Like a beginner trying to guide a faint yet violent current.
Buzz… buzz…
This time, there was no earth-shattering scene.
Only he himself could clearly sense the cold energy coursing through his skin and blood.
Failure.
Again.
He patiently calmed his mind. No longer chasing after "quantity," but instead trying to understand the "texture" and "flow" of this power.
Each attempt was a subtle forging of his spirit and will. Each failure gave him a faint, blurry insight into the true nature of this power.
Time passed in the monotonous sound of waves.
The sun set and the moon rose. Stars filled the deep blue curtain of night. The warship, like a moving island, floated on the silent, dark sea.
The deck was empty, aside from the sentries on duty. Only the small spare deck behind the stern had been specially cleared by order of Captain Bogard, left for Vice Admiral Garp's "special passenger."
The sea breeze grew cold.
Luffy stood alone on that rear deck by the sea, without any lanterns.
Only the cold starlight and the faint navigation lamps by the railing served as his light. A full day of continuous attempts had left him utterly exhausted. His forehead was drenched in cold sweat, and his heavy breathing carried the burning ache of overtaxed lungs.
He could even feel something deep within his soul aching from being overdrawn.
"Just a little more… just a little…" Luffy grit his teeth, blood seeping through the cracks of his clenched jaw.
He could feel that cold current in his palm trembling with unprecedented liveliness—just one thin membrane away from bursting out!
But that invisible barrier was like a heavenly chasm! His mind blurred from over-concentration, black spots creeping into the edges of his vision.
At the very instant when his limits were about to collapse—
Bzzzz!!!
A clear, resonant hum, rising from the depths of his soul itself, swept away all fatigue and dizziness in an instant!
No longer an illusion! No longer an echo!
Luffy's vision suddenly darkened. Not blindness—but within his open palm, without warning, appeared a fist-sized collapse of space, as if condensed from the purest "night"!
That darkness did not absorb light—it was darkness itself!
Immediately, a terrifying weight, as if it could freeze his soul and halt his thoughts, descended without warning!
"Urgh!" Luffy groaned, his legs buckling uncontrollably!
At the core of that darkness, space twisted like ripples spreading from a stone cast into a pond!
From it, a pitch-black, ancient sword hilt, forged from matter without light, slowly but imperiously emerged!
Not an illusion—solid, tangible reality!
In that moment, Luffy understood completely! No hesitation, no holding back! He poured everything—his spirit, his will, his strength, his thirst for power, and his determination for the future—
All of it into that right hand, pulled by a massive gravity, as if it were being swallowed by the black hilt!
"—Grip it!!"
From the depths of his soul came a silent roar!
His right hand snapped upward—
Shing—!
A clear blade cry rang out, as if breaking the shackles of space itself, echoing across the silent rear deck of the warship like the sigh of an ancient dragon!
Under the starlight! A gigantic blade, over five feet long, was held firmly in his small right hand!
The hilt was long, pitch black, without any pattern or decoration—like obsidian polished from the dawn of time. It radiated an ancient and heavy metallic aura, cold to the touch yet somehow connected to his very bloodline.
The guard was huge and blunt, entirely forged of solid steel.
The blade itself was incredibly wide, exuding a mountain-like oppression. Its edge was not razor-thin, but heavy, meant to sever all in its path. At its tip was a massive crescent-shaped gap that seemed to devour light!
Zanpakutō: Zangetsu!
In the material world!
Its first manifestation!
The enormous weight immediately pressed down on Luffy's arms!
The pressure wasn't only physical, heavy as a mountain—it bore down on his spirit as well!
He could hear the faint groan of his arm bones! His legs trembled uncontrollably! But he bit down hard, veins bulging across his not-so-strong arms as he clutched the blade with both hands!
His spine stood straight!
He forced the massive weapon down, as if it wanted to drag him and the deck beneath into the sea!
Bzzz… The moment he gripped Zangetsu, the blade vibrated softly, as if recognizing its master. The cold, crushing weight drew in slightly, no longer completely oppressing outward, but instead becoming something he could barely endure—like a tamed beast withdrawing its fangs.
Yet even its mere existence warped the atmosphere of space around it!
At the nearest sentry post, a strong Navy sergeant froze instantly!
A primal fear of an absolute weapon poured into him like ice water, locking his body stiff!
The regulation blade in his hand trembled uncontrollably in its scabbard, humming violently! His sword… was afraid!
