Sabaody Archipelago · Plaza
"Kaido was a fake?"
"He was that guy who had been with Jinbe before, the one whose ability resembled Admiral Kizaru's, but wasn't his power light?"
"It's a complete mess. My brain can't even make sense of the situation anymore."
"Even if he was fake, that attack he threw just now was truly astounding."
At Shakky's Tavern.
"I knew that brat Kaido wouldn't go become a teacher, hahaha." Rayleigh choked on his drink, then laughed. "But young people these days are really incredible, in every sense of the word."
"Yeah, has Luffy undergone some kind of change?" Shakky said.
"Hm?"
At the center of the World Government.
Inside the Five Elders' meeting room.
"What kind of joke is this?!"
"That fruit actually awakened."
"Have someone cut off the broadcast immediately!"
"It's too late. Notify Sengoku. Straw Hat Kid must be eliminated."
"Send CP0. That fool Garp will get in the way."
"No matter what, Straw Hat Kid must be eliminated!"
On the battlefield of Marineford.
"Is this thing really as useful as that guy said?" Buggy looked suspiciously at the map in his hand. "If he dared trick me, I won't forgive him."
Not long after Buggy had appeared on the broadcast, Su Lin made a deal with him using a map that could automatically detect gold.
The terms were that he would keep the broadcast focused on Straw Hat Kid Luffy's vicinity for the entire battle, and whenever he appeared afterward, he had to turn the camera toward him immediately.
After handing the Surveillance Snail to his men to handle the task, Buggy had been studying the map the entire time.
"Even someone like that wanted to make a deal with Lord Buggy."
"As expected of Lord Buggy!"
"Hm?" Buggy heard someone talking about him. He turned around, only to find his men looking at him with reverence.
Naturally, he had no idea that the commotion Su Lin had caused had not only elevated Su Lin's standing, but also changed Buggy's status in the hearts of his underlings.
What happened?
"What's going on with Straw Hat Kid?!"
Buggy watched the scene in shock.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The people finally realized that the source of the drumbeats was not beyond the sky.
It was Straw Hat Kid, Monkey D. Luffy, the center of everyone's attention.
All eyes converged once more.
Some people did not even notice when the weapons in their hands fell to the ground.
That sight—
Straw Hat Kid was melting.
Thump, thump, thump!
As Straw Hat Kid melted, the drumbeats grew denser, like war drums rumbling with thunder, opening the curtain on an epic across this fierce battlefield!
The drumbeats abruptly stopped.
Scorching steam shrouded Straw Hat Kid in drifting mist. Ace, the admirals, and the others closest to him could feel the temperature continuously rising.
Gradually, Marine soldiers began to retreat, unable to endure the scorching heat.
"So hot, hot, hot, hot!"
Mr. 3 woke from the heat and ran in another direction.
"Ice Ball!"
Aokiji attacked first.
Ace melted it with flames.
"Luffy, what's wrong with you?!" Ace called anxiously.
"Ahahahaha, Ace, don't worry." Luffy clutched his head and laughed loudly.
That cheerful voice was utterly out of place on this battlefield.
Just as Akainu tried to return to provide support.
Whitebeard erupted with the combat power he had displayed before, instantly arriving beside Akainu and smashing him to pieces, leaving only magma scattered across the ground.
The shattered Akainu reappeared nearby.
"Damn you, Whitebeard." A trace of blood ran from the corner of Akainu's mouth.
"Did the fruit awaken?!" Whitebeard ignored Akainu and fixed his attention on Luffy.
Aboard the Red Hair Pirates' ship, Red-Hair, who was following Kaido toward Marineford, spat out his drink at the sight. Even Lucky Roux's meat fell to the ground.
"Chief, Luffy, he... he..."
"He awakened!" Red-Hair excitedly gripped the screen with his right hand. "Hurry! We need to get to Marineford even faster!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"Ice Age!"
Ice spread from beneath Aokiji's feet, freezing Luffy's body.
Kizaru teleported beside Luffy and kicked with light blazing from his foot. This was the most serious kick Kizaru had thrown since joining the battle.
It was blocked by an arm.
Akainu Sakazuki began widening the distance between himself and Whitebeard while hurling a magma-condensed fist at Ace.
Luffy's fist expanded with the wind and grabbed Ace.
"Gum-Gum Jump!"
Luffy's leg stretched to an exaggerated length like something out of a comic, then he leaped into the air. At that moment, Kizaru also arrived above Luffy.
"Don't think you can escape, Straw Hat Kid."
Beams of light, flames, and ice attacked from above, below, and the sides, coming from different angles.
"Gum-Gum Giant!"
Midair, Straw Hat Kid transformed into a giant even larger than the giants, before everyone's stunned eyes.
"Gum-Gum Meat Shield!"
The attacks falling on Straw Hat were no more than raindrops.
"Hey, hey, this is no joke." Aokiji's expression turned grave.
Seeing his attacks were ineffective, Kizaru transformed into light and returned near Sengoku. "Mr. Sengoku, this is going to be troublesome~."
From midair, Luffy saw Akainu's fierce expression as he prepared to unleash a major attack.
"Akainu!"
A fist turned into Black Iron and smashed toward Akainu.
"Sakazuki, dodge!" Seeing this, Sengoku leaped into the air. His body grew even larger again as he struck at Luffy. "Stop this, Straw Hat!"
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak." Frigid air suddenly surged around Aokiji's right arm. A gigantic ice bird carrying an extremely low temperature crashed toward Luffy's chest.
In response, the giant Luffy stomped downward with both feet. The flying ice bird was crushed beneath two enormous feet, along with the surrounding ground.
But Aokiji froze Luffy's feet at that moment as well.
Although heat continuously radiated from Luffy's body, Absolute Ice relentlessly covered the giant's feet, and steam shrouded the battlefield in a foggy haze.
A tremendous rumble rang out.
Everyone felt as though an earthquake had struck. Those nearby were even blasted one or two meters into the air.
The ground bulged into a volcano, and a torrent of magma transformed into a tornado rushing toward Luffy's fist.
For a moment, magma spread wildly through the sky in a vast sheet.
Panicked Marines and Pirates fled from it, terrified of being caught up in the attack.
Then golden light flashed, and for a moment, it seemed as though two suns had appeared in the sky.
The golden light around Kizaru's foot detached.
A torrent of light followed.
In an instant, it pierced through Luffy's shoulder.
Sengoku's golden fist, carrying Haki and unmatched force, slammed into Luffy's back.
The battered giant Luffy fell like Oars had before.
But before falling, the other hand that had been gripping Ace reached Whitebeard and tossed Ace down.
Luffy's goal had actually been to use the advantage of his giant form to send Ace out of the center of the battlefield.
"Luffy!" Ace roared.
"Disappear, Straw Hat Kid!" Akainu had already judged that Luffy's current threat and potential surpassed even Fire Fist Ace's.
Straw Hat had to be executed here!
Friends, if you're reading this book, please leave a comment so I know whether these are bot stats or not, haha.
(End of this chapter)