Chapter 94 - A spar

A Year had passed since Elene and co had started training their Haki.

Which added to the first five months of training the six marines skills, meant a year and a half had passed already since Ian and co had come to the island for the first time.

In this past year, Elene and co had trained like there was no tomorrow at the insistence of Geo on their Haki.

Geo had them master all types of Haki they had. But the way they incorporate it into their attacks was left to them.

He had trained them for 8 months on observation and Armament Haki. The rest of the four months he told them to work on their own on the various forms of attack they could learn.

And today he was going to have them spare with Ian. So that he can see the fruits of their works. Ian had told him that he was going to stay another five months. So based on what he sees in this fight, he will decide what he does in the remaining time for their training.

They were all standing in a tree clearing in the forest.

Elene and co can be seen wearing weights on their arms, legs, and torso. These were weights that had been worn since the first day their training had started. And they did not take them off even while sleeping.

"Alright you guys, you can take those off. You have earned the right." Geo announced.

Meanwhile, Ian who was by the side grinned at them. He was happy that they had reached this far. Though it was in huge part thanks to him, it still doesn't take the fact that they had trained as hard as they could all this time.

To say he was proud of them would be an understatement.

He watched as they each excitedly got rid of the weights. Which made 'Thud' sounds each time.

"Finally we can get rid of these ugly things." Stella was the loudest and first to complain as she hurriedly took them off.

She was followed by a giggle from Elene who appeared calm but nonetheless was super excited inside too.

Robin calmly did the same while smiling a bit.

"They weren't that bad…" Bert muttered. He was the only one who did not want to take them off… he had grown to like them, as they were a form of constant training. But even he knew that right now they became useless to him. He would need heavier weights. As such while still reluctant he proceeded to take them off now.

Geo and Ian enjoyed their misery from the side both of them sharing a grin.

"Now then. You are going to fight Ian so that I can see your progress and see what to do from now on for the remaining time you have left." Geo told them as he started walking to the side leaving Ian facing them.

They tensed up and took battle positions.

Meanwhile, Ian just stood there waiting for who was going to make the first move. In this fight, he was not going to use his lightning with its full power. It was just a spar after all. Though he had managed to reach as much as 500,000,000 volts, more than double that of Enel, and incidentally was half the voltage of natural lightening.

"Start" Geo yelled the start.

Suddenly four sharp compressed air shockwaves came at Ian from the back and sides.

They penetrated his body passing completely through. After which the wholes on his body reformed in a show of moving lightening before Ian was as good as new. He turned to Robin who had made four arms appear around him which she used to make the first attack. Flying finger gun. He didn't even see her cross her arms to use her ability. She was finally able to use it normally it appears. And he couldn't detect her made parts as they had no aura.

Though a Logia user's body doesn't transform into the elemental state automatically, a skilled user can train to transform on reflex rather than on reaction, thus gaining an effective protection against surprise attacks. And Ian had trained that until perfection.

Using his fingers he fired lightening threads at the four arms sprouting nearby destroying them, and once again he was surprised as she didn't react whatsoever. According to what she told him each pain inflected on the parts she made was transferred to her.

Ian had at one point suggested that she may be able to turn that off. It appeared she had succeeded.

He was not given any more time to think as Bert came closing in on him with his sword already swung six times in almost a second.

"Swift blade: Savage strikes," Bert said as he attacked.

Six air blades came at him but once again Ian didn't dodge. Even though he knew the attack was imbued with Haki and could hurt him. He still had other abilities.

A wave of telekinesis was launched in a circle around his body which destroyed the air blades along with the chains that had been nearing him stealthily from under the ground courtesy of one Stella.

When he took a look at their position, both he and Geo from the side couldn't help but give a nod of acknowledgment.

Bert was their vanguard. Stella and Robin were in the middle. Leaving Elene to the back with her rifle to cover the back and attack to her comfort.

He brought both hands forward and released two lightening shaped serpents.

"Lightning: Serpents," Ian said.

Each one went snaking in the air towards a target. One for Stella and one fore Robin. And even as they dodged the moment the serpents hit the ground they exploded making the girls retreat even further.

Ian took that time to close in on Bert. After which he punched and released from his arm a huge lightning arrow at Bert, leaving him no choice but to dodge.

