"Shinomiya has the advantage, so Sanzenin can have Maria and Saginomiya assist her."
"Huh? A three-on-one?"
Chika exclaid in surprise. She hadn't expected Ren to propose such an extre setup.
"Even so, Shinomiya still holds the advantage."
While a three-on-one might sound overwhelming, the gap in strength between the two sides remained clear.
Even with this arrangent, Ren still felt that Kaguya had too much of an edge.
"Sanzenin and Maria have only recently obtained their Visions. While their elental abilities have great potential, what they need most right now is to refine their control and mastery over those powers."
"Without extensive training, Sanzenin and Maria won't be able to contribute much in a fight."
"I object!"
Sakuya raised her hand in protest.
"Isn't Shinomiya in the sa situation?"
"This is the difference in starting points based on the nature of their powers."
Ren explained patiently.
"Unlike Visions, Devil Fruits grant imdiate strength without requiring training. From the mont she ate the Ice-Ice Fruit, Shinomiya-san had access to powerful elental abilities."
"Especially since she possesses a Logia-type Devil Fruit, widely considered the strongest class, specifically one that grants ice-based powers."
"The mont she ate it, Shinomiya-san gained the ability to beco ice itself, rendering her immune to all physical attacks."
"In contrast, the attacks that Sanzenin and Maria can currently generate are entirely physical."
"In other words, their attacks would be practically useless against her."
"The real key player in this three-on-one match is actually Saginomiya."
Sakuya turned to look at Isumi, who stood calmly in her purple kimono, and blinked in confusion.
She couldn't quite see how Isumi would be the "main force" in this battle.
"Saginomiya possesses spiritual exorcism abilities, and that power isn't physical."
"That's why she's the central fighter in this match."
"As for Sanzenin and Maria, their main role here is to familiarize themselves with the elental powers they've acquired."
"So, what do you think, Shinomiya-san?"
After finishing his explanation, Ren left the decision to Kaguya.
Kaguya took a mont to consider.
She trusted Amamiya's judgnt.
A three-on-one might sound daunting, but she was confident she could handle it.
"I think it's fine."
"In that case, Fujiwara-san, get the video recorder. Let's head outside."
"Oh!"
Chika's excitent flared up as she imdiately dashed to her room to retrieve the video cara she had prepared earlier.
Once she was ready, Ren led the way onto the ship's deck.
By now, the thick fog that had blanketed the area earlier had mostly dissipated.
As the sun rose higher, the mist had completely lifted.
From the deck, they had a clear view of the island before them.
Surrounded by the deep blue-black ocean, the island stood prominently in the distance.
Even from afar, it was evident that no signs of human habitation existed, no modern buildings, no infrastructure.
A completely untouched island.
A vast trench encircled the island, plunging deep into the abyss.
This eerie natural barrier spanned approximately 700 to 800 ters across, adding a sense of isolation to the island.
Looking down at the sea below, the depths were unfathomable.
It was as if one were gazing into an endless void.
"This place... there's an entire trench surrounding the island?"
Chika's eyes widened.
Zooming in with her cara, she confird the sheer scale of the trench.
The more she looked, the more uncomfortable she felt.
She stepped closer to the railing, adjusting the cara to film the abyss below.
However, as she peered into the darkness, her breathing beca uneven.
"Thalassophobia?"
Ren's voice ca from behind her, grounding her for a mont.
Chika took a slow, deep breath.
"Well... I did have a slight reaction."
She looked at the abyss before her, troubled.
"I've never been good with dark places."
"The trench is pitch black—no light reaches down there. Every ti I look into it, I can't shake the feeling that sothing... unnatural could erge from the depths."
A classic case of deep-sea phobia.
But at its core, this fear wasn't irrational.
Humans had always feared the dark, feared nature itself.
Compared to the vast, uncontrollable world around them, humans were minuscule.
When nature shifted even slightly, countless people perished simply because they couldn't adapt.
The best way to overco such fear was to face it head-on.
Or—replace it with a stronger emotion.
Excitent.
Ren didn't say anything further. Instead, he turned to look at Kaguya.
"Shinomiya-san, let's go."
Kaguya glanced at Chika, who still looked uneasy, and sighed.
Then, without hesitation, she stepped toward the guardrail.
With a light push, she vaulted over it.
"!?"
Chika's scalp tingled.
A loud thud echoed.
Panicked, she rushed to the railing and looked down.
What she saw made her breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hah..."
Below, Kaguya stood calmly atop a floating platform of ice.
"She's... changed so much."
For the first ti, Chika truly realized how different Kaguya had beco.
"Ever since she ate the Ice-Ice Fruit, she's taken a completely different path."
"The deep sea that you fear..."
"...is sothing she can now conquer."
On the water, Kaguya adjusted her stance.
With every step she took, an ice platform ford beneath her feet, allowing her to walk effortlessly across the sea.
This was the power of her Devil Fruit.
"So, Fujiwara-san... what about you?"
"I..."
Fujiwara Chika bit her lip, watching Kaguya walk across the water.
A quiet sense of envy stirred within her.
"I... I don't have that kind of power."
That was exactly what Ren had been waiting to hear.
Desire.
The qualification to obtain power began with wanting it.
Without it, there was no path forward.
Ren silently stepped behind Chika.
"Tell , Fujiwara-san..."
(To be continued.)
***
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