Outer Shell Still Blood Armor

Enzetsu (Exclusive Skill): Your comprehension is heaven-defying. Through visualizing Zanpakutō and combining it with the Weapon Fruit, you independently comprehended this Exclusive Skill.

A fire-type Zanpakutō.

It combined flames and slashing into one.

When the blade left its sheath, flames followed, burning and cleaving through all things.

(Requires the Weapon Fruit.)

Rosen's heart jolted.

Enzetsu?

In the world of Death God, while it was not the strongest fire-type Zanpakutō, it was still equivalent to a Zangetsu imbued with flame abilities.

Of course, it was the single-bladed Zangetsu, not the dual-bladed one.

Its offensive power was formidable. Among all fire-type Zanpakutō, only the oldest and most powerful Ryujin Jakka surpassed Enzetsu.

"Starting today, I'm also a Weapon Fruit user who has eaten the Mera Mera no Mi."

A faint smile flashed through Rosen's eyes.

They had not yet reached the Sixth Floor.

He had not even begun fighting the criminals there. Simply walking through the Fourth Layer of Impel Down had allowed him to comprehend a new Zanpakutō.

That made him look forward even more to the next two prison levels and the criminals on the Sixth Floor.

"Are you done?"

The moment Zefa saw Rosen's expression, he knew that his monstrous student had comprehended another new ability.

Though he did not know what it was, it was certainly no simple matter.

"I'm done."

"Sorry to have kept everyone waiting."

When Rosen saw that not only Zefa, but also Borsalino, Shiryu, and Domino had stopped to wait for him, he hurriedly spoke.

"Junior."

"May I presumptuously ask if you just comprehended something?"

"Of course, it's fine if you don't want to say. This senior is simply curious."

Borsalino walked up beside Rosen and lowered his voice as he spoke near his ear.

"I just developed a move using my Paramecia Ability."

Rosen answered casually.

"Could you let this senior see it?"

Hearing this, Borsalino grew even more curious.

As far as he knew, Rosen had spent only two days at Navy School and attended four classes, yet he had already made history several times.

Still Blood Armor.

Moving Blood Armor.

Those two brand-new Armament Haki techniques alone were enough to engrave Rosen's name into the history of the Marines—no, the history of the world.

Although Rosen's deeds had not yet spread widely across these seas, it was not because Marine Headquarters had deliberately concealed them. There simply had not been enough time.

Only two days had passed since Rosen enrolled.

No matter how quickly news traveled, it was impossible for Rosen's name and deeds to spread across the entire sea within a day or two.

In fact.

At Navy School—no, throughout Marine Headquarters—Rosen's deeds had already spread.

From the Fleet Admiral down to ordinary marines, everyone knew that this batch of recruits contained a monster with bearing that surpassed even an admiral's.

"Sure!"

"Once we reach the Sixth Floor, I'll definitely show you, Senior."

Seeing that Borsalino was eager for the scoop, Rosen did not refuse.

Ever since their first meeting at the military academy, Borsalino had constantly called him junior while referring to himself as senior. Rosen could naturally tell that this future Admiral Kizaru was trying to befriend him—or rather, wanted to build a connection with him.

Though Rosen was confident he could become an admiral within a year, perhaps even sooner, and stand at the pinnacle of the sea, he was neither an Uchiha nor a Celestial Dragon. He had no habit of looking down on people, nor any hobby of making enemies of the Whole World.

Friends!

Especially friends with admiral-level combat power—of course, the more the better.

As for exposing his abilities and being targeted because of it?

Rosen had never given such things a thought.

Not to mention that he could not possibly avoid using the Weapon Fruit's abilities against the criminals on the Sixth Floor, his Weapon Fruit was not limited to handcrafting only Enzetsu.

By the time certain people obtained intelligence on Enzetsu and even devised ways to counter it, he would probably already be able to handcraft Ryujin Jakka.

That was right.

Since he had failed to craft Ryujin Jakka just now, Rosen had formed a guess. It was not that his comprehension was insufficiently heaven-defying, but that as an ability user, he was not strong enough yet.

