One Piece: I Can Repel Everything

Pato tossed out a Transformation Leaf. Pop! A puff of white smoke appeared.

In an instant, a figure emerged, looking exactly like Burgess.

"Anyone up for a fight? Wahahaha..."

Burgess raised both arms and stared at the people across from him, looking as arrogant as ever.

Burgess gazed at the man who looked exactly like him and couldn't help saying, "No matter how many times I see it, it still feels unbelievable."

"A Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit really is incredible. It can even create a person."

Lafitte straightened his top hat, ever the gentleman. "The crucial thing is that the person it creates can use the original person's abilities."

"That's the truly terrifying part!"

Luo nodded in agreement. "If Pato could create the captain, who could possibly stand against him?"

Honey Queen smiled. "But that can't happen."

"Chris is too powerful for Pato to create. Our little friend would have to strengthen his mental power first."

Belo Betty exhaled a stream of smoke, as calm and composed as ever.

As it turned out, Pato could use a Transformation Leaf to create a copy of someone, but doing so consumed mental power.

The stronger the person he created, the more mental power it cost him.

He had once tried to create Chris. He tossed out a Transformation Leaf, and white smoke rose.

But "Chris" never appeared. The smoke vanished almost at once.

"How fun! This is so much fun! Horohorohoro..."

Perona flew back and forth through the air, her bell-like laughter ringing out with delight.

"I'm done playing. I'm going fishing! Heeheehee~~"

The moment Pato finished speaking, there was a pop and another puff of smoke. Burgess vanished as though he had never been there.

Just then, whoosh...

Two figures suddenly appeared on the deck.

"Reiju, get to know everyone."

With that, Chris headed straight for the Training Room.

He thought well of Reiju, but he wasn't about to let her interfere with his training.

To Chris, strength was what mattered. Everything else came second.

Another woman had arrived.

Was she a new crewmate?

"Another woman. How boring."

Burgess had never been interested in women. He shook his head and walked away.

Doc Q looked at Reiju with an eerie smile. "The captain likes women. That's understandable."

Luo shot Doc Q a glance and said coldly, "We all know what the captain's like. Does he have eyes for anything besides training?"

Lafitte nodded in agreement. "That's what I think too."

Then he twirled his cane, turned to Reiju, and said politely, "Hello. Welcome to the Chris Pirates. I'm the First Mate, Lafitte."

"If you can spare me a few minutes, I'll tell you about life aboard the ship."

Baccarat waved a hand, her brows curving as she smiled. "Lafitte, we're all women here. Leave it to us."

Honey Queen nodded along. "That's right. You go about your business. We can handle this."

Perona flew around Reiju, curiosity written all over her little face.

"Your eyebrows are so strange! They curl right up. This princess has never seen anything like them. Horohorohoro..."

Feeling everyone's warmth, Reiju gave them a gentle smile. "You've misunderstood. I'm not joining the crew."

"I'm a member of the Vinsmoke Family. I'm here to handle the cooperation between our two sides."

"I hope we'll get along while I'm here. Thank you!"

She wasn't a new member?

Everyone froze for a moment, caught off guard.

"Well, if the captain let you aboard, it's not our place to question it. In any case, you're very welcome here."

Lafitte smiled at Reiju, then walked away.

Luo and the others asked no further questions and went their separate ways.

Chris must have had his reasons. It wasn't their place to pry, so they kept quiet.

"Reiju, let's talk in the Training Room."

Baccarat looked at her with a bright smile. "When we have nothing to do, we stay there and watch Chris train to pass the time."

Belo Betty took a drag on her cigarette. "Let's go talk. I'm curious about this cooperation myself."

Watch Chris train?

Reiju's eyes lit up. She smiled sweetly and said, "Sure, let's go together. I'd like to learn more about Chris."

"He's very strong, and there's something mysterious about him. I'd like to see how he trains."

