Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Dark Owl Model!

Rumble!

A fist and a blade collided through the air. Centered on their clash, a deafening boom resounded throughout the space. Then, rings of air ripples spread out as terrifying aftershocks, directly blasting down every building within several hundred meters!

The two remained locked in a stalemate, their strength erupting as they attacked one another. Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki clashed without pause, unleashing waves of force!

"Few people have trained their physical arts to your level. Still, you must be hiding a Devil Fruit ability, right?" Battle intent flashed in Ian's eyes. Holding his sword in one hand, he pressed down with force while spreading the fingers of his left hand. A pillar of lightning condensed and slammed toward his opponent's chest!

"Hmph, sharp senses..." Owl snorted coldly, released the force in his hand, and retreated without intending to take Ian's attack head-on.

Then he moved his feet, repeatedly stomping the ground. His figure appeared above Ian's head as if he had teleported, his right leg rising before crashing down like a battle axe!

With a boom, the ground caved into a crater, cracks spreading outward.

"Still not using it? Or do you think you're a match for me?" Ian used Flash Step to evade, sneering as he swung his sword and sent out a slash.

"Staff Fist!" Owl's fist was coated in Armament Haki as he threw a punch from afar. Terrifying fist force tore through everything and collided with Ian's attack.

Another earth-shaking explosion rang out. The ground shook continuously as both attacks shattered at once, turning into shockwaves that shot in all directions and reduced the surrounding hundred meters to ruins.

"Ice Dragon Tailspin!" Ian charged forward again, ice crystals trailing from his blade as he swept his sword horizontally. Frost spread, freezing everything ahead.

But it struck empty air, as Owl had evaded it.

"You can't run! Birds of Ice Pillars!" Ian locked onto him with Observation Haki and swung his sword again. The cold condensed into countless sharp ice spikes that shot out like rain.

"Flying Finger Pistol: Dance!" Owl shouted, repeatedly jabbing at the air with both hands. Sharp shockwaves shot forth as well, colliding with the ice spikes and exploding against them!

The ice crystals shattered, turning into a chilling frost that blanketed the surroundings.

"Cough, cough... What freezing air..." The temperature plummeted. Every breath Owl took felt like inhaling blades of icy steel, and a needle-like pain pierced his lungs.

"Still not using it? Then I'll force you to! Breeze, become my blade! Nameless Divine Wind Style: Ice Azure Dragon!" Ian raised his hand and slashed downward once more. The frigid air was suddenly drawn in, and the surrounding breeze turned violent as the winds began to rise!

The next moment, a phantom Azure Dragon appeared high in the sky. Its roar rolled outward, the winds growing ever sharper as frost condensed into its body. It was as if this entire space had been swept up in a freezing hurricane!

Deer antlers, fish scales, eagle claws, and a serpentine body—a massive azure-blue dragon a thousand meters long stretched across the sky, looking down below. Terrifying pressure and endless frost shrouded the ground!

The breeze became like shackles while the cold surged and raged. Combined, they erupted with frightening might, sealing off the space and slowing all movement!

This was an attack Ian had unleashed by combining Hyorinmaru with the Nameless Divine Wind Style. It was far more powerful than either ability alone!

This strike was no weaker than the Nameless Divine Wind Style Secret Art: Yellow Dragon, unleashed alongside the Four Sacred Beasts when he fought Hawk-Eye. If anything... it was stronger!

"A dragon... Not an ability, but swordsmanship? Swordsmanship capable of contending with the world's greatest swordsman..." Owl looked up, feeling the oppressive frost around him, and his expression grew solemn.

At this moment, even he had to admit that his opponent was practically a monster. He had countless methods of attack, and his mastery of Haki was incomparably formidable, as though he had no weaknesses at all!

But Owl was no weakling either!

As one of CP0's few chiefs with a single-character codename, his strength was enough to contend with a Marine Admiral!

The Azure Dragon swooped down, its roar exploding through the air. Its terrifying momentum seemed capable of destroying the entire island as its thousand-meter body twisted and charged down with unstoppable force!

"Still, don't think this is enough to defeat me!" Owl's gaze turned cold as his body began to change.

The coat around him swelled, muscles knotting as his height abruptly grew to over three meters. His eyes turned crimson, his mouth transformed into something like an eagle's beak, and he opened it to exhale dark energy.

Pitch-black feathers emerged across his body. His hands transformed into spread wings that wrapped around him, each feather as sharp as a blade. Clusters of black clouds also appeared around him, and an eerie aura radiated from his body!

He was the user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Dark Owl Model!

For masters of the Six Powers, Zoan abilities were the best at enhancing their strength!

They suited them even better than Paramecia or Logia abilities!

Moreover, the roiling black clouds around Owl were a sign that only appeared in awakened Zoan Devil Fruit users!

"Tempest Kick: Dark Owl!" His left foot curled like a claw and gripped the ground, while his right leg rose high. Sharp feathers protruded from his lower leg as his body bent like a drawn bow. Once his stored force reached its peak, he violently whipped out his right leg!

A nearly thousand-meter black wind blade, like an eagle striking across the sky, tore through the air. The Dark Owl spread its wings and soared, shooting directly into the heavens. It was so fast that only the sound of tearing air could be heard before it collided with Ian's Azure Dragon!

Rumble!!

The most earth-shattering explosion yet suddenly erupted as two attacks powerful enough to destroy an island collided like a meteor striking the earth!

After a brief second of silence, shockwaves radiated from the point of impact. Rampaging sword energy swept through the surroundings with overwhelming force. Everything in its path was destroyed, the earth was overturned, the island shook, and long, thick cracks spread densely across the ground!

The battlefield resembled the end of the world. As the destructive attacks erupted, Gold Coin Island seemed to suffer an earthquake. The iconic "gold coin" at the island's center was swept by a shockwave, snapped cleanly in half, and crashed to the ground!

This time, everyone on the island turned toward that direction. Even those on the other side of the island could clearly see when they looked up—

Two monstrous beings seemed to be colliding fiercely in midair, shining like tiny suns. The aftershocks from their clash were like heavenly wrath descending, crossing half the island to slam into their area!

The island trembled, leaving countless people unable to keep their footing as they staggered about. Their hearts were shaken to the extreme, and they had no idea what was happening over there!

The collision continued. Admiral-level attacks alone were enough to shake an island, let alone two Admiral-level attacks clashing head-on. The space had now been completely torn apart by the raging impact. One corner of the island directly collapsed, and seawater poured in!

Farther away, the raging impact suddenly pushed the sea back a thousand meters, forming a tsunami that swept around the entire island!

As time passed, the commotion in the battlefield gradually subsided. The ground was shattered and cracked, smoke and dust filled the surroundings, and everything around them was a horrific mess...

As the dust dispersed, the two stood in the middle of the battlefield without attacking again.

"This form doesn't look like an ordinary Zoan. Is it an awakened Mythical Zoan?" Ian's face showed surprise as he looked at Owl's current appearance.

This form of his did not resemble an ordinary Zoan at all. Moreover, it was very likely an awakened Mythical Zoan...

He hadn't expected to encounter an awakened Mythical Zoan here. This was getting interesting!