Mushroom Tree World Birth
Even so, Issho knew full well that Vidal could suppress him without ample sunlight, which meant Vidal was stronger overall.
His strongest suit as a swordsman was close combat, and even that had turned out this way. Comparing how far they had developed their fruit abilities did not seem realistic either.
But Issho had guessed one thing correctly. Vidal had indeed used most of the Photosynthetic Energy stored in his body on the two Wood Clones.
With his current strength, he could strengthen at most two Wood Clones to a level close to his original body. They were only close because they could not use Haki.
He could split his own Haki between them, but he did not think it was necessary. They were already strong enough.
Of course, if the day came when he needed to fight a Logia user, that would be a different story.
"I did give my Wood Clones some Photosynthetic Energy, and I did plan to surround you in close combat and settle this as quickly as possible."
As Vidal spoke, he glanced pointedly around at the surroundings, which had gone completely dark. Unfortunately, the dark clouds obscured every trace of starlight.
"But are you sure I never anticipated this situation?"
"Do you think I'm the kind of arrogant idiot who believes he'll never have to fight at night?" Vidal asked one question after another.
From the moment he learned about the effects and properties of Photosynthetic Energy, he knew that low-light environments, and especially environments without any light, would be extremely troublesome.
After all these years, how could he not have thought of a single way to deal with them?
"Of course not, but what can you do about it?" Issho was puzzled. Can you conjure up light?
"Then watch closely. Let me show you just how much potential a Devil Fruit has for development!
A bold smile appeared on Vidal's handsome face.
"Hah!"
He too brought his palms together hard in front of him, letting out a mighty shout.
"Mushroom Tree World Birth!"
As soon as he spoke, all the shattered remains of the mangroves below sprang back to life. They rapidly grew and recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The sight puzzled Issho, but he soon saw something new!
Umbrella-shaped mushrooms, each as big as a fist, began sprouting one after another on the thick, tall mangroves.
They crowded together, covering every trunk as though the mangroves had been wrapped in thick white coats.
[Hum—]
As a strange, soundless ripple swept through the mushrooms, green light gradually appeared in Issho's widening eyes.
It was the reflection of the eerie green light that had suddenly bloomed below. Nearly every mangrove had become a "green tree" shining with bright light.
The scene was so breathtaking that the atmosphere became beautiful and romantic, as though they had entered a fantasy dream.
Vidal did not pay it much attention. He had seen it many times before in his "botanical garden."
In fact, there were no electric lights in his room at all. At night, these Nightglow Mushrooms naturally took care of the lighting.
Meanwhile, under the boundless green light, a faint green glow also shone through the skin all over his body.
Love is a light, so green it makes you panic. When it came to making green, he was a professional.
Vidal was performing photosynthesis, rapidly replenishing the energy in his body!
On the other side, Issho was naturally bathed in the green light as well. His face and hair were green, and the greenness made him a little uncomfortable.
"So there's a method like this too? Creating plants that can give off light?"
Just then, Vidal, who was enjoying his "photosynthesis," suddenly clapped his hands hard in front of him again and shouted, "Come forth, Apis Divine Bull!"
Issho wanted to trade powerful attacks with him, so Vidal would oblige him with this bull.
The mangrove forest surged and gathered wildly once more. In less than a few breaths, it formed a giant bull glowing green, its body covered in Nightglow Mushrooms!
"Moo—!" As soon as it appeared, it roared like a savage bull at Issho.
"In that case, I won't hold back either."
Issho pointed the Shinra, which was also glowing green in his hand, downward. A ring of pale purple light swept across the entire mangrove forest.
"Hell Shinra: Heavy Tiger!"
The pressure throughout the entire space surged. Mangroves snapped under the gravity, and Nightglow Mushrooms burst in swathes, their green light rapidly dimming along with them.
Even the Apis Divine Bull's four legs were pressed into pits in the ground as it struggled against the force bearing down on it.
As expected, gravity is terrifyingly powerful no matter where you are! Vidal felt the pressure and sighed inwardly.
But as the green light on his body grew stronger, the weight he felt lessened, so it did not seem to affect him much.
Vidal glanced at the ground, which had sunk only a dozen or so centimeters, and smiled as he moved his body.
"Issho, it looks like you haven't trained your fruit ability enough."
Thirty-three years in the future, when Issho used this move against Zoro in the Dressrosa Kingdom, he had directly pressed a bottomless black pit into the ground. That was truly terrifying gravitational force.
If only there were something that could measure gravity, he could see how many times normal gravity Issho could unleash now, and how many times he could unleash in the future!
"I've spent the past few months mainly on mastering Armament Haki. I've only studied the Gravity Fruit when I had time," Issho replied softly.
"But this should at least slow the recovery of your Photosynthetic Energy."
It was not just his Photosynthetic Energy. The omnipresent gravity would also have a certain effect on Vidal's speed and stamina consumption.
"Is this the final round, then?"
Vidal's expression grew serious. He did not want to lose. If he did, he might lose a future top commander under his command!
Issho took promises very seriously, so if Vidal really lost, Issho would most likely choose not to join the Navy in order to honor their agreement.
That was why he could not lose, and would not lose!
"Then let's begin, Issho!"
Green light flashed around the three Vidals as they vanished from their spots and shot through the air like green meteors, trailing long tails of flame behind them.
"This time, I won't let you get close so easily." Issho's gaze grew more solemn.
Although it was embarrassing for a swordsman to be afraid of fighting at close quarters, this battle was an agreement between friends, so he had to give it his all.
That was the most basic respect he could show Vidal!
[Swoosh!]
Three purple-green sword flashes swept across the space before him. Layers of purple pressure piled atop one another and surged forward like raging waves.
"Gravity Shinra: Fierce Tiger!"
It was a triple volley of Gravity Blades!
Faced with such a ferocious, wide-ranging attack, Vidal was unwilling to take it head-on with his body. He shouted, "Sun's Holy Wheel!"
Immediately afterward, the Apis Divine Bull below raised its head, opened its mouth, and fired a dazzling golden pillar of light upward.
A blinding radiance covered the entire waterfront of the small island, a brilliant white light unleashed by the collision of gold and purple.
The battle between bull and tiger was finally drawing to a close, but that also meant it was entering its fiercest and most critical moment.
Who would win, and who would lose?
I don't think I'll get a recommendation this week either, sigh. Also, this book is currently number 71 on the new authors' contracted new books chart, and that's just in the light novel category. Please help me out!
But I believe a recommendation will come sooner or later, and I've checked: recommendations are especially effective. Sometimes a single recommendation can bring in several thousand bookmarks. So for now, I just need to focus on writing and make sure I update every day.
Oh, and is there really nothing you all want to discuss about the plot? It's almost eighty thousand characters long now, after all. You can share your opinions too.
Lastly, I'm considering posting updates in the afternoon and evening, say one chapter at five or six and another at seven or eight. What do you think?