"It worked!"
Ethan Sugawa's face lit up with joy as he watched the skeletal remains begin to change.
The once-lifeless bones suddenly trembled violently. Hundreds of segmented legs started writhing in the air, regaining vitality as they slowly reconnected, fusing together to form a colossal bone greatsword.
"Wait… this sword is huge. I can't even lift it!"
Ethan frowned as he stared at the bone sword, which was nearly thirty meters long. Even with his Giant bloodline, his four-meter-tall frame was utterly mismatched with such a weapon, let alone trying to wield it in battle.
"Don't worry, Master. I can shrink."
A childish voice echoed from the bone sword's head shaped like a centipede its empty eye sockets now blazing with two ghostly flames.
As soon as it finished speaking, the enormous bone sword visibly shrank, rapidly compressing until it was just the right size for Ethan to handle comfortably.
"Size manipulation?"
Ethan instantly recognized the sword's unique ability and couldn't help but feel both surprised and delighted.
If he mastered this size-shifting power well, his combat versatility would skyrocket. His attacks could become unpredictable and far more lethal.
Recalling the Appraisal Master's earlier insight, Ethan curiously asked, "Little White, this size manipulation… is it a natural ability of your species?"
Since the entire bone sword was a pristine white, Ethan casually named it Little White.
"Yes, Master." The sword now known as Little White nodded. "We Deep Sea Centipedes are different from other Sea Kings. We can freely change our size, and even after becoming a Homie, I've retained this ability."
"I never expected such a rare Sea King to exist."
Ethan marveled inwardly. He knew there was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that could grant size manipulation, but Devil Fruit users were always at the mercy of seawater.
The Deep Sea Centipede, however, thrived in the ocean with no such weakness.
The advantage was obvious.
A sudden idea struck Ethan.
"Little White, can your size-shifting work on me?"
Since he awakened his Giant bloodline, his body had been growing rapidly he was now over four meters tall.
While his strength had soared, his mobility had taken a hit. His size also made him an easier target, especially for ranged attacks.
Ethan vividly remembered how Oars Jr. was tragically taken down in the Marineford War his massive frame became his biggest weakness.
Ethan wanted to return to a more manageable size.
"Of course I can, Master." Little White nodded confidently. "But if you want to maintain your reduced size, you must stay near me. If we're separated, the effect will vanish."
After this reminder, Little White immediately activated its ability, restoring Ethan to his original height.
Ethan smiled as he looked over his now-familiar body.
"Much better. I'll only return to my full Giant form when I'm up against large enemies. For everyday life, this size is perfect."
With that settled, Ethan turned his gaze back to the bone sword.
"Time to see what you're really capable of."
His main goal in coming here had always been to find a weapon that suited him.
Crafting the bone of a Deep Sea Centipede into a Homie and gaining its size-shifting ability had just been an unexpected bonus.
But now he needed to test whether this sword was truly battle-ready.
"Perfect. I was just looking for a test target, and one's about to deliver itself right to my door."
Through his Observation Haki, Ethan sensed a large creature rapidly approaching the pirate ship.
In the blink of an eye, it had submerged beneath the vessel, preparing to swallow the entire ship in one bite.
"How bold."
Ethan's lips curled into a cold smile as his figure vanished on the spot.
The next instant, he appeared high above the ship, locking onto his prey beneath the waves.
It was a small Sea King, crocodile-like in shape, its tough scales gleaming under the sunlight.
Its enormous jaws opened wide, ready to devour the entire pirate ship.
Ethan knew that with powerhouses like Big Mom and Stussy still aboard, there was no chance the Sea King would succeed.
It was destined to die. He might as well be the one to kill it and test his new weapon.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
Ethan gripped the bone sword tightly and swung it fiercely toward the sea.
A blade of energy, powerful enough to level a small mountain, shot out from the sword, slicing through the water in an instant and cleaving the crocodile-like Sea King at the neck.
Boom! The creature's massive head exploded like fireworks, and its blood rained down, quickly attracting schools of carnivorous sea life.
Within moments, the Sea King's corpse was picked clean.
"Ikoku Sovereignty feels even stronger with the bone sword's amplification. If I went all out, even a Marine Admiral would have to take me seriously."
Ethan was thoroughly satisfied with the sword.
Beyond its exceptional sharpness, capable of cutting through most metals with ease, it possessed another special ability its blade could extend like a whip, perfect for binding enemies or manipulating the battlefield.
As the Sea King's body vanished beneath the waves, Ethan quickly stabilized his descent.
The bone sword's blade stretched forward like a whip, coiling around the ship's massive mast and yanking Ethan safely back onto the deck.
"Now that I've got my weapon, it's time to leave Big Mom and set sail on my own."
Muttering to himself, Ethan looked down at the bone sword and instructed, "Little White, stay hidden on me for now. When I need you, I'll call you out."
"Understood."
Little White's massive form swiftly shrank, transforming into a centipede with hundreds of legs.
It wriggled its way up Ethan's arm and coiled around his wrist, taking the shape of a white bracelet.
This way, Ethan could keep it close at all times and it could continuously maintain his reduced size.
When battle erupted, Little White could instantly return to sword form and fight alongside him.
With everything settled, Ethan was just about to head back when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Hey, kid! I didn't expect you to have mastered Ikoku Sovereignty too!"
He immediately turned toward the voice, his brows furrowing when he saw who it was.
"Stussy, what now? Are you so bored that you came to spar with me?"
It was none other than Stussy, who had been waiting on the deck.
Ever since she'd discovered Ethan's terrifying potential through her vampiric abilities, she had kept an eye on him keenly interested in his every move.
Watching Ethan slay a Sea King with a single strike had left her deeply shaken.
That kind of power couldn't be ignored even by Whitebeard's top men.
"Just how many secrets is this kid hiding? And does he even realize it himself?"
"I'm really starting to get interested in him…"