Pirate: My Piltover technology is far ahead!

Chapter 87 My father said we must use magic to defeat magic.

Under the cover of night, Ionia reveals the beauty of its nascent land, with blue streams flowing across the land and leaves rustling in the wind.

As night fell, clusters of lights twinkled in the sky, and on the ground, branches swayed in the wind.

That's the Spirit Blossom, a flower that blooms in Ionia. Due to the war Noxus waged against Ionia, this flower hasn't bloomed for many years.

Now that the war is over, the wounded land is beginning to heal itself, and the flowers of hope have bloomed again.

Sitting by the stream, Oran picked a flower from the side and used it as a cup to scoop up a cup of water from the stream.

Under the silvery glow of the crescent moon, darkness gradually swallowed everything around, with only the faintest starlight casting a silvery-gray hue over the misty night.

"Since you're here, come out."

Oran's gaze was fixed on the distance, where a figure was approaching in a floating manner; to be precise, it was not a human figure, but a ghostly figure.

The figure appeared tall and slender, with a bare upper body, revealing strong, muscular muscles.

His arms were wrapped in bandages, but the cold of the night seemed to have no effect on him.

Below the waist was a loose, tattered robe.

It was flapping in the wind, and most importantly, a delicate rope was tied around its waist, from which hung a terrifying plaster mask.

Most of his face was hidden under a red mask, but he did not look friendly. He held a sword in each hand—one of which was made of fine steel and reflected the moonlight, while the other was a menacing red.

"As expected, this is your place. It's been a long time, Yone."

Beneath the cruel mask, his icy blue eyes were clearly visible, and Yone's expression was not relaxed; in fact, his brows were furrowed, though the mask prevented Oran from seeing this.

"Orlan? No, there's something wrong with you."

Yone's tone was icy, as if he were treating Oran as a complete stranger.

A petal fell from the treetop, and Yone's body moved at that moment. His red blade flashed in the sky, creating a full moon, but Oran did not dodge or panic.

He could sense that Yone's blade wasn't aimed at him.

The sharp blade sliced ​​past his head, and Yone's blade seemed to become a paintbrush, writing a unique story in mid-air.

The writing style was unusual, unlike any Oran was familiar with. But as he sheathed his blade, a jumble of breathing sounds came from beside Oran, and a strange dark figure appeared.

"Orlan, where did you come into contact with this thing? It's like Azakana. No, Azakana is much more powerful than it."

It seemed to have merged with your soul; it was something I'd never seen before, a new kind of demon?

Azakana are predatory spirits in the world of Valoran that feed on the sadness and other emotions of others, inducing negative emotions and ultimately devouring the target entirely.

Yone encountered this creature for the first time after his "death," and it was on that occasion that he killed his first Azakana.

The mask on his face is Yazakana's face, and Yone cannot remove it.

But now he can see other Yazakana through this mask.

They had not yet become true demons before they devoured their hosts.

Yone began hunting these treacherous monsters, trying to understand what he had become. Each demon's true name took him a step further, allowing him to learn more about the unknown; in this respect, he could be considered an expert.

Oran's aura was even stranger, weaker than that of Biazakana, yet he possessed an even more mysterious veil.

"Soul? I ate a very special fruit that gave me unique power. It seems that this is the consciousness of that fruit."

It is a confirmed research finding that Zoan-type Devil Fruits possess consciousness.

There are still some unknowns about Paramecia and Logia types, but judging from the current situation, they are pretty much the same.

Those who fail to awaken their Zoan-type abilities will become those silly, dull-witted beastmen, probably because their bodies are possessed by animal consciousness.

"You really dare to try dangerous things. No, this thing isn't dangerous for you at all; with your willpower, it could never affect you."

This is Yone's conclusion. Let alone a primordial demon like Fiddlesticks or a powerful individual who has mastered their own power, this consciousness is countless times weaker than that of Yazakana, who can only have his power used by others.

If Azakana is a beast that can devour its master, then the fruit's consciousness is like a simple tool; unless the user uses it too aggressively and causes an accident, it will have no effect.

"However, my advice is still to kill it. Once Azakana is killed, its power will still be yours."

Demons are not to be trusted.

"Indeed, let's get started then."

Their eyes met, and they both understood each other's meaning. Oran conjured two long swords in his hands, crystallizations of soul power, the foundation of his spiritual world.

As Oran thrust his sword towards his back, the eerie shadow let out a strange roar before dodging to the side.

At the same time, Yone's body moved, his two swords flashing out as if the blades had severed Oran's body.

"My knife saw your true name, ***."

A strange note emanated from beneath Yone's mask; it was less like language and more like a whisper from the soul, the power Yone gained after slaying the first Azakana.

Once the true name is revealed, the mystery is finally broken.

The dark figure suddenly rushed forward, constantly changing its appearance in the process, eventually taking on a form that was extremely similar to Oran.

The clang of steel clashing rang out as a pair of black swords, like fangs, shot out from the shadowy figure's hand and clashed with Yone's twin swords.

Seeing Oran attacking him, the shadowy figure ultimately chose to flee. It did not have the same clear consciousness as Azakana; it only possessed instinct.

But Yone clung to its body like a ghost. Yone was still standing in the same spot, his eyes closed, as if he were meditating.

Pursuing him was Yone's special spirit, who had fought Azakana for years. This situation was not complicated for Yone, and he quickly subdued his opponent.

"Oran, this is your power. You must deliver the final blow yourself."

"Thank you, but I have a question. If I come into contact with the same thing again, or if someone else comes into contact with it, how do I get rid of it?"

Oran twirled the blade in his hand and plunged it into the forehead of the shadowy figure, leaving Yone with a question.