As Honey Queen walked, she explained with a smile, "He's the hardest-working person on this ship."

"All he does, day after day, is train. Nothing else interests him."

"He's obsessed with training!"

Baccarat looked at Reiju and smiled. "On this ship, strength rules. Power is what counts."

"If Chris doesn't work hard, someone else will take his place as captain one day."

By then, they had reached the Training Room. They filed inside.

The first thing Reiju saw was a figure ahead of them, swinging a blood-red blade.

She looked around the Training Room and saw that it was well equipped.

Barbells, sandbags, boulders...

"Chris is practicing his swordsmanship. He has a task he completes every day."

Honey Queen sat down and explained to Reiju with a small smile, "He swings his sword ten thousand times. It's a goal he set for himself."

Belo Betty leaned back in a chair and crossed her legs, looking utterly at ease.

"Just from that, you can tell Chris must be a formidable swordsman."

"He's never shown what he can do, though. He's kept his strength hidden."

Perona flew through the air and quickly added, "It's not just his swordsmanship he's hiding. Chris is incredible at Physical Arts too."

"Didn't you say last time that he'd developed several powerful techniques?"

"Morning Peacock, Daytime Tiger, Evening Elephant, and what was the other one?" Perona furrowed her delicate brows. "I can't remember. There was definitely one more."

Baccarat brushed back her dark red hair and smiled. "Night Guy, right?"

"Chris said he named those Physical Arts techniques after the times of day."

"Morning, daytime, evening, night. That makes a whole day."

Perona's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "That's it! Horohorohoro~~"

The more Reiju heard, the more astonished she became. She looked toward Chris.

She was in awe of him!

"He knows swordsmanship and Physical Arts, and he's a Devil Fruit User too."

Reiju looked at the women, her eyes shining with admiration. "I've never heard of anyone with such a complete range of abilities in battle."

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have believed a man this powerful existed."

Honey Queen nodded and sighed. "That's why he's destined to change the world. There's no doubt about it."

Belo Betty tossed away her cigarette butt. "You can't establish yourself in the New World without enough strength. When you think about it, it's not so surprising."

Baccarat gave Reiju a gentle smile. "You'll be staying aboard this ship. In time, you'll get to know Chris and see what kind of person he is."

"Oh, there's something I wanted to ask."

A question suddenly occurred to Reiju. She looked at them curiously. "How strong is Chris now? Has he ever said?"

She had wanted to ask before, but she had been too embarrassed to bring it up with Chris.

Now that she saw how easy they were to talk to, she took the chance to ask.

"I know, I know!"

Perona flew up to Reiju, grinning. "Chris said he's at Admiral level now~~"

"What?!"

Reiju's beautiful eyes widened, shock flooding her face.

An Admiral was among the Marines' strongest fighters.

A seemingly invincible force!

Chris had already reached that level? How was that possible?

Yes, Reiju knew Chris was strong. Very strong.

But she had never imagined he was that strong.

"Chris really is that strong."

Belo Betty glanced at Reiju. "He may be young, but he trains relentlessly, day and night."

"So when you consider how hard he works, it's not so difficult to accept."

Honey Queen looked toward Chris, a smile on her face. "Come to think of it, he seems to have grown taller."

"He used to be shorter, but now he's 185 centimeters. I'd bet he'll grow even taller by the time we reach the Grand Line."

Baccarat tucked back her hair, looking elegant as ever. "He's only nineteen. He's still growing, so why wouldn't he get taller?"

Reiju said nothing more. She watched the man before her, admiration in her eyes.

He was so young, yet already so powerful.

Reiju was full of curiosity about Chris's future. She wanted to see just how far he would go.

Becoming a Shichibukai couldn't possibly be his final destination!

At the port of Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt, the sky was a clear blue. White clouds drifted overhead, and the sun shone brightly.

It was a perfect day to go out.

"Who put a cat in my path?!"

Hancock whipped out her right foot and kicked a white cat aside.