After the creation of the outfit, James couldn't help but admire himself in a mirror he had conjured, marveling at his own taste, as an imposing and refined gentleman was reflected back, his long white hair now tied up in a topknot with a golden imperial dragon head piece, completing the ensemble. With a wave of his hand, the mirror disappeared in motes of white particles, and with this move, James confirmed another suspicion he had.
During his earlier test of his powers of erasure, he used about a tenth of the energy in his body to erase such a small piece of space in that starry expanse of void, and James had thought it was because he needed to strengthen his control over his power to better maximize the effect while minimizing the power usage, but that idea was wrong, as James had just tested his power just now with the mirror and found that he barely even felt the energy usage. This meant that his power was just in a suppressed state, and that was understandable seeing as a realm that could grant or even revoke such power isn't easily destroyed, and he was lucky enough to even cause the damage he did cause.
"Alright! Let's go explore what's ahead on that island!"
James took off at a leisurely pace as his body skimmed over the surface of the water, seemingly unaffected by the rules of gravity, while the rocking waves seemed to come to a calm when approached by his presence, as they dare not clash lest they be obliterated. As James stepped upon land, his presence went unnoticed by the surrounded dock workers, as utilizing the ultimate state of Ultra Instinct allowed James to blend his breath with nature, making him appear invisible to any and everyone he doesn't wish to expose his presence to.
"Hmm? Seems I've arrived in Shells town, and seeing as this is the day Luffy sets sail, then he should arrive over the next couple of days, so I guess I'll wait for him here"
James really wanted to see what his favorite protagonist who stood side by side in favorability with protagonists like Goku, and Naruto, so he felt waiting around for a few days wasn't such a bad option. Just as James began touring the town he took notice of a little girl who seemed to give off a shifty demeanor as she made her way deeper into the town towards the Marine branch.
"Oh? It seems Zoro has gone hungry for a few days now, and this little girl is going to feed him?"
Just as James began trailing behind the girl, he noticed that she took out a ladder from the nearby bushes and set it against the wall before making her way up and over, while James began to levitate off the ground and peer over the wall with his hands behind his back, posing in an elegant manner.
'Ahh, That reminds me, I should also create a nice sword for myself. Although I don't require one, but who hasn't dreamed of being a swashbuckling sword hero as a kid'
As James was preparing to watch the interaction between the two individuals in the Marine courtyard, he quickly utilized his power to create a beautiful katana, the blade was a deep black color, while the hilt gave off a dazzling golden glow, the handle was a golden color wrapped in black rope cord with an obsidian black pommel, while the scabbard was gold in color with an obsidian black cap on each end. The katana upon completion was named 'Imperial Might' by James, as he felt that it fit his whole regal king act.
"Now, let's see what Zoro looks like in real life, shall we?"
As James set his focus on Zoro who stood strapped to a cross in the middle of the field along with the little girl who obviously came to talk to him, it soon became obvious that something was wrong.
"Wait… Why does Zoro's chest look so bloated? And why is his hair so long?"
Just as James was feeling the confusion from the mental blast he was experiencing, a fleeting voice entered his ear from the individual tied to the cross, and it was obvious that this voice was of a feminine nature.
"I told you, kid, get lost! Aren't you scared of my title as the Demonic Huntress of the East Blue?"
"No way! Big sister, you saved me from that mean doggy, and now you are locked up here for protecting me!"
As the two continued their conversation, some muffled noise began to grow louder which startled the two individuals, and the little girl quickly ran back towards the wall as she took a small grappling hook from her back and tossed the hook over before using the rope to climb up and over, fleeing back to the place she came from. James just watched all this in silence, knowing that the next time the girl comes back it might be with food along with her arrival would be the arrival of Luffy.
"What is this? Zoro is a woman?! Oh boy, this is going to be an interesting development"
James began to watch as a young blonde boy came over with a bunch of soldiers and began to taunt the green haired swordswoman with food while mocking her for what he believed was foolish behavior of saving the little girl from the dog attack, and after half an hour of verbal and mental torture, the young boy left with his pose of marines, leaving the swordswoman to steep in contemplation.
"Hmm, You know, aside from her rough personality, she's quite the beauty. I wonder if saving her would allow me to grow closer to her personally?"
As James came up with his own ideas, he decided to get closer until the tied up swordswoman seemed to sense a presence appear right in front of her causing her to tense up in vigilance.
"Who are you?! And how did you get in here?"
This question seemed to confuse James as he cocked his head and then stated an obvious answer.
"Huh? If a little girl can climb over the wall, then can't a grown man like myself do the same?"
Hearing James mention the little girl, the green haired swordswoman's vigilance only heightened as she began to threaten James to keep quiet about the girl's visitation hours.
"You best keep your mouth shut about that girl, otherwise, once I get out of here I'll be sure to make you wish for death"
"Oh? Interesting… And do enlighten me on how you plan to avoid the execution awaiting you?"
When James mentioned execution, the swordswoman furrowed her brows as she felt an ominous feeling surface in her stomach, but her belief stemming from the idea that the navy should uphold their promises told her that she would be fine so long as she serves out the punishment.
"What are you talking about? I have a deal with that blonde bastard that as long as I stay tied up here for a month with no food or water, that I would be free and that girl and her family would be spared. I've been here for a week already"
When James heard the details of the deal, he could only give the swordswoman a pitiful glance as he clicked his tongue, something that irked the swordswoman as she growled back in anger.
"What's that look for? You have a problem with how I handle my own matters?"
