a second. Bathing alongside three beautiful women wasn't something he'd normally turn down without thought, but if Ginrummy was there, he would end up activating his Innate Demon Slayer Mark again to help her, and that meant no actual rest. More to the point, there was somewhere else he needed to be.

He wanted to find out whether Gion had a Devil Fruit aboard the Marine warship. If she did, he could summon Astolfo tonight.

"It seems that Marine lady is just more appealing to Lord Ikki than the rest of us." Belo Betty clutched her chest with a dramatically wounded expression, even flat on her back. "What a blow."

Ikki didn't bother responding to the teasing. He said a brief farewell to Robin and left, heading across to the warship where Gion was stationed.

"A Devil Fruit?"

Gion raised an eyebrow, studying Ikki with a curious look.

"That's right. Do you have any aboard?" He kept his tone easy. "If you do, I'd like to ask for one. It doesn't need to be anything rare or exceptional, one ordinary Devil Fruit would do. And I'm not asking for it for free. I'll pay a fair price, enough that Fleet Admiral Sengoku shouldn't have any objection."

He smiled lightly as he said it. That was one of the conveniences of the system he worked within. Whether it was unlocking a Zanpakuto or summoning a Heroic Spirit, the Devil Fruit used as the catalyst had no particular quality requirement. Any fruit would work. Ikki had no reason to chase something rare when something ordinary would serve him just as well.