176 175. Way to Get Stronger

Jon get an information from Zetsu that CP-0 agents are here on Wano. Those guys won't move if there's nothing very important in here. Jon think about it and something clicked on his mind.

'Liquor Iron Ore! With Joker's gone, there's no one to connect the WG with Wano as producen.'-Jon

Jon immediately tell Zetsu to follow the CP-0 agents and report all their movement. He won't let those guys get more of this very rare material. This metal's processing factories are the one that create destruction on this land.

Furthermore, Jon is on RA's side now, and he's a pirate too. It just didn't feel right if he didn't hinder WG's work. They're enemies afterall, and he know that there's nothing good if CP-0 agents are involved.

'Wait, maybe it's a chance to plant insiders in WG's body.'-Jon

Jon plan to assassinate an agent and make Zetsu impose as that person. He only have 5 Zetsu now, so at most, he can use 4 of them, as 1 will be his connector. He really need to use Germa's cloning technology on Zetsu.

Jon assign some wood clones to spy the CP-0 agents with Zetsu too. Zetsu is not that strong in combat, unlike his clones. So Jon need to assign clones in case they have a confrontation. The clones can buy time for Zetsu to leave.

Jon let his clones & Zetsu to do their work, while he continue his work. Jon go through buildings and steal everything he can steal. If he find out the person that live there or have the business is a bad guy, then Jon will take everything and didn't leave anything in there, even an underwear.

While stealing supplies, Jon get an info that Orochi almost kill Toko that laugh at him. However, Komurasaki protect the little girl, and get killed by Kyoushiro as the result. His friends also got exposed in the castle by the ninjas, but his disguised clones help them leave.

His friends also saved Toko when they run away, make him relief. That little girl is pitiful enough because of the SMILE, so she mustn't suffer more. Jon continue his work again until night come. It created a big commotion in Capital, but he didn't care.

Jon finish his job at night and go back to Amigasa Village. That's the plan, but then he see 2 guys, X-Drake & Page One. They're from Kaido's Tobiroppo (Flying Six), and considered as 6 strongest headliners that can take over the three All Stars positions.

Jon want to know why they come, and find out that they're searching for the Soba stand's owner, Sanji. The incident with those thugs must've reached the Beasts Pirate's ears. They didn't try to find Jon though, because they didn't know his identity & must've thought that he is Sanji's men.

Jon follow both of them, and they can't find Sanji for sometime. They separate, & Page One turn into his Spinosaurus form and attack citizens to draw Sanji out. Jon click his tongue and want to attack Page One, but Sanji com out to stop Page One.

'Sanji can take care of this himself, i'll stall the other guy.'-Jon

Jon run to X-Drake's direction and find him after sometime. Jon change his appearance then flash and attack Drake without alerting him. Jon kick Drake from his right side and send him fly through some buildings. Drake didn't respond for sometime, but Jon won't get duped.

"Come out! I know you're tough enough to take that hit. An ancient zoan user is not that weak."-Jon

"You are not the Soba stand owner, so you must be the other one who attacked the Yakuza."-Drake

"Maybe yes, maybe no, why don't you find it out?"-Jon

Drake come out in his Allosaurus form and run at Jon. Drake send a tail attack at Jon and Jon just grin and flicker up to dodge the attack. Jon draw his swords and jump at Drake them swing his swords. Drake counter using his claw and their attacks meet.

"As i thought of an ancient zoan, you really have an immense strength."-Jon

"Tch, you talk like you can't match this strength."-Drake

"I'm just praising your strength, i never say i can't do the same."-Jon

Jon jump down and sheath his swords, then he use earth chakra mode. This mode give him more strength and power on his blunt attacks. Drake also turn into his hybrid form, as it's the most comfortable form for all zoan users.

Jon & Drake run toward each other, and Jon's speed reduced noticeably. They punch at each other and create loud noise from it. Their power has noticeably increase, and seem on par.

'Damn, i'm still lacking in pure physical strength. But this guy is an ancient zoan devil fruit user. Zoan users get an immence physical enhancement compared to other devil fruits, so it's not a bad result.'-Jon

Jon use this chance to train his physical strength & close combat. The best way to grow is through battles with strong opponents. Contesting in strength with a strength based enemy can raise his strength too.

Jon & Drake got in a stalemate for some time, so Drake decide to use his weapons. He wield a saber & a 4 bladed axe, a strange combination. Jon click his tongue, just when he want to train his strength against a physically strong guy, the guy use sharp weapons instead.

'Wait, his attack power will be strong & heavy too, so i guess it'll still work.'-Jon

The earth chakra support blunt weapon, so rather than swords, Jon use 2 short metal staffs. Jon & Drake clash and they are contesting in strength. Their weapon mastery is almost similar, but Drake have more power than Jon.

Jon is being pushed slowly, and he got an epiphany. Jon realize that it's not that his power is lacking, but his use of strength is bad. He use more power for something that should be less, so he waste more energy & power in his attacks.

