Lola: Are All You Religious Types This Brazen?!

Hearing that, Dimon couldn't help raising an eyebrow. He reached out, and Shusui flew into his hand of his own accord.

The moment Dimon grasped the hilt, Shusui released his own Armament Haki. Black Haki, visible to the naked eye like wisps of silk, flowed over the blade.

It was even advanced Armament Haki... also known as "Ryuo" in Wano Country!

Dimon was speechless. Even a sword could use Armament Haki!

"Master, if you imbue me with your own Armament Haki, my power can increase even further!"

Sorry, but your master doesn't know how.

Dimon grumbled inwardly. He left the bedroom and went up to the upper deck. The late-night sea breeze was bitterly cold. He walked to the bow and swung his sword at the sea ahead.

In an instant, a pitch-black crescent of sword energy shot forth, tearing open the sea and leaving a wound that stretched hundreds of meters and refused to close for a long time.

The sight moved him.

That strike...

All he had done was swing. The destruction before him was the result of Shusui's own power.

"Even if you're a Black Blade, how did a sword learn Armament Haki?"

Haki was, in essence, human life energy.

It was a latent power everyone was born with, stemming from an individual's will, presence, killing intent, and fighting spirit. It was an outward manifestation of willpower.

A sword wasn't even a person, so how had he learned Armament Haki?

Shusui answered, "My wielders through the generations constantly tempered me with Haki, and I finally transformed into a Black Blade in Ryuma's hands.

"I can use Haki only because I'm releasing the power I accumulated in the past."

In the past, Shusui hadn't been self-aware and couldn't draw on that power.

But things were different now. After Dimon gave him Animation, he was, in a sense, a living being with a sense of self, and could therefore use Haki through his own will.

"So you're using your reserves? Your Haki isn't limitless, and you can't replenish it yourself?"

Dimon nodded in understanding and asked, "How much Haki have you accumulated? Say, using that last strike as a measure, how many times can you use it?"

"Well... probably a few thousand times."

Dimon was completely speechless.

Comparing myself to a sword is infuriating. This is outrageous!

Then he thought of the other Famous Swords.

Shusui was only a Great Grade Sword, a rank below the highest. If he could display such terrifying destructive power after being animated, what about the Supreme Great Grade Swords?

"This is practically a treasure trove. I'll have to collect them when I get the chance."

The names of various Supreme Great Grade Swords and their owners flashed through his mind, but Dimon put the thought aside for now.

Their owners were all top-tier experts who had been famous for years. Getting his hands on a Supreme Great Grade Sword wouldn't be easy.

The most famous of them, of course, was the Black Blade Yoru, owned by Hawk-Eye, the "World's Greatest Swordsman."

"Stay with me from now on. You'll have your chance to show what you can do."

Dimon reassured Shusui and sheathed him.

For a sword, Shusui had shown a strong desire to kill... perhaps it was his instinct.

Noon.

The gym.

Dimon trained his body as usual.

He had already mastered Shigan of the Six Powers, leaving only Tekkai and Kami-e.

He had to admit, Longevity Wine was good stuff. Compared with extending a person's life, its effects as a training aid were even more outrageous.

Just then, a mouth suddenly grew out of the floor.

"Great and wise master, your devoted servant brings you good news. That woman has spoken."

Dimon stopped training, picked up a towel, and wiped himself down. "Lola? What did she say?"

"She said she was hungry and wanted food."

"..."

Meanwhile.

The Wave-Breaking Warrior, punishment room.

It had originally been used by the Warrior Pirates to lock up disobedient crew members, but now it was being used to hold Lola.

The room wasn't large, and all kinds of torture instruments stood inside. Some were stained with splotches of blood, showing they weren't just for display.

Lola was tied up in a corner, with shackles on both her wrists and ankles.

She was listless, and the constant hunger in her belly left her without even the thought of escaping.

"Did you bring me aboard this ship just to starve me to death?"

"Ain?"

"Mr. Samael!"

"Is anyone there?"

Lola called out from time to time. Moria had locked her up without food, and now that she'd finally escaped and ended up here, she still had nothing to eat. She hadn't had a bite of food in almost a week.

Just as she was about to faint from hunger, part of the wooden wall beside her bulged out and gradually transformed into a mouth.