"Lightning: Bolt" Ian muttered.

Elene took this chance and attacked with her bullets infused with Haki which actually touched Ian and their effects were instantaneous. He was rooted to the spot with Elene's slowing effects that were only enhanced with her fruit.

Robin and Stella took advantage of that and each launched their own attacks. Robin knew Ian was about to recover his mobility so she used her ability to sprout many arms in place that would hold him for the duration of Stella's attack.

Stella stomped with her legs releasing six flaming chains coated in Haki underground, which traveled the distance between them and reappeared near Ian attacking him from different directions. This was an ability she had discovered when she had shot her chains in training with a huge speed her chains lit up in fire.

"Chained path: Flaming pain" Stella muttered the name of her attack.

But Ian used his telekinesis to fly upwards, along with his monstrous strength to get out of Robin's arms hold. Then the flaming chains who were still following him were caught using telekinesis after which he channeled his electricity through them, but Stella cut the chains before the shock reached her.

Then Ian using his observation Haki supplemented with his devil fruit dodged a near impossible to dodge attack made by Elene. She had shot a dark ball of energy at him, and even as he dodged it he failed to see Elene's smirk.

"Blackhole." She said.

The ball exploded and started pulling everything around it towards its center. Including Ian.

But his high strength and mind power had him control himself quickly and step away from what could only be called an artificial black hole.

He stayed away until the effects of it were done before he hit the ground. Then leaving them no time to react he shot his hands to the sky, and made four lightning strikes descend onto each one as if heavens judgment. But they were still able to dodge, with the exception of Bert who was a bit scorched on his arm.

His position right behind Ian as if he was sneaking up upon him.

"Alright let's get this done with," Ian muttered.

But he was shocked when he saw what Robin did next. A small army of arms was sprouted behind her which she made release their attack imbued with Haki. Two consecutive attacks actually.

"Flying finger Gun: Barrage." She said. And followed by, "Tempest slash: Slaughter".

Which covered all of Ian's vision as if the sky had changed color.

Following behind it was the recovered Bert who had electricity on his sword and his legs to boost his speed. And once in a near enough position, he held his sword with both hands and focused all his energy onto the next attack and then he swung releasing a massive air blade filled with electricity.

"Swift blade: Electrifying shock blade" Bert muttered.

Although he knew electricity would do nothing to Ian, he was banking on Elene's ability to nullify his fruit for a short time. Which she did as she hurriedly shot a darkness bullet that managed to overtake both of their attacks and hit a shocked Ian, effectively nullifying his fruit for a few seconds.

Then Stella took all of her energy and made one single huge chain appear at her feet. She then made it as big as possible until it almost reached half a meter in width before she launched it like a flaming arrow at Ian.

"Chained path: Dragon fang" She yelled her attack.

After which there was a loud explosion and dust raised.

Then they each heaved a deep breath from the bit of exhaustion resulting from their attacks. Though they were still able to fight and were nowhere near done just yet.

They looked towards Ian's place and waited for the dust to settle. They knew Ian would still be standing as he was a monster but they hoped they had at least managed to deal him some damage.

But they were disappointed when his form showed and he was as clean and unhurt as he was from before the fight.

A circle of dirt surrounded him with anything beyond it in a wretched state. There was a huge crater there except the circular place he was standing on. He had shielded himself from their attacks.

He shared a look with his father before Geo gave him a nod. As if he had seen enough.

Then Ian motioned with his right arm as if grabbing something, which had the effect of holding Elene in co in place. Then with his left arm, he swung it gently leaving an arc of lightning floating beside him. Then he made it separate into 8 parts.

The 8 parts then each started to take shape into a spear all the while the crew watched with horror as they weren't able to move.

"Lightening spears: Barrage" Ian said as the spears took off in a burst of speed each two of them targeting one person. But Ian made them stop at the last second when they were inches away from their faces.

He then released them all with the spears of lightening dissipating soon after.

"As expected of Ian…" Bert muttered with the girls giving nods of their heads.

"Alright, I have seen enough. Ad I can say proudly that you have all become so strong in such a short amount of time, you'll be classed among the strongest in the world." Geo announced with Pride in his voice.