"Hmm, No, that's not it… I just feel it's a pity that you would put your trust in a stuck up brat who goes around actively unleashing his vicious dog on innocent people to harm them and believe he would keep a promise… I hate to break it to you, but his plan from beginning to end was to watch you waste away in pain and suffering, but your unyielding and composed personality has made this little game of his boring"
As James spoke, the swordswoman's face grew darker and darker, as if the pieces of the puzzle were starting to connect together and reveal the bigger picture, all while James continued to explain the upcoming plan.
"He feels that seeing you so composed instead of a broken groveling mess has dulled the fun of slowly torturing you to death, so now he's planning to kill you ahead of schedule… Don't get me wrong here, you were going to die either way, he never planned on letting you live, he only wanted to see you break down mentally before your death so he could later tell people about how 'The Great Demonic Huntress' died groveling and begging at his feet"
When James finished explaining Helmeppo's full plan, she couldn't help but seethe in anger as her dark expression turned red with rage, but there was nothing she could do as her body was weak and exhausted from nutritional deficiency, and her swords had long since been taken by Helmeppo and placed god knows where.
"So what, are you here to carry out the execution? Why else would you be telling me all this?"
"No no, don't misunderstand my intentions. You see, I'm waiting in this town for a destined individual with a straw hat to appear, and I couldn't stand by and watch you fall for such an obvious ruse. So, do you want my help?"
When James began to explain his purpose, the tension in the green haired swordswoman's body began to ease as she felt that James didn't seem all that bad, and from his appearance he was also a swordsman just like herself.
"Hais~ Even if you release me, my swords are still with that blonde bastard, and I can't leave without them"
Upon hearing the conundrum the two found themselves in, James could only nod in understanding as he began to rub his chin with one hand while his other still rested casually at the hilt, thumb ready to unsheathe the blade at any time.
"Yes, yes, that does seem to pose an issue, but I'm sure we can figure something out. Just tell me, are you willing to join me on my adventure after I rescue you?"
"I'm sorry, but even if you rescue me, I have to refuse your offer. You see, I have a dream, and that dream is to defeat the world's greatest swordsman and fulfill a promise to a lost friend"
James expected this answer, as she wouldn't be Zoro otherwise, or rather, Zara? James was still unaware of what her name was, as he had only overheard her title.
"That's no problem, I'll tell you a secret. You want to fight the world's greatest swordsman and claim that title? Then you would be best following me, as there is no greater swordsman in this world than me. Even Hawkeye is no match for my blade"
Upon hearing the blatant boasting spewing from James' mouth, the green haired swordswoman felt that James was mocking not only her intellect, but her pride as a swordsman and this fostered a strong distaste for James in her stomach, but James noticed the look she gave him and knew she didn't believe him.
"Oh? Seems you don't believe me? Then perhaps I should show a bit of my skill?"
James watched the swordswoman's face for a hit of hesitation, but instead it was a look of expectation, a look that said 'you said it, now prove it or I will look down upon you forever' so with a sigh James took a few steps back with with a casual and relaxed stance he slowly drew Imperial Might from its scabbard, the obsidian black blade completely absorbing the rays of sunlight that cascade on its surface, and with a single casual swing in the air, space tore as a large fissure began to expand in the middle of the yard, and on the other side of the fissure was an endless black void that attempted to draw in the soul the longer you gaze into it.
"Well? What do you think? Is my swordsmanship amazing?"
As James spoke, the fissure began to close as the cracks in space began mending before returning to the previous calm state, while the green haired swordswoman was left gaping in awe at what she just saw.
"Y-You! How did you do that?"
"Didn't I tell you? That was swordsmanship! You see, I classify swordsmanship in 6 levels. Level 1 is where you currently stand, and it's considered basic swordsmanship that focuses on physical strengthening. Level 2 is what you might call the Iron Cutting realm, where swordsmen begin to integrate physical strength with technique. If the first level is like a barbarian swinging around a stick with brute strength, then level two is where that barbarian begins to incorporate precision and technique"
As James began to elucidate on the realms of swordsmanship, the swordswoman was left listening intently, careful not to miss a single word, all while the recent commotion drew the attention of surrounding Marines who began to gather together, prepared to investigate.
"Level 3 is known as the projection realm, this is the realm where swordsmen discover their sword path and incorporate internal energy into their attacks, and this releases what is known as swordwave slashes. Level 4 is what you all consider the Great Swordsman level, this is also Dracule Mihawk's current level, and is also the level where a swordsman begins to understand the realm of sword intent. Level 5 is known as the Sword Origin realm, this is the realm where you find that anything can be used as a sword, be it a stick, a rock, or even a leaf. It's a state where your sword intent fuses with your internal energy to form blades from energy. And level 6 is the peak of swordsmanship, I call it the Return To Simplicity realm, in this realm one no longer needs to use anything as a weapon, as a simple thought is enough to slip apart your enemies from miles away. This is the peak of swordsmanship, and this is where I currently stand in that hierarchy"
When the swordswoman finished digesting James' words, her once sceptical expression eased up as she began to ponder James' words, and as if making the biggest gamble of her entire life, she looked up into his eyes and spoke in a calm and confident tone.
"I believe you, and I'm willing to follow you, but on two conditions! The first is that you must never impede me from chasing my dream, if you do, then I will be the first to cut you down, no matter how strong you are! The second condition is that I want you to teach me more about swordsmanship, and when I reach your level I want to challenge you for the title of world's greatest swordsman! If you can agree to these two conditions, then I will follow you to the ends of the world!"
When James heard the accepting words, his smile began to grow wider as he nodded in approval and prepared to cut her loose from the cross.