One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 48: Diamante

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The Seven Warlords of the Sea, their schemes to usurp kingdoms, their knowledge of ancient weapons, even their subordinates bore striking similarities. Heavy weights, candles, sticky substances, slicing, weapon arts, painting, explosions... And princesses fleeing their captive destinies.

Punk Hazard, Whiskey Peak, Caesar Clown—the parallels were uncanny. In the end, both were defeated by the protagonist and apprehended, with Luffy encountering his elder brothers along the way.

Even the Marines assisted in toppling the Birdcage and locating the cannons.

Drum Island and Water 7, one a detour driven by Nami's sudden illness, the other a necessary stop for repairs to the Going Merry. It was there they gained Chopper and Franky as companions. But on Ian's current trajectory...

These destinations weren't part of his plan. He had no interest in those specific arcs. There was no need to worry about altering the original storyline. Skypiea, Thriller Bark, and Alabasta were all deviations from the Straw Hats' intended course.

The Straw Hats hadn't gained anything from those encounters. Now, those matters were settled ahead of schedule. As for the New World... it was three years before the current timeline. By then, Ian estimated...

He would have already achieved his goal of conquering the world.

Crocodile's fish-like eyes, perpetually half-lidded, gazed at Ian with curiosity. He took a long drag from his cigar, the smoke curling around his scarred face.

His golden hook gleamed in the sunlight, completing his classic pirate aesthetic. He stood there, a seasoned veteran facing a formidable demon, his coat billowing in the wind.

"Who knows?" Ian replied, his green eyes cold and unreadable, his pale face a stark contrast to Crocodile's weathered features. Revealing one's weaknesses to an enemy was foolish.

This was Crocodile, the cunning Warlord. He hadn't fled because he sensed an opportunity. This hadn't been a typical attack from Ian, and Crocodile believed he had a good chance of subduing him.

His perception of Ian's strength was still based on their previous encounter during the Gecko Moria incident. While they were both Warlords, their power levels were vastly different. Ian had undergone rigorous Haki training at Marine Headquarters, further enhancing his abilities.

He had also absorbed the powers of three Devil Fruits. elevating his strength to a whole new level.

Reading Crocodile's thoughts wasn't difficult. However, Crocodile was unaware of Ian's ability to devour souls. A constant stream of souls, no less numerous than those on Thriller Bark, flowed into Ian's body.

In an instant, his depleted spiritual pressure was replenished, and his fusion rate continued to rise.

Ian wasn't surprised. The higher his fusion rate climbed, the more souls he required, and the higher their quality had to be. The same number of souls that had previously granted a 10% increase now only yielded a 5% boost.

Perhaps in the future, it would only be 1%.

This was where Crocodile's calculations faltered. Tashigi, their shared subordinate, had also locked eyes with Daz Bones, the user of the Dice-Dice Fruit, whose ability allowed him to transform his body into blades.

Among swordsmen, it was a power nearly as coveted as the Clear-Clear Fruit. Sparks flew between their gazes as they drew their swords and charged towards each other.