I created a foundation

The alloy door of the gravity training room slid open silently a crack.

Yukinoshita Yukino walked in.

The first thing she saw was not Lin Qing, but the shocking huge dent on the wall.

The concave shape was clearly a fist mark.

There was still a faint, heart-pounding sense of oppression in the air.

Her perception of power was far beyond that of ordinary people, so she could naturally tell that this was not caused by ordinary physical impact.

Lin Qing stood in the middle of the training room with his back to her, seemingly adjusting his state.

There was no sign of any energy leaking out of his body, and he was as calm as a deep pool of water.

But Yukino could feel that beneath that calm appearance, there was a terrifying power lurking.

Just like what she had felt on the battlefield not long ago, the pure and powerful force that could easily tear through the defenses of sea kings.

Yukino didn't say anything to interrupt.

She just stood there quietly, waiting.

Her eyes were more focused and determined than ever before.

It was as if a volcano that had been brewing for a long time was about to erupt at the next moment.

After a long time, Lin Qing slowly turned around.

His gaze was calm, fixed on Yukinoshita Yukino.

He saw a pair of eyes that were completely different from before.

Those beautiful eyes that always seemed a little cold and distant, and occasionally revealed a gentleness like melting ice and snow, now seemed like two clusters of cold flames deep in the sea.

It's cold, yet burning with a desperate persistence in the deepest part.

"President."

Yukino spoke, her voice a little hoarse from the battle, but every word was crystal clear, like a stone striking steel, resounding.

She addressed him the same way, but something in her tone had completely changed.

"I don't want to be a protected person anymore."

There was no hesitation or wavering in her voice.

"I watched my family and my companions sacrifice themselves for me and stand in front of me."

She took a step forward, her eyes fixed on Lin Qing's, without dodging or avoiding.

It was a look that stripped away all disguises, revealing the most naked and true core.

"I'm tired of feeling powerless."

Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly.

Then, she bowed deeply and solemnly to Lin Qing.

Ninety degrees.

Her hair fell from her shoulders, obscuring her expression.

But her slightly trembling shoulders revealed her inner unrest.

"please tell me."

She maintained her bowing posture, and her voice came from below, with a determination to burn her boats.

"How can I become stronger?"

"Whatever it takes."

"I can accept it."

There was a brief silence in the training room.

Only the slight humming sound of the equipment and Yukinoshita Yukino's still trembling but extremely firm oath echoed in the empty space.

She raised her head and looked straight at Lin Qing.

There is a request, a desire, and even a determination to never give up until the goal is achieved in his eyes.

She has completely cut off all her pride and all her escape routes.

Just looking for an answer.

An answer that would make her no longer weak.

Lin Qing's gaze lingered on Yukinoshita Yukino's cold face for a moment.

In those ice-blue eyes, there was an unmistakable fire burning at this moment, a determination to burn one's boats and a consciousness to live in the face of death.

He nodded slightly, and a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This is the attitude he approves of.

"very good."

Lin Qing's voice remained flat, and no emotion could be heard.

He spread his palms.

There seemed to be a fleeting, imperceptible fluctuation in the air.

The next moment, a fruit exuding a wild and ancient aura lay quietly in his palm.

The fruit was a deep, dark purple, its surface covered in strange, ancient spiral patterns, as if imbued with a terrifying power from the ancient past. Just by looking at it, one could sense the suppressed fury and restlessness within.

Ancient species of animal-type devil fruit [Saber-toothed tiger form].

This is the system's reward for her enlightenment and also a test of her loyalty.

Yukino's gaze fell on the fruit, and her breathing stopped for a moment.

She could clearly sense the terrifying energy hidden inside this seemingly inconspicuous fruit.

"Eat it."

Lin Qing spoke, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"It will grant you the power to tear apart all that is mundane, allowing you to confront the abnormal head-on."

He paused, then added, "But the price is that you will be forever spurned and cursed by the sea. And... your body may undergo some... small, unpredictable changes."

Yukino listened quietly, her eyes not wavering in the slightest.

Curse of the Sea?

Unforeseen changes?

These were nothing compared to the power she sought, compared to her determination to protect what she wanted.

She stretched out her hand, her white fingers firm and steady, and took the strange fruit from Lin Qing's palm.

The surface of the fruit is rough and a little cool to the touch.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Yukino closed her eyes, brought the devil fruit to her lips, and then took a bite.

An indescribable disgusting taste instantly exploded in her mouth.

It felt like a mixture of stinky socks that had been rotting for centuries, and the filthy mud from the deepest part of a muddy swamp after a rainstorm, all stirred together and forced into the mouth.

My stomach was churning.

Yukino's brows furrowed in pain, and she almost felt like vomiting.

But she just clenched her teeth, slid her throat, and forced herself to swallow the large piece of fruit pulp with an unbearable taste.

Then came the second bite, the third bite...

Until the whole devil fruit is swallowed into the stomach.

A strange burning sensation, like magma, suddenly rose from her lower abdomen and instantly spread to her limbs and bones.

boom!

A vast and wild power from ancient times erupted in her body.

It was as if a giant beast that had been sleeping for billions of years awakened at this moment.

"Crack...knock..."

She could clearly hear that all the bones in her body were making subtle and dense crisp sounds, as if they were being broken and reshaped by an invisible force.

Every inch of muscle fiber trembled and tore violently under the impact of this force, and then regenerated in a stronger and more explosive way.

excruciating pain.

The pain is indescribable.

But Yukino just bit her lower lip tightly, letting the cold sweat soak the clothes on her back without making a single moan.

Her consciousness sank in a torrent of pain and power.

After an unknown amount of time, the violent force seemed to have finally found an outlet.

Yukino felt an unbearable tingling and itching on the top of her head.

It's like... something is about to break out of the ground.

She subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch it.

However, the next moment, a pair of small and delicate cat ears covered with pure white soft fur suddenly emerged from between her long, black and smooth hair without any warning.

The tips of the ears were light pink, and because of the sudden change, they were shaking slightly uneasily and vigilantly.

Followed by.

She also felt a strange sensation at her tailbone.

A slender and resilient cat tail, also covered with pure white fur and dotted with several elegant black rings at the end, stretched out from behind her.

The tail seemed to be curious about the new environment, yet a little uneasy, swaying gently in the air, drawing soft arcs.

Power...was surging within her body.