"Magnetic force? And just one step away from becoming a Black Blade?"
Ethan Sugawa was visibly shocked.
By grade, the Black Abyss Sword was already at least on the level of a Great Grade blade. If he could temper it into a Black Blade, it might even ascend to the level of Supreme Grade.
What's more, like Enma, this sword possessed a unique ability.
It had innate magnetic power, able to draw in nearby iron weapons.
It was quite similar to Eustass Kid's Devil Fruit ability, though the sword's magnetic force wasn't nearly as powerful.
But Ethan was already more than satisfied. The abilities the Black Abyss Sword currently displayed could easily overwhelm most Great Grade swords.
The sword still had tremendous potential. Ethan planned to implant a soul into it, transforming it into a Homie.
Once the sword gained a soul, it would likely become a perfect companion, and its power would surely grow even further.
Having confirmed there were no traps or dangers, Ethan reached out to lift the Black Abyss Sword.
Forged from extraterrestrial iron, the sword was incredibly heavy—at least 2,000 catties.
Factoring in the water pressure at 3,000 meters below the surface, the sword's effective weight had doubled.
Ethan estimated he would need at least 4,000 catties of raw strength to lift it.
"If I didn't have the Giant Tribe's bloodline enhancing my strength and physique, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick this thing up."
As he thought this, Ethan flexed both arms and pulled the sword free from the iron chest.
Now that the treasure was secured, Ethan had no further interest in exploring the seabed. He slung the Black Abyss Sword onto his back and swam toward the surface.
…
Over ten minutes later.
Ethan had just climbed back onto the deck when he heard Little White's urgent call.
Thinking an enemy had appeared, he immediately rushed over to Gloriosa, but after scanning the area, he found no signs of danger.
"Little White, what's going on?"
Ethan looked at the white centipede that had returned to his wrist and asked.
The white centipede raised several of its legs and pointed toward Gloriosa.
"She's been flushed red and burning up for several minutes now. I don't know what's happening."
"Did her wounds reopen?" Ethan frowned.
He trusted his own medical skills. Although Gloriosa had suffered severe injuries, they were all superficial—none were life-threatening.
Once the bleeding was stopped and the wounds stitched, all she needed was rest to heal.
By all logic, nothing unusual should have happened.
Puzzled, Ethan approached Gloriosa and quickly noticed something odd. His expression turned strange.
"This is… an aphrodisiac?!"
Even with years of medical experience, he'd never actually tried to treat one of these before. He was at a complete loss.
"Where the hell did she get exposed to this?!"
Ethan was starting to panic. Even if he wanted to concoct an antidote now, he had no idea how long it would take, or if he could even succeed on the first try.
Realistically, he'd probably fail several times.
The question was, would Gloriosa be able to hold out that long?
"She's literally burning up right now. Should I try cold water first?"
With no better options, Ethan quickly scooped her up and sprinted toward the on-deck water tank.
The fragrance radiating from Gloriosa's body stirred something deep inside Ethan, but he forced himself to suppress the fire surging in his gut.
Feeling her body temperature climbing even higher, he didn't dare delay. He promptly dropped her into the water.
The cold water finally brought her some relief. The pain on her face gradually faded.
Seeing this, Ethan hurried to rummage through the pirate ship's supplies to find medicinal herbs and began working on an antidote.
After more than a dozen failed attempts, he finally succeeded.
"Wait… where did she go?"
When Ethan returned to the water tank, he found it empty. Just as he was about to climb in to investigate, he felt a soft warmth press against his back.
Then, a seductive, trembling voice whispered in his ear.
"I'm so hot… Can you help me?"
At that moment, Ethan could no longer restrain the fire raging inside him. He turned and pounced on Gloriosa.
Soon, the deck echoed with heavy breathing and the rhythm of fierce, primal combat.
Their "battle" continued until the sun finally set…
…
[Host delivered one hundred strikes to Gloriosa. Observation Haki experience +100.]
[Host delivered one thousand strikes to Gloriosa. Armament Haki experience +100.]
[Host delivered ten thousand strikes to Gloriosa. Acquired special skill: Serpent Mastery.]
"Serpent Mastery?"
After Ethan finished expelling the aphrodisiac's toxins from Gloriosa, he didn't continue further. He let her rest and focus on recovery.
He hadn't expected that just one round of "combat" would grant him a new skill.
He immediately checked the skill's description.
[Serpent Mastery: A secret technique of the Kuja Tribe from Amazon Lily. Grants the ability to communicate with various snakes and to command certain serpents as loyal companions.]
"So if I raise a giant serpent, I could pass myself off as a member of the Kuja Tribe?"
The idea suddenly crossed Ethan's mind.
His three-eyed lineage was far too distinctive. Anyone who saw the vertical eye on his forehead would instantly know who he was.
He needed to find a way to conceal his identity.
Masquerading as a member of the Kuja Tribe could work. If he was always accompanied by a giant serpent, people would naturally assume he was one of them.
"Except… the Kuja Tribe is exclusively female."
Ethan suddenly realized: Amazon Lily was known as the 'Nation of Women,' and there wasn't a single male in the Kuja Tribe.
Trying to pose as one would be pointless—he'd be exposed immediately. It was a bold but ultimately impossible idea.
"Hiss hiss…"
Just as that thought passed through his mind, Ethan felt something coil around his neck.
"Alright, Aokusa, how many times do I need to explain this? I was detoxifying your master, not hurting her."
Ethan looked down at the green serpent, tightly wrapped around his neck, and sighed in exasperation.
Aokusa (small green) was one of Gloriosa's treasured pets, just like the purple serpent from before.
Except Aokusa had always been her trump card, so it had stayed hidden until now.
During the detox process, Ethan had discovered Aokusa inside Gloriosa's qipao and had nearly been bitten.
As he glanced at the perfectly healthy green serpent, Ethan couldn't help but think to himself:
"Even if I hadn't arrived in time, with this serpent as her trump card, Hardy's crew wouldn't have dared do anything to her. She probably would've escaped on her own."
After all, as a former member of the Rocks Pirates, Gloriosa was no pushover.
Even when severely injured, she wasn't someone ordinary pirates could touch.
Since he couldn't pry Aokusa off, Ethan simply let the serpent stay coiled around his neck.
"My soul power is finally strong enough. Time to turn the Black Abyss Sword into a Homie."
Ethan summoned the sword, placed it before him, and extended his left hand.
A wisp of translucent white soul energy drifted out from his palm and entered the Black Abyss Sword.
The once-inanimate heavy sword began to stir with life.
The blade started to vibrate, and soon a pair of massive pincers grew from its hilt, followed by a hooked tail extending from its back.
"A scorpion tail and giant pincers? So the Black Abyss Sword's Homie form is a scorpion…"
Author's Note:The snake accompanying Gloriosa in this story is an original character created by the author. She is not canon and does not appear in the original One Piece series. This snake is not Salome, Boa Hancock's companion, and is entirely unrelated to Salome in both appearance and characteristics. Please note that the snake's abilities and background are original additions and do not exist in the canon One Piece universe.
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