One Piece: Song of Despair

At midnight, the entire Marineford was quiet, with only the bright lights and the croaking of frogs breaking the silence.

Returning from Zephyr’s place, Nokiyoru immediately sat on his bed to absorb the invaluable knowledge he had just gained.

After all, guidance from a master far surpassed his own aimless fumbling.

Even though Nokiyoru had some knowledge from watching anime in his previous life, it was nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand in this world.

Watching and experiencing are two entirely different things.

An hour later, Nokiyoru exhaled deeply, his eyes gleaming.

“Indeed, having a skilled teacher makes all the difference.” After digesting Zephyr’s teachings, Nokiyoru felt his spirit and knowledge had improved significantly. While it might take time to apparent, Nokiyoru believed he would avoid many detours in the future.

“Having a teacher’s guidance is rare, so I must seize this opportunity.”

“With the day’s training done, it’s time to develop my Devil Fruit abilities.”

Getting out of bed, Nokiyoru sat cross-legged on the floor, his body beginning to emit a golden-red flame. As the flames appeared, the tiles beneath him turned red and started to melt.

“I still can’t control it well; too much energy is leaking out,” Nokiyoru frowned, feeling dissatisfied. If the energy of the flame was one hundred, Nokiyoru could only control about seventy.

“Never mind that for now; let’s decide on the development direction first.” Wrapped in flames, Nokiyoru pondered.

“The Golden Crow, a mythical being from Chinese legends, can become the sun at its peak. But that’s too far off for now.

Born in the sun, the Golden Crow naturally controls flames. So, I must pay attention to the fire aspect. I remember Ace had the Flame-Flame Fruit but died at Akainu’s hands.

Fire? A lesser fruit compared to magma? I don’t think so. If the temperature of the flames is high enough, even turning into the sun, I doubt magma could compare. Flames can increase in temperature infinitely, while magma can only reach a certain degree.

If I can develop the flames to millions, tens of millions, or even billions of degrees Celsius, a tiny spark could scorch the land, turning it into a magma sea. At that point, incinerating the sky and boiling the sea wouldn’t be a fantasy.

Additionally, the flames can be versatile. If Kizaru can turn light into weapons, so can flames.

Speaking of light, if the Golden Crow can become the sun, and the sun is the source of light, its core is fire and heat. Can I develop light-based abilities like ultraviolet, laser, and cutting rays?

I recall that flames can also affect magnetic fields, such as gravity, buoyancy, and repulsion. Damn, I should have studied more about flames in my previous life. Fire is essential and can extend to light, seasons, and temperature.

Most importantly, I need to develop the Golden Crow form. As a mythical beast, it must have more capabilities than this.” Nokiyoru raised his hands, his eyes glinting golden-red.

Nokiyoru’s body was enveloped in golden-red flames, transforming into a massive five-meter-long, two-meter-wide creature.

“Whoosh… whoosh…” The terrifying heat caused the air to ripple. In the flames stood a majestic bird with golden-red feathers, a crown-like crest of gold, purple, and blue feathers, and a tail with three distinct long feathers. Its abdomen had three sharp claws, giving it a fearsome appearance, ready to soar and shatter the sky.

Especially those three claws—they looked terrifyingly sharp as if they could cut through iron effortlessly.

The bird radiated ferocity and majesty, filled with a murderous aura as if it could incinerate the world.

Moreover, the bird exuded nobility and arrogance, like a sovereign, commanding respect.

Power, boundless power—Nokiyoru felt like he could soar through the skies. If his power before transformation was that of a major, then after transforming, he was at the level of a colonel.

Transformed, Nokiyoru’s attack power, recovery, and stamina increased by one or two levels. This was just the beginning; Nokiyoru believed that as he grew stronger, his Golden Crow form could one day incinerate the heavens and boil the seas.

“Indeed, a mythical beast. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal my full strength yet. Otherwise, I’d love to fly. They say the Golden Crow can move as fast as light; I wonder if it can rival Kizaru’s speed.”

Returning to human form, Nokiyoru’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

After some thought, Nokiyoru organized his ideas and muttered to himself, “I’ll focus on three development directions for now. Trying too many things won’t work, and I still need to learn the Six Powers and Haki. Time is tight.”

“First, I must develop the flames themselves to their fullest, both in terms of temperature and versatility.

Second, the light and heat aspects of fire. If I can develop cutting flames or laser beams, my combat power will increase significantly. Ultraviolet rays and radiation are also powerful. Then there’s the magnetic field—gravity, repulsion… I didn’t study these properly before. I’ll have to explore these abilities slowly. It’s true what they say: you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

Third, the Golden Crow form itself. I need to improve its recovery, stamina, and physical strength. Speed is also crucial. These are all dependent on physical training, so I can’t neglect that. In fact, I need to increase it.”

Initially, Nokiyoru only thought of these three areas. But with experience, he believed he would grow stronger. The Devil Fruit was immensely powerful.

“Master should teach me the Six Powers tomorrow. Which ones should I choose?” After thinking about his Devil Fruit development, Nokiyoru considered the Six Powers.

The Six Powers are: Finger Pistol, Iron Body, Shave, Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, and Paper Art. These are techniques that push the human body beyond its limits. Mastering any of them would give a fighting chance on the seas.

Reflecting on his understanding of the Six Powers and Zephyr’s teachings, Nokiyoru decided to focus on three.

“Finger Pistol, combined with my Devil Fruit, should be extremely powerful. In my Golden Crow form, the three claws will be even sharper and tougher. If I add Armament Haki… haha…” Nokiyoru’s eyes lit up, imagining piercing through enemies. He had no doubt about training Finger Pistol for his feet as well.

Next is Shave, a high-speed movement technique. Combined with the Golden Crow’s speed, it would be terrifying. Finally, there’s Moonwalk, a useful aerial maneuver. These three techniques will be effective in both human and transformed forms.

As for Paper Art, it becomes less useful with Observation Haki. Iron Body is redundant with the Golden Crow’s recovery abilities. Tempest Kick can be overlooked with the fruit’s attack techniques. Life Return isn’t necessary with the mythical Zoan’s powers. If I had more time, I could learn these too, but for now, I’ll pass.”

Nokiyoru smiled bitterly, knowing his limitations.

Nokiyoru had much to learn: Shave, Finger Pistol, Moonwalk, the three Haki types, and Devil Fruit development in three directions. It all required time. He didn’t want to rush and end up half-baked. Slowly but surely, he would master his powers.

Become a Patron to read chapters ahead of public release and support me 😉

Read up to 40 chapters ahead on p atreon.