Moke Followed Close Behind
The Baboon King stared intently ahead, and said in a deep voice, "Follow me..." Before he finished speaking, his legs suddenly exerted force, and like an arrow released from a bow, his entire body instantly leaped into the air. The powerful explosive force made him like a nimble bird, soaring straight into the sky, and then crashing into the wide fighting arena with an extremely sharp posture.
Seeing this, Moke followed without hesitation. He flashed and transformed into a black shadow, arriving at the fighting arena in the blink of an eye.
Their sudden arrival was like a Gale sweeping across the field, instantly stopping the fierce competition in its tracks. A look of awe appeared on their faces, and then, as if by unspoken agreement, they quickly and automatically moved aside, clearing a space.
This is the unwritten rule of the fighting arena—when the champion arrives, everyone must immediately stop and leave the arena, regardless of whether a match is in progress, to give the arena to the champion. Surprisingly, among those who left, one of them was none other than the renowned Gizas Jesus Burgess.
Moke's keen eyes instantly caught sight of the figure, and a thought flashed through his mind. He involuntarily glanced at the other person, a subtle smile playing on his lips. It seemed that Champion Island truly was his lucky place! Here, he had not only successfully found the Gizas Jesus Burgess he had been searching for, but perhaps he would also have the chance to encounter an even more powerful opponent. "Shave..." With a soft shout, Moke's figure flashed, disappearing from his spot like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared, appearing before the massive body of the Baboon King like an Inazuma.
The next moment, a shocking scene unfolded! Moke's previously relaxed body suddenly tensed up, every muscle seemingly infused with boundless power, instantly bulging and throbbing. That powerful force, like surging waves, continuously flowed from his body and rapidly converged on his legs.
Immediately afterward, Moke let out a roar, and his entire body leaped upward like an arrow released from a bow. His speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, he had already soared into the air, like a cannonball shooting straight into the sky.
Moke, suspended in mid-air, did not hesitate or pause because of the height. On the contrary, he used the enormous momentum he had accumulated when he jumped up to launch a powerful kick at the Baboon King below. This kick contained all his strength and anger, as if he wanted to crush the Baboon King completely.
However, faced with such a fierce and swift attack, the Baboon King remained remarkably calm. It stood firmly in place, its feet seemingly rooted to the spot, not moving an inch, not even taking a single step back. The Baboon King calmly raised its incredibly thick arm and easily blocked Moke's flying kick.
The moment the two made contact, a loud "bang" resounded, and an invisible Shockwave spread outwards from the two, causing the surrounding air to tremble. Even so, the Baboon King remained standing, showing no sign of pain on its face. Instead, it slightly raised the corners of its mouth, revealing an extremely contemptuous smile.
Then, the Baboon King chuckled softly at Moke in a slightly mocking tone, "Hmph, if this is all you're capable of in physical combat, then you'll probably have to stay here and guard this island for me today." With that, its eyes, gleaming with cold light, fixed intently on Moke, as if victory was already assured.
Before the words were even finished, an extremely terrifying power surge suddenly erupted from the Baboon King's body. With this burst of power, its previously Fudō body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, while its right fist clenched tightly, and with the force of a thunderbolt, it slammed into Moke, who had just landed and had not yet regained his footing.
"Hasshoken!" With a roar from the Baboon King, an incomparably powerful Shockwave burst forth from his fist. This Shockwave swept in like a raging torrent, tearing the air apart wherever it passed, emitting a series of ear-piercing whistling sounds.
"Tch... you're underestimating me way too much!" Facing the Baboon King's ferocious attack, Moke showed no fear. He quickly crossed his arms to protect his chest, using his solid body to withstand the incredibly powerful blow.
Although he successfully blocked the Baboon King's "Hasshoken," the enormous impact still caused Moke to involuntarily Rewind-Rewind several steps before barely regaining his balance. Just then, a cold glint flashed in Moke's eyes.
