Chapter 197 - 55

Chapter 55!!!With a snap, the body of the fake Vivi, unable to bear such humiliation, shattered like a lens. Immediately after, Luffy saw a pair of blood-red eyes revealed within that massive cage, followed by a giant, snow-white tanuki head slowly poking out.A name couldn't help but surface in Luffy's mind.He smiled and stared at the giant tanuki, saying,"So you're Nika?""You bastard!"Nika flew into a rage, white gas billowing out. "Hurry up and kill that Nefertari for me, or you're not qualified to be my host!""Nefertari?"Luffy looked up at the furious Nika. "Are you talking about Vivi?""That's right, the one with that clan's bloodline. The reason I chose you was to overthrow that clan's rule. Since you're using my power, you should obey my orders.""Your power? Since when did the Gum-Gum Fruitbecome your power?""Stupid. That name was just something fabricated by that clan to cover things up."Nika smiled arrogantly. "Listen well, my true name is the Zoan, Mythical Zoan, Human-Human Fruit, Nika Form! Sun God Nika—it is a fruit that bears the name of a god!"It's not a paramecia-type devil fruit, but a Zoan?That sort of thing didn't matter anymore."So what? Whether it's the Gum-Gum Fruit or the Nika Fruit, I'm the owner."Luffy gazed at the Nika before him. "In other words, I am your master. And you want to lay a hand on my companion?"Whoosh—he leaped up.Nika's eyes widened as a giant-sized fist approached from afar.Boom!Chapter 69: Are You Playing with Me?Screams echoed within the pitch-black dungeon.Eighty.Eighty.Eighty."Aaaargh!"Even though it was its own power, it was now being used against itself. Nika was hit repeatedly by Luffy's giant Third Gear fists, leaving it dizzy and disoriented.Since Luffy ate the Nika Fruit, he had made almost no progress in developing the fruit for ten years. Consequently, Nika had just been in its usual slumber, only to wake up and find that Luffy's development of the fruit had reached a level it couldn't even imagine.But from another perspective, Luffy was the master here. Before Luffy's Devil Fruit awakened, the power Nika could use was pitifully small; otherwise, how could it be locked in a cage?Compared to Nika, who was suffering, Luffy was fighting with great enthusiasm.[Nika Approval] was still increasing. Although it was slow, it made Luffy wonder if this guy had some sort of masochistic hobby."Bang!"Another heavy punch slammed into Nika's chin, causing its entire body to tilt back exaggeratedly, its eyes becoming somewhat vacant.Luffy stopped his assault and stood in place. After a round of beating, White Flame Clouds that seemed to possess life were faintly swirling around him; these seemed to have been plundered from Nika.Yes, that's right, those are all mine!Nika didn't know if Luffy realized it or not, but he could plunder the power from its body, which might speed up the progress of the Devil Fruit's awakening.Given the current situation, Nika had no absolute certainty that it could control this Straw Hat kid's consciousness.But Nika didn't expect Luffy to step over the bars and directly onto its head, staring down at this consciousness that claimed to be the Sun God but was now in a wretched state."Hey, do you still have those thoughts? Thinking I should listen to you and go after Vivi?""Of course..."Nika shook its dizzy head, trying to muster a hint of ferocity, but seeing Luffy's giant fist, it wisely suppressed that thought. "...Not anymore!"Its voice was very loud, for fear that Luffy wouldn't hear it.Every time it was hit by Luffy, some of Nika's primordial power was lost, while the White Flame Clouds on the other's body grew a bit denser.Nika certainly didn't want to be beaten anymore.A temporary setback is no disgrace; being able to yield and stretch is the way of Nika!Luffy curled his lip, a trace of regret appearing on his face.The flame clouds on his fist dissipated, but the faint layer of white light around his body did not completely disappear.He had also discovered that by pummeling Nika, these peculiar White Flame Clouds could be stimulated and accumulated. An unprecedented sense of power filled his entire body, as if every Rubber cell was jumping for joy.In a sense, Nika was simply an energy pack that was asking for a beating."Talk. What exactly are you? Where did you come from?" Luffy sat down cross-legged."What thing?"I am not a 'thing.'Nika was about to retort, but seeing Luffy's 'kind' gaze, it spoke with some frustration: "I told you before, I am the will that resides within the Devil Fruit!""Will?"Nika saw that Luffy didn't seem to care much, and feeling that this wasn't prestigious enough, it added, "Not all Devil Fruits have a will. Only special Mythical Zoan types can harbor an ancient will.""Like yours? It doesn't seem very useful; you don't look very smart," Luffy said, waving his hand."You!"Nika was choked up, angry but not daring to speak out. "Devil Fruit awakening is when the will and the eater reach a high degree of compatibility, thereby releasing the deeper power of the fruit!""You are the chosen one, the destined Warrior of Liberation. You should go and break this false peace and liberate this world. For example, the bloodline of the Nefertari clan...""So I should go after