Chapter 164 The Way of the Sword
Aokiji ate an apple, seemingly lost in thought.
His thinking may indeed be misguided.
Influenced by the works he had read before his transmigration, he had always dreamed of achieving a resonance with the sword and reaching a state of perfect harmony between man and sword.
But who says you can't reach the pinnacle by using a sword as a tool?
A farmer's hoe is used to cultivate the land and grow crops; that is a good hoe.
Would anyone ask themselves to maintain a love for the hoe and to treat it with sincerity when farming?
A chef's knife is essential for processing ingredients and laying the foundation for a good dish; it's a good knife.
No one will say that you can't cook good food if you don't love your kitchen knife.
The same applies to any other tool or weapon.
Why is it different with swords?
Weapons are ultimately an extension of human beings.
What about the unity of man and sword? From the moment you first grasp the sword, isn't it already a part of you?
Kendo, and any other way, ultimately reflects oneself.
Different paths lead to the same destination.
Ultimately, it all comes down to clarifying one's true nature.
Just like the progress bar in the system template, it embodies the beliefs of the template character.
All you need to do is stick to your beliefs.
Aokiji's goal has always been very clear.
Become powerful enough.
Until there is nothing else that can threaten his life.
The way of the sword is my way.
The pent-up frustration that had been bothering me for days quietly dissipated.
At the same time, the progress bar went from 0% to 100% instantly!
(T/N: I called, bs)
[Progress bar complete]
[Extracting the next character template]
"Thanks to you," Aokiji said sincerely.
Indeed, talking to people can broaden one's horizons.
Influenced by the works he had seen in the past, he unconsciously took the image of a swordsman as the only swordsman in his mind as the answer.
Stereotypes are unacceptable.
"Huh? Did what you just said help Senior Aokiji?" Mizuki asked, tilting her head and tying her ponytail.
"It was a great help; it helped me out of my misconceptions. I owe you a favor." Aokiji then looked at the panel that had shown new changes.
[Obtain new character template: Gecko Moria]
[Moria's guiding principle: Because we live, we will lose; to create an ideal ally that we can never lose—the zombie army]
[Progress bar unlock condition: Possess a large number of powerful corpses (unlocked)]
Another progress bar that's unlocked right at the start.
It probably refers to his collection of eccentric ice sculpture figurines.
So that means...
Aokiji looked thoughtful.
His figurines can move now?
All that's needed is to solve the shadow problem.
The stats provided by Moria's template are not significantly different from his current stats; however, his Devil Fruit ability is worth paying attention to.
Paramecia type - Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
It can cut off other people's shadows, and people who lose their shadows will disappear when exposed to sunlight, which is a rather unreasonable limitation.
The cut-off shadow can be stuffed onto oneself or other people, and even a corpse can be resurrected as a zombie.
The person who absorbs the shadow can combine the physical attributes of the original owner.
For example, after Moria stuffed in a thousand shadows, he gained the exaggerated power to split an island with a single blow.
Furthermore, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit has other potential applications.
He swapped positions with his shadow clone, just like the certain monarch.
By embedding one's own shadow into other shadows, controlling the shape of the shadows, one can in turn influence and manipulate the shape changes and movement trajectories of the entities.
It is a fruit with very high development potential.
Aokiji picked up another apple and started eating it, pondering something in his mind.
Moria's progress bar is simple and easy to understand, and he also has enough ice sculptures as raw materials.
However, another raw material—the shadow—needs to be considered.
The strength of a resurrected zombie will be limited by the strength of its original owner.
Under the same circumstances.
Strong corpse + weak shadow < weak corpse + strong shadow.
However, except for a few valuable corpses, this is usually not a concern.
Simply insert the shadow of any low-level criminal or monster, and they can be resurrected to become part of the zombie army, accumulating progress.
"I'm glad I could help Senior Aokiji." Mizuki said shyly, fiddling with her orange ponytail.
"I'm actually not very good with words, I just wanted to share my experience. There's no need for favors or anything like that, since Senior Aokiji helped me more."
Aokiji shook her head slightly and said:
"Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. What I did before was what I should do as a hero. Today you helped me solve my personal problems, so I should at least give you a return gift."
"Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything, or let me know when you need it in the future."
"Even if Senior Aokiji said that…" Mizuki's expression became conflicted, "I didn't think I needed any help."
She leads a fulfilling life and has the material means to meet her needs. Her only current desire is to excel even further on her path as a professional hero.
But on this point, she prefers to become stronger through her own efforts.
If I had to say what I want...
"That, that 'Liberating Hand' ability," Mizuki stammered, trying to sound calm.
"Can it be used for massage? These days... the hero activities are quite tiring!"
"It's just a massage, of course there's no problem."
Aokiji didn't ask; she had just relieved her fatigue and pain, so why would she need a massage?
He simply activated his Devil Fruit power silently.
The hospital bed served as a temporary massage bed.
Mizuki lay there, her flushed face buried in the pillow.
What was I thinking?!
Why did they suddenly make this request, asking Senior Aokiji to give them a massage, or even use Psychic Power...?
My former training teammates often date new boyfriends, and they even asked me why I don't date anyone, wondering if I don't have any needs.
What was my answer back then?
Mizuki inexplicably drifted into memories.
I remember now, my answer back then was, "I'm not interested, training is more interesting."
Now it seems that I just hadn't met anyone who could pique my interest...
The orange-haired girl buried her head even deeper into the pillow.
You absolutely must, you must hold back and not make a sound!!
Otherwise, Senior Aokiji will think I'm a pervert!
"Training as an athlete used to be very tough. If fatigue wasn't properly managed, it could turn into hidden injuries. You need a comprehensive approach to alleviate it."
The Flower Fruit activates.
Dozens of arms grew out, each palm radiating the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit.
Mizuki, whose head was buried in the pillow, was unaware of this.
Until...
"Gurgle—"
...
The long massage is over.
Years of accumulated fatigue and hidden injuries turned into sweat and left.
Mizuki felt as relaxed as a newborn baby.
Of course, the brain is also blank, just like a newborn's.
However, she still didn't forget to bury her face in the pillow to hide it.
"Alright, we still need to heal the hidden injuries before we can continue practicing. After all, professional heroes accumulate more fatigue than athletes."
Aokiji raised his hand, and at the same time, dozens of muscular arms disappeared.
After a long pause, a muffled, low voice came from under the pillow.
"Okay, okay... Thank you, Senior Aokiji. I'll... contact you again."