Suddenly, he twisted his waist in mid-air, raising his right leg high, and then swung it downwards with lightning speed. In an instant, a dazzling blue light suddenly shone, transforming into an extremely sharp arc-shaped sword aura that slashed fiercely towards the Baboon King.
This was Moke's signature move—the Tempest Kick! The moment it was unleashed, the entire space seemed to tremble, demonstrating its immense power. Thinking this, Moke quickly pulled himself back to reality and focused all his attention on the baboon king before him. The baboon king was staring at him with a serious expression, and said in a deep voice, "It begins!" Then, the baboon king slightly beckoned to Moke with his finger, his tone laced with provocation. "According to the rules of the challenge, the challenger makes the first move."
"Shave..." A soft shout rang out, and Moke's figure vanished from his spot like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, when he reappeared, he was already standing in front of the enormous and incomparably powerful Baboon King. In the blink of an eye, Moke suddenly exerted his strength, leaping into the air like an arrow. Then, he launched a flying kick, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, and slammed it hard into the Baboon King.
However, facing Moke's fierce attack, the Baboon King stood firmly in place, Fudō. It calmly raised its thick arm and easily blocked Moke's kick. Then, a slight, contemptuous smile appeared on the Baboon King's lips as it chuckled at Moke, saying, "Hmph, if this is all the meager skill you have in martial arts, then you'll have to stay here and guard this island for me today." Before the words were even finished, a terrifying, overwhelming force suddenly erupted from the Baboon King. With a swing of its arm, Moke was blasted away by this powerful force.
However, the Baboon King clearly had no intention of letting Moke off so easily. Seizing the opportunity, it suddenly threw a punch in mid-air and shouted, "Hasshoken!" In an instant, accompanied by a deafening roar, an extremely powerful Shockwave erupted from the Baboon King's fist, like a roaring dragon, sweeping towards the blasted-away Moke with lightning speed.
As the powerful Shockwave was about to hit him, Moke remained calm and composed. He quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest, assuming a defensive stance. Surprisingly, even facing the Baboon King's ferocious attack, Moke easily withstood it.
After successfully blocking the Baboon King's attack, Moke, still in mid-air, didn't pause for a moment. He swung his right leg sharply in mid-air, and in an instant, a dazzling light flashed, and an incomparably powerful Tempest Kick Slash was formed, rushing towards the Baboon King with lightning speed.
The Baboon King's confident expression froze instantly, his face changing slightly, because the powerful aura emanating from the Tempest Kick Slash before him was truly extraordinary. The sharp aura and astonishing power fluctuations had reached a level that he could not underestimate and had to take seriously.
The Baboon King stared intently at Moke and said in a deep voice, "It seems I underestimated you." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly threw another punch. However, this punch was completely different from the previous one. A thick and hard layer of black Armament Haki was wrapped around his fist.
A deafening roar resounded – "Bang!" Moke's seemingly invincible Tempest Kick Slash, upon colliding with the Baboon King's punch, was shattered like fragile glass, dissipating into countless fragments in the air. This demonstrated just how terrifying the power of the Baboon King's punch truly was.
At that moment, Moke, who was in mid-air, did not retreat even a step. He quickly stepped on the void with his feet, as if he had stepped out a series of invisible steps in the void, and his whole body swooped down towards the Baboon King on the ground below at an extremely terrifying speed.
"Shigan - Dragon Claw!" With a roar, Moke's right hand suddenly shot out, assuming a pose resembling a dragon's claw. Even more astonishingly, at this moment, his right hand was also enveloped in a layer of jet-black Armament Haki, gleaming with a chilling light.
Facing the overwhelming and imposing Moke, the Baboon King's previously tightly closed lips curled into a slight, disdainful sneer. He spoke with mockery and contempt, "Hmph, do you really think you can stand against me with such meager skills? That's utterly delusional and a pipe dream!" With that, the Baboon King let out a confident and composed laugh, as if his enemy were utterly insignificant. Then, his arm muscles bulged, veins popped, and an immense, unparalleled power instantly gathered in his fist. Without hesitation, he threw another punch, meeting Moke's gleaming, sharp Dragon Claw with the force of a thunderbolt.
