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Chapter 43: Hybrid Form I

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Misspelling her name was one thing, but talking to her like that? Kalifa felt like killing him right there and then.

Alas, she took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "First of all, it's Kalifa. Most importantly, stop the sexual harassment."

"Sexual harassement?" Yovan arched his brows as he eyed Kalifa up and down, "Do you know any way I can get far quickly?"

Kalifa turned around mechanically and started walking away, looking down to die her expression.

'Hm? What's wrong with her?' Yovan wondered with confusion. He thought she'd have some way to alleviate his condition a bit, but I guess he has to do with what he has and what he will have.

Yovan traced his eyes to his crew. Laffitte was actually steering the ship himself in contrast to letting others steer it which he used to do in their old ship. Now, however, he took control of the wheel for himself.

In fact, he rarely leaves its side, normally only when he'd continue with his sewing hobby.

Bege, on the other hand, was taking a seat on the chair in the main deck, just sitting there elegantly... That's it. It was as if he was basking in the ship's presence.

"This is nice," Yovan murmured, 'But I can't go on like this for much longer... Hopefully, our destination can provide an alternate solution.'

He will, however, continue with his torturous workout even if a solution is found because his progress was phenomenal.

-[Devil Fruit: Kakin Kakin no Mi, Model: Crow: 696/∞]

He will certainly not stop though he often wonders why he can not use his hybrid form. He can only use the feathers of desperation when in his crow form, but it'd make everything much easier if he has a hybrid form.

He first assumed he'd be able to use it when his mastery reaches 600, but it appears not. It either requires a higher mastery or he just doesn't have a hybrid form.

That's especially weird since most Zoan Devil Fruits acquire their hybrid very quickly.

It's called Human-Beast Form, hybrid form for shorts, and it combines the characteristics of both the users' original species and the fruit-bestowed species into an unusual form.

"Cap! We're almost there!" Yovan was awakened from his daze by Laffitte's excited yells. 

He lifted his head to eye the vague Island far into the horizon, becoming clearer and clearer with time.

The ocean in this area was very dark, but even more so calm. One might even say it's the safest area in Paradise when it comes to weather.

As they got closer, many more islands started emerging on the horizon, all with the same shape, a series of flower-like Islands.

"What are we doing here?" Kalifa came back, seeming calm again. 

"To get fat," Yovan answered as he stood up on the crow's head.

"Pardon?" Kalifa genuinely doubted her ears. Why would anyone want to be fat? Moreover, "You know what these Islands are, right?"

"Boin Archipelago," As he answered, he opened his notebook and continued, "The Islands are actually giant carnivorous plants scientifically known as Stomach Barons, that eat overweight animals that are within its forests."

"Then why?" Kalifa genuinely doubted this guy's sanity.

"Because I'm a bit too skinny and..." Yovan halted his words and transformed into his crow form almost instantly, giving birth to a burst of feathers that formed into a sword and dove right through the ocean.

All everyone on the ship heard was a reverberating impact, sending a shockwave throughout the calm water.

Yovan created even more feathers as he flew high above the ship, sending swords of feather down the ocean until eventually, the feathers escaped the depths of the ocean, acting as a chain to pull a few things along.

"Laffitte!" Bege yelled as he stood up and jumped into the air only to be caught by Laffitte. They started flying high above the ship, keeping eye on the surroundings.

Kalifa just eyed everything with narrow eyes, quickly hiding her shock. She neither sensed nor heard anything, so how did Yovan sense the Sea Kings so far beneath the ocean bed?

This area is one of the deadliest areas in paradise. The weather is peaceful, and the ocean is calm, but the creatures carried by Yovan's feather chains say otherwise.

Three colossal Sea Kings with their heads split open. The crow flew far into the distance, reaching the Island before anyone else, and then he let the Sea Kings go.

The Sea Kings aren't the real danger. No, the Islands are because the creatures that bring fear to most who traverse the ocean are nothing but food for the Islands, or Stomach Barons.

The Island literally split open, an enormous hollow appearing at its center so massive it allowed the colossal Sea Kings in with ease.

The Island then closed by itself as if nothing happened. It is a dangerous species of giant carnivorous seaborne plants that form the chains of "islands" in Boin Archipelago. 

Due to their large size and having forests growing on their body, the Barons are often mistaken as islands, another reason why they easily attract prey.

Yovan returned to the ship, turning into his human form before wondering out loud, "I wonder if we can overfeed that thing, like, making it eat so much in such a short amount of time that it pukes or something?"

"That sounds disgusting," Bege remarked as he landed on the ship, strangely let go by Laffitte without much trouble.

Well, it seems that Laffitte had his interest picked, "That sounds so cool! Like if we choke it to death!"

"But dangerous," Kaku pointed out, eyeing them weirdly.

"Alright! Everyone agrees." Yovan smiled before adding, "We have a new project! Hunt Seak Kings and feed the thing that eats them!" 

"And I'm taking no part of that," Bege shook his head with exasperation. Just the sound of that made him wanna puke.

By this point, the ship reached the Island, so before anyone can question his dictator-like way of deciding things, he jumped off the ship.

He hid it well but Carrying those Sea Kings took a toll on his body, yet somehow, he was still standing up. Even he doesn't understand how his body can still move.

However, he was hopeful because before him was a miracle. He crouched down to casually find well-prepared sushi.

Like, a few sushis were just lying there on the side. Even weirder was a piece of cooked meat beside them.

He picked up the Sushi and took a small bite, tasting it, "Actually delicious." His crew soon joined him as they walked deeper into the forest, finding more and more delicacies.

"Are we actually here to get fat? Because I don't want to get fat." Kaku couldn't help but question, "And we aren't gonna actually live here, right?"

The reason he asked was because with every step they took, there were delicacies just as there were predators, waiting for them to take the bait.

Within its forests are various gigantic bugs and vicious man-eating plants, too many to count.

The Stomach Barons feed upon massive beasts such as Sea Kings, and in return, they give birth to various kinds of food throughout their bodies to attract even more food.

It's a well-designed system to grow, and Yovan was certainly planning to exploit it, "Of course we won't live here, we'll stay at the center."

Kalifa, Bege, and his subordinates stayed behind to protect the ship while Yovan dove deeper and deeper into the forest, taking his time instead of simply flying to the center.

He made sure to eat as much as he can and feel the nutritional nature of the forest. The Stomach Barons want the visitors to get fat, so everything it grows is so much more nourishing than anything Yovan ever tasted, even Sea Kings.

Fruits. Vegetables. Cooked eggs. Lots and lots of meat. Rivers of Ramen. Moreover, everything within the forest was huge, even the eggs.

Kaku was very much silent throughout the way because he saw why Yovan wanted to get fat. Yovan naturally had to take his mask off to eat, so Kaku saw it, and well, he remained silent.

Yovan refrained from showing how he looks to Iceburg, and basically the whole city, but he didn't care if either Kalifa or Kaku see him, so he threw his mask to the side as he smiled happily.

"We'll stay here for a while, and we'll push ourselves beyond our limits because we won't be leaving Paradise being so weak. We'll be sparring every day for an indefinite time span."