Chapter Nine: The Feminine Side of Seiji Shimura

"Human-Monster Fist Technique—Dream Impact Processing Fist!"

Ivankov’s hands took on the form of open palms, his eyes razor-sharp as he fixed his gaze on Aoji, watching his every move. His fingertips pointed forward, striking at Aoji at high speed.

Aoji’s hands were coated in Armament Haki. With a slight twist of his feet and a subtle arch of his back, his whole body shot forward in a flash, his fists raining down in return.

The sounds of flesh colliding echoed at once.

Ivankov snorted coldly, his gaze grave as he looked at the young man before him. "Lieutenant Aoji, is it? You are strong, but not strong enough!"

Aoji laughed. "Still a far cry from a true powerhouse. You’d better surrender early. If you run into Director Magellan, you’ll be poisoned to death."

Ivankov replied, "Navy brat, surrender is impossible. Spiral—Beauty!"

His body suddenly spun at high speed, deftly dodging Aoji’s fist. In a flash, his fingers came together and stabbed into Aoji’s side. "Female Hormone!"

Ivankov spun away to the side, a mischievous smile on his face as he watched Aoji.

A strange sensation flowed within Aoji’s body.

Then, suddenly, his chest swelled, two soft mounds forming; his hips widened slightly.

He grew taller, his short black hair lengthening and curling in an instant; his limbs became slim and smooth, and his previously rugged features gradually softened into a more feminine beauty.

In just tens of seconds, Aoji had transformed into a tall, voluptuous, and commanding woman.

A cool and haughty aura emanated from her.

Aoji looked down at her new figure and couldn’t help cursing. "What the hell…"

Ivankov exclaimed in wonder, "Who would have thought you’d turn out to be a rare mature beauty! Lieutenant Aoji, your feminized appearance is beyond my imagination. Quite impressive, I must say."

"A woman’s form suits you even better, hmm?"

He had expected Aoji to panic, to be distraught over having become a woman.

But what he saw was something entirely unexpected.

Ivankov was so shocked he was rendered speechless.

Aoji, clutching her heavy chest, blushed slightly as she muttered, "Feels… surprisingly good."

"And the jewels are still there."

Mizuno Izuna suddenly called out, "Lieutenant Aoji! What are you doing over there?"

Aoji quickly released her chest, her face still faintly flushed, but she forced herself to answer seriously, "I’m fine. Don’t worry about me."

"Huh? How did you become a woman? And… and so beautiful…" Izuna muttered quietly, "And… even bigger than mine…"

Aoji replied, "Focus on the fight. Don’t get distracted on the battlefield."

Izuna said, "I’m paying attention, don’t worry about me. You be careful, Miss Aoji."

Aoji shouted angrily, "Who are you calling Miss Aoji?!"

Izuna just smiled, paid her no further heed, and dashed toward a nearby pirate, slashing out with a horizontal cut. Blood spurted instantly.

"Don’t let your mind wander on the battlefield, boy!"

The moment Aoji’s attention flickered, Ivankov’s foot shot out. Aoji blocked with her arm, then counterattacked.

Ivankov grinned. "Aoji, your speed and strength have both dropped."

Aoji panted faintly. "True. It’s still better being a man. Ivankov, change me back."

Ivankov replied, "Sure thing… fool! That’s impossible!"

Aoji said, "Then I’ll have to do it myself."

"Mirroring—Ability Replication."

Aoji’s fingernails instantly lengthened. Without hesitation, she stabbed them into her own body. "Male Hormone."

A few seconds later, Aoji returned to his original male form.

Ivankov’s jaw almost hit the floor.

"You—you—you’re a Devil Fruit user! How do you know my moves?"

Aoji withdrew his hand. "I never said I wasn’t a fruit user. As for why I can copy your techniques, that’s not important."

"Excitement Hormone!"

A surge of unprecedented strength flooded Aoji’s body as if a shot of adrenaline had been injected. He clenched his fists.

"Shave!"

Ivankov shouted "Monster!" and promptly injected himself with an Excitement Hormone, along with a dose of Female Hormone for good measure.

Transformed into a woman, Ivankov’s battle power did not decrease but increased instead. With the boost from the Excitement Hormone, Aoji actually found himself struggling a bit.

Ivankov’s Devil Fruit abilities were mainly supportive, but his combat skills were in no way inferior to Aoji’s, and his formidable psyche remained unshaken.

The two clashed for a long while, neither gaining the upper hand.

However, by now, the jailers had subdued most of the pirates, and Lightning and Hannibal were still locked in stalemate.

Lightning quickly retreated to Ivankov’s side.

Sweat beaded on Lightning’s brow. "Ivankov, we might really be finished this time. Shall we make a break for it?"

"Run!" Ivankov blinked furiously, winks flying everywhere.

Without a backward glance, the two of them bolted down a side corridor.

Lightning used his ability to continuously alter the path, so that as soon as the jailers reached the door, they found themselves blocked and forced aside. In the blink of an eye, the pair had vanished.

Hannibal wiped the sweat from his brow and shouted, "After them! Don’t stop!"

Watching the merit slip through his fingers, he was deeply unwilling.

Some jailers dragged the lion, others escorted the subdued pirates back to the Freezing Hell.

Aoji joined Hannibal in the pursuit of Ivankov.

But the internal structure of Level 5.5 was so twisted, and with the Scissorhands Lightning’s temporary modifications, it was nearly impossible to navigate.

And as they followed the lion’s trail, Aoji noticed they were heading toward the Freezing Hell.

Aoji said, "They’re probably headed for the Freezing Hell."

Hannibal replied, "Isn’t that like walking into the lion’s den? Impossible."

Aoji explained, "When we first came in, because of the heat, the deputy warden and many jailers took off their coats and tossed them aside."

"They can put on the navy uniforms and sneak out of the Freezing Hell."

Hannibal slapped his forehead. "Ah, there goes my merit!"

"Everyone, to the Freezing Hell! Move out!"

He kicked the lion in the face, then grabbed it and hurried toward the entrance of the Freezing Hell.

...

Inside the Freezing Hell forest.

Two figures in cotton coats crawled out of a cave and hurried to the main gate. "Hey! Open up!"

With a rumble, the gate swung open. The jailer looked at the two and asked, "Didn’t the deputy warden come up?"

"They found a lot of missing pirates inside, some of them quite dangerous. He sent us out to call for reinforcements! Quick, we need backup!"

The jailer eyed them suspiciously. "Is that so?"

Ivankov was a bit flustered, but Lightning remained unruffled. "Of course. Do we look like bad guys? If you don’t send support and the deputy warden dies in there, can you take responsibility? Or maybe you want him to die, is that it?"

With Lightning’s righteous questioning, the jailer panicked, kicked off his slippers, and rushed to the communication room to call for help.

Ivankov and Lightning each let out a sigh of relief, then took the elevator up toward the first floor.