Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
Ginrummy is quite clear about her own situation. Although she is now considered Ikki's partner, in the end she was nothing more than an invader who had come with Jack.
If it weren't for her good looks, she might have ended up like Jack the Drought.
If Ikki had actually taken her to bed, Ginrummy might have felt more at ease. But the problem was that Ikki didn't want her that way.
This left her feeling uneasy.
As for Ikki's plan to give her Grimmjow's Zanpakuto, Ginrummy felt a sense of unreality about the whole thing.
"Ginrummy, don't look at me."
"Keep your eyes on the battlefield. This is your future power."
Ikki felt her gaze, rested a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a wide smile.
"Yes, Captain Ikki."
Ginrummy nodded firmly. Ikki's gentle smile eased her tension a little, and she turned back to watch the battle between Kurosaki Ichigo and Grimmjow.
"Grind, Pantera!"
Grimmjow raised his hand and stroked the blade, shouting the words with excitement. A surge of violent spiritual pressure surged around his body, and a great wind swirled around him.
After a short while, the wind subsided.
Grimmjow's new form stood revealed before Ichigo, Ikki, and the rest of the watching crew.
The sharp blade he had been holding had vanished. In its place, sharp claws extended from his hands. The clothes he wore had also disappeared, replaced by high-quality, form-fitting armor.
It wasn't a particularly heavy suit, but at a glance, Ginrummy and the others could tell it was extraordinary. It seemed unlikely that even a single strike from a top-tier fighter could easily shatter it.
And indeed, it was just as they had thought.
When Ichigo and Grimmjow clashed again, Ichigo's sharp black blade slashed across him and left only a faint mark on the armor. Grimmjow wasn't injured at all, let alone broken open, and his defense held firm.
"Wow, that's incredible! Ichigo's slashes are almost on par with Hawkeye Mihawk's, and it's unbelievable that even this guy's defense can't be broken!"
Belo Betty exclaimed in amazement.
"Defenses like that have to be on par with Kaido's, don't they?"
Ginrummy said, swallowing hard.
"The blade returning into him like that, it's almost like comparing it to our Zanpakuto's Bankai."
"The difference is, after our Zanpakuto is released through Bankai, we still hold a weapon in our hands. But once Grimmjow's blade was released, it disappeared completely."
Nami said.
"That must be what Captain Ikki meant by the difference, isn't it? The blade returning, it's like the sword's original power folding back into Grimmjow himself."
Nico Robin said.
"Does that mean mastering this power doesn't actually require swordsmanship technique?"
Kalifa rested her chin on her hand and looked at Ikki with curiosity. The others, Ginrummy included, looked at him the same way.
They were Ikki's partners, and they already had a fairly solid understanding of his strength. To fully master the power of a Zanpakuto, most people who used one needed a certain level of swordsmanship.
However, the treasure Ikki had brought out didn't really seem to require much swordsmanship at all. Right now, Grimmjow was clearly fighting with physical technique after his release, quite different from swordsmanship.
This point puzzled several of them.
"Your reasoning isn't without merit."
"But this thing is still a Zanpakuto after all. And since it's a Zanpakuto, using its power still requires a high level of swordsmanship."
Ikki said. At this point, he felt a touch of regret himself. If Grimmjow's Zanpakuto could be as effortless to use as the Noble Phantasms wielded by Hancock and Gion, it would have suited Ginrummy far better.
"Still, after the Pantera was released just now, the blade itself was clearly hidden away inside it."
"So once you, Ginrummy, take possession of this Zanpakuto, you'll need a great deal more practice."
"Whether it's physical skill or swordsmanship, you'll need to work hard at both."
"Are you confident you can do it, Ginrummy?"
Ikki turned to look at her.
Ginrummy's expression turned serious, and she nodded solemnly.
"Captain Ikki, don't worry. I'll cultivate myself diligently. I won't let this power go to waste in my hands."
Ginrummy knew that entrusting her with this Zanpakuto was a sign of Ikki's trust in her. If she were to betray that trust, she would be nothing but a fool.
Ikki smiled and nodded to her, signaling for her to keep watching the battle between Kurosaki Ichigo and Grimmjow.
At that very moment, Grimmjow leaped into the sky. His aura climbed to a whole new level.
"Gran Rey Garra!"
Grimmjow roared and pulled both hands down hard. Then something extraordinary happened.
Suddenly, ten beams of blue light appeared in the sky, each one tethered to one of Grimmjow's fingers. From a distance, it looked as though his claws had become a single massive claw of energy.
"What, what is that?"
Ginrummy's eyes widened, and she asked in surprise.
"Gran Rey Garra. Grimmjow's strongest technique after his Resurrección."
"Its power is immense. An ordinary strong fighter caught in it would be sliced to pieces."
Ikki said. He had barely finished speaking when Grimmjow swung one of his claws of light at Ichigo. In an instant, the world seemed to change color, and the earth itself shook.
"How was it? Satisfied with the power of this blade, Ginrummy?"
Ikki asked with a smile once the demonstration had ended.
"Satisfied, of course I'm satisfied."
Ginrummy nodded quickly. How could she not be satisfied? This was an incredibly powerful Zanpakuto. Even though the demonstration had cut off abruptly, it was more than enough for her and the others to understand Grimmjow's power.
At least, that was how Ginrummy saw it. Grimmjow's fighting strength seemed comparable to Kaido's, and he might even be stronger.
"Very good. From now on, you'll need to practice using this Zanpakuto properly."
"Remember what I told you before, you need to train both your swordsmanship and your physical skills properly."
"However, in order to release the Zanpakuto as quickly as possible, you should focus most of your effort on improving your swordsmanship first."
"Once your swordsmanship reaches a level where you're able to unleash the Zanpakuto, shift your focus to improving your physical skills."
As Ikki spoke, he handed his Zanpakuto, Pantera, to Ginrummy.