Lola was startled and her eyes widened. The mouth opened and closed, speaking slowly:

"Hello, prisoner. My name is Ship Zuizui. Please address me as the great Lord Ship Zuizui!"

Chapter 27: Lola: Are All You Religious Types This Brazen?!

"What are you!?"

Lola was bewildered and suspicious.

"How rude!" Ship Zuizui cursed angrily. "Mere human, I am the great spirit of the ship!"

"Stop lying. Ship spirits aren't like you."

As the daughter of one of the Four Emperors, Lola wasn't strong, but she was knowledgeable.

The Big Mom Pirates' flagship was intelligent too, and could even sing. It was called the Queen Mama Chanter.

But that was only because Mama had given the ship a soul, using the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit. It wasn't a ship spirit either.

Lola spoke with certainty. "Some Devil Fruit user created you, didn't they?"

"You're making me furious! You foolish woman! You can't begin to understand my lord's greatness!" Ship Zuizui wanted nothing more than to bite her.

"My lord" again?

Lola ventured, "Who is your master?"

Ship Zuizui spoke reverently. "My lord is a god!"

A god?

Lola was speechless. Before, she had only suspected it, but now she was certain this had to be some religious organization. When dealing with people like that, she had to go along with them.

"That was rude of me. I apologize," Lola said, changing her tune. "Could you let me go? My mother is Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors, and my name is Charlotte Lola. If you're willing to let me go, I'll remember this kindness and be sure to repay you."

"A mere pirate... you certainly talk big. Someone will be along to deal with you soon. Hmph."

With that, Ship Zuizui sank back into the wall and disappeared.

"Wait! Hold on!"

Lola hurriedly shouted. Someone was finally willing to talk to her. Even if it was only a mouth, at least she could communicate with him. She didn't want to starve to death here.

Just then, the punishment room door opened, and the flame monster she'd seen the day before floated inside.

Samael went straight up to Lola and spoke before she could say anything.

"Hand it over first."

"What?"

Lola was taken aback. Was this religious organization after something she had on her?

"The Vivre Card. You have your mother's card on you, don't you?"

Lola's expression changed slightly.

Even the other members of the Lola Pirates didn't know she had her mother's Vivre Card. How did these people know?

A Vivre Card was a special kind of paper found in the New World. It was made by mixing in the owner's fingernails, making it resistant to water and fire. It could also be torn into pieces and given to friends and family.

It had two main functions.

First, it showed the way.

A Vivre Card pointed toward its owner. Pieces torn from the same Vivre Card would attract one another, making it an effective way to navigate the waters of the New World, where magnetic fields were more complex.

Second, it showed whether its owner was alive or dead.

If the owner was injured or weakened, the paper would shrink and burn slightly;

If the owner recovered, it would grow back;

If the owner died, the entire piece of paper would burn to ash.

As a child, Lola had been dearly loved by her mother, who had personally given her one of her own Vivre Cards so mother and daughter could check on each other's safety and locate each other from afar.

Later, however, certain events had forced her to flee Totto Land and form her own pirate crew to go on adventures. She had taken the Vivre Card with her then.

That wasn't all.

Just as the daughter had her mother's Vivre Card, the mother also had her daughter's.

"Human, I suggest you behave yourself and don't try anything unnecessary." Seeing that she still hadn't spoken, Samael narrowed his eyes.

"I won't do anything, and I can't do anything. If the Vivre Card is what you're after, it's hidden in the front of my clothes. Take it yourself."

Without another word, Samael conjured a hand of flame and thrust it into Lola's collar, quickly pulling out a folded piece of white paper.

"You've got it. Can you let me go?"

"Who told you we were after this card?"

"What? What do you want?"

"Tell me your mother's Den Den Mushi number, right now."

The conjured hand of flame deftly played with the Vivre Card. Samael snorted and urged her on. "My patience has limits. Hurry up!"

Lola frowned. Unable to figure out what these people were doing, she had no choice but to obediently give him a number.

When she finished, Samael called out to the air:

"Ain."

"Got it."

The reply came out of nowhere, startling Lola.

Was there a third person here?

She hurriedly looked around. The small punishment room could be taken in at a glance, and there was no third person in sight.

After about half a minute of eerie silence, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

"Mamamama~ Who is this?"

"Mama!!"

Lola cried out instinctively, her face full of shock.

Why was she hearing her mother's voice?