I couldn't help smiling as I looked at Elvis, still having a nerdgasm over the Black Pearl's design, almost four hours after he saw it for the first time.
'It seems there was some truth to Kokoro's words about the Black Pearl being a work rivaling that of Tom's best.'
My smile widened as I remembered her words and how much proud old Jim was of the Black Pearl. Still, I have no idea why old Jim didn't explain this stuff to us, and Wolf too, for that matter, since he seemed to figure it out judging by the shock-absorbing dials he installed on the keel.
"It looks like I underestimated you... sorry about that..." I muttered, patting the railing I leaned on as I watched Elvis pacing around the ship, trying to copy every microscopic detail into his schematics, alarming Iago and making him call in annoyance.
Anyway, it was good news, so I'm not complaining. My Black Pearl was already impressive, and learning about those new functions only made her that much more astonishing in my eyes.
'Maybe old Jim didn't tell us about it because he wanted us to take better care of the Black Pearl and not let her get bombarded just because she could take it?'
"It's no use thinking about it. The only way to know fur sure is to ask the old coot, and he's nowhere in sight..." I murmured and shrugged my shoulders, deciding to stop thinking about it.
"Ouch," I remarked out of surprise more than anything else as something hit me in the head. I turned around to see a rope pulley dangling behind me.
I raised an eyebrow, looking around to see how the damned thing fell on my head, but I saw nothing.
'Is this...?'
However, I didn't have time to think about it as Bob finally returned to the ship, choosing to walk over Soru or Geppo as he did.
He jumped onto the ship, and I made my way toward him. "Hey, Bob!" I exclaimed from a distance, waving my hand to get his attention as he turned to me and met me halfway.
"I saw you fighting that CP9 agent today... Did he figure out your disguise?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked at Bob.
"How do you...?" Bob asked, matching my raised brow in confusion. "You know what? Never mind," he added, sighing as he shook his head.
"It's nothing of the sorts, captain," he explained, shrugging his shoulder. "I merely heard some less than pleasant things about that particular junior of mime..." he added, heaving another sigh.
"I thought to give him a piece of my mind, beat some sense into him, if you will..." Bob remarked, trailing off with a disapproving look on his face as he did.
"But the brat was too far gone... too twisted by the world government for a mere beating to fix..." Bob concluded, shaking his head with an expression that projected disappointment more than anything else.
"I see," I replied with a nod, wisely choosing not to comment on the subject. "But do tell me if you need help. Beating sense into people's heads is a favorite pass time of mine," I jokingly added, chuckling as I waved a hand to the side.
"Hah, you don't say..." Bob said with a laugh, twirling his mustache. "But as I've said, the brat is too far gone for mere beatings to work..." he added, shaking his head.
"I'm not sure anything can snap the brat out of it at this point," he concluded as I turned to leave. "Besides, some people refuse to change, and there's nothing we can do about it," he added as he headed into the kitchen, intending to prepare dinner.
I just shrugged, still preferring not to comment on the subject as I returned to my Black Pearl's brow to indulge in my second favorite pass time, drinking whisky in my favorite spot.
...
"That's it. You're almost there," I remarked, smiling as I blocked Kozue's swing. "You just need a little push..." I added, squinting as I sent her sliding back with a flick of my wrist.
"I'm not holding back this time..." I remarked, grinning as I flared my conqueror Haki, focusing it on Kozue, who winced at the sudden pressure but stood her ground nonetheless.
I raised Triton in the air, its black, Haki-coated blade, black blade trembling as the force of my Impact force coursed through its steel, Triton's sapphire ominously glinting as it reflected the sunlight shining over Scrap Island.
"If you can't even take on this much power, then forget about Kaido. You don't even have the right to think about taking down Doflamingo..." I remarked, pausing to let my words sink in with her.
And sink in my words did indeed if Kozue's angry scowl and how hard she clutched her sheathed sword, Instant Death were anything to go by, at least.
Looking at Kozue's reaction, I smiled as I swung Triton down, unleashing a colossal flying slash roughly 5 meters tall, digging into the grounds and gouging chunks of it as it flew towards Kozoue.
However, I didn't let up on Kozue as I flared my conquerors Haki again, increasing its intensity and causing her wince to deepen as she looked at the incoming flying slash.
Kozue needed to feel a genuine threat to her life to awaken her Haki, and that's the feeling I was trying to give her as the attack would most likely kill her indeed if she didn't do something about it.
I, of course, wouldn't risk the life of a crewmate like that, and Laffite was hiding nearby, prepared to bail her out at a moment's notice, not to mention I was holding back despite saying otherwise, but Kozue didn't know that.
And it seemed to be working, considering the considerable flair in Kozue's aura I felt via my observation as she charged towards the slash, clutching her sword.
"On sword style..." Kozue muttered, closing her eyes. "Destined Death Slash," she added, resolutely opening her eyes as she drew her katana from its sheath, swinging at my sword slash.
Kozue's katana, Instant Death, ominously glowed in a red hue as it left the sheath, being swung by Kozue. Although Kozue's attack managed to stop the slash from bisecting her, it did nothing to halt the slash's momentum as it continued to push her back, still gouging bits of the ground as it moved forward.
I saw Laffite shift in his spot behind Kozue, seemingly preparing to intervene and bail her out, but I gestured for him to wait, and he obliged despite seeming slightly hesitant.
Kozue's blade still shimmered in a red hue, its edges gaining a red glow as she continued to push it against the flying slash, still sliding backward and visibly struggling to keep the attack from overwhelming her.
'One more push...'
"You might as well give up now. The way you are right now, you wouldn't even stand a chance against any one of Doflamingo's lackeys, not to mention Kaido and his crewmates..." I exclaimed, smiling as I saw the exact reaction I was looking for by riling up Kozue like that.
Instead of whining or complaining, Kozue grit her teeth and screamed at the top of her lungs, the blade of her katana gaining a gleaming black edge as veins visibly bulged on her face.
"THIS IS NOTHING" she exclaimed through gritted teeth as her armament Haki fully manifested, finally enabling her to divert my slash towards a mountain of scrap, toppling the entire thing and disputing as it hit.