One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 79: Broken items are the most valuable.

Unlike Sakazuki's magma, Kuzan's ice doesn't directly harm the human body. The greatest harm comes from the sudden drop in temperature, which causes the body to lose vitality and eventually stop beating.

Mobilizing the body's energy to deliver a precise strike is actually not a very difficult process.

If one has enough strength, the overwhelming aura can shatter ice.

For Roman, Kuzan's ice is an excellent stimulant. The more threatened she is, the more excited her Haki becomes, and the more intense her resistance becomes. Given time, she may be able to transform the defensive nature of Armament Haki into the offensive nature of Conqueror's Haki.

Of course, even without being domineering, Roman also has a way to escape.

Kuzan wasn't really going all out, and his strength was no joke. He simply crushed the ice on her body with his bare hands, since he had only frozen one of her hands at first.

However, the former method was indeed more impactful. She needed strength to make Kuzan trust her. If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, she would have punched Kuzan directly.

A future admiral! Why not take this opportunity? It'll be something to brag about later.

However, Roman suppressed her inner desires, after all, she didn't want to be pinned to the ground and beaten.

If I really went all out, I'd really turn into an ice sculpture.

……

Because of Kuzan's assurance, Zephyr ultimately agreed to Roman's request.

Because the situation was still unclear, Roman and Kuzan did not fully tell Zephyr the truth. Otherwise, if the old man felt it was dangerous and insisted that he not go, Roman would be in a real bind.

Although Kuzan wanted to go to that island with Roman, if he dared to run away again while Sakazuki and Borsalino were away, Sengoku would teach him a lesson in no time.

Moreover...

"Is this a report from the finance department? Let me see. Flooring: 15 Berries, walls: 25 Berries, high-end mahogany furniture: 50 Berries, and bookshelves: 10 Berries. Not bad, Lieutenant General Kuzan. As soon as your ice appears, half of the office's property is destroyed!" Roman exclaimed, looking at the list of property losses.

"Half of this is your responsibility, isn't it?" Kuzan sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Fighting should have been strictly prohibited in the offices of Marineford, but because Sengoku and Garp did not set a good example, the public property of Marineford was often in dire straits. Therefore, the relevant compensation system was very comprehensive, and in order to maximize punishment, the compensation fees were higher than the market price.

In short, it may not seem like much normally, but once it's broken, its true value will be revealed.

"There's nothing we can do about it. The finance department staff only see your coldness, so naturally you have to take all the blame. Besides, I don't get paid."

"Didn't you say you were going to work?"

"Did I say such a thing?" Roman feigned ignorance.

"Oh dear, having such a stingy subordinate is a real headache for me as their boss."

Knowing full well that his frequent disappearances were a major headache for his subordinates, Kuzan could still make these remarks without batting an eye. If his adjutant were present, he would surely have protested loudly.

Anyway, thank you for your help. I thought you would think I was being silly.

“After all, I’ve been through what you’ve been through. Although I’ve witnessed your strength, I still need to be careful. There are quite a few extraordinary people in this sea. Even if your combat ability surpasses that of ordinary people, you still need to be careful when faced with conspiracies and tricks…” Kuzan hesitated a bit at this point. Judging from her intelligence, she shouldn’t have to worry about that.

In their short time together, Kuzan had already seen Roman's analytical abilities and logical thinking skills. She was quick-witted, and it was hard to believe that such a young girl would fall into the enemy's trap. Moreover, her appearance was deceptive enough that many people would be careless at first glance, and that choice might lead to eventual failure.

"Please rest assured, I value my life very much. It's just that I can't ignore a potentially dangerous factor. Now that I've joined the Navy, I have to fight for my justice. Even if my strength is meager, I think I can still play a role."

When it's time to establish an image of noble character and integrity, then we must do so.

Roman admitted that this act of occupying the moral high ground was truly satisfying. If not now, when?

“I look forward to seeing true justice in you,” Kuzan said with a gentle smile.

This good-natured man, who had been lost for several years, might change because of the flapping of a butterfly's wings. After all, Roman showed him that hope existed.

Things should be done sooner rather than later. After obtaining Zefa's consent, Roman boarded a warship that was about to set sail. Its destination was also the South China Sea islands. Although it was different from Roman's destination, it greatly facilitated Roman's travel.

Although Kuzan had given prior notice, Roman's boarding still attracted a lot of attention.

Those specially invited personnel are known by any experienced naval officer to be a troublesome bunch. Disobeying orders and commands is commonplace for them. Apart from their direct superiors who have already tamed them, they often have an arrogant attitude of "I am the best in the world".

So when Roman, who looks like a doll, is labeled with a special invitation, the clash of contradictions is exceptionally strong.

The sailors on the ship were filled with a variety of emotions toward her: disdain, sympathy, disbelief, doubt, curiosity, and goodwill.

In short, there are all sorts of them.

After all, they were recruited and, although they are not the same as the Seven Warlords of the Sea, they are still hard to trust.

Furthermore, Roman had heard three times from navy personnel who claimed to be old women but pretended to be children to deceive people.

Huh? You know what, you've hit the nail on the head.

She may have worn the skin of a child, but in her heart she is already an adult.

Of course, there were also expressions of goodwill; some friendly sailors would even secretly slip her some candy.

However, all this malice and goodwill turned into respect after their warship was attacked by pirates.

After all, Roman's appearance was like "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

The performance lasted three minutes, during which 63 people were "killed," and one or two liters of blood were drawn.

Since there was no Devil Fruit user among them, Roman had almost no chance of fighting back after being defeated, so she stopped. Although she wasn't particularly afraid of killing, she would still hold back if she had a choice.

Anyway, the big prison will reform them properly.