[Host has completed 10,000 critical strikes on Charlotte Linlin. Congratulations! You have obtained "Soul Power."]
"Finally!"
Ethan Sugawa immediately raised his left hand as a pure white soul orb materialized in his palm, floating gently in the air.
Right now, his control over soul power only allowed him to create Homies by imbuing objects with life.
As for more advanced applications, he wasn't capable of that just yet.
"Don't bite off more than I can chew. Being able to make Homies is already good enough."
Ethan was perfectly content with that for now. He hadn't fully mastered his Devil Fruit abilities yet.
His three types of Haki still lacked polish, with plenty of flaws that required time to smooth out.
Once he fully digested everything he had extracted from Big Mom, Ethan was confident he would one day surpass her. He would claim his rightful place as one of the Four Emperors.
With that in mind, Ethan continued his grind, casting one last deep glance at Big Mom before leaving the bed without a trace of hesitation.
"What I needed, I've taken. Big Mom has no further use to me. It's time to plan my escape."
Big Mom was terrifyingly strong. If she realized he intended to flee, she would try to crush him by force. A direct fight would be inevitable.
In the next two days, Ethan needed to consolidate his strength and he needed a proper weapon.
Thanks to the "Swordsmanship Genius" trait, his sword skills had been improving rapidly. At this point, his mastery was already on par with mid-level swordsmen.
If he could get his hands on a good blade, his combat power would skyrocket.
"Now that I have soul power, I can even create a sentient sword like Big Mom's Napoleon."
With this thought, Ethan strode purposefully toward the ship's warehouse.
Although most of the valuables in the Rocks Pirates had been plundered or divided up, there were still some rare materials left in the warehouse things that weren't easy to carry away.
This trip might just yield what he needed to forge his weapon.
…
As soon as Ethan stepped onto the deck, his gaze locked onto a lone figure a woman with a white beret and a tight white dress standing quietly by herself.
She looked somewhat isolated and distant.
"Bakkin-Gorm Stussy?"
Ethan instantly recognized her, but confusion followed right after.
"Didn't Whitebeard already leave the Rocks Pirates? Why is Stussy still here?"
After thinking it over, he figured it out. When Whitebeard jumped ship, he must have left Stussy behind.
Ethan hadn't forgotten what Stussy would eventually do hunting down Whitebeard's former crewmates after his death.
He had no intention of getting involved with her.
Just as Ethan was about to pass by her, a cold voice rang out beside him.
"Hey, kid. You're the new toy Linlin's so fond of, right?"
Ethan didn't bother responding and continued walking toward the warehouse.
But before he could get far, Stussy stepped in and blocked his path.
"Tch. I heard Linlin's obsessed with you. She won't let anyone near you not even me, her so-called best friend."
Stussy's gaze swept up and down his body as if she could peel away all his secrets.
But after a moment, her brows furrowed in frustration. She couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.
"What's so special about you that Linlin values you this much?"
Ethan had no time to waste on her. He bluntly cut her off.
"If you're that close to Linlin, why not ask her yourself? I'm sure she'll tell you."
Without waiting for a response, Ethan brushed past her and continued toward the warehouse.
"What a sharp tongue!"
Stussy clenched her fists, equal parts angry and amused. She knew going to Linlin would get her nowhere and would probably only arouse suspicion.
Their so-called friendship wasn't that solid to begin with. If she pushed, it would fall apart immediately.
"That kid knows I wouldn't dare ask Linlin directly. He used her name to pressure me on purpose!"
Stussy instantly saw through Ethan's ploy. Smirking, she watched him leave and sneered coldly.
"Linlin's not here right now. There's no way I'm letting you leave until I figure out your secret."
The more mysterious Ethan seemed, the more desperate Stussy became to uncover what Linlin was hiding.
In a flash, Stussy's figure disappeared.
The next instant, she reappeared right behind Ethan, her lips parting as her sharp fangs gleamed in the light.
Without hesitation, she bit down on Ethan's neck.
"Damn it!"
Ethan hadn't expected Stussy to strike so suddenly. By the time he realized it, it was too late to resist.
Fortunately, Stussy hadn't gone for the kill. She simply left two small puncture marks on his neck.
"Delicious…"
Stussy licked the blood from her lips, an expression of pure satisfaction spreading across her face.
As a vampire, she had tasted countless types of blood but none as intoxicating as Ethan's.
Her gaze toward Ethan became increasingly possessive, as if she wanted to claim him entirely.
Ethan noticed the hunger in her eyes and his heart sank.
"Not only do I have to deal with Big Mom, now I've got Stussy on my tail too."
"I need to leave the Rocks Pirates as soon as possible. Grab the materials for my Homie weapon and get out."
He turned to Stussy, his voice cold and laced with killing intent.
"Stussy, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"If you're looking to die, I won't mind sending you on your way."
Ethan wasn't entirely confident he could take her down, but he was sure of one thing if they fought, Stussy wouldn't get away unscathed.
Seeing Ethan ready to fight to the death, Stussy's brows knitted together. Her instincts told her this kid wasn't someone she could easily toy with.
That gut feeling had saved her many times before. She decided it wasn't worth pushing further.
Besides, she had already gotten what she wanted his blood.
Her expression softened, and she offered a faint smile.
"Relax, it was just a misunderstanding. I'm Linlin's best friend, remember? Why would I hurt you?"
To ease the tension, she even handed him some useful intel.
"Judging by where you're headed, you're going to the warehouse, right?"
"Sorry to disappoint you the warehouse is already empty. You'll just be wasting your time."
Ethan's face darkened. If that was true, his plan to craft a weapon would have to be postponed.
Just then, Stussy tossed him a golden key.
"If you're looking for treasure, head to the captain's cabin instead."
"You might find something worthwhile there."
Only Rocks himself had ever been allowed into the captain's cabin. No one else dared approach it, so the valuables inside were likely untouched.
As for how Stussy got the key Ethan didn't know, and he didn't care to ask.
After Ethan left, Stussy finally let out a long breath.
Something about him radiated danger he was not someone to provoke lightly.
Her earlier attack hadn't been meant to kill him she simply wanted his blood to satisfy her curiosity.
As a vampire, Stussy could glean all sorts of information from someone's blood their race, Haki levels, Devil Fruit abilities.
She didn't believe Linlin would cling to someone useless. There had to be secrets she wasn't seeing.
"Let's see what you're really hiding, Ethan Sugawa…"