Chapter 123: Complete Nothingness
"Develop a new Move?"
Tatsumaki shifted her gaze to Aokiji's face.
Afterward, a hint of disdain and a slight, knowing, arrogant smile appeared.
"If you want to do it, just say so."
Clearly, the last time Aokiji handed the initiative over to her, it gave Tatsumaki immense confidence.
She was no longer shy about discussing such topics.
Of course, the prerequisite was that only she and Aokiji were present.
However, if the topic was about feelings.
Tatsumaki still couldn't quite bring herself to say it; she wanted to always maintain the dominant position.
Wasn't there a saying?
—The person who confesses first is the loser.
"I'm serious," Aokiji said, displaying the Paw Pad again.
"This new ability can pop out conceptual things. I want to further develop the scope of the ability and try to pop out more concepts."
"Popping out concepts?"
Tatsumaki started pressing the Paw Pad again; the texture was strangely stress-relieving.
After hearing Aokiji's explanation, even she couldn't help but show some surprise.
This was the curiosity of a Stat Monster towards a mechanism.
"For example, like this." Aokiji reached out to demonstrate for her.
Extremely form-fitting fabric outlined her clear curves, and warmth covered her lower abdomen and navel.
Tatsumaki lowered her head and glanced down.
Heat subtly rose on her fair face.
Pressing exactly there—is he staking his claim, you pervert!
But she could indeed feel a special ability activating.
Tatsumaki watched a small mass of red energy overflow from her body, forming a Paw Pad-shaped red bubble about the size of an orange.
After the bubble completely detached from her, a light feeling of relief surged forth, similar to the relaxation experienced upon waking from a satisfying, perfect sleep.
"This is your fatigue, likely stemming from your flight to Z City."
Aokiji held up the small bubble mass for her to see.
Tatsumaki touched it curiously, and the bubble instantly returned to her body.
The slight fatigue she had subconsciously ignored returned, causing Tatsumaki to frown uncomfortably.
"If a popped-out concept is not held by anyone, it will automatically return after a period of time. The exact duration is also something I want to test."
"How about I let you play with the Paw Pad while you help me with the development tests?"
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki tilted her head back, yet still held onto Aokiji's palm. "Since you've opened your mouth to beg me like this, I'll reluctantly agree."
The two arrived at the vast Training grounds beneath the base.
The damage from the spar with Tatsumaki last time had long been fully repaired.
Now, in the venue, besides the flat, special alloy floor, there were blocks of highly compressed alloy cubes.
Instructions were issued through a built-in program, and Nanobots quickly used the alloy to form a large, wide sofa.
The flame clouds wrapped around the top, increasing the comfort of sitting there.
Tatsumaki leaned against Aokiji, holding one of his hands and playing with the Paw Pad that had appeared on his palm due to his Devil Fruit Ability.
The petite and youthful Tatsumaki, whose fluffy curls were still some distance from Aokiji's chin, could only rest her head on Aokiji's chest.
Warmth passed through the thin, form-fitting fabric to the soft, resilient curve of her lower abdomen, and the Devil Fruit Ability was carefully activated.
Aokiji closed his eyes, concentrating intently on controlling the ability.
Recalling the feeling of the ability popping out pain and fatigue, he imagined applying this feeling to other conceptual parts.
Tatsumaki raised her head, her hair making a slight rustling sound against the fabric as she looked up at Aokiji's neck, jaw, and his serious expression while his eyes were closed.
Don't they say looking up from below is the angle of death?
Looking from this angle, she didn't feel Aokiji had changed at all.
Tatsumaki took advantage of Aokiji closing his eyes and stared at him for a good while.
Her sitting posture became increasingly relaxed, her slender back pressed against his powerful muscles.
Her little curly head unconsciously shifted a few times, emitting faint, ambiguous rustling sounds.
About a quarter of an hour passed.
The talent gained from stacking three templates and the increased limit after breaking through the limiter finally allowed Aokiji's attempt to make progress.
