Clash with Akainu

"One minute is up. The String-String Fruit has been copied."

As Jiang Lin unleashed the earthquake, a system message sounded in his mind.

"Oh my, oh my! What a terrifying young man. Even I'm no match for him."

Kizaru lounged around on the front line, watching the earth split and the sky seem to fall behind him with a look of "shock." He shook his head as if "frightened."

"Everyone, make stopping D your top priority. Hold him back and kill him!"

Sengoku had escalated his orders again. After seeing Jiang Lin's strength, he had decided to kill him.

"The String-String Fruit has been equipped. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."

Jiang Lin unequipped the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, whose time was nearly up, and immediately equipped the String-String Fruit he had just obtained.

"Sky Walk!"

While the earthquake threw everyone into chaos, Jiang Lin seized the chance to fly high into the air and head for the Execution Platform.

"Hell Hound!"

A fist of magma shot from one of the golden seats beneath the high platform, hurtling toward Jiang Lin in midair.

As Jiang Lin pressed forward, Akainu finally made his move against him.

"Spider's Nest!"

Jiang Lin reacted at once. Fine threads burst from his left hand like a spiderweb, meeting Akainu's punch head-on.

"You have attacked Sakazuki, wielder of the Magma-Magma Fruit. The system is copying his Devil Fruit. Host, please hold out for one minute."

Jiang Lin had finally reached this point. It was his first time fighting Akainu, and the scorching magma bore down on him with overwhelming force. His expression changed in an instant.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted at Jiang Lin's shoulder. Scorching flames burned through his clothes and seared the flesh from his left shoulder.

"Ah!"

The pain was so intense that cold sweat poured down Jiang Lin's forehead, and his face twisted.

The gap is enormous!

Only after clashing with Akainu did Jiang Lin truly grasp how terrifying an Admiral was. That crushing pressure and formidable strength were far beyond anything he could match right now.

Jiang Lin's physical abilities fell far short of an Admiral's. If he could not draw on the powers of several Devil Fruits, he might not even have been capable of fighting Akainu.

"Akainu! Take this!"

Forcing himself to stand despite the pain, Jiang Lin unleashed the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit on Akainu.

"Black Vortex!"

A fierce suction burst from his hand, dragging Akainu toward him from afar.

"Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!"

As soon as the pull caught him, Akainu countered. A crimson hound of flame lunged at Jiang Lin, its jaws gaping wide.

"Come on, Akainu!"

With the magma bearing down on him, Jiang Lin kept his eyes fixed on the system display and roared at Akainu.

"Ten seconds until the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix finishes cooling down! Nine seconds!"

The system timer ticked down slowly, but Jiang Lin knew he had only himself to rely on now.

"Ah..."

A savage burning sensation swept through Jiang Lin's body in an instant. He had never felt pain so deep. The agony of his flesh being burned away left his vision swimming.

Only his iron will kept him on his feet. Without it, the pain would have knocked him unconscious long ago.

"Got you, Akainu!"

By the time Jiang Lin's grim smile appeared before Akainu, the searing magma had burned away nearly a third of his body. An ordinary person would already have died or lost consciousness from such agony.

But Jiang Lin's unyielding will kept him from falling. He knew that if he collapsed here, he would truly die.

"Jiang Lin! Hang in there!"

Whitebeard watched Jiang Lin teeter on the brink of death, rare worry showing on his face. He wanted to rush to his aid, but he knew he could not move. Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, and Kizaru were all watching him closely. If he tried to save Jiang Lin, he would only bring disaster down on him. All Whitebeard could do was silently urge Jiang Lin to hold on.

"D!"

Marco had just moved to rescue Jiang Lin when Doflamingo blocked his path.

"You made me suffer such a humiliating defeat. Die! Hahaha..."

Doflamingo glared at Jiang Lin with hatred. He wanted nothing more than for Jiang Lin to die at Akainu's hands.

"Jiang Lin, please don't die!"

On the Execution Platform, Ace looked down at Jiang Lin, engulfed in flames. The worry on his face said it all.

"D! Your very existence is terrifying. Perhaps dying here is the best end you could hope for."

Sengoku glanced at Jiang Lin with regret. If Jiang Lin had been one of the Marines, Sengoku would have done everything in his power to protect him, even at the cost of his position as Fleet Admiral.

But Jiang Lin had chosen to stand against the Marines. That left Sengoku only one choice: kill him.

"Into the darkness—Black Vortex!"

Jiang Lin gave a cold laugh. Boundless darkness spread from his body, rapidly swallowing everything it touched.

"Haki!"

Jiang Lin might have stripped Akainu of his Devil Fruit power, but Akainu had never relied on it alone. His physical strength and combat skills far surpassed anything Jiang Lin had imagined.

Haki coated Akainu's right hand. He seized the advantage, twisted around, and slammed Jiang Lin to the ground.

Once free of Jiang Lin's control, Akainu gathered a mass of magma around his right hand and drove it toward Jiang Lin's face.

"Hahaha... I held out, Akainu!"

Facing almost certain death, Jiang Lin suddenly burst into wild laughter. At that moment, a system message sounded in his mind.

"Thirty seconds are up. The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix has finished cooling down."