Jon use this fight to refine his power & energy usage. He also start to use his weight in his attacks, make them heavier & stronger. Jon got more excited as he fight, he can feel himself grow stronger.

Jon realize that he is too reliant on his speed, and neglect his strength. Now he use this chance to raise his strength usage in a fight. Speed alone won't work on every opponent, he also need strength.

Drake seem to realize that Jon is using him as a training partner. Jon start to hold his ground and after some time, he even push Drake back. Jon's growth is always terrifying as he can grow this fast in a fight.

'This guy, he didn't even go all out. His movement seem like he is used to move fast, but he limit it and train his heavy attacks. Damn, i'm being used as a sparring partner.'-Drake

"Hahahaha, what's wrong? Your attacks are getting weaker, did you need to drink your mama's milk?"-Jon say excitedly

"Damn!"-Drake

They fight again for half an hour, and Jon now have the upper hand. However, it's still not by much as Drake also improve a bit. Suddenly someone come, it's Page One, so Sanji must've leave.

"No wonder you didn't respond to my call, someone is stalling you here."-Page One

"Page, don't meddle in this! He is my opponent."-Drake

"Yeah, but Queen has asked about the result."-Page One

"Damn, there's no choice i think, i can't take him alone fast enough."-Drake

"A new one huh? I guess i'll go all out."-Jon

Jon get into a stance, and the 2 enemies use their hybrid form. They move to fight, but suddenly Jon disappear. He run to another direction and leave the location.

""Eh?""-Drake & Page One

"HAHAHAHA, IDIOTS! THERE'S NO WAY I'LL FIGHT A USELESS BATTLE WITH YOU TWO."-Jon

Jon run away from the town and go back to Amigasa Village. It's night already, so most of his friends have been sleeping. Jon also decide to rest, and save his energy for tomorrow. In the morning, Jon eat with the others, and then Hitetsu call him.

"Young ninja, you want to take down Kaido right?"-Hitetsu

"Yeah, but i still lack a lot of strength. That man is said to be the strongest creature. His only injury so far is that cross shaped scar on his body. He had clashed with other Emperors & Admirals, but only get that wound. So i'm not sure if i can even injure him with my current strength."-Jon

"Actually, i know the one who made that wound on Kaido's body. It's Master Oden, and he do it 20 years ago."-Hitetsu

"What?! I thought it's from one of the Emperors."-Jon

"No, it's from Master Oden, and i will teach you something he used to wound Kaido."-Hitetsu

Jon is excited, if Hitetsu know the key to wound Kaido, then Jon will learn it. Now he know that it's not just strength, but also a technique that he need to defeat Kaido.

If Hitetsu didn't tell him, then Jon will keep thinking that he lack strength. Kaido could ended a fight with other Emperors without getting a wound, so strength is not really the answer here.

"In Wano, we call that black hardening as Ryuo."-Hitetsu

"Ryuo? Hmm, so that geezer was from Wano."-Jon

"This ryuo is the key to injure Kaido's tough body. You need to project your ryuo out from the body, and it can increase the damage. This ryuo projection will destroy the target from inside & outside."-Hitetsu

"!? Inside & outside, that's like what Big Mom used to destroy my susanoo. So she can use this haki projection technique too."-Jon

Hitetsu then show Jon his ryuo projection with his hand. Hitetsu can only do it once because of age, so Jon need to pay attention. Jon maximize his observation haki & sharingan to see how Hitetsu do it.

Hitetsu send a punch to a tree, and stop before he touch it. The tree break even when Hitetsu's hand hasn't touch it. Jon can see that it's not because of devil fruit or wind impact because the punch is slow. It won't even create a shockwave that will destroy the tree.

Jon also see that the tree got destroyed from inside & outside at the same time. Then he remember something, Dragon have used this power once. It's when he break his armored susanoo, because Jon is too proud of it's toughness when he made it for the first time.

Jon didn't know if Dragon can destroy the current armored susanoo though. His susanoo has gotten a lot stronger now. But Big Mom still destroy his skeletal susanoo ribs, so he know his susanoo's power is still not perfect.

Now he know the secret behind that attack, and he will master it before fighting Kaido. Jon assume that all Emperors can do this technique. Of course he'll assume that Teach can do it too, he won't underestimate his enemy.

Jon then start his training with Hitetsu's guidance. This power can be the game changer in this war. If he can combine this technique with his chakra flow & ninjutsu, their power will be more potent.

Jon keep training since morning, as he only have some days to get stronger. He got an info that Kozuki's followers have been caught, but he have predict it. He leave it to others for now, and he will move to save them if the others can't do it.

Jon keep punching just with his haki, but he still can't project it. Haki can only be understand by oneself, so Hitetsu can't explain more than the concept. Jon need to find the feel & how he do it himself.

At the midnight, Jon is still training relentlessly. He start to get the feeling this evening, but he lost it everytime. Jon's haki reserve is almost depleted, and will depleted completely after one strike.

Jon put all his power & spirit in this last strike. He stop his punch 5 cm from the tree trunk, and it dent. Jon though, didn't see it and faint from exhaustion.