Chapter 154: Suppression of Bloodlines

At the same time, Hina felt an intense mental pressure, which quickly lifted, giving her an opportunity to break through. Without hesitation, she went into seclusion to focus on her training.

Onboard the pirate ship, many others also sensed an opportunity for advancement.

Meanwhile, Gaia, too, felt the immense strength radiating from Chiba. Although shocked, he didn't feel fear; instead, a fierce determination welled up within him. His aura surged, and his Armament Haki began to evolve.

Chiba's 840 million spirit particles had all transformed into young spirit elephants, amplifying his aura immensely. His Armament Haki received a substantial boost.

Clenching his fist, Chiba activated Sakura Emission Armament Haki, with pinky-thick black and red lightning crackling around his fist. The lightning was pure, condensed Armament Haki. He gently tapped a stone nearby, and with a thunderous impact, it shattered into dust, vanishing without a trace.

This new destructive power was far stronger than his previous abilities. If he had hit Yizan with this power before, he could have obliterated him completely.

Chiba was pleased with his newfound strength and smiled broadly.

Beyond just physical power, his Observation Haki had also advanced, enabling him to predict events up to three seconds into the future. In battle, where hundreds of moves can happen in an instant, those three seconds could decide the victor.

His Conqueror's Haki had similarly evolved. This unique Haki, which only those with the will of a king could wield, now felt stronger, more intense, with Chiba's aura radiating the natural command of a ruler.

The young spirit elephants, though just beginning to manifest, were still spirit elephants—each a born leader. Their presence added immense strength to Chiba's Conqueror's Haki, making it more than ten times stronger than before.

As he trained in Conqueror's Haki, the phantom spirit elephant appeared, trumpeting powerfully, causing stars to seemingly fall. The spirit elephant's roar could crush an opponent's spirit entirely if it hit them directly.

Of course, this effect was mainly effective against those below the level of the Four Emperors, as characters of that caliber had formidable spiritual defenses. While it might not destroy them, it would inflict significant damage.

Now, Chiba felt confident he could take on Kaido.

But before confronting Kaido, he had unfinished business in Dressrosa.

Ending his training, Chiba performed the Lightning Dragon technique to return to the ship.

Upon landing, he noticed everyone staring at him with curious expressions.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did something happen?"

Ace replied, "Chiba, can you tell us how powerful you are now?"

"It's hard to say exactly, but I've grown a lot stronger."

"Do you think you can fight Kaido?"

"Well, I can definitely put up a fight, though I can't say for sure if I'll win," Chiba answered cautiously. "Why, are you eager to try me out?"

Ace shook his head, "Just curious. Why don't we spar a little?"

Chiba grinned, "I'll pass for now."

Ace pressed on, "Don't underestimate me, Chiba. My Devil Fruit ability has awakened, and I've mastered seven Dharma forms. Even Jozi and Vista together couldn't take me down."

"Oh? Really?" Chiba looked genuinely surprised. Jozi, with his String-String Fruit in awakened form, was already powerful, and Vista, with multiple fruits awakened, was formidable. If Ace managed to beat them both alone, he'd indeed grown strong.

"Tch," Joz interjected, irritated. "Ace, you're unbelievable. You only managed to take us down because you ambushed us when we were exhausted, and now you're bragging? Your skin's thicker than my diamond armor."

Vista nodded, "Ace has changed. He used to be straightforward, but now he's sneaky, taking advantage of our weariness after we fought each other to swoop in and beat us."

Ace blushed and defended himself, "Excuses, excuses. A loss is a loss."

Chiba chuckled. It seemed Ace had matured a lot recently. Looking at the trio, he proposed, "Alright, the three of you join forces and face me. Let's see what you're capable of."

The three looked at each other, stunned. They thought they were pushing their limits, yet Chiba was still challenging them alone.

"Chiba, I have awakened my fruit abilities and can summon seven Golden Crow Dharma forms. Are you sure you want to take on all three of us?" Ace asked.

Their strength had indeed skyrocketed. Jozi and Vista's powers now rivaled the level of the Four Emperors, especially after the enhancements from Chiba's elixirs. Together, they could be a formidable force against anyone.

"Enough talking. Stop stalling and follow me," Chiba said, leaping away using his Lightning Dragon technique. He wanted to gauge their strength and readiness for the upcoming battle with Kaido.

The three exchanged glances. Vista stroked his twin black mustaches and smirked, "This should be fun. Let's see what Captain Chiba's got."

Joz grinned, "I'm not the same fighter I used to be. The three of us will teach Captain Chiba a thing or two this time."

Joz still remembered when Chiba's punch had cracked his diamond defense during the Paramount War, and he was eager to measure up against him now.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.