Chapter 856: Chapter 524: Gold Spirit and Dark Will?
Her ability no longer needed to be confined to using materialized power to petrify people. As a renowned strong individual on the sea, the ability could be wielded in every frown, smile, or movement.
While Haki is indeed mighty, the mastery of abilities and Haki do not counteract each other.
The power of will can only resist, not suppress; otherwise, ability wouldn’t be called the miracle of the sea.
Boa Hancock’s mastery of her ability has reached its peak, unless one is completely devoid of desire for her, even the slightest stir would activate her power.
The previous attack, theoretically, should have petrified Sage...
"Slave Arrow!"
Defiant, Hancock kissed her hand, creating a pink heart that swiftly transformed into the shape of a bow and arrow.
Swish, swish, swish!
The bowstring vibrated as pink arrows flooded the sky, rapidly approaching Sage.
Sage grinned viciously, his hands becoming a blur, nearly forming a circular shield in front of him, breaking all the incoming pink arrows, which then dissipated into the air.
"Oh? This time it’s direct petrification? Seems it has awakened."
He flicked his hand and said to Hancock, "But it cannot surpass my Haki, you know."
It was perceptible that these arrows lacked piercing power but were applications of her ability, causing even a numbing sensation upon contact, but his profound Haki resisted the invasion of the ability.
"Why?"
Hancock bit her thumb and said sternly, "Forget Haki. I can see your stirrings; why is there no impact?"
"That kind of thing..."
Sage chuckled softly for a moment, looked around at the others, letting his gaze sweep across those present, "That kind of ability is incredible, especially for someone like me laden with desires, different from others..."
Among those present, most were unaffected by Hancock’s ability.
Even Buggy counted as one.
He pointed at these people and said:
"These guys, they can’t be said to be all steadfast in their minds, nor are they all immune to beauty, but they surely harbor a thought that surpasses desires. Beauty? Desire? Those are general, but they can move beyond them."
"And you..."
"I’m not."
Sage interrupted Hancock, spreading his arms and laughed loudly:
"My demand for desire is even stronger! If I were just starting out, your ability would certainly be effective, but people grow as their environment and achievements change!"
"Those who have nothing crave a beauty, some wealth. Those with these want several beauties, more wealth."
"As for me... I am entirely different from your Pirate Level! Even among the top ’Emperors’ of pirates, in terms of territory, mine is the largest, in terms of power, mine is the strongest, and in terms of record, even Kaido can’t match me!"
Sage tightly clenched his fist, "I occupy half of the New World! The intensity of my desires has long surpassed ordinary people!"
He made no effort to conceal his desires, smiling at Hancock:
"Perhaps, tearing your cheongsam, revealing your breasts and buttocks, and dancing before me, having the number one beauty of the sea seduce me, might petrify me! At least partially, surely!"
Desire, in essence, is quite similar to a Devil Fruit.
A collection of wishes is also a collection of desires, and those who consume the fruit gradually get subtly influenced by it.
But Lily had always speculated that Sage’s profound desires were not influenced by the More-More Fruit.
Because before acquiring the fruit and after getting it, Sage’s behavior hadn’t notably changed, mostly expanding based on his own achievements.
Instead, it was the fruit that bore splendid results in his hands.
There is limited information on the More-More Fruit, but the intelligence on its previous user, Byrnndi World, had been gathered, as it was crucial to understand Sage’s ability comprehensively.
The most this ability has shown is exceptional effects on influencing objects, but whether it can fully influence an Ability User, no solid lead has been found.
Byrnndi World’s strength mostly lay in accelerating his body a hundred times, but in terms of potency, it was actually inferior to using the power on external objects.
Sage is different; he accomplished applying three abilities on himself and even compressed it through powerful body techniques...
Can body techniques affect abilities?
Or to be straightforward, it’s Sage’s intrinsic desires that perfectly match with the More-More Fruit, thereby fully conquering it.
With max compatibility, in Sage’s own words...
A perfect Jinchūriki.
The desire intensity of Sage, who can even dominate the fruit, isn’t something a mere flutter of lust can influence.
It’s still not enough!
"To shame me... Understood."
Hancock’s eyes grew ice-cold, "I know who you are now."
Luffy hadn’t done anything, but after arriving at Kuja Island, he actively shielded her sister’s back from a mark, winning her affection with his earnest heart.
And as Sage was the first in recent years to openly execute a Heavenly Celestial Dragon, Hancock theoretically should have a favorable impression of him, but strangely, she maintained a neutral stance towards Sage naturally, only just better than those detestable men.
But now upon meeting, though the neutrality remained unchanged, it began to tilt towards distaste.
For in her eyes, the desire-filled Sage was no different from the Heavenly Celestial Dragons in her memories, who fed them fruits with malicious smiles for amusement.
