A slash cut through the sea.
"No, that's not it!"
As his blade sliced the waves apart, Don shook his head.
He was already a swordsman capable of unleashing flying slashes—but this was nothing like the Elbaf Spear performed by the two giant warriors.
Conqueror's Sea was pure, overwhelming force. His flying slash, though sharp, lacked that same explosive impact.
Swordsmen's attacks were by nature sharp and precise, but to transcend that—to give their cuts different qualities—they had to imbue them with their own power or understanding.
For example, when a swordsman used Haki, his flying slash not only became sharper but carried tremendous weight.
If he added the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit, the attack would be wreathed in searing heat.
There were countless swordsmen across the sea, each with their own unique form of slashing energy.
But compared to the giants' technique, the gap was still enormous.
Thinking this, Don released his Conqueror's Haki, trying to wrap it around his fists.
The result was… less than ideal.
"Maybe it is something like Haki infusion," he muttered. "But those two giants don't even use Haki—they can't explain it properly."
He frowned. "Still, if Charlotte Linlin can do it, there's no reason I can't!"
"Unless… it really does come down to body size?"
He sighed. "But I don't want to be some kind of giant monster either."
As he spoke, footsteps sounded behind him. Robin walked up, her expression curious.
"What monster height are you talking about?" she asked.
"Trying to figure out the technique the giants used—Conqueror's Sea," Don replied.
"Why bother? With your power, you don't need that technique," Robin said, puzzled.
She wasn't wrong. The combined strike of the two giants was indeed terrifying, but Don could already unleash something far stronger by himself. So why obsess over it?
"You're right, but when I see something like that, I want to learn it," Don said with a grin. "Besides, there might be something valuable in that technique—maybe something related to Conqueror's Haki infusion."
He'd once mentioned Conqueror's Haki infusion while teaching Robin about Armament and Observation Haki.
Robin thought for a moment. "Didn't you say we'd eventually meet someone who's mastered that skill? You could learn from him then."
"True," Don nodded, "but who knows if that'll even happen? Rayleigh might not want to teach me—we're not exactly close."
Robin sighed. "You're being impatient again. You're still young, and at your current strength, few can rival you on the seas."
"I know," Don admitted. "But when something's on my mind, I just have to act."
Robin smiled faintly. "Then why not head straight to the Sabaody Archipelago? It's the final stop before the New World, and there should be plenty of Eternal Poses pointing there."
"That's not a bad idea," Don said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked toward the ship. "We don't have to follow the usual route. If we can find an Eternal Pose to Sabaody, let's just go there directly."
Originally, Don had planned to follow the standard log route, island by island—but Robin's reminder made him reconsider.
Going to find Rayleigh personally didn't sound bad at all.
"Should've asked Crocodile for one of those pointers," Don muttered. "He definitely has one."
Robin tilted her head. "Then before we head to Sabaody, why not visit Skypiea? You said there's probably a war for control up there."
Don glanced at her knowingly. "You just want to see the Poneglyph, don't you?"
Robin didn't deny it. "You did say there's one there."
Don chuckled. "What else did I say?"
"Plenty," she said matter-of-factly. "You mentioned that in Water 7 there's a blueprint for the ancient weapon Pluton, and that the World Government has its eye on it. You also said on Drum Island there's a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit."
Don fell silent for a moment.
"I even asked what 'human form' meant," Robin added. "But you didn't explain."
He blinked, then smiled. "Alright then. Skypiea first—then Sabaody."
"Then we'll need to stop by Alabasta again," Robin reminded him.
"Why?"
"It takes about five days to log Alabasta's coordinates—and while we're there, we can get that Eternal Pose from Crocodile."
"Fair enough," Don sighed. "Figures nothing's ever simple."
The next day
Slash!
An orange-red wave of energy shot from Don's blade, slicing through a massive golden fish larger than most islands. The sea filled with the smell of roasted meat.
On Little Garden's shores, Dorry and Brogy exchanged looks.
"He's holding back," one said.
"I saw that first," the other replied.
"No, I did!"
Their bickering quickly turned into fists flying again.
Watching from the ship, Robin blinked in disbelief. "They're fighting again?"
"Why not bring them along?" she asked Don. "Two giants would make quite the advertisement for your Association."
Don snorted. "Our ship can't even hold one of their feet."
Both turned to glance at Issho, who was using his gravity to steer the ship.
"Why are you looking at me?" the old man muttered. "I'm not lifting them."
END OF CHAPTER
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