"As expected... Big Mom really delivered the perfect solution this time, just when I was feeling sleepy!"
In the room, the only Vampire, Sig, stood in front of the mirror, rubbing his temples with two fingers of his left hand.
That huge gun is now completely back inside...
Of course, it actually has nothing to do with the size of the gun; it's a fusion of souls. The key point is... the physical gun has also disappeared!
It wasn't that Sig possessed great talent, but rather that the "gun" had completely merged with the other half of his soul, and at this moment, it also merged back into Sig's overall soul.
As for why this change occurred, Sig had some guesses and understanding, but the specifics still needed further analysis and research.
Based on the current situation, the Homies can generally be considered as "items or plants that have eaten a shrunken version of the Soul-Soul Fruit"!
Gungnir, having eaten the "Soul-Soul Fruit (shrunken version)," already possessed the ability to transform into a spirit state...
The so-called soul state is not like Brook's out-of-body experience in the original work, nor is it like Perona's separation of spirits, nor is it like Moria's splitting through shadows, but rather a true transformation into a soul.
It breaks down the boundaries between the real and the illusory; in other words, it's... becoming ethereal!
The state of "Gungnir" during the previous fusion was already very close to the "etherealization" required by the "ritual". The reason why it was not fully achieved was because "he" was incomplete before the fusion. After the fusion, the half that was not tainted by the Soul-Soul Fruit became unable to etherealize.
Of course, that's not a problem.
With a reference point, Sig was confident that he could gradually make his entire soul adapt to the ethereal state, and once he achieved that, he would have completed half of the Promotion Ceremony for Sequence 5 of the "Visionary Path".
As for the other half, they enter a dream world of an being "stronger than themselves"...
It's actually quite difficult, but fortunately it's not entirely without a clue. First of all, the point about "being stronger than oneself" is hard to exploit. Even someone as strong as Katakuri, who, after understanding Sig's methods, has a higher chance of winning in a one-on-one fight, cannot be considered "stronger than Sig."
Sig could sense who could serve as an effective target.
Sig estimated that this method of judgment was either "undisputedly stronger than himself" or "stronger than himself in terms of soul." After the "ritual" appeared, among the people Sig encountered, only two met the criteria.
One is Big Mom, and the other is Shanks!
While BigMom's soul is powerful, its weaknesses are obvious, making it not impossible to attempt.
If he fails, Sig is prepared to ask Shanks for help—but that's not a good idea. After all, allies are allies, and trust is trust, but everyone has their own secrets and aspects they don't want others to touch.
Sig then split "Gungnir" back into existence. A dreamlike mist surrounded Sig, then a series of blurry the Star appeared, and then... transformed into a knight's lance!
This split half of the soul can now transform between the ethereal and the physical.
To maintain this, Sig did not fully absorb back that half of his soul—meaning his thirty years of lifespan were not restored.
However, Sig wasn't in a hurry. After High Sequence, the lifespan-enhancing effect of the "Paths of the Divine" would become immediately apparent.
The two Sig, in different forms, exchanged a glance. Then, the Knight Lancer Sig's eyes began to glaze over, as if he were completely oblivious to the world.
This is "Gungnir Sig," who has resealed himself. However, what is sealed now is only the outward soul fluctuation, making it appear to be powerful but harmless. In reality, its memories remain, and it is completely a part of Sig, controlled by Sig.
With the moon high in the sky, Sig went out with an umbrella...
Even though there's no Sun to shield me from now, doesn't this make me seem valued by my Mom?
Moreover, normally, even if Sig doesn't want to bring it along, Gungnir will still primarily insist on following, as this is a task assigned by Big Mom.
BigMom is currently in postpartum care, Sig doesn't want to upset her, so he pretends that Gungnir is still under her control.
"Lord Vladimir, you're awake? Are you going out to play?" The streetlight Homies greeted Sieg upon seeing Sig.
"Hmm, does Mom have any children who like to party at night?" Sig asked the streetlight.
"Uh... yes, but it's not in Cake Castle right now. If you want to go, you can go to the Dessert City outside the castle, or to the Seducing Woods to the southwest." Streetlight Homies was obviously there to Sig.
Seducing Woods sounds like an adult social venue, but it is actually a real "forest"!
However, the plants, even the rocks and sand dunes in that forest are Homies, so if an outsider accidentally wanders in, it won't be easy for them to get out.
However, this held no "temptation" for Sig. While a group of "items" that had eaten different fruits would certainly be very tempting, these were essentially defective Soul Devil Fruit ability, which naturally held no interest for Sig.
So Sig went to "Dessert City," which is the urban area of Whole Cake Island.
As Whole Cake Island city, even in the dead of night, there are still vibrant nightlife districts with dazzling lights...
Sig didn't have any particular purpose; he just didn't want others to think he had ulterior motives, so he didn't stay indoors late at night.
Walking in a brightly lit area late at night with an umbrella is undoubtedly a very conspicuous act.
Soon, Sig attracted the attention of three ladies as he had hoped—of course, the reason he "wished" was probably because Sig sensed that two of them possessed Devil Fruit abilities.
Only the other 20% cited the reason that "it would be more comfortable to be out for a stroll late at night with a beautiful woman by my side."
The three women, two of whom stood out, were dressed in very formal gowns. One wore a pale yellow floral dress in the style of an evening gown, which, combined with her short pink hair, delicate features, and fair skin, gave her a "Princess" feel.
The other is a relatively sophisticated purplish-red jumpsuit. It's considered "formal" because it's wrapped in a long, thick cape, paired with short, bluish-purple hair and elegant yet not rugged features, giving off a dashing and heroic vibe...
Despite their flamboyant attire, Sig deduced from the aura emanating from their emotions that both women were between thirty and thirty-five years old, though they appeared to be much younger than Brulee, a stark contrast to their actual age.
The third one was a young girl with short, wine-red hair, only the ends of which were slightly curled, sandwiched between the two. Because her makeup was the heaviest at the moment, it was impossible to tell the age difference between the three of them. However, Sig could sense that she was more than ten years younger than the other two sisters!
At this moment, she was wearing heavy makeup and a dress that accentuated her figure, creating a very "seductive" look, but her expression was somewhat shy.
It was obvious that she only dressed up like this to go out and play because her two older sisters encouraged her.
Sig could sense that both Princess Feng and the woman with the contrasting personality were Devil Fruit ability users.
The Big Mom Pirates really made the right choice; they're practically roaming with treasures...