Anyone who eats two fruits will surely die; this is a consensus on the high seas. Now it seems that this is a battle of consciousness. Since one consciousness has been eliminated, the position is now vacant.

"The power of the Barrier-Breaking Edge is not suitable for you. Unless you want to die once, you can't be taught it. With your abilities, as long as you exist in this dream world, you should be able to handle it."

It's okay if you can't handle it. This kind of thing is weak, and as long as you're not too greedy, you can tame it.

This is simply adding another layer of insurance.

Even if you need help, I'm not the only one who can help. The Titans, the Order of the Balance, they all have the ability.

Yone delivered another blow to Oran from another angle, and the dark figure eventually transformed into a mask, the shape of which was remarkably similar to an open book.

"The recent harvest has been quite good. The Spirit Blossoms have bloomed again, and it seems that the pain Noxus inflicted here has almost completely subsided."

"Scars will heal, but blemishes will not. But this may be a good thing for Ionia. Change is needed here. The old balance can no longer keep up with the pace of the world."

"By the way, why can't I use this power here? According to you, this power should be within the soul, right?"

"What resides in the soul is consciousness, and another part is in your body. If you want to use its power, you have to wait until you wake up."

Yone's spirit dissipated and returned to his original body, then came to Oran's side and asked, "You only told me half of what happened to my brother last time."

"I see you've mastered your swordsmanship quite well; now it's time you told me the rest."

"Of course, he did not kill Elder Suma. Elder Suma's actions should be considered suicide. He promised to help the girl cut the rune sword, but died because of the broken blade. That's why there are traces of the Wind Control Sword Technique on his body."

Upon hearing this result, Yone's spirit form visibly stiffened; Soma's death had an unimaginable impact on the brothers.

The word "suicide" also had a significant impact on Yon-eun.

Are you sure?

"It's hard to verify, but it's true. The girl is a Noxian vanguard officer named Riven. I don't know where she is now."

There were only two parties involved in this matter, Soma and Riven. Now that Soma is dead, even if Riven could be brought here, many things might not be clear. The only evidence we have is the mark on the rune greatsword.

"Do you want me to pass on some messages for you? I still have a way to contact people in my company; perhaps they can show you some evidence."

"No need. Yone is dead. Let them walk their own path. For me, knowing the outcome is enough."

Open-minded yet melancholic, this was the first time Yongen had ever felt so conflicted. He even had a disrespectful thought: the respected Elder Suma seemed to be somewhat unskilled.

After starting the hunt for Azakana, Yone gained a deeper understanding of human nature, and Oran's words didn't sound like lies.

"As agreed, I will pass on all my sword techniques to you at this time. The way of the hunter is to live in the face of death, sever the past, and seal away all thoughts. This is the ultimate secret of my sword techniques. How far you can learn it is up to you."

But I must add one more thing: don't go astray, Siddiel.

Under the cover of night, two figures passed each other in the forests of Ionia.

At dawn, Ionia welcomed a new day, and downstream, countless shattered petals gathered at the bend of the stream.

On the high seas, Oran awoke once more, bringing forth for the first time something tangible beyond knowledge and memories from his dream—a mask.

With a thought, a book appeared in Oran's palm, and compared to yesterday, this control had become even more refined.

"Perhaps it's the unluckiest fruit on this vast ocean? I wonder if this fruit will ever reappear on the sea."

Oran sealed the mask inside the book and tossed it behind him. The moment it left his hand, the book vanished again, returning to the book world within the consciousness of the ability user.

A pool of silvery liquid gel lay flat on the table, but Kate was nowhere to be seen, seemingly having already completed her shift change.

After picking up the blanket that had been kicked aside and covering Leliana with it again, Oran tiptoed out of the cabin.

When the hatch was opened, Zach opened one eye. Upon seeing Oran, he remained silent and became alert again.

"Orlan? Are you awake?"

On the deck, Kate looked around with a telescope. As a cat, she could see many things even in the dark. This was, after all, a new world, and she couldn't afford to be careless.

"Where are we?"

"We should reach Fishman Island by dawn. Feld said we'll dive down from there."

On their return journey, they did not board the Big Mom Pirates' ship. After all, the Big Mom Pirates were not the Navy, and their territory spanned the entire sea. Shortly after the tea party ended, Charlotte Linlin received news that her territory had been invaded.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in the New World, and there is only one way to deal with it - fight.

If it weren't for the fact that this was Charlotte Linlin's first tea party, Charlotte Linlin would never have sent all her children out to pick them up. In the end, Umit used his connections to arrange for a ship to take them back.

"Looks like it'll be soon. By the way, Kate, how's your swimming ability?"

"Not bad, wait a minute, Oran! What are you doing?! You're an ability user now!"

Seeing Oran moving around in front of the railing, almost as if he were about to jump into the sea, Kate rushed over and pulled him back.

"Devil Fruit users are all bad at swimming. Vegapunk and Caesar have already tried it, so you don't need to try it yourself, right?"

"I do want to try, but I don't plan to jump into the sea. There's a swimming pool on the boat. Come with me for a moment. I just woke up and want to stretch my legs."

Becoming unable to swim is a well-known weakness of Devil Fruits. While gaining the convenience of eating the fruit, one must also consider how to deal with this risk. If one cannot even understand one's own physical condition, one is undoubtedly unqualified.

So Oran has to try, but jumping into the sea would be irresponsible for his own safety. He's not a fishman, and this is the New World. If he gets swept away by some undercurrent, he'll be dead.

This is no ordinary wooden boat; it's more like a yacht, equipped with a private swimming pool. At this time of day, the pool is empty, making it a natural testing ground.

Oran is looking for a trustworthy lifeguard just to prevent accidents.

(End of this chapter)