The Demon and the Flame Calamity

Hahahahahaha!

Crocodile wanted to throw his head back and laugh.

Unfortunately, he'd taken several solid hits from King during their aerial battle just moments ago.

The wings coated in Armament Haki had struck him in the chest, breaking several of his ribs. The more he laughed, the more it hurt.

But Crocodile still wanted to laugh.

Because this was genuinely hilarious!

He wasn't a battle maniac, but the first clash between the [Demon] and the [Flame Calamity] had truly tickled Crocodile's funny bone.

And the reason was that man—

Vergo.

"How should I describe that scene?"

Crocodile recalled it with a sinister grin as he puffed on his cigar.

"Well..."

"Have you ever seen a human windmill?"

Whoosh!

Two fists swung at each other, one after the other.

Whether [Demon] or [Flame Calamity], their targets were each other, not anyone else.

But sometimes, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time was enough to meet the most unfortunate end.

Vergo was caught between them.

If he pulled out of the way, he would inevitably alter the two men's lines of sight in that instant.

He might block a hand or obstruct a foot...

For Lindsey and King, even such a tiny opening was enough to launch a lethal attack on each other!

So in the end, Vergo could meet only one fate—

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The two fists struck either side of Vergo's body in quick succession, then continued onward.

Even with his entire body covered in Armament Haki, several of his bones broke on the spot.

Struck by two forces at once, Vergo spat blood and spun around, turning into a "human windmill"!

Whoosh—!

In an instant, Vergo went flying, spinning and tumbling through the air. He bounced several times on the ground before finally slamming into it with a thunderous crash and lying still.

Meanwhile, Lindsey and King had also fallen silent.

Flames burned behind King's head, while Aiven Lindsey had already entered his Earth Demon Form.

They were about the same height. Their fists had slammed into each other's faces, leaving both of them visibly distorted.

"Guh!"

King's gaze was dark as he stared at the "monster" before him.

How long had it been?

How long since someone had taken one of his punches head-on and remained standing?

"This really is interesting!"

King didn't change his stance, but clenched his fist tighter and put even more force behind it. Still, he couldn't move Lindsey in the slightest.

The aberrant fangs parted slightly. A few wisps of white smoke drifted from between Lindsey's teeth.

"Hiss..."

The [Demon]'s eyes shifted. His strange, Kun Trigram-shaped pupils fixed on King, curving into amused crescents.

"By the way, shouldn't we introduce ourselves?"

"..."

King didn't answer right away. Instead, he pressed his fist harder.

Thud!

With a muffled impact, their fists drove farther in, shoving their bodies apart. They each took several steps back.

Aiven Lindsey versus King.

[Demon] versus [Flame Calamity]!

"My apologies. That was rude of me."

King's voice was low. He held out his gloved hands, then curled them into fists.

With a soft pop, two balls of fire appeared on his fists and gradually sank into them.

This was a unique ability of King's Lunarian race: he could produce flames on his own body.

This ancient and unusual race could survive in all kinds of natural environments.

As long as the fire behind his head remained lit, his defensive power increased dramatically. When the flames died down, his defense weakened, but his speed became astonishingly fast!

"King of the Beasts Pirates. I'm here to take Alabasta's Poneglyph for Big Brother Kaido."

As King spoke, he continued to clench his fists.

More flames gathered around them, like a pair of blazing gauntlets, radiating a terrifying killing intent!

As for Aiven Lindsey—

He maintained his Earth Demon Form.

First, he clenched his left fist. Then, with his massive right hand, he reached into the air and tore away a large amount of Ancient Armament Haki.

He wrapped the strips of Armament Haki, like cloth bandages, around his left fist, one layer after another.

Once he'd finished with his left fist, he moved on to his right.

As he tightened the wrappings, he introduced himself.

"Aiven Lindsey."

"..."

After a moment's thought, Lindsey grinned and added, "I'm here, and I know I have to do these things. I can do them, so I went ahead and did them."

His words seemed nonsensical, yet no one could refute them!

As they talked, both of them finished their preparations.

They stood facing each other, their enormous bodies each over six meters tall. The pressure they unleashed was so immense that the waves near the shore seemed to halt!

"Hmph!"

King's expression darkened. He swung at Lindsey's head and growled, "How utterly pointless!"

Boom!

The powerful punch wreathed in flames was called: Flame Emperor!

But Lindsey didn't dodge or evade.

His enormous fist in Earth Demon Form was already wrapped in bandage-like Ancient Armament Haki, making the dark fist even more terrifying and unnatural!

Whoosh!

He swung his fist, aiming for King's face as well.

Their fists collided again, but this time they didn't pause like they had during their first exchange. They drew back their other arms and immediately threw another punch.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...

Fists rained down on each other. The thunderous crashes made the ears of everyone aboard the nearby fleet ache!

Boom! Boom!

Two particularly heavy thuds rang out. The two men had met each other's fists head-on and were now locked in a stalemate, struggling for leverage.

"Have you still not realized it? This is fate, [Demon]!"

King's voice came from beneath his mask.

As a descendant of the "Kingdom of the Gods" on the Red Line, and a boy once used as a test subject by the World Government, King possessed a resolve far beyond what anyone could imagine!

"I never wondered whether I could have taken the Poneglyph easily if you hadn't passed through Alabasta."

"—I never wondered about it, because it was never possible!"

King's eyes were bloodshot as he growled.

"If you weren't here, I might never even have heard about the Poneglyph!"

"Every Poneglyph that surfaces, changes hands, or is deciphered brings unparalleled bloodshed and strife. That is fate!"

Boom! Boom!

A flurry of Flame Emperor strikes!

Two consecutive, flaming punches crashed into Lindsey's face, yet they still couldn't move his body in the slightest.

King used the force to his advantage, stepping back half a pace and lowering his body.

He noticed the earth and stone beneath Lindsey's feet shifting, as if some unknown attack were about to be unleashed!

But King had no intention of giving the man before him a chance.

Perhaps the World Government had misjudged him, or perhaps it was because he stood alone...

Whatever the reason, the moment they clashed, it was clear that a bounty of a mere 650 million Berries couldn't begin to represent the terror of Aiven Lindsey!

"I've always believed Big Brother Kaido is the one who can change the world, and the Poneglyph is essential to achieving that goal."

King bent forward, breathing softly.

"So, [Demon]—"

In an instant, flames engulfed his hand as he gripped the hilt of the long sword at his waist.

"For Big Brother Kaido, I'll destroy you here!"

Clang!

The great black wings on King's back shuddered, and the ring of fire behind his head vanished for a brief instant.

With both of these boosts, King drew his sword. Its sharp, cold gleam, wrapped in scorching flames, slashed across Aiven Lindsey!

Blade Emperor!

Clang—!

The two figures passed each other, but instead of the sound of a blade cutting into flesh, there came a piercing metallic clang.

"Hm?!"

King turned around and looked behind him. His pupils shrank as he saw what had happened.

A "long sword" had appeared in Aiven Lindsey's hand.

It was made of earth and stone, wrapped in layers of strange, pitch-black Armament Haki, and shimmered with a battered yet savage dark light.

Lindsey turned around and swung the long sword with his thick arm in Earth Demon Form.

His towering frame paired with the black blade—

It was like a monster wielding a human weapon: an absurd sight, yet one that radiated immense pressure.

"I just learned it."

Lindsey grinned savagely.

He wrapped the hilt together with his massive hand using Ancient Armament Haki and said excitedly, "Pretty interesting, isn't it!"