One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 344 Life is merely a human definition.

Don't get me wrong, Roman doesn't want to fight Kuzan.

If she really wanted to, she wouldn't have fought Kuzan here.

After all, if you break something here, you really have to pay for it.

Marineford's finance department is notoriously difficult to deal with.

If you insist on not paying, they will fill your mailbox with bills and make countless phone calls.

So Roman wasn't really that tactless.

Besides, Aokiji is still a problem for her.

There's no need for her to have a major fight with Aokiji; that's not her style.

"Hmm? Although I shouldn't doubt you so easily, are you sure? My ice can freeze almost anything. Although it won't necessarily kill you on the spot, the low temperature will quickly deplete a person's strength and body temperature. Plants don't like this kind of thing." Aokiji scratched his head and finally spoke.

Looking back now, Roman's ideas were always wildly imaginative, and Aokiji found it really hard to understand them.

"You don't need to worry, I have my own ideas, so I won't stand on ceremony."

Roman's plants were bound to Kuzan's ice.

Low temperatures are the natural enemy of plants, especially ice blocks produced by the blue pheasant.

Roman could sense that his plants were very uncomfortable.

But it's okay, you can "eat" it too, can't you?

The fruit of the forest is good at absorbing energy.

Because her creations are closer to living organisms and possess a certain amount of life energy.

Therefore, they instinctively absorb energy.

Therefore, Roman has long focused his attention on living things.

But now that I think about it, the so-called life energy is just a concept.

The definition and concept of life are ultimately just things defined by humans.

Now that he has eaten a Devil Fruit and possesses incredible power, he might as well be a little bolder with his ideas.

Do her plants really only absorb "life"?

Ultimately, all they need is energy.

For example, plants can directly absorb the energy of sunlight.

So, can I absorb things of other attributes?

To prove this, Roman even had Aokiji do an experiment with her.

The conclusion drawn from this is that those ice cubes are simply energy.

Unlike gentle energies, they are terrifying energies capable of destroying people.

But whether it's gentle or terrifying, it doesn't change the fact that they are energy.

Therefore, as long as it is energy, it has the potential to be transformed and absorbed.

Even though ice poses a threat from low temperatures, plants will not completely lose their vitality even in the cold; they will still grow with their tenacious life force.

So, you can give it a try.

Her eyes were filled with excitement.

While Roman focused on his plant powers and battled Aokiji's ice blocks, Aokiji's attention was drawn to Roman's expression.

Confidence, excitement, curiosity—her eyes conveyed a range of emotions.

That's really remarkable.

Seeing them like this, Aokiji felt a pang of nostalgia.

Sometimes, he felt that Roman resembled him when he was young.

Full of confidence and vitality.

And if we have to say something, Roman was much better than he was at that time.

She has always maintained a mature mindset. Even after encountering darkness, she continued to forge ahead, solely for her goal.

Compared to himself, this young junior seemed far more capable.

And... has she gotten stronger again?

After receiving the title of Black Dragon, Roman, like Gion, disappeared for a period of time.

However, unlike the now-missing Gardens, Roman soon returned to Marineford.

However, compared to the radiant Roman, his four subordinates all appeared withered and listless.

However, according to other people, all four of them became much stronger because of the training (being beaten up).

Of course, the most notable one is Roman.

After this incident, she grew even taller and had an even more outstanding presence. Although she still smiled often, Aokiji sensed the "power" in her smile.

Confidence brings strength, and strength also brings confidence.

Roman's confidence emanated from his entire being, which stemmed from his strength.

Although he had witnessed it many times before, Aokiji couldn't help but marvel once again that Roman himself was an incredible monster.

No matter what difficulties or enemies she encountered, she seemed to have a way.

Although the three men denied the claim that they had severely damaged Kaido's strength.

However, according to reliable intelligence, Kaido's eye is indeed injured.

And it did not heal.

This is absolutely rare.

Having seen Kaido in person, Aokiji knew about the guy's healing abilities.

The fact that they could leave an unhealable scar on his body means that the three of them really severely injured Kaido.

Although it sounds unbelievable, the reality is irrefutable and cannot be changed.

So what role did Roman play in all of this, and what did she accomplish?

Strangely, although all three denied it, they never told anyone else the details, remaining tight-lipped about the matter.

Emmm...

That seems a bit suspicious.

However, Aokiji quickly put this question out of his mind.

He doesn't really like thinking about these issues.

Anyway, as long as Roman is believable, that's fine, even though she does sometimes like to let her imagination run wild.

For example, right now...

Ok?

Aokiji was surprised to find that his ice block had been...

"It seems it can be absorbed too. Look, the fruit has already grown." Roman touched the newly appeared fruit and smiled very brightly.

Plants resembling ice flowers suddenly appeared on the green vines; although beautiful, they did look somewhat eerie.

But Roman continued to gently stroke the plants, smiling with great delight.

emm...

Sensing the power that had vanished from him, Aokiji's realization deepened: Yes, she was indeed a monster.