Chapter 148: Full Beast Form

In the dead of night, Marineford grew completely still, leaving only bright lights and the croaking of frogs across the area.

Inside his quarters, after returning from Zepha's place, Xuan Ye quickly sat down on his bed to absorb that hard-earned knowledge.

After all, the guidance of a master was far beyond what he could figure out through blind guesswork on his own. Even though Xuan Ye had known some things from watching anime in his past life, that had merely been treated as light entertainment, nowhere near as real as experiencing it firsthand in this world. Watching and actually living through it were two completely different sensations.

An hour later, Xuan Ye let out a heavy sigh of relief, a sharp glint flashing across his eyes.

"As expected, being taught by a master makes all the difference." Having digested Zepha's instructions, Xuan Ye felt that his mental state and experience had improved significantly. While it might not show much right now, Xuan Ye believed that this would save him from taking countless detours in the future.

"Since I'm lucky enough to have a teacher, I must seize this opportunity."

"Now that today's physical training is over, it's time to develop my Devil Fruit ability."

Stepping down from the bed, Xuan Ye crossed his legs directly on the floor. A ball of golden-red flames began to billow from his entire body. As the flames appeared, the tiles beneath Xuan Ye's seat visibly reddened before gradually melting away.

"I still can't control it properly; too much energy is leaking out." Frowning, Xuan Ye felt somewhat resentful because if the flame's energy was rated at one hundred, he could only control about seventy of it.

"Never mind that for now; let's decide on the direction for development first." Enveloped entirely in flames, Xuan Ye fell into deep thought.

"The Golden Crow, a creature from Chinese mythology, can transform into the sun when it reaches maturity. However, that level of power is still too far off for me right now."

"The Golden Crow is born within the sun and can naturally manipulate flames. Since that's the case, I cannot neglect fire. I remember Ace had the Flame-Flame Fruit, though he unfortunately ended up dying at Akainu's hands."

"Fire? The inferior fruit to magma? I don't think so. If the temperature of the flames is high enough, even turning into a sun, I refuse to believe it can't surpass mere magma. Moreover, the temperature of fire can be raised infinitely, whereas magma can only reach a few thousand degrees at most."

"If I develop flames to millions, tens of millions, or even billions of degrees Celsius, then I believe a mere wisp of flame could scorch the earth for a thousand miles, turning boundless lands into a sea of lava and fire. By then, boiling the seas and burning the heavens will no longer be a fantasy."

"Then there's the versatility of flames. Since Kizaru can turn light into weapons, flames can do the same. Speaking of light, since the Golden Crow can transform into the sun, and the sun is essentially light, with its core being fire and heat, can I extend this into light-based abilities? For instance, ultraviolet rays, speed-of-light beams, cutting rays, and so on?"

"I seem to remember that flames can also alter magnetic fields and the like, such as gravity, buoyancy, attractive force, repulsive force, and so forth. Damn it, if I'd known, I should have paid closer attention to knowledge regarding fire in my past life. Fire is an indispensable element in the world; it can surely branch out into many things—light, seasons, temperature..."

"Most importantly, the Golden Crow form should also be thoroughly developed. As a ferocious beast found only in mythology, I refuse to believe it only has this little power."

Xuan Ye raised both hands, his eyes glowing a brilliant golden-red.

Visibly, Xuan Ye's entire body was wrapped in golden-red flames. Instantly, within the inferno, a massive behemoth emerged, roughly five meters long and two meters wide.

"Fwoosh... Fwoosh..." The terrifying high temperature caused the atmosphere to ripple slightly. Within the flames stood a magnificent giant bird: its wings folded against its flanks, its entire body golden-red, crowned with a golden-purple-blue plume standing upright on its head, three distinctive golden-purple long feathers trailing from its tail, and strange, three-toed feet supporting its majestic stance. It looked as though it could spread its wings and shatter the void at any moment.

Especially those miraculous three-toed feet; just looking at them made one's scalp tingle, because Xuan Ye felt that those menacing talons could easily slice through iron like mud.

Furthermore, the initial impression this giant bird gave was one of ferocity, majesty, and peerlessness. Its entire body was filled with an oppressive malignance, as if it intended to incinerate the entire world.

Yet, alongside this endless violence and fury, the giant bird also exuded nobility and arrogant aloofness. It was like an emperor, inspiring a sense of awe that prevented anyone from daring to profane it.