A deafening boom resounded, as if the entire world trembled. Moke's Dragon Claw and the Baboon King's Iron Fist collided violently, like two meteors colliding in mid-air, unleashing astonishing energy. In an instant, powerful forces surged and collided between the two, stirring up waves of extremely violent energy. These energies, like wild horses, swept wildly in all directions, sending sand and stones flying and dust billowing in their wake.
The surrounding scene instantly descended into chaos. A Gale howled past, its power so great that it whipped up a thick layer of dust from the ground. This raging gale was as terrifying as being struck by a category 7 or 8 typhoon. The spectators in the stands, who had been excitedly watching the battle, now paled. They bent over, pressing their bodies down as low as possible to withstand the ferocious wind, barely managing to stay seated and watch this thrilling fight in such adverse conditions.
For a moment, only the sounds of Moke's Dragon Claw and the Baboon King's Iron Fist clashing fiercely, neither giving an inch. Claw after claw, the speed was Inazuma fast; punch after punch, the force was immense. Both sides used all their strength, trying to suppress the other in this fierce battle, but surprisingly, although the two fought so evenly and the situation was extremely close, they could not truly determine a winner, and neither could do anything to the other.
Finally, the two retreated, creating a distance of about seven or eight meters between them. At this moment, the Baboon King was staring intently at Moke. The contempt and disdain that had been in its eyes had vanished, replaced by a deep vigilance and solemnity.
The Baboon King spoke up, "I must admit, your physical skills are indeed beyond my imagination, and you even possess the formidable strength of an ordinary fighting champion. However..." As he finished speaking, the Baboon King suddenly twisted his thick neck, and with this movement, a series of cracking sounds from his bones and joints echoed all around.
Then, a shocking scene unfolded— the Baboon King's body began to undergo a dramatic transformation. A thick layer of long fur rapidly grew from its surface, enveloping its entire body. In the blink of an eye, the Baboon King had completely transformed into a half-human, Beast Form monster, exuding a terrifying aura.
After transforming, the Baboon King revealed a smug look on its face and shouted, "Haha, let me tell you, I'm a Zoan Baboon Devil Fruit User! Now, don't be scared out of your wits!" Faced with the Baboon King's arrogant provocation, Moke was speechless, thinking to himself, "So what if he's a Zoan -type Baboon Devil Fruit User? What's the big deal? Besides, we clearly agreed not to use Devil Fruit abilities, and this guy is openly breaking the rules. It's blatant cheating!"
The Baboon King looked at Moke with a smug expression, seemingly already knowing the outcome of the battle. A sly smile crept across its lips as it said, "The arena has clear rules. Devil Fruits like Zoan, which enhance physical abilities, are allowed here. Unfortunately... you don't have such a powerful Devil Fruit Ability, so defeat was already destined for you in today's duel... Uh???!!!!" However, before the Baboon King could finish speaking, its eyes suddenly widened to their limit, as if it had witnessed something unbelievable.
At that very moment, Moke, who had been at a disadvantage, underwent an astonishing transformation. His body rapidly twisted and deformed, instantly entering a peculiar state similar to that of the Dice-Dice Fruit. One side of each of his arms and legs transformed into incredibly sharp blades, gleaming with a chilling light; his body became like an indestructible metal blade, radiating a cold and powerful aura.
Faced with such a sudden change, Moke showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Hahahaha, who says only Zoan can enhance the body? Although I possess Paramecia Fruit, it also has the ability to enhance the body. According to the rules, I should be able to use it too!"
Upon hearing this, the Baboon King flew into a rage. Its eyes instantly turned bloodshot, as if they could breathe fire. It opened its blood-red maw, revealing sharp, pointed fangs, and roared through gritted teeth, "So what if you now possess special abilities? Soon, you will personally experience the true terror of the Zoan — the Baboon King-Baboon Fruit!"
