One Piece: Waves of Destiny

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Roja had yet to begin formally teaching Ain the intricacies of swordsmanship. For now, he focused on having her lay a solid foundation, consistently training both her physical skills and mental fortitude.

By this point, Ain's mindset had reached an extraordinary level of calm. As she stood face-to-face with Vander Decken IX, there wasn't a ripple of fear or hesitation within her. She was in a state of absolute composure.

In this tranquil state, Ain's focus sharpened considerably, enhancing her combat reflexes and overall performance.

"Do you not realize that the faster you rush into battle, the quicker you meet your end?" Vander Decken IX snarled as he charged toward Ain with a twisted grin.

Watching this unfold, Shirahoshi's heart clenched in anxiety. "Be careful! Don't let him—"

Before she could finish, Roja gently stopped her, speaking with a composed yet firm tone. "Shirahoshi, this is Ain's fight. She needs to gauge the enemy's abilities on her own and figure out how to defeat him. For now, refrain from giving her any advice."

Shirahoshi hesitated but eventually nodded, understanding Roja's reasoning. She had been about to warn Ain about Vander Decken IX's Target-Target Fruit ability, which guaranteed that anything he touched would become a target he could strike with unerring accuracy.

Unaware of this detail, Ain remained entirely focused. Her will as a swordsman was unwavering, and her aura grew sharp, radiating like a blade ready to strike.

She gripped her sword tightly, adjusted her wrist, and unleashed a powerful slash through the air, sending a roaring shockwave toward Vander Decken IX.

But Vander Decken IX, though crude, was no weakling. He narrowly dodged Ain's attack and managed to graze the corner of her clothing with his hand, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he produced eight throwing knives—four in each hand.

The knives were coated in a sinister green poison, their glow threatening and deadly.

"HAHAHAHA! It's over for you now! My Target-Target Fruit curse makes it so anything I touch becomes an inescapable target! You're as good as dead!" he roared before flinging the poisoned blades.

The knives whistled through the air, aiming directly at Ain.

Despite the peril, Ain's calm demeanor remained unshaken. With her sword firmly in hand, she whispered one word:

"Cut!"

In an instant, Ain slashed once more, her blade embodying her peak realization as a swordsman. A torrent of sword energy surged forth, splitting the air with terrifying force.

CRACK—

The powerful slash cleaved through all eight knives, splitting them cleanly in half before they fell harmlessly to the ground.

Ain seized the opportunity. "Shave!" she exclaimed, using a swift burst of speed to appear behind Vander Decken IX in the blink of an eye.

"Fruit ability—activate!"

Though Ain was primarily a swordswoman, she had also mastered the powers of her Return-Return Fruit, which allowed her to reverse the age of anything or anyone she touched by twelve years. As she developed her abilities, the potential range and effectiveness of this power had only grown stronger.

With a single touch, Vander Decken IX felt his body shrink rapidly. His strength, agility, and stature diminished as his oversized clothing hung loosely on his now-childlike frame. His ferocious confidence crumbled into fear.

At the same time, Ain's momentum surged to unprecedented heights. Her prior experiences and teachings from Roja converged into a singular realization. Her aura intensified tenfold, and the sharp, overwhelming presence of her swordsmanship filled the battlefield.

The winds around her howled, sweeping the seabed as her newfound power took shape.

"This… this is the domain of a true great swordsman!" Ain marveled, her voice brimming with both excitement and determination.

Her ascension was met with a stark contrast: Vander Decken IX, now weakened, trembled in despair. The battlefield, once seemingly even, had shifted dramatically in Ain's favor.

"Impossible! How did it change so quickly?!" he stammered, his mind racing. His shrinking body and Ain's newfound might left him with one grim realization: he was doomed.

"Damn it!" he shrieked, his face contorted in desperation. "If I'm going to die, I'll take you all down with me!"

As a last-ditch effort, Vander Decken IX reached out and touched Noah's Ark, activating his Target-Target Fruit. The massive ship, dormant for centuries, stirred to life. Water surged around its colossal frame as it floated upward, its sheer size casting a shadow over the seafloor.

The vessel now loomed as an unstoppable force, hurtling toward Ain and the others with devastating momentum.

Though Ain's relentless slashes had already ended Vander Decken IX's life, his final act left behind an even greater threat.

The enormity of Noah's Ark threatened to obliterate everything.

Ain stared at the approaching disaster, cold sweat forming on her brow. She could already envision the catastrophic destruction it would unleash upon Fish-Man Island.

"If this ship falls…" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

Even for Fish-Men and merfolk, who could survive in the deep sea, the damage would be catastrophic. For humans and Devil Fruit users like Roja and herself, it would be certain death.

"I have to stop it…" Ain muttered, determination flaring in her eyes. Her recent breakthrough as a great swordsman would need to be tested against the impossible.

Sacrificing herself might be the only option. She tightened her grip on her blade, steeling herself for what was to come.

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