He could not support the creation of Ryujin Jakka, that Zanpakutō.

It was like when Monkey D. Luffy had just eaten the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Even if he knew the abilities he would gain after awakening, he still could not use Nika Form.

This was not a matter of comprehension, but of strength.

At that moment, the blazing heat surrounding them abruptly dissipated, replaced by bone-piercing freezing air that poured in like a blizzard.

Clearly.

Rosen's group had left the Burning Hell of the Fourth Layer and entered the Fifth Layer, known as the Extreme Cold Hell.

Besides the Extreme Cold Freezing Air rushing toward them, all they could see was a world of ice and snow.

The Fifth Layer of Impel Down was like a world even colder than a massive icehouse.

"Achoo!"

The moment she stepped into the entrance of Extreme Cold Hell, Domino, the Chief Guard, began trembling all over and even sneezed.

Having just endured the scorching heat of Burning Hell, she was immediately subjected to the freezing cold of Extreme Cold Hell. Her body was having trouble enduring it.

After all, prison staff rarely came to this level in the first place.

"Useless."

"You're the Chief Guard!"

"Don't disgrace Impel Down."

Shiryu clenched a cigar between his teeth and glanced at Domino. Not only did he show no consideration for his colleague, he even cursed at her.

As Marines, Rosen, Zefa, and Borsalino remained calm and composed whether in Burning Hell or facing Extreme Cold Hell. Yet Domino, who was also prison staff, could not bear the burden.

Even he felt embarrassed that she had faltered on her own turf.

"Why don't you go back?"

"Chief Guard Shiryu can lead the way."

Seeing Domino shiver from the cold and continuously stamp her feet in an attempt to warm herself up, Zefa tried to persuade her.

"It's all right, Mr. Zefa."

"Just as Shiryu said, I'm the Chief Guard."

"Besides, once we pass through Extreme Cold Hell and reach the Sixth Layer, it won't be cold anymore."

Domino's voice had begun to tremble, but as Impel Down's Chief Guard, she absolutely would not allow herself to disgrace the prison staff.

"Miss Chief Guard."

"Forgive my presumption, but if you don't mind, please stand as close to me as possible."

Seeing Domino disregard her condition in an effort to preserve the Chief Guard's dignity, Rosen sighed inwardly.

He was not a saint, but neither was he a Celestial Dragon.

Though Impel Down and Marine Headquarters belonged to different organizations, they were colleagues in the end. He would inevitably have dealings with Domino at work in the future.

As long as it was within his ability, lending a hand was no big deal to him.

Of course, if it were CP9, they could get as far away as possible.

Rosen was afraid that if he saw them, he would not be able to stop himself from slapping them to death.

"Of course."

Though Domino did not understand why, she still moved her nearly frozen hands and feet, pressing her shoulder against Rosen's body.

Seeing this.

Rosen nodded, then raised his right hand with his palm facing upward. Lines of purple light appeared across the skin of his arm.

After he activated Still Blood Armor, it actually began extending beyond his blood vessels and expanding outside his body, forming a semicircular barrier centered on himself that protected Domino within.

"Outer Shell Still Blood Armor."

After doing all that, Rosen slowly lowered his hand.

"I'm not cold at all anymore."

Domino's eyes brightened. She immediately felt the freezing air that had constantly sought to bore into her marrow completely dissipate.

"Thank you for your help."

"Mr. Rosen."

She hurriedly expressed her gratitude to Rosen.

"Is that Armament Haki emission?"

"No."

"Although projecting Armament Haki can evolve into tangible defensive power, it absolutely cannot achieve this."

Shiryu watched Rosen spread the semicircular barrier around himself, and his expression changed slightly.

Using Observation Haki to sense it, he confirmed that the semicircular barrier before him was indeed Armament Haki, but it was definitely not mere Flowing Emission.

Suddenly.

Shiryu seemed to think of something. His pupils contracted sharply, and his face filled with shocked disbelief.