Vivi?"Luffy's voice turned cold.Nika was about to habitually say yes, but suddenly met Luffy's eyes, which had abruptly become extremely oppressive, and it forced itself to swallow the words back.It felt that at this moment, in front of Luffy, it wasn't some god at all, but rather like a pet that could be crushed to death at any time.That deterrent force originating from the depths of its soul made it tremble."No, no it's not."Nika's voice carried a tremor.Luffy understood now.Why that so-called Nika Approval would increase when he did those things to Vivi before.But for Luffy, such things weren't important. The body was his, and the will was his.He only acted according to his own will.Other messy things could be ignored.Luffy looked at Nika. Besides that, the benefits brought by beating it were real.Luffy felt the surging power within his body and the active White Flame Clouds around him. His gaze toward Nika increasingly looked like he was looking at a glittering mountain of gold.Whatever the will was, in his eyes, it was about the same as a benefit package."I know. I'll be back," Luffy stood up.The flame clouds on his body moved quickly, turning into a giant rope that wrapped around Nika."Hey! What are you doing?!""Doing an experiment. You'll be fine if you stay here quietly."Perhaps because he had done many experiments, Luffy also liked doing them more and more.He knew that this was his own consciousness space.Soon, the scene before him receded like a tide, and the noisy sounds of battle and Nika's frustrated aura instantly disappeared.When his vision cleared again, what he saw was the warm light in the room and Vivi's pouting face close at hand."Luffy!"The young girl's voice carried dissatisfaction, like a little wife who had been suddenly tossed aside and ignored just as something important was happening.Beside them, Merry showed a big smile."Luffy, you're back." Merry could feel it.This was the magical thing about a Klabautermann.Seeing Luffy finally come back to his senses, Vivicompletely didn't understand why he could fall asleep in that situation. Could it be that that kind of thing was very tiring? Clearly, at the end, applying the medicine was close to caressing..."What's wrong?" Luffy found it hard to connect the ruler Nika spoke of with Vivi."You still ask what's wrong..."Vivi was filled with anxiety and unease.She had resolutely gone from a princess with no worries about food or clothing to infiltrating a hostile organization as an agent.There were some things she would rather endure—even that kind of humiliation worse than death—just to survive and complete her mission.But the more she understood what a terrifying existence the enemy she had to face was, the more terrified she became. She was already forcing herself to go on, and at this time, someone stepped forward and said in that forceful manner that she could rely on her companions.So she lowered her guard, wanting to take this opportunity to pour out her heart.And the person she was pouring her heart out to fell asleep at this critical moment?Are you playing with me!Vivi's heart was in turmoil, and she was so anxious that tears were almost coming out.Chapter 70: Gear Second, Dimensional StrikeIn the room.Regarding sensitivity to emotions, Luffy's Observation Haki was quite effective. For instance, the complex emotions before him were like a locomotive blocked on all sides with no exit, liable to crash into something at any moment.Luffy gathered his thoughts, remembered the previous topic, and with a more serious expression, asked,"So... what was the thing you were so determined to complete even at the cost of your life?""Vivi, you said before, the thing you must do even if you die... what exactly is it? Tell me."At the mention of this, Vivi's momentum suddenly weakened, and a look of struggle and worry appeared on her face... For a normal person, hearing that name would scare them away.Over the past two years, she had investigated the leader of that organization, and it might be the existence she suspected."I... I'm afraid that if I say it, you'll think I'm overestimating myself."Vivi recoiled at the critical moment, her gaze somewhat drifting.What she feared more was that Luffy would hesitate or waver upon hearing the name... and then back away.If she hadn't held onto hope from the beginning, she wouldn't have these feelings now."Overestimating yourself? It must be something very difficult then. In that case, we'll just help you."Luffy answered without any hesitation."But..."Vivi looked up into Luffy's eyes; there wasn't a hint of falsehood or hesitation in them. She took a deep breath,"What if the person to be dealt with is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"She stared intently at Luffy.The Seven Warlords of the Sea—they were powerful pirates who had reached an agreement with the World Government and Marineford, possessing the legal right to plunder! They were one of the seven powerhouses standing at the peak of the great ocean!However, Luffy's reaction was completely beyond her expectations."Seven Warlords of the Sea?"Luffy thought for a moment. He hadn't expected to hear a familiar title again here. So Vivi's enemy was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?