Cloud-Cloud Fruit

Waking from his coma, Lu Zhuo blinked in confusion as he saw his body covered in countless tiny needles.

Beside his legs, Nami was fast asleep, using his thigh as a pillow.

The movement of Lu Zhuo waking up startled her instantly; after a moment of disorientation, she looked at Lu Zhuo with joy.

"You're finally awake!"

Lu Zhuo reached out to stroke her head and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three whole days, you jerk! Do you have any idea how badly you were hurt?" Nami scolded, though her face was filled with deep happiness.

Lu Zhuo chuckled and said, "Remove these things. Since I'm awake, I'm practically healed."

Half an hour later, with Nami's support, Lu Zhuo walked out of the room.

"You're awake?" Robin looked at Lu Zhuo with a faint smile, then her expression suddenly tightened as she asked, "What exactly happened between you and Kuma?"

So Robin really did manage to get something out of Conis, Lu Zhuo thought, his expression darkening slightly as he replied, "We fought. I was heavily injured, he was lightly injured."

At this, he suddenly raised an eyebrow, turned his head, and asked, "Nami, you still haven't eaten that Devil Fruit?"

Nami nodded. "Mm."

Frowning, Lu Zhuo looked at Robin and asked, "That Devil Fruit should be a Logia type, and judging by its shape, it's either Wind or Cloud, right?"

"Mm, it should be the Logia Cloud-Cloud Fruit. It's a rather weak ability," Robin nodded, curling her lip.

Lu Zhuo snorted and said, "What do you know? In my opinion, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit isn't just strong; it's one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in existence!"

"Eh? How is that possible? Aren't clouds soft and lacking in offensive power?" Nami took out the Devil Fruit and looked at Lu Zhuo in confusion.

Lu Zhuo slapped his forehead and said, "You two are usually so sharp, why are you being so dense now? Tell me, what is beneath our feet?"

"A ship!"

"Under the ship."

"It's the sea... no, wait, it's the clouds!" At this, Nami's eyes suddenly lit up.

Lu Zhuo smiled and said to Robin, "The effect of Sea Clouds is the same as the Blue Sea below; both can strip a Devil Fruit user of their powers. Furthermore, since Sea Clouds are a type of cloud, they can naturally be simulated by the Cloud-Cloud Fruit."

Hearing Lu Zhuo's words, Robin's eyes also brightened.

"Your perspective is truly vast. You understand my Flower-Flower Fruit so well, and now you understand this Cloud-Cloud Fruit just as thoroughly."

At this moment, Nami suddenly handed the Devil Fruit to Lu Zhuo and whispered, "Since this fruit is so strong, you should eat it. I don't want you to get hurt like that ever again..."

"Silly girl, although I'm confident that eating this fruit would bring me to the level of the Four Emperors in a short time, that isn't my true goal. Go ahead and eat it."

"Mm." Nami didn't push back again; she knew that everything Lu Zhuo decided had its own meaning.

Watching as Nami's lower body suddenly turned into a cloud and she couldn't turn it back, Lu Zhuo nearly burst out laughing.

"It's fine, it's fine. Just get used to it. You can develop in two directions: one is Sea Clouds—try to expand the range and increase the volume. The other is Thunder Clouds—try to condense them for a qualitative change."

As he said this, Lu Zhuo suddenly noticed Conis looking somewhat dejected off to the side.

Smiling, he walked over and wanted to pat her head, only to find that her two long, curled antennae made it impossible to reach.

After an awkward laugh, Lu Zhuo said softly, "This fruit doesn't suit you. I know what you like; I will definitely find you a fruit related to music."

"Ah." Hearing Lu Zhuo's words, Conis suddenly became happy and asked, "Really?"

"Of course!"

"Th-thank you!" Conis suddenly leaned in, kissed Lu Zhuo on the cheek, and then ran away, blushing.

Lu Zhuo smiled and rubbed his chin, only to catch a glimpse of a strange cloud drifting over from the side.

Robin, standing nearby, looked at him with a playful expression, making his heart sink.

Sure enough, the next moment, the cloud transformed into a black thundercloud, and a bolt of lightning suddenly struck Lu Zhuo...

Nami is so amazing... she can already create thunder... clouds so quickly! The charred Lu Zhuo opened his mouth, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

The sun was bright, shining down on the cloud-made beach, offering a heavenly experience.

Lu Zhuo sat there with a black sword resting across his lap... Kitetsu.

It's just a tiny bit away from being a Supreme Grade Sword. What a pity.

Lu Zhuo sighed. Although that tiny gap was almost negligible—it could already clash head-on with a Supreme Grade Sword—that missing bit meant Kitetsu couldn't unleash certain things.

Lu Zhuo could already feel that once Kitetsu became a Supreme Grade Sword, it would be able to dance on its own.

In other words, his Kitetsu would become a celestial sword capable of flight!

After all, Kitetsu truly possessed a sword spirit, something no other Supreme Grade Sword could compare to, save for the legendary Light of the Millennium!

Grabbing Kitetsu, Lu Zhuo swung it gently a few times, and a powerful sword aura swept out in all directions.

A glint of light flashed through his eyes.

Above the momentum of the sword, there should be the Sword Domain!

The domain of the sword is like what Hawk-Eye possesses; with a casual swing, every cannonball from every direction is sliced clean down the middle.

Within one's own Sword Domain, one's blade can strike exactly as the heart desires!

And above the Sword Domain, there should be Sword Intent!

To comprehend one's own Sword Intent and condense it into substance is what truly defines a top-tier master swordsman.

Flower Sword Vista, the Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates in the original story, could conjure countless dancing petals when he swung his sword; that was his Sword Intent.

As for the step from master swordsman to Great Swordsman, Lu Zhuo was truly in the dark. After all, in the original story, Hawk-Eye only ever unleashed sword qi in his few appearances, showing nothing else.

Furthermore, no other Great Swordsmen from the original story had ever made an appearance.

Although he could deduce the specific realm of the Sword Domain, he had no idea how to actually achieve it.

Lu Zhuo closed his eyes, furrowing his brows as he sensed the sword momentum surrounding him.

At the same time, his Observation Haki, which he had already honed to a minor success, surged forth, merging with the sword momentum.

Yet even so, Lu Zhuo still could not manage to swing his sword such that every position in every direction would be struck head-on.

It seemed that without finding a high-level swordsman to spar with, it would be difficult for him to gain this realization.

Lu Zhuo sighed and retracted his sword momentum.

Hmm, it was about time to go find Enel. With this thought, Lu Zhuo strode forward, instantly leaving the seaside and disappearing deep into the jungle within a few steps.

A few minutes later, a thunderous roar erupted within Upper Yard, but the people of Skypiea merely glanced toward the sound before continuing their work as if nothing had happened.

Lu Zhuo had been living in Upper Yard for nearly three months, and almost every three days, he would go to fight Enel. The Skypieans had long since grown accustomed to the frequent "battles of the gods" occurring in the holy land.

Only the Shandia, living in despair, still had the War Demon Wyper to bolster their spirits.