Vivi moved extremely quickly. First, she carried the unconscious Karoo behind her back and secured him with two loops of rope. Then she wrapped her arms around the neck of the young winged woman, and the two ascended into the sky.
Smoker transformed into smoke and soared upward, carrying the unconscious Captain Morgan and the female swordsman Tashigi. From a distance, Van Augur was also rescued by one of the winged warriors.
Ten seconds later, the floating island crashed into the ocean with a deafening impact. Towers of seawater and debris blasted skyward. Assisted by the winged people, Vivi and the others landed safely on an uninhabited island nearby.
The origins of the winged folk remained shrouded in mystery. They never disclosed the nature of their wings—tucked under their arms like those of Skypieans—only that they were once captured and enslaved by the Golden Lion, Shiki, to work on his floating fortress.
Vivi sensed they were withholding information, but didn't pry. After all, everyone had their own secrets in this world.
She was especially puzzled about how Johnny and Yosaku had managed to kill enemies and rescue people at such a critical moment. Van Augur had previously scouted the floating island but failed to detect these winged warriors.
Johnny and Yosaku, however, swore they had pieced together the clues and acted bravely. Driven by their reckless courage, they had used the chaos caused by Shiki's "Lion: Senjō Chirikirigu" technique to slip into the stronghold and help evacuate the captives.
Vivi didn't fully buy the story. When pressed, they only admitted that they had received some "remote tactical advice" from a kindly rural grandmother…
Looking at the grandmother's back, Vivi muttered to herself. The old woman had long been pondering escape plans—she had already prepared Plans A, B, and C, but apparently, she had secretly developed a Plan D. This woman was the embodiment of Gou Dao—the Path of Cunning. Without a deep understanding of survivalist doctrine, she would never have devised such a plan…
As soon as Smoker touched down, he took out his den-den mushi and contacted Navy Headquarters. He reported the full situation regarding the Golden Lion and then called the garrison stationed in Loguetown. Though assigned to East Blue's 153rd Branch, Smoker still trusted the headquarters' men far more than his usual subordinates.
Vivi removed all the colorful decorations from Karoo and carefully put away his red Christmas hat. Although it was originally a failed prototype for a festival outfit, she hadn't had the heart to throw it away—and unexpectedly, it had served a purpose here.
She pinched Karoo's face, gently rubbed his belly, and only when the duck finally opened his eyes did she breathe a sigh of relief.
The credibility of the Navy remained decent. As a Marine Headquarters officer, Smoker publicly announced that a warship would soon arrive to retrieve everyone. The news sparked cheers from the survivors.
Vivi sat on a large rock to rest. Her use of Haoshoku Haki—Conqueror's Haki—had drained her physical stamina. At the time, it was a necessary gamble, but now it was a bit awkward. It seemed this secret was no longer something she could hide!
After reflecting, she realized she may have been overthinking it. Perhaps it was just a natural awakening. Awakening Haki wasn't such a rare thing among determined warriors.
In the fight, her use of Conqueror's Haki had been exposed. She clashed with the Golden Lion—whose strength was at least level 80—while she was only around level 30. She had exchanged two real blows with him and survived the destruction of the floating island. It had been incredibly dangerous—but the rewards were worth it!
Altogether, the battle lasted only a couple of minutes, but the loot she had picked up this time was unparalleled in quality and quantity.
Truly, high risks brought high returns.
Vivi carefully examined her spoils.
From Smoker, she had collected: "Fist +7," "Rokushiki: Soru +15," "Endurance +3," "Stride +3," "First Strike +5," and "Pursuit +3."
"Rokushiki: Soru," "First Strike," and "Pursuit" were all techniques she had never possessed before. Among them, she most admired Soru, a high-speed movement technique under the Rokushiki martial arts. It was a life-saving skill that could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Soru was harder to master than she had imagined. It demanded significant physical prowess, especially powerful legs. Vivi could not fully absorb all 15 Soru-related light particles at once. She needed time to condition her body, gradually improving her leg strength while adapting to the technique's pressure.
After absorbing just 3 particles, she successfully unlocked "Rokushiki: Soru Lv.1 (3/10)." She decided to pause here and wait before absorbing the remaining 12 points.
Smoker's loot was impressive, but what she'd gathered from the Golden Lion was absolutely dazzling.
She had picked up: "Swordsmanship +118," "Block +11," "Dodge +29," "Focus +8," "First Strike +14," "Sword Technique: Slash +91," "Sword Technique: Lion—Senjō Chirikirigu +95," and "Busoshoku Haki +3."
Devil Fruit abilities were not collectible, but even without those, this harvest from Shiki was incredible. Vivi hugged Karoo's neck tightly, unable to contain her joy—she feared she might laugh herself silly.
The 118 points from swordsmanship alone would raise her level to Swordsmanship Lv.4 (139/1000).
Although Lv.4 was just a numerical representation of strength, she understood that Swordsmanship Lv.4 (1/1000) and Lv.4 (139/1000) were vastly different in practical battle. Deeper understanding and superior physique made all the difference.
The 118 points contained a vast wealth of Shiki's personal experience. Like Soru, she couldn't digest all of it immediately. It would take time, training, and muscle memory to internalize the skills and reflexes embedded in those memories.
Swordsmanship, after all, builds the body, and a strong body empowers swordsmanship. They reinforced each other.
The Golden Lion was a fearsome swordsman. His techniques—Sword Technique: Slash and Sword Technique: Lion—Senjō Chirikirigu—were among his signatures.
Vivi began practicing the "Slash" technique first. It launched a huge shockwave of sword energy—reminiscent of Zoro's 36-Pound Phoenix. Shiki could cleave through miles of ocean with this move. Vivi's version was far weaker, but it was a start.
The "Lion—Senjō Chirikirigu" was even more advanced, a superior version of "Slash." Vivi discovered, to her dismay, that she couldn't use it. Her physical attributes were simply not up to par. Despite knowing the motion, the angles, and the timing perfectly, her body couldn't follow through.
She could barely muster a single "Slash" after several seconds of build-up, but executing "Lion—Senjō Chirikirigu" continuously was beyond her current limits.
"Am I really that weak?" she sighed to Karoo.
The duck responded with two sympathetic quacks.
Vivi wasn't a pure swordswoman. She lacked the obsessive devotion to the blade that someone like Zoro possessed. For her, swordsmanship was a tool for survival—not her life's calling. That didn't dampen her mood though.
What brought her the most joy today was her Haki.
Under the "Haki" column, a new skill had appeared beneath "Haoshoku Haki." It now had a level attached and could be strengthened using skill points.