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The bright light made Vivi instinctively close her eyes.
When it faded and she opened her eyes again, Vivi found herself in a strange wasteland.
"Where... where is this?" she asked, glancing around anxiously at Ikki.
If she hadn't known they were still at sea moments ago, she might have thought they had landed on some mysterious island.
"This is Captain Ikki's special space for demonstrating the Zanpakutō," Nami explained, walking toward Vivi with her towel wrapped around her. "Don't worry, we'll return to the Explorer once the demonstration is over."
She looked curiously at Ikki. "Captain Ikki, when did you ask Vivi to become one of us?"
In Nami's mind, only people recognized by Ikki as partners could enter this space created by the Zanpakutō. Seeing Vivi here, she immediately considered her a potential crewmate and spoke with new familiarity.
"I do intend for Vivi to join us on the Explorer," Ikki confirmed. "But she's still hesitant. So, I plan to show her the power of Sode no Shirayuki before she decides whether to accept the sword and become our partner."
Ikki patted Vivi's shoulder and pointed ahead. "Watch carefully, Vivi. You're about to see the power of Sode no Shirayuki. Don't worry—nothing in this space can actually harm you."
Vivi looked in the direction Ikki was pointing and saw a beautiful black-haired girl standing a few hundred meters away. She had short, slightly curly hair and a petite figure, dressed entirely in black.
"Zanpakutō, Sode no Shirayuki; her original owner was named Rukia Kuchiki," Ikki explained. "The beautiful black-haired girl you see is Rukia Kuchiki's image."
As Ikki finished speaking, several Hollows about three meters tall appeared out of nowhere in the space where Rukia stood.
The appearance of the Hollows prompted Rukia's image to move. She drew the sword from her hip and swept it in an arc before her, while whispering:
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
As she spoke, a long white ribbon appeared on the sword's hilt. Simultaneously, the blade, guard, and handle all turned pure white.
"It's beautiful!" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes shining as she gazed at Sode no Shirayuki in Rukia's hand.
Nami and Nojiko nodded in agreement. Thinking of their own Zanpakutō Shikai forms, they couldn't help feeling a little envious that Vivi might receive Sode no Shirayuki. In terms of beauty alone, this sword had clear advantages.
"First Dance: Moon White!" Rukia called out, using Sode no Shirayuki to draw a circle with a diameter of about three meters on the ground where the Hollows stood.
Within moments, the circle she'd drawn erupted with an intense burst of cold air. To the amazement of the three women, a massive pillar of ice formed, connecting to the sky above and freezing several Hollows inside it!
"What... what is that?!" Vivi gasped, covering her mouth in shock and looking to Ikki for answers.
Beside her, Nami glanced at her own Gonryōmaru and suddenly felt that her Shikai might not be so impressive after all.
"Sode no Shirayuki is considered the most beautiful sword among all Zanpakutō," Ikki explained. "After achieving Shikai, it gains the power to create ice. The 'First Dance: Moon White' you just witnessed is one of its techniques."
"Keep watching, Vivi—the demonstration is far from over."
Ikki placed his hand on Vivi's shoulder reassuringly. With a snap, the ice pillar formed by "First Dance: Moon White" shattered, and the Hollows inside vanished into nothing.
Next, Rukia pointed forward with her sword held in both hands. Following her command of "Second Dance: White Ripple," a massive wave of cold air surged like an avalanche in the direction she pointed, freezing and crushing several more virtual enemies.
After that, more Hollow apparitions appeared and attacked Rukia one after another.
"Third Dance: White Sword!" Rukia raised her blade, pointing it at one of the tallest Hollows. The next moment, Sode no Shirayuki released a torrent of cold air, creating an ice blade about ten meters long that pierced directly through the tall Hollow's mask.
After dispatching one of the Hollows, a cold light flashed in Rukia's eyes, and an intensely frigid aura began emanating from her body. Facing the attacking Hollows, she gently waved Sode no Shirayuki across their bodies. Those struck by the blade were not only deeply wounded but instantly frozen solid, unable to move.
"That's amazing!" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes full of excitement as she watched Rukia continuously destroy the masked monsters with Sode no Shirayuki.