Power, endless power! At this moment, Xuan Ye felt as though he could soar freely through the skies at will. If his strength before the transformation was that of a major, then after transforming, his power instantly reached the level of a colonel.

One had to know that transformed, Xuan Ye's offensive power, recovery rate, and stamina all increased by one or two tiers. And this was only because Xuan Ye was still weak at the moment; he believed that as he grew stronger himself, transforming into the Golden Crow in the future would truly allow him to burn the heavens, boil the seas, and roam free across the world.

"As expected of a ferocious beast that only exists in mythology. It's a pity I can't reveal my full strength yet, otherwise I'd definitely want to fly with my wings spread out. They say the Golden Crow can travel by turning into a rainbow; I wonder how it compares to Kizaru's speed of light."

Reverting to his human form, the corners of Xuan Ye's mouth curved upward, revealing a faint, enigmatic smile.

Pondering slightly, Xuan Ye worked hard to sort out the thoughts in his mind, whispering to himself, "For now, let's focus development on three main directions. Grasping too much makes nothing secure, and I also have to learn the Six Powers and Haki; time is very tight."

"First, the essence of the flames must absolute not be abandoned. Whether it's the temperature of the fire or its versatility, both must be developed to the absolute limit."

"Second is the light and heat rays of fire. If I can develop flames or light-beams with cutting capabilities, my combat power will definitely increase substantially. Ultraviolet rays and radiation are also extremely powerful. Then there are magnetic fields, like gravity and attraction... Unfortunately, I never seriously studied these in my past life. It seems these extended abilities can only be explored slowly. It truly echoes that saying: you only regret not learning enough when the time comes to use it."

"Third is the Golden Crow itself. Whether it's physical recovery, stamina, physical strength, or speed, all of these must be further enhanced. However, all of this is built upon the physical body; therefore, physical training cannot be reduced—it must be increased."

With his preliminary estimation, Xuan Ye could only think of these three aspects. However, relying on his accumulated experience, he believed that his developments would only grow stronger, not weaker. Most importantly, this Devil Fruit was simply too powerful.

"Tomorrow, Master should be teaching me the Six Powers. Which ones should I choose?" Having settled the direction for fruit development, Xuan Ye's thoughts turned to the Six Powers.

The Six Powers consisted of Finger Pistol, Iron Body, Shave, Moon Walk, Tempest Kick, and Paper Art. These were all physical techniques that surpassed human limits, and each was a rare and precious ability. Without hesitation, one could say that mastering even a single one of these abilities would grant a person a fighting chance in this vast sea.

Contemplating his understanding of the Six Powers in his mind alongside Zepha's instructions, Xuan Ye furrowed his brow in deep thought and decided to learn only three of them.

"Finger Pistol: combined with the Devil Fruit, this ability should be able to unleash maximum power. When transformed into the Golden Crow, the three-toed feet can become sharper and tougher. If I add Busoshoku Haki on top of that, then... Hehe..." Xuan Ye's eyes lit up. Imagining future battles where a single scratch would gouge out a hole, the mere thought made his heart race with anticipation. As for whether Finger Pistol could be practiced on one's feet, Xuan Ye had not the slightest doubt.

After all, hands and feet were basically the same; the only difference might be that feet weren't as nimble as hands. However, Xuan Ye believed that at worst, it would just require sweating a bit more.

"Next is Shave, which is a high-speed explosive movement technique. If paired with the Golden Crow's rainbow-transformation speed, I imagine it will be terrifying. Then comes Moon Walk; this aerial mobility skill is still very practical. Furthermore, these three techniques will not only function effectively in human form, but can also erupt with even greater power in subsequent stages."

"As for Paper Art, once you possess Kenbunshoku Haki, it stops being very practical. And Iron Body—with the Golden Crow's regenerative power, it doesn't seem all that important either. As for the final technique, Tempest Kick, any moves developed through fruit ability cultivation can overshadow it. Regarding Life Return, before a Zoan mythical type, its utility isn't very significant. If training time were abundant, learning these would be fine, but right now, let's forget about it."

Xuan Ye wore a wry smile. After all, he was only human, and his energy was limited.

One had to realize that Xuan Ye currently had many things to learn, such as Shave, Finger Pistol, Moon Walk, and the three types of Haki—as for Conqueror's Haki, Xuan Ye chose to let it develop naturally—alongside the three aforementioned directions for fruit development. All of these required time. Therefore, Xuan Ye feared biting off more than he could chew; haste makes waste. He would take everything step by step, one footprint at a time. Only by doing so could he quickly master his own power.