Chapter 11: Breath of the Flower

As soon as I left the world of Demon Slayer, I returned once again to the universe of One Piece.

“…Phew…”

Now back in the body of Boa Hancock, I stood in a forest clearing, quietly reflecting on my journey so far.

With that thought, I decided it was time to put the technique I had trained so hard to master to the test.
This overflowing power—I was finally ready to unleash it.
So I went straight to Granny Nyong and asked her for a sword.

“What’s with the sword? I don’t recall ever teaching you swordsmanship.
You do know how dangerous a sword can be, right? You might hurt yourself if you’re not careful.”

“Don’t worry, Granny Nyong.
I’ve been working on a technique for a while now.
I just want to see if it works.”

“You mean a technique you made up in your head?
Do you seriously think something like that will work?”

Granny Nyong sounded even more concerned after hearing my explanation.
Still, she didn’t try to stop me.
She simply observed from a distance—likely ready to step in and treat me if I got hurt.

But there was no need to worry.
This wasn’t just some fantasy I had dreamed up.
It was a technique I had already perfected in another world.

Of course, there was no way to explain that to her.
So I chose to show her instead.

I took the small katana, crafted to suit my current size, and focused on my breathing.

—Fwhoooosh!!!

A gust-like sound escaped with my exhale.
Thump. My heart pounded in my chest.
I could feel it swelling with each beat—thump, thump.
Heat spread through my limbs, and power surged throughout my body.

As expected of a body from Oda’s world—its physical capabilities were on an entirely different level.
It was strength in a whole other league.

Feeling that truth resonate within me, I drew the blade and activated the first form of my technique.

Flower Breathing – First Form:
Blossom Fan.

A single slash.
The blade swept diagonally through the air.
In that instant, the edge blurred, and an illusion—like a blooming flower—erupted in dazzling motion.

KWAAAAAR!!!

In the world of Demon Slayer, this technique would have only delivered a sharp forward strike, leaving a few additional wounds.
But in this universe—where even sword slashes can be projected—
the attack surged forward like a crashing wave, ripping through the ground with devastating force.

“…Hahaha!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.
Originally, I didn’t have the physical ability to unleash flying slashes.
But by combining enhanced body control with high-frequency vibration infused into the blade—
I had made the impossible possible.

Calling it a success didn’t even come close to describing the result.

And the illusion of petals fluttering in the wind?
It suited this body perfectly.

Granny Nyong, watching from a distance, stood frozen in shock.

“W-What in the world… is that technique?!”

The moment my breathing changed, my aura surged.
My abilities skyrocketed, and a wave of slashes erupted, each one subtly different, as if dozens of swords were striking at once.

Granny Nyong had seen countless swordsmen in her life,
but she had never witnessed anything like this.

This wasn’t just a powerful move.
It was a complete and refined sword style.
A single slash multiplied into dozens of variations—each one uniquely crafted.

Could such a technique really have been created by a mere girl?

A technique of this caliber…
Even the famed swordsmen across the seas might not possess anything like it.

‘…Even with the qualities of Conqueror’s Haki… this is absurd…’

Yes, awakening Conqueror’s Haki was extraordinary.
But this went far beyond potential or talent.

All Granny Nyong could do was watch in silence.

I was only eight years old.
Yet I had awakened all three types of Haki.
My physical abilities surpassed those of many adults, and now I had this sword style as well.

‘She’s already capable of holding her own in battle…’

“…This island is too small for someone like Hancock…”

‘But can I really let her leave at such a young age…?’

Experience was valuable—there was no denying that.
But she was still a child…
In the end, Granny Nyong decided to wait until I turned ten before reconsidering.

Unaware of her inner struggle, I continued practicing Flower Breathing,
training until each technique became second nature.

Flower Breathing consisted of six forms:

First Form – Blossom Fan
A diagonal slash enhanced with high-frequency vibration.
It creates subtle distortions in the blade’s trajectory, turning a single strike into dozens of simultaneous slashes—
as if the target had been shredded from multiple angles.

Second Form – Drifting Plum Blossoms
A circular, defensive form that doubles as offense.
By spinning the body and blade, it generates a swirling mass of slashes—
like a barrier of blades spinning in all directions.

Third Form – Piercing Camellia
A thrust-based technique that replicates multiple stabs in an instant,
creating a flower-shaped burst of piercing energy.

Fourth Form – Crimson Dahlia
A high-speed, rotating charge that delivers compact, forceful strikes.
By minimizing unnecessary movement and focusing vibration into the blade,
the attack maximizes penetration.

Fifth Form – Fleeting Peony
A chained technique that uses muscle retraction and acceleration to strike, withdraw, and strike again in rapid succession.
This form prioritizes speed and sharpness through tight, repeated bursts.

Sixth Form – Swirling Cherry Blossom
A counter-attack technique.
The user rotates or lifts into the air to dodge incoming attacks,
then uses centrifugal force to retaliate with a powerful spinning slash.

For reference, the names were borrowed from the original Flower Breathing style.
Urokodaki once told me that a similar breathing style had once existed, suited for users of pink Nichirin blades.
Though no longer passed down, some derivative forms still existed.

He believed I might have been able to learn one of those styles.

However, according to Himejima,
he thought I would grow far stronger by creating a technique from scratch.
He deliberately withheld any knowledge of the derivative styles—
even from Urokodaki—so that I’d be forced to invent one myself.

He only told me the truth after I had already completed the First Form.
From there, I used the original Flower Breathing as a reference to complete the remaining five forms,
which is why the names remained similar.

“Fuuuuu…”

‘Still, the power is on an entirely different level.’

Looking around at the devastated terrain, I smiled with satisfaction.
Though the names matched the originals,
my version of Flower Breathing was in a class of its own—
more powerful than any other breathing style I had seen.

Well, that was only natural.
I had crafted this technique using all the theories and knowledge accumulated through multiple lifetimes.

A style that couldn’t even be attempted without mastering the “Revealed World.”

That said, I had nothing more to prove.

With my sword style complete,
and my Haki fully awakened—
I focused on training each type of Haki in earnest.

And so—two years passed.

Before I realized it,
I had turned ten.