A stream of pure white energy began to dissipate from Tatsumaki's body.
Tatsumaki watched the continuous stream of white energy popping out. She felt a little nervous, but trusting Aokiji, she didn't resist and just nestled closer into his arms.
Until the energy was completely popped out, forming a pure white bubble nearly half the size of a person.
Tatsumaki's vision instantly went black!
Her emerald green pupils instantly became vacant and lost.
Saying her vision went black wasn't entirely accurate.
This wasn't the darkness experienced when both eyes are closed.
Rather, it was like opening one eye and trying to perceive the perspective of the other closed eye.
One would be surprised to find that the perspective of the closed eye is completely imperceptible; the darkness blocked by the eyelid does not exist at all in the conscious mind.
Applying this feeling to both eyes results in pure visual nothingness, the perspective of a completely sightless person.
And this was exactly Tatsumaki's state now; her vision had become complete nothingness.
Her hands instinctively clenched tightly in tension.
Holding Aokiji's hand and feeling the familiar warmth, her seemingly calm voice betrayed a slight hint of anxiety.
"Hey Aokiji, wha—what is going on..."
Aokiji opened his eyes and looked down into his arms.
The proud and arrogant Tatsumaki was showing a rare hint of panic.
He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, leaning down, resting his chin on her fluffy curls, and holding Tatsumaki tighter.
"I tried popping out your visual sense. It will recover shortly."
"Bastard, Baka, Ice Block Head...! Say something before you do something like this!"
Tatsumaki scolded him angrily.
But combined with her helpless appearance and vacant eyes, it only made one feel—
"Oh, kawaii koto."
"Hah?? Baka!!" Heat rushed up Tatsumaki's cheeks.
After her visual sense was stripped away, the brain processing area originally allocated to sight began to focus on other senses.
The slight vibration in Aokiji's chest when he spoke was clearly transmitted.
The anxiety caused by losing her sight made the warmth radiating from him even more pronounced.
"Hurry up and restore my sight!"
"Dame." Aokiji refused directly.
"Didn't I say at the beginning that I need to test how long it takes for a popped-out concept to automatically return?"
"If you're scared..."
"Who said I was scared!!"
Psychic Power surged out, performing perception similar to sonar echo.
Although there were no colors, it still allowed Tatsumaki to perceive the surrounding contours.
She insisted boastfully, "A mere degree like this, my Psychic Power can overcome it easily!"
"Is that so?" Aokiji neither confirmed nor denied.
He stretched out his hand, supporting Tatsumaki under her armpits, lifting and turning her light, petite body.
He changed Tatsumaki's posture from lying back and leaning to a face-to-face embrace.
"I meant that this way, you'd feel a little more secure."
"...Hmph."
Tatsumaki gave a soft hum and remained silent.
She turned her head and pressed it against Aokiji's chest, where his steady, stable heartbeat transmitted rhythmically.
"Then I'll continue."
Warmth covered her thin back.
Aokiji continued trying to pop out other sensory concepts.
Ability development is gradual; naturally, he started with the simpler parts.
With the experience of popping out sight, the subsequent execution became more skillful.
Masses of pure white bubbles popped out one after another.
Smell, taste, hearing... until the final sense of touch also left her body and turned into a bubble, plunging Tatsumaki's consciousness completely into nothingness.
Even the control of her Psychic Power became extremely unstable.
Aokiji... Aokiji? Aokiji!
Tatsumaki didn't know if she had cried out; she couldn't perceive anything.
In this absolute silence and nothingness.
The shadows of being abandoned by her family in childhood, being locked in a dark cage, and being unwanted by everyone, emerged alongside it.
Trying to swallow her mind whole... something powerful yet gentle, be it energy or will, quietly brushed against Tatsumaki's Psychic Power.
It was Aokiji's power, Tatsumaki recalled.
The shadows suddenly dissipated.
The Psychic Power and Haki, symbolizing their respective Mental Energies, merged.
Tatsumaki clung to this sensation, the only sense she could touch and experience.