With a thought, a small cyclone-like vortex appeared in Creed's palm, rapidly expanding into a five-meter-wide hemispherical dome that enveloped him.
This was the ROOM—Operating Room.
Creed focused on the sensation. Rather than just a "room," it felt more like a domain—one unique to the Ope Ope no Mi.
Inside this domain, his perception sharpened until he felt almost godlike.
Here, he could cut, manipulate, reassemble, and relocate at will.
And…
Opening a window, he gave a small jolt with his hand, stunning a fish before pulling it inside.
It floated in the ROOM.
A flick of his hand sent a cold gleam flashing—slicing the fish into several pieces.
And yet, astonishingly, no blood flowed, and the fish's mouth still opened and closed as though nothing had happened.
Another thought, and the pieces rejoined seamlessly.
Once placed back in the sea, it flicked its tail and vanished into the depths as if it had never been cut.
That was the Ope Ope no Mi—inside the ROOM, living creatures could be dissected without dying, bleeding, or feeling pain.
He dispelled the ability…
In short, Creed was more than satisfied with the fruit—balanced in both offense and defense.
It would take time to develop fully, but with his current strength, he could already use it effectively in battle without starting from scratch.
The stronger the person, the faster a Devil Fruit became combat-ready—just like Blackbeard wielding the Gura Gura no Mi right after stealing it, or Sabo mastering the Mera Mera no Mi to launch a Fire Fist immediately.
He wasn't in a rush—there was plenty of time to refine it.
The ideal would be to merge the Ope Ope's powers with his swordsmanship for even greater force.
And he couldn't help but wonder… what would the fruit be like when awakened?
Could it grant immortality? Or perhaps, like other awakened Paramecia, homogenize and reshape everything around him?
He suspected its awakening would surpass anything he could currently imagine.
…
Just like that, the night passed.
By morning, they stocked up on supplies in town before setting sail, following the Eternal Pose's direction.
The sun was warm, the weather calm.
Creed lay on deck, eyes closed—he hadn't slept at all the night before, too focused on studying the Ope Ope no Mi.
Hours later…
"Creed, we're here. The Eternal Pose points right to this area."
Here?
Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but endless blue sea and sky.
"Wait a bit—see if an upcurrent shoots up from the water."
But they waited most of the day without seeing anything—the sea remained still.
"Guess we were scammed. I told you Sky Island was just a myth," Ain teased, watching him scratch his head.
Could the Eternal Pose really be broken?
The next second…
Pshhh—! A stream of water shot a few meters into the air nearby.
Creed's eyes lit up. A Knock Up Stream.
But… it seemed far too weak, no stronger than a whale's spout.
That wasn't right—Knock Up Streams capable of reaching Sky Island were massive, strong enough to launch ships skyward.
Frowning, he decided to investigate.
"You wait here—I'll check underwater."
With a deep breath, he dove into the sea.
A few Sea Kings and fish moved toward him, but the moment he let a trace of Haoshoku Haki seep out, they scattered.
Soon, the scene unfolded before him—an entire cluster of underwater volcanoes.
They didn't spew magma, but streams of water.
These were the source of the upcurrents.
However…
All of them were dormant.
No wonder there was no powerful stream.
Such currents must occur when unstable energy inside the volcano erupts violently.
His gaze settled on the largest volcano—its mouth a yawning abyss.
That must be the one capable of producing a Knock Up Stream strong enough to reach Sky Island.
But now, it was silent.
Then an idea struck—what if he forced it to erupt?
Without hesitation, he swam to its mouth, directly beneath where his ship floated.
Time to act.
Sword intent surged around him, turning the surrounding seawater into countless shimmering blades.
Drawing Rinne, its blade glowing darkly, he swung down hard.
"Enzan! (Flame Slash) Jinrai!! (Thunderclap)"
Two slashes shot forward into the volcano's depths.
Not done yet, Creed gathered more sword intent, then unleashed another strike—
"Ittōryū: Mujin Fuan Kaze!! (One-Sword Style: Endless Troublesome Wind)"
Blades tore through the water, joining the Flame Slash and Thunderclap as they roared into the volcano.
The churning strikes became a massive underwater current, a colossal water dragon driving itself into the volcano's core.
The impact shattered the balance within—dormant energy flared to life.
BOOM… BOOM… BOOM!!
The volcano began to swell, its middle bulging ominously.
A deafening rumble shook the sea as marine life fled in panic.
Creed shot back to the surface and onto his ship.
The sea churned violently, bubbles breaking everywhere.
RUMMMBLE!!!
The ocean rose, and the volcano erupted like a lit powder keg—its force triggering every other nearby volcano.
BOOM!
The seabed shook.
"What's going on, Creed?!" Ain shouted.
He grinned. "We're going to Sky Island!"
The words had barely left his mouth when—
BOOM—!!!
A massive torrent exploded from the sea, catching the ship and hurling it skyward like a rocket.
From below, it looked like a towering blue pillar connecting sea and sky.
…
(End of Chapter)
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