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The forest clearing was eerily silent, save for the heavy panting of Trafalgar Law as he collapsed to his knees. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his hands trembled slightly from the immense effort of manipulating the Ope Ope no Mi's power. The aftermath of the operation left everyone in stunned silence, but none more so than Cavendish himself—or rather, what remained of him.
A Brutal Awakening
Ichiji released his grip on Cavendish, letting the blond swordsman fall unceremoniously to the ground. Like a frightened cat, Cavendish scrambled to his feet, trembling visibly. His usual aristocratic demeanor had vanished, replaced by sheer terror.
"Stay down and don't move!" Ichiji barked, turning his attention to Akainu, who still held the now-snarling black cat. With a swift motion, Ichiji took the feline from Akainu's grasp, showing no mercy as he tightened his grip.
"Mrowww—!"
The "black cat," its eyes brimming with bloodlust and malice, glared at Ichiji with murderous intent. But Ichiji's icy gaze silenced it immediately. Without hesitation, he increased the pressure, causing the creature to scream in agony.
"I don't care if you're some kind of monster or why you were hiding inside Cavendish," Ichiji said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. "If you know what's good for you, stay quiet—or I won't hesitate to crush you where you stand."
As if to emphasize his point, Ichiji unleashed an overwhelming wave of killing intent that froze the air around them. Years of relentless slaughter on battlefields had honed this aura into something truly terrifying. To the "black cat"—or Hakuba—it felt like being crushed under the weight of countless corpses, each one whispering tales of death and despair.
The once-fearsome entity quivered uncontrollably, both physically and spiritually. For the first time in its existence, Hakuba understood fear.
Even Bepo, who wasn't the target of Ichiji's wrath, shuddered at the sheer intensity of the killing intent. He quickly scurried behind Bern and the others, his fur standing on end.
Meanwhile, Cavendish—now free of Hakuba's influence—collapsed to the ground unconscious, his face pale with shock.
An Ultimatum
Once the situation stabilized, Ichiji turned his attention back to the subdued "black cat." His expression remained impassive as he spoke.
"You have two choices," Ichiji began, his tone chillingly calm. "Submit to me, and I'll grant you a new, powerful body. You can indulge your thirst for destruction all you want. Or refuse—and I'll end you right here, right now."
Hakuba, despite its penchant for violence, wasn't stupid. Even beasts knew when to bow to a superior predator. Reluctantly, it submitted, behaving like a docile kitten in Ichiji's presence. However, its destructive instincts couldn't be fully suppressed; the grass beneath its paws was shredded within moments.
Cavendish eventually regained consciousness, clutching his holy sword Durandal as he confronted Ichiji. "What did you do to me?" he demanded, his voice laced with anger and confusion.
"Nothing much," Ichiji replied nonchalantly, cradling the black cat in his arms. "I simply separated the 'Kamaitachi' from your body."
At that moment, the black cat tensed, its fur bristling as it instinctively tried to bite Ichiji. Old habits die hard, after all.
"Hmph."
With a single icy glare, Ichiji unleashed another surge of Haki, engulfing the cat in oppressive darkness. It writhed and shrieked in terror, unable to resist.
"This is... Devil Fruit power?" Cavendish muttered, watching the strange black smoke emanating from Ichiji's hands with unease.
"Oh, and by the way, Cavendish," Ichiji added with a sly smirk, "there's something interesting I should tell you. Something inside you has changed. You'll probably sense it soon enough. If you don't want to end up like a stray cat, mewing pathetically on the roadside, I suggest you follow me quietly."
Cavendish's face paled further as realization dawned on him.
Forced Alliance
Onboard the massive Germa warship, Cavendish found himself reluctantly joining the crew. Occasionally, he would shout complaints at Trafalgar Law, who was busy exercising with weights despite his exhaustion.
"Hey, hey, Trafalgar Law! When are you going to get that damn cat out of my body?!"
"Shut up, you annoying brat!" Law snapped, sweat pouring down his face as he lifted another dumbbell. "Unless the prince gives the order, forget about it! And if you keep whining, don't blame me for hanging your head out as bait for sea kings!"
"You bastard! I'll kill you someday!" Cavendish growled through clenched teeth, forced to continue practicing his swordsmanship.
Ichiji had set a clear condition: only when Cavendish could defeat Law in combat would they remove Hakuba's soul from his body. Needless to say, without Hakuba's strength, Cavendish stood no chance against Law's surgical prowess.
Though losing Hakuba meant losing control over his alternate personality, Cavendish realized it wasn't entirely bad. At night, Hakuba's lingering presence sometimes emerged, forcing the lazy noble to train harder instead of wasting his natural talent. Still, for Cavendish, this arrangement was nothing short of a nightmare.
The Morning After
Each morning, Cavendish woke up sprawled awkwardly on some corner of the warship, resembling a stray dog rather than the elegant prince he once was. Gone were his princely airs, replaced by disheveled frustration.
Fuming, he swung his sword furiously during training sessions. "I'll cut you down! I'll kill you all!" he shouted, venting his anger on imaginary foes.
But deep down, Cavendish knew one thing: escaping this predicament wouldn't be easy. For now, he was stuck—trapped between his pride and the harsh reality of his circumstances.