"Ikki, do you really want to give me this sword?" she asked. "Could I truly master such power? Could I... could I defeat Crocodile with this?"
After seeing Sode no Shirayuki's power, Vivi suddenly felt that defeating Crocodile might not be impossible—an idea she had never dared to consider before.
"If you can master Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai, you would indeed have a good chance against Crocodile," Ikki nodded. "From what I know, after Crocodile retreated from the New World, he neglected his training to pursue other forms of power. He's likely much weaker now than at his peak."
"Combined with his arrogant nature, catching him off guard with first dance or second dance could work. But this technique is extremely difficult and dangerous to use. You'd need to practice diligently before attempting it." Ikki paused. "Also, Vivi, don't think this is the full extent of Sode no Shirayuki's power. It hasn't been completely released yet."
People in the pirate world would grow stronger with diligent training, or weaker if they grew complacent. In the original story, Crocodile—a Shichibukai—was defeated by Straw Hat Luffy who had just entered the Grand Line. Though Crocodile's overconfidence played a role, it demonstrated how much his strength had declined. The same applied to Gecko Moria, whose situation paralleled Crocodile's.
Ikki believed that if Vivi could achieve Shikai with Sode no Shirayuki and confront Crocodile, his arrogant nature would cause him to underestimate her. That could be the moment when Crocodile paid the price.
After Ikki finished speaking, dozens of enormous creatures appeared near Rukia in the distance. These were Menos Grande, towering over 100 meters tall. Seeing these giants for the first time, Vivi's eyes widened with horror.
But what happened next was even more astonishing.
"Bankai: Hakka no Togame (White Haze Punishment)!"
With a flash, an enormous disc-shaped white light appeared in the sky. From the ground, a beam of light shot upward, piercing the heavens.
At that moment, Rukia's entire appearance transformed. Her clothes and even her hair color changed from black to pure white. Her outfit was no longer the standard black uniform but resembled that of an ice fairy.
"It's... it's so cold!" Vivi instinctively moved closer to Ikki for warmth, her whole body trembling.
Nojiko and Nami reacted similarly, shivering from the intense cold that seemed to reach them even in this virtual space.
"This is Sode no Shirayuki's ultimate power, 'Hakka no Togame,'" Ikki explained. "It's not simply a sword that creates ice, but one that can cool the user's body to freezing point. Everything the user touches becomes frozen, and the Zanpakutō itself can extend and widen the frozen range."
As he spoke, pure white waves of light, dancing like massive tides, appeared around Rukia. The Menos Grande caught in these waves froze instantly, then withered and shattered into countless ice fragments!
Vivi watched in awe as dozens of Menos Grande disappeared in moments. Her expression reflected more than mere surprise.
'Is this the true power of Sode no Shirayuki?' she thought. 'And this man wants to give me such an incredible sword?!'
Vivi looked up at Ikki's composed face, feeling that he was far more mysterious than she had initially believed. She glanced at Nami and Nojiko, her eyes lingering on the swords at their waists.
'If Ikki is willing to give me such a magical blade, and Nami seems so familiar with this strange space... then their swords must also have special powers.'
As if sensing Vivi's thoughts, Nami looked at the ice and snow surrounding the distant Rukia and sighed. "A Zanpakutō that can turn the sky to ice is somewhat similar to my Gonryōmaru. But my sword changes the surrounding environment into storm clouds filled with lightning."
Ikki smiled, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers. The demonstration environment vanished as he reclaimed Sode no Shirayuki.
"The Bankai form of Sode no Shirayuki is dangerous, even to the user," he explained. "Achieving 'Hakka no Togame' requires immense personal strength. I can't help you reach that level anytime soon."
"However, I can help you obtain Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai before we reach Alabasta," he continued. "So, Vivi, what's your answer? Will you become our partner and let me train you? Will you allow Nami, Nojiko, and me to help you solve your Crocodile problem? Or would you prefer that we simply escort you to meet the rebel leader, hoping that dialogue might temporarily calm the civil unrest in Alabasta?"
As he finished speaking, Ikki's smile widened. Nami and Nojiko looked at Vivi as well, waiting for her decision.