The Baboon King roared as it pounded its chest violently with its thick, powerful arms, producing a deafening sound. Its muscles bulged, brimming with explosive power that sent chills down one's spine.
Moke narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the menacing Baboon King before him. His face was ashen, but his heart was in turmoil. Facing such a powerful opponent, Moke dared not be careless in the slightest.
However, Moke was not intimidated by the Baboon King's imposing aura. On the contrary, a strong fighting spirit surged within him. He thought to himself, "The strongest Zoan? The Baboon King? Hmph, today I'll see if you're truly as invincible as the legends say!"
Moke took a deep breath and slowly gathered the energy within his body. A faint light emanated from his body, like a twinkling star in the night sky. At the same time, he clenched his fists, preparing for the fierce battle that was about to begin.
Moke stared at the fruit with suspicion, thinking to himself: Even if you praise this fruit to the heavens, it's still just an extremely ordinary, utterly common Zoan- Devil Fruit. Forget about rare Mythical Zoan; even Ancient Zoan are several levels above it. Even among ordinary Zoan, it's not considered outstanding. A majestic tiger, a powerful lion, a thick-skinned Rhino, a gigantic elephant... any one of them would be far more powerful than this thing. However, despite his doubts, Moke's hands didn't falter. He uttered a soft shout, "Shave..." In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot like a ghost. When he reappeared, he was already... Reaching the Baboon King, Moke immediately unleashed his ultimate technique—"Shigan - Dragon Claw!" In an instant, his fingers transformed into sharp, blade-like Dragon Claw, lashing out at the Baboon King with unstoppable force. The power of this strike was terrifying. However, something unexpected happened. The moment Moke struck, the Baboon King vanished without warning. Moke's seemingly certain strike missed its mark, leaving him utterly astonished. If he wasn't mistaken, the Baboon King's attack was clearly also a "Shave" technique! Before Moke could recover from his shock, he suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind whistling from behind him. Moke's expression changed drastically; without thinking, he swiftly turned around and simultaneously thrust out a finger!
However, to his surprise, an enormous and imposing "Dragon Claw" suddenly lunged at him! In an instant, the finger and the claw collided like two meteors, unleashing a deafening roar. The immense power of the impact caused both to Rewind-Rewind a good seven or eight steps.
At that moment, Moke's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable. A thought flashed through his mind, but this idea needed further confirmation. So, without hesitation, he suddenly launched a kick, simultaneously swinging it forcefully through the air. A mountain-sized Tempest Kick Slash, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, roared out and rushed straight toward the Baboon King not far away.
In the blink of an eye, the Baboon King uttered a soft "Shave..." and vanished without a trace. When it reappeared, it was already to Moke's left. Immediately afterward, it also lashed out with lightning speed, a powerful Tempest Kick Slash struck Moke like Inazuma.
"Holy crap... Is this some kind of Kakashi Piece version of One Piece???" Moke's face was filled with astonishment, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg. Because at this moment, he finally confirmed his earlier guess—this Baboon King in front of him actually possessed the amazing ability to copy other people's moves, it was just too awesome!
However, this Devil Fruit, called the "Zoan - Baboon-Baboon Fruit"—no, as he said, it should more accurately be called the "Zoan - Baboon King"—how could it possess such an unbelievable ability? Could it be said that the baboons in * One Piece * are vastly different from ordinary animals? After a moment's thought, it seemed that was indeed the case! The image of the baboons kept by the Taka family involuntarily surfaced in his mind... Yes, those baboons could perfectly replicate their opponents' moves. Take Roronoa Zoro, for example; his incredibly sharp swordplay was instantly and flawlessly imitated by one of the baboons. So, does this mean that someone who eats the "Zoan - Baboon-Baboon Fruit" can also gain this astonishing ability? Holy crap! If that's true, calling it the strongest Zoan doesn't seem like an exaggeration!