Further away, two veteran soldiers leaning by the railing suddenly snapped awake!
They were veterans of the New World, their sense for death sharper than most!
Their bodies tensed instantly, hands flashing to their hilts as they stared wide-eyed at the moonlit shadow of the rear deck!
There… it felt like an ancient beast lurked, waiting to devour them!
"What… was that just now?"
One of them muttered hoarsely, sweat beading on his forehead.
Luffy was consumed by the overwhelming shock of holding Zangetsu for the first time. The feeling was a thousand times heavier than in his inner world!
It wasn't only the physical burden—it was his soul wrestling and merging with an ancient, heavy, battle-hardened will!
He slowly, painstakingly tried to raise Zangetsu across his chest, as if lifting the weight of the sky!
The black tassel at the hilt's end didn't sway at all in the night wind. Sweat drenched his back, each breath growing heavier.
No… just holding it was already this hard. How much strength would it take to swing it?
And to release that rending crescent once more… Power… control…
His mind sharpened.
He sank his spirit into the connection with Zangetsu. Not guiding its full destructive might, but instead the aura of its inner power.
This time, there was no tearing resistance. Feeling his master's desperate "need," Zangetsu's oppressive aura condensed, and from the massive blade seeped a faint, mist-like black energy—thin as ink bleeding into paper, flowing like a living veil.
No longer an illusion—but a visible, tangible form of energy! It wrapped around Zangetsu like black flames flowing over obsidian!
This was—
The first release of Reiatsu! The beginning of Shikai's outward pressure!
Luffy's heart pounded!
Though weak, though thin, though fleeting—it marked a qualitative leap in his control over Zangetsu!
He could even faintly sense that this Reiatsu was a finer expression of power itself!
"Come!" Suppressing his excitement and exhaustion, Luffy planted his feet deep into the deck!
His waist twisted, pouring every last drop of strength into his arms, channeling that Reiatsu along Zangetsu's massive blade, and swung it toward the empty sea ahead—
"Getsuga… Tenshō!!!"
No sound. No earth-shattering destruction.
Only a faint, barely-formed black crescent shot out from Zangetsu's blade like a brushstroke of ink across canvas, leaving a subtle trail in the air.
Shhh…
The sea twenty meters off the stern dented silently, as if brushed by an invisible hand.
A shallow, black groove stretched across the water, the sea dyed ink-dark before quickly dispersing under the waves.
The crescent lasted less than three seconds before collapsing like a bubble, fading into the cold air.
Only a faint chill lingered.
A trivial attempt.
A weakened release.
But the true beginning of power!
Luffy gasped heavily, finally unable to bear the drain or Zangetsu's weight. His arms gave out, and the great black blade shattered like a phantom, dissolving into particles of black light.
He collapsed to his knees, sweat dripping down his face and neck, soaking the deck. His arms screamed in pain, his very soul stung with exhaustion.
Yet his black eyes shone like stars, burning with excitement and determination!
He had succeeded! For the first time, he had truly grasped the key to Zangetsu's power!
"Hahaha! Brat! Well done!!"
A thunderous laugh exploded across the night sky!
Unnoticed until now, Garp stood at the edge of the stern's shadow, his dog-headed cloak billowing. He had clearly seen that faint black crescent!
His booming laughter carried pride and joy, overwhelming even the roar of the waves!
Striding forward, Garp grabbed Luffy like a chick, ignoring his weak protest.
His weathered face glowed with true delight, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Good boy! You've got it! Still weak as a baby learning to walk, but I like that spirit!"
He ruffled Luffy's sweat-drenched hair roughly but affectionately. "The road is long! Train hard! When we get to HQ (Headquarters), I'll watch you myself! If I don't grind that 'black blade' of yours into something worth its name, then this 'Hero' title of mine ain't worth squat!"
He paused, eyes glowing with pride, before roaring toward the darkened deckhouse:
"Bogard! You saw that, right?! My grandson! Born for steel—no, born for 'iron-cutting'! Hahaha! Bring me meat! Piles of it! I'm happy tonight—my grandson needs meat to recover!!!"
His booming voice rattled the whole ship.
Thus ended the first appearance of Zangetsu, in the wild laughter of the Marine Hero and his demand for a feast. Its arrival marked the beginning of a road unlike that of the "Rubber Man" or the "Straw Hat"—
The path of the Marine King.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Thanks for your support!]