One Piece My strange ability

Chapter 16: The Unyielding Blade

Hold your breath and focus.

"Look at the sword!"

Karen shouted loudly and swung the sword downward.

At that moment, he seemed possessed by Li Jing.

Hearing that familiar phrase, Dominic's anger flared. No matter how patient he normally was, he couldn't tolerate Karen teasing him like this.

He immediately resolved to teach him a lesson.

With this thought, Dominic instinctively glanced at Karen's sword.

The next second, his vision blurred, and he realized something was off.

In his sight, Karen suddenly appeared enormous. He had to tilt his head back just to see Karen clearly.

Something wasn't right.

I'm standing far away, so why does it feel like I'm right in front of him?

That was the thought racing through Dominic's mind.

"Wow, Instructor is so strong and fast! I didn't even see what happened, and he already took Karen's sword!"

"Yeah, Instructor's speed is incredible. Is that Marine Six-Style, Shave?"

"But why did he take Karen's sword like that? It looks so... humiliating."

Huh?

What are they talking about?

When did I take Karen's sword?

Dominic was full of confusion. He instinctively wanted to scratch the back of his head but found that he couldn't move his hands. Looking closer, he realized he was gripping the blade of Karen's sword with his hands raised.

Only then did he understand his predicament. He was kneeling on one knee before Karen, holding the sword in a ridiculous position.

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I holding Karen's sword like this? Why can't I move?!

At that moment, Karen's earlier words replayed in his mind:

"Does it mean that as long as one side can't move, the other wins?"

"Instructor, I may offend you later, so I hope you won't get angry."

Wait… does this mean I'm the one who can't move? Is this what Karen meant by 'offending'?

Dominic raised his head blankly and asked, bewildered, "What... what did you do to me?"

Then, as if realizing something, he concluded: "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"

Karen didn't deny it but simply smiled awkwardly.

Now that his ability was revealed, there was no point hiding it. After all, the world was full of inexplicable powers.

He turned his gaze to Zephyr, who was watching the duel, and asked calmly:

"Does this count as me winning?"

Zephyr, still stunned, observed the whole scene. From his perspective, Karen had simply swung his sword downward. Dominic glanced at him and instantly appeared kneeling in front of Karen, clutching the sword in an absurd position.

The speed was so fast that even Zephyr didn't catch it. It wasn't Shave—Dominic didn't move willingly.

Was this some kind of Devil Fruit ability?

Zephyr had seen many strange powers, but this one... it seemed effortless and terrifying. Most Devil Fruits had clear rules or restrictions, like requiring physical touch. But Karen? Just a glance and an action…

What kind of Devil Fruit is this? It's terrifying!

Before Zefa could answer, the recruits started chattering:

"What nonsense is that? How can this count as a win? Instructor's weapon is clamped!"

"Exactly!"

"Instructor, get up and teach him a lesson!"

Dominic's lips twitched.

I want to get up, but Dominic's lips twitched as he struggled internally.

I can't even move! The only part of my body I can control is my mouth!What do you expect me to do—bite him to death?

Dominic thought bitterly, realizing how utterly trapped he was. This humiliating situation was unlike anything he had ever faced.

He wanted to scream at Karen, but what could he say? The undeniable truth was clear: Karen had used his strange ability to immobilize him completely.

Zephyr finally suppressed the murmuring recruits and asked, "Dominic, can you move?"

Since realizing his state, Dominic had been trying to regain control of his body, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. He sighed bitterly and admitted:

"I lost."

An uproar followed.

"What? Why is Instructor admitting defeat?"

"Hmph, Karen must be a Devil Fruit user. That explains everything."

"Does anyone know what kind of Devil Fruit this is? It's way too strong!"

"If you rely on a Devil Fruit to win, it's just a cheap victory."

Ignoring the commotion, Zephyr nodded toward Karen, signaling his victory.

Karen smiled, sheathed his sword, and helped the stunned Dominic to his feet.

"I used my ability. If it were a fair fight, I wouldn't stand a chance against you," Karen admitted.

Dominic wasn't upset. Instead, he reassured Karen, "If you lose, you lose. If you win, you win. It's that simple. On the battlefield, failure means death. No one cares how you win, as long as you do."

"That's right," Zephyr added, exhaling a puff of cigar smoke as he approached. "Victory is all that matters. You'd be a fool not to use every tool at your disposal on the battlefield."

"Teacher Zephyr!" Karen and Dominic greeted him with respect.

Zephyr patted Dominic on the shoulder. "Losing this time wasn't your fault. You did well."

Then, turning to Karen, he said, "As for you, not bad."

Karen blushed and waved it off. "Just lucky."

"Lucky? You call going into battle without a proper weapon 'lucky'?" Zephyr retorted, his face darkening.

Karen chuckled awkwardly, feeling helpless. It was his first time using this ability; how could he have known the importance of proper weaponry?

"Since I won," Karen began with a grin, "can I make a request?"