Time Stop

"But there's no need to worry!"

"A little scratch like this can't hurt me!"

River's amused voice rang out, sending chills through the Foxy Pirates before him.

Was he kidding?!

Their blades had pierced his abdomen. His internal organs had probably been torn to shreds!

And he called that a little scratch?

But soon, something astonishing happened.

As the man pulled a sword out of his body, the bloody wound began closing at an incredible speed.

By the time he had pulled out all the swords, wrested them from the pirates' hands, and tossed them onto the deck, every wound and bloody gash had vanished.

"My God!"

"All his wounds have healed!"

"That was way too fast! There isn't even a mark left!"

"This guy really is a monster!"

Some of the Foxy Pirates were already terrified, retreating involuntarily.

"Hahaha!"

"Foxy the Silver Fox!"

"I see great potential in you. How about joining me?"

River grinned as he spoke, his eyes growing brighter.

"Wh-who would join a weirdo like you-"

Foxy shouted, his nerves stretched taut.

But before he could finish, the man before him blurred and appeared in front of one of his crewmates.

He spread his large hand and clamped it over the crewmate's face. Then, with a loud laugh and the ferocity of a tiger charging down a mountain, he drove the man's head into the deck.

Boom!

The deck cracked, dust billowed, and the ship shuddered.

When they looked down again, a figure lay embedded in the deck before them.

Clang!

Someone swallowed, pupils contracting, his face turning green.

"H-Hamburg?!"

Foxy's voice trembled.

An instant. In just an instant, his companion had fallen before him, and he had not even seen the other man move.

Crimson blood spread across the deck, forming a pool in moments.

"My name is River. Join me, and I won't kill you!"

"Otherwise, today is the day you all sink into the sea!"

River was still smiling, but that smiling face sent an icy chill through everyone present, making their hair stand on end.

Was this guy insane?

In mere moments, their impression of River had changed again and again, from strange man to monster to madman!

Foxy's lips quivered, and he tried to say something else.

Bam!

A dull impact sounded, and a figure flew off the ship with a scream, tracing a high arc before plunging into the sea.

"You're running out of time to think, Foxy!"

River smiled.

Foxy shuddered, no longer daring to hesitate. "I'll join! I'll join! I'll join!"

River grinned at the terrified group before him. "A wise choice!"

Their fighting strength was not remotely on the same level. The battle had ended as quickly as it had begun.

A quarter of an hour later, Foxy nervously boarded River's ship. The sight of the man in a demon mask steering nearby only frightened him more.

Neither of these two looked remotely normal!

One never dodged attacks and healed rapidly after being stabbed. The other covered himself entirely in a black robe, his Ghostface Mask enough to make anyone tremble.

Just what kind of organization had I joined?

Meanwhile, River studied the fox-faced pirate captain. Though the man was a pirate, he had not committed many atrocities. But that did not mean he was particularly good, either.

He had recruited him entirely for his fruit ability.

"Foxy, use your ability on me!"

River suddenly spoke.

Foxy froze and looked at him in confusion. "My ability?"

"Yes!"

River nodded, then urged him on.

"Hurry up!"

Foxy's expression changed. Whatever the man intended, he dared not refuse. He curled his fingers, leaving only his index finger and little finger extended, then pointed at River.

"Slow-Slow Beam!"

A moment later, a beam of photons appeared and shone toward River.

Almost instantly, it enveloped his entire body. At that moment, he clearly felt his perception of his surroundings rapidly slowing.

Time seemed to stand still.

It slows my own time while the flow of time outside remains unchanged.

River pondered.

This was completely different from his awakened Recovery Fruit. Before awakening, the Recovery Fruit healed and restored his own injuries.

After awakening, however, it could return him, along with anything he touched, to an earlier point in time.

The Recovery Fruit was also a time-based ability, capable of turning time backward.

The Slow-Slow Fruit, by contrast, controlled the rate at which time flowed.

A glint flashed in River's eyes. His Armament Haki pulsed faintly, dispersing the ability affecting him and freeing him from the Slow-Slow Beam.

Foxy gaped in shock as River began moving without any impediment.

"That's impossible!!"

River looked up and smiled. "Nothing is impossible! Once Armament Haki becomes strong enough, it can weaken fruit abilities, or even leave you completely unaffected."

"Clearly, you haven't developed your ability enough yet."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes again, carefully recalling the sensation of being struck by the Slow-Slow Beam.

In an instant, all manner of complex insights flooded his mind.

His studious trait activated at that moment. He was learning Foxy's Slow-Slow Beam.

Yes, learning it!

The ability the system had granted him allowed him to learn any skill, without any barriers between them.

Devil Fruit skills were included.

In the past, his rise had been too rapid to give him many opportunities to learn skills. Besides, some skills were unnecessary, offering little more than an extra advantage.

But a time-based ability like the Slow-Slow Beam could undoubtedly play a crucial role.

Meanwhile, Foxy was questioning everything he knew, utterly bewildered. "Armament Haki?"

"It can make my fruit ability stop working?"

Nearby, Crocodile's eyes flickered beneath his mask as he murmured, "Haki."

He had always focused on studying his fruit ability, paying little attention to Haki. Even now, he had awakened neither Armament Haki nor Observation Haki.

But he knew perfectly well that a top-tier powerhouse like River had to be a master of Haki.

Perhaps I could ask him how to train my Haki.

After a while, River opened his eyes as a string of notifications sounded in his mind.

Congratulations, host. You have learned Slow-Slow Beam. Skill enhanced: duration extended to one minute. Further evolution available. Evolution successful: evolved into Time Stop. Time stopped for two seconds (actual effects depend on the target's strength).

A smile appeared on his face, and he extended a finger.

"Foxy."

"Huh?"

Foxy looked up blankly.

"Why don't you try experiencing my Slow-Slow Beam?"

As he spoke, light flickered at River's fingertip. A beam shot out, striking Foxy instantly.

At once, Foxy froze in place, utterly motionless.

His time had stopped at that moment.