The Fourth Kitetsu

"Your strength has grown once again. Just how powerful are you now?" Robin strolled along with Lu Zhuo, her eyes carrying a hint of something special as she asked.

Lu Zhuo pondered for a moment and said, "I don't think I would fear any opponent at the Vice Admiral level right now. However, I'm likely still no match for an Admiral. I'll need to take at least one more major step forward before I can defeat one."

"Oh." A flicker of disappointment crossed Robin's eyes, though she hid it instantly. But Lu Zhuo, whose focus was entirely on her, noticed it immediately.

An Admiral, is it? Don't worry, Robin. Soon, I will possess the strength to look down upon Admirals... very soon.

Thinking this to himself, the two slowly arrived at a site of massive ruins.

It was the same scene seen in the original work, but seeing it with one's own eyes felt completely different! Lu Zhuo exclaimed in admiration, then led Robin quickly into a towering palace.

"The history here dates back at least several hundred years." A strange light shimmered in Robin's eyes as she gently stroked the ancient structures.

Lu Zhuo brought her to the center of the palace and swung his sword, shattering the cloud layer beneath their feet.

"What you're looking for is down there. I won't accompany you; just head back to the Holy Sword once you're done recording." Lu Zhuo looked at Robin and smiled slightly.

Robin nodded and offered Lu Zhuo a gentle smile in return, causing his heart to flutter.

Knowing he couldn't hold Robin just yet, Lu Zhuo suppressed his wandering thoughts and watched with a smile as she descended.

Unable to stop a yawn, Lu Zhuo was genuinely tired and in need of rest. Robin would take some time to record the Poneglyph, and he was already dying to get some sleep.

Shaking his head, Lu Zhuo took a light step, left the area, and returned to the ship.

Within the grand and magnificent ancient ruins, a lithe figure moved through the halls.

Looking at the massive ancient ruins before her, Robin was filled with shock.

First, she was shocked to see another Poneglyph, and second, she was shocked that Lu Zhuo actually knew about this place!

These ruins were completely hidden beneath the clouds, and based on Robin's observations, no one had been here for at least four hundred years!

Yet Lu Zhuo knew of its existence entirely, navigating it with such familiarity, as if it were his own home!

Lu Zhuo... who exactly are you, and why do you know these things?

Having spent so much time with him, Robin naturally knew that Lu Zhuo was not a Devil Fruit user. But without that kind of precognitive ability, how did he know everything?

Lu Zhuo seemed to be filled with mysteries that she could never fully unravel.

It seemed... he was even more mysterious than the Poneglyphs themselves.

A sweet smile tugged at the corners of Robin's mouth before she composed herself and began to examine the Poneglyph before her.

On the other side, Lu Zhuo had already returned to the Holy Sword.

Conis had learned a great deal from Nami, and the way she looked at Lu Zhuo had become rather strange, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

Cough, cough!

"Look... Conis, I didn't mean to deceive you. I invited you aboard to take you to the Blue Sea and show you another vast world. This is an invitation; if you don't agree, I won't force you."

Conis's face flushed slightly as she said, "I've already become the priestess to you, this 'fake god,' and everyone already thinks so. How could I refuse..."

Fake god...

Black lines appeared on Lu Zhuo's forehead. He turned to look at Nami, who was snickering to the side. Seeing Lu Zhuo's gaze sweep over, her face turned red, and she tried to run away.

Lu Zhuo stepped forward and grabbed her.

"My strength is just as great as Enel's. Since he could call himself a god, I naturally can as well... I am no fake god."

Leaving those words behind, Lu Zhuo drifted away with Nami to do some "loving things," leaving a bewildered Conis behind.

Looking at the happy Nami in his arms, Lu Zhuo slowly pulled back the covers, admired her beautiful body once more, and stepped out of the cabin.

He ran into Robin, who was sitting on a lounge chair reading a book, and greeted her with a smile.

"Morning, Robin. Did you get what you were looking for?"

Glancing at Lu Zhuo, a smile tugged at the corners of Robin's mouth.

"You were quite lively, weren't you? I came back so late, and you still hadn't finished; you've affected my rest."

"Uh!" Black lines instantly appeared on Lu Zhuo's head. He had modified his cabin himself—the soundproofing was absolutely top-notch! Robin's words could only mean one thing: she had used her powers to peek!

To think Robin wasn't so...

As if reading his thoughts, Robin's face flushed, and she said sternly, "Don't misunderstand. I was just worried because I didn't see you, so I used my powers to check. I don't know anything..."

Right, "don't know anything" must mean she knows everything.

Lu Zhuo rubbed his chin, smiled, and said, "Robin, have you agreed to be mine yet?"

"I'll consider it once you've taken me to find all the Poneglyphs." Robin gave a playful smile, watching the frantic-looking Lu Zhuo, and burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at? Don't just sit there reading so leisurely—get to training!" Lu Zhuo shouted, his head full of black lines.

Robin could already freely manifest any part of her body within a range of several hundred meters, but it was still a bit short of what Lu Zhuo expected.

Lu Zhuo hoped that Robin could reach a point where, with a single thought, she could manifest ears and eyes in any corner of the world. If that happened, nothing in the world would be able to escape his grasp.

However, thinking about it, the chances were slim; after all, reaching that level would mean developing the Flower-Flower Fruit to its absolute limit.

In the world of One Piece, no one had yet managed to develop their fruit to the limit, not even to a tenth of its potential.

If Whitebeard could fully develop the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a single punch could easily destroy countless islands. If Aokiji fully developed his, he could freeze the surface of the world's oceans with a casual gesture.

There is no such thing as a trash fruit, only whether or not you know how to develop it.

However, since Lu Zhuo intended to become a steadfast swordsman, he naturally would not consume a Devil Fruit. But if there were any extra powerful Logia-types, he wouldn't mind keeping one as a trump card.

Once defeated by someone, he could eat a Logia fruit to instantly boost his strength and continue the fight.

Thinking this, Lu Zhuo was suddenly surprised to find the Kitetsu in his hand trembling once more, as if pointing toward a distant direction.

Having fused another Sandai Kitetsu, the blade in his hand had already surpassed the Great Grade Swords, yet it still seemed inferior to the Supreme Grade Swords.

It must be somewhere in between, a so-called half-step Supreme Grade Sword...

Thinking of this, Lu Zhuo's eyes flashed, revealing an excited expression.

To think there was another Kitetsu on Skypiea; buy one get one free, what a steal. He hoped it was the Nidai Kitetsu, as that would allow him to directly elevate it to the level of a Supreme Grade Sword.

After a chuckle, Lu Zhuo called Conis out.

"In the name of the Sword God, summon the God Squad over here. Just someone who knows how to pilot a Waver will do."

Hearing Lu Zhuo's words, Conis said softly, "Um... I know how to pilot a Waver, though I'm not very proficient."

"Ah, I forgot you had already learned to pilot a Waver, and there's also... Nami. Forget it, she's sleeping. Then you pilot the Waver and head in that direction with me." Lu Zhuo slapped his forehead as if remembering something, then spread his hands.

"Okay." Conis replied, smiling as she looked at Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo also smiled back at her; this version of Conis was finally a normal angel loli.

Conis quickly used the name of the Sword God to procure a two-seater Waver and carried Lu Zhuo as they sped off. The direction was, naturally, guided by the Kitetsu in Lu Zhuo's hand.