The scorching magma surged into the dark clouds above, disappearing without immediate effect. Yet, the Marines could hear something—low, guttural roars reverberating from within the storm.
Moments later, the magma rained back down, scattering the thick clouds. What emerged sent a shiver through every Marine present.
A monstrous creature with eight heads and eight tails, adorned with dragon horns and dark, jagged scales, stood ominously in the sky. Its massive form crackled with lightning, surrounded by torrential rain and howling winds. The sheer aura emanating from it was suffocating.
"That's..." The eyes of the three Admirals widened in unison, recalling the intelligence reports from Mary Geoise.
"The Eight-Headed Dragon... Shin the Plunderer !"
The moment the words left their lips, the dragon's eight heads inhaled deeply before unleashing a torrent of venomous breath.
"Not good!" The Admirals sprang into action, unleashing beams of light, ice, and magma to intercept the incoming onslaught.
Yet, Shin's hybrid Azure Dragon form was more than just brute force. With eight heads spitting venom, while simultaneously manipulating lightning, wind, and the powers of the Float-Float Fruit, the battlefield became an apocalyptic storm. Even with the combined efforts of the three Admirals, they could barely shield their own ships. The rest of the fleet was decimated—capsizing under the relentless attack of venom and lightning.
"Damn it! How did he even find us?!"
"This isn't the time to worry about that! If he keeps attacking from above, we won't even have a chance to fight back!"
"Borsalino! Find a way to bring him down!"
Kizaru rolled his eyes. While his Glint-Glint Fruit gave him an advantage in aerial combat, true flight was still beyond him.
Before the Admirals could formulate a proper plan, the colossal dragon began to shrink and descend toward the sea.
Shin, now in his half-beast form, landed atop the ocean's surface, striding forward as if the sea itself bent to his will.
Above him, the sky remained cloaked in darkness, stretching infinitely. Though he stood alone, his presence felt as if the weight of the world itself bore down upon them.
"Crazy bastard...! Kuzan!" Akainu barked.
Understanding immediately, Aokiji raised a hand, and an intense cold wave surged outward. "Ice Age!"
In an instant, the ocean froze solid, forming a new battlefield.
The three Admirals, two Admiral candidates, and over a dozen Vice Admirals leaped down from their warships—forming a loose semicircle around Shin.
Shin glanced at them and smirked. Compared to when he attacked Mary Geoise, his strength had grown immeasurably. Back then, fighting this many top-tier powerhouses would have been a grueling battle. But now…
"Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!" (Inugami Guren)
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
In an instant, Shin was bombarded with molten magma, piercing light beams, and jagged ice lances.
Yet, he didn't activate any of his Devil Fruit abilities. Instead, his fists blurred as he unleashed tens of thousands of punches in an instant—
"Supersonic Annihilation Fists!"
The sheer force of his strikes sent a shockwave rippling outward like a tsunami, instantly snuffing out the barrage of attacks. The combined efforts of the Marines's finest were crushed beneath his raw physical might.
A deafening roar filled the battlefield as the shockwave surged forward, tearing through everything in its path.
For minutes, the only sounds were howling winds and the echoes of destruction. The ice battlefield held together only due to Shin's strategic reinforcement and Aokiji's continued freezing efforts. Without it, the entire ocean beneath them would have shattered from the overwhelming force.
Finally, as the chaos settled, Shin withdrew his fists and surveyed the battlefield.
The three Admirals, once standing resolute, now lay unconscious. The Vice Admirals behind them were either seriously injured or utterly incapacitated. The once-mighty Marine force had been utterly crushed.
Shin raised his hand, releasing a surge of dark energy. In mere moments, the entire naval force was consumed and absorbed into his dark dimension.
"Another bountiful harvest." Shin chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, he dispersed the lingering black mist and released Violet, whom he had safeguarded before the battle. He then strode toward the central warship.
Before the battle, Violet had already pinpointed the exact location of Ace and Yamato, ensuring no accidental damage befell them.
Given his current strength, if he had carelessly unleashed his full power, they could have been caught in the crossfire—something he was keen to avoid. Shin wasn't interested in playing Russian roulette with his own allies.
Soon, he found a Sea-Prism Stone cell deep within the ship's hull. Inside, Ace and Yamato were bound tightly, sound asleep.
Shin blinked. "Are you serious? The whole battlefield was in chaos, and you two were taking a nap? You really are the main characters..."
Sighing, he cut through their restraints and dumped a bucket of water over them.
"Huh? Shin?!" Ace and Yamato bolted upright, startled. "What's going on?!"
"No time to chat. The Marines's already been dealt with," Shin said casually as he turned to leave. "Let's get moving."
The two exchanged bewildered glances before trailing after him, finally taking in the aftermath of the battle.
"Wait... Where are the Admirals?" Ace scanned the ruined battlefield.
"Don't tell me you—"
"Killed them? No. They're just stored away for now." Shin smirked. "I'll keep them imprisoned for a while."
Ace and Yamato were already struggling to process what they had just heard.
"By the way," Shin continued, "since the Marines were kind enough to bring me some gifts, it's only fair that I share."
Before they could question him, Shin activated his Dark-Dark Fruit, extracting multiple Devil Fruit abilities from his prisoners and merging them into two distinct fruits.
Holding them up, he turned to Ace and Yamato.
"You two interested in upgrading your Devil Fruits?" he asked with a knowing grin.
Ace and Yamato stared at him, completely lost. "Uh... Upgrade?"
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
Now Available: Chapter 348: Power and Control