One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 37: Assault on Skypiea

The Spring-Spring Fruit was a formidable power, its true strength lying in its compression capabilities. If awakened, it could potentially manipulate the elasticity of surrounding objects, extending and contracting like a legendary staff. However, Ian had no interest in developing its full potential. Ultimately, all Devil Fruits would merely serve as fuel for his template fusion, their essence absorbed and assimilated.

His true power lay within. He turned his icy gaze towards the remaining pirates scattered across the surviving ships, each a potential source of valuable souls.

"Huh?!" The pirates, oblivious to the loss of their captains, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, a primal fear gripping their hearts.

"Shadow Stitch! Die!" Ian's voice echoed across the deck, his right hand slamming down on the wood.

A wave of spiritual pressure erupted, engulfing the five pirate ships. The power of Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit manifested, distorting their shadows, twisting them into grotesque, menacing forms.

In the next instant, blood splattered across the decks as the pirates were impaled, their hearts pierced by shadowy tendrils.

After half a month of practice, Ian had mastered a significant portion of Shikamaru Nara's shadow manipulation techniques.

As for the ability to phase through shadows, a technique bordering on spatial manipulation, Ian found it relatively easy to replicate, thanks to his Hollow powers, which allowed him to utilize Garganta, a method of tearing open dimensional rifts for travel. He could now seamlessly merge with shadows.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Five deafening explosions shook the air.

He had shattered the nearest ship with a single punch, his right hand coated in Armament Haki, imbued with the advanced technique of Ryuo, which flowed through his target, destroying them from within. The remaining four ships were obliterated by a combination of Cero blasts and Sword Pressure. The Jaya pirates had been effectively decimated.

Their insatiable greed, their relentless pursuit of every last scrap, had ultimately led to their demise. They had bitten off more than they could chew, their avarice exploding in their faces, quite literally.

"Brutal... But those hyenas deserve no mercy. Showing them Mercy would only endanger others." Cricket remarked, raising his tankard for a sip of ale. Masira and Shoujou remained silent, their clothes flapping in the wind generated by the explosions.

Tashigi's Marine uniform billowed around her. She adjusted her glasses, their lenses reflecting the fiery glow of the wreckage, her expression a mixture of satisfaction and cold indifference.

While she valued life, her compassion did not extend to murderous pirates. She would punish the guilty without hesitation, but she would also protect the innocent, upholding a justice that served the many, not the few.

"Spaced out?" Ian's form materialized from the dissipating smoke, his pale, demonic face hovering inches from Tashigi's. Her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Ian-san! That's not fair... You didn't leave any for me! I'm strong too, you know!" She protested, averting her gaze.

Thanks to the Clear-Clear Fruit Ian had bestowed upon her, she had become a formidable force, even though she hadn't yet mastered Armament or Observation Haki in the past two weeks. However, she had grasped the fundamentals of several Rokushiki techniques.

One such technique was Soru, which, combined with her invisibility, allowed her to launch surprise attacks from seemingly nowhere. A devastating combination, especially in the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line.