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Mary Geoise.
The war had raged for a full twenty-four hours.
The Holy Land, once a pristine sanctuary above the clouds, had been reduced to a ruin that looked centuries old. Night had fallen, and the cold, indifferent starlight of space shone down on the chaotic sea below.
Visibility was poor, but the video snails, equipped with night vision, continued to broadcast the brutal, high-definition carnage to a horrified world.
The Golden Lion, Shiki, had abandoned all defense. He was a man possessed, fighting with the desperation of a dying star. Besieged by the Navy's three greatest legends, he was finally showing signs of fatigue.
Blood, bright red and mixed with dark clots of visceral ruin, streamed from the corners of his mouth.
But the Marines were paying a heavy price in return. Commander-in-Chief Kong was a mess of lacerations, carved up by Shiki's legendary blades, Oto and Kogarashi. Blood soaked his uniform.
Sword energy slashed through the darkness. Fists shattered the air.
One side sought a final, glorious release before the curtain fell. The other sought to crush the rebellion at any cost, to remind the world of the World Government's absolute power.
Tremors. Collapse.
Mary Geoise was crumbling, riddled with holes and scars.
But then, a sight appeared that stole the breath from the entire world. On the screens, a light as bright as the noonday sun erupted in the dead of night.
It was a second sun rising from the midnight sea.
The World Economic Journal cameramen frantically panned their snails away from the Golden Lion, focusing on the source of this terrifying electrical storm.
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"Since you're so eager to die… allow me to use you as test subjects for my ascension."
Arthur's face, usually cold and masculine, twisted into an expression of wicked, demonic delight. His voice dropped to a low, distorted growl.
"ONE BILLION VOLTS: THUNDER GOD DESCENDS!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Violent, violet-red lightning exploded outward, saturating the sky. It wasn't just electricity—it was a rampage of energy that merged with the storm clouds, blanketing the entirety of Mary Geoise in a suffocating pressure.
RUMBLE!!!
The weather went mad. The thunderclouds pressed down, extinguishing the starlight, plunging the world into absolute pitch blackness—until the lightning struck.
A pillar of violet light, thick and solid, contracted from the clouds and slammed down, not to strike Arthur, but to infuse him.
Jagged, glowing lines burned themselves into his skin. They ran from his eyes down his cheeks like tears of pure energy, spreading across every inch of his exposed flesh. It looked like a cursed tribal tattoo, a mantle of demonic power.
Bizarre. Evil. And radiating a power so absolute it terrified the soul.
Two crystalline horns, made of solidified lightning, curved backward from his forehead. His eyes ceased to be human—they were now pools of blinding violet light, void of emotion, filled only with dominance.
The sheer intensity of the light turned night into day. As the people of the Four Blues and the Grand Line watched through their screens, they didn't see a "Thunder God."
They saw a Demon.
It was a horror that struck the soul, making even the bravest men tremble.
"The rumors… they say Devil Fruits are the incarnations of sea devils. Could it be… true?"
The thought raced through millions of minds. It wasn't a baseless legend. It was why eating two fruits killed you—the devils inside would fight to the death.
"Or maybe… the rumors about Logias being unable to Awaken are false?"
Punk Hazard.
Vegapunk sat in his lab, glued to the screen.
Seeing Arthur's transformation—the ultimate evolution of his fruit development—shook the scientist's theories to their core. He lowered his head, lost in thought.
"Could the theory that Devil Fruits were created by ancient scientists be wrong? Impossible… we've proven they can be artificially replicated. There's no reason advanced technology couldn't create something this powerful."
"Or perhaps… did an ancient race actually transform into these fruits? Is that why discovering the Lineage Factor allowed us to crack the code?"
Vegapunk's transcendent brain cycled through a dozen possibilities in a split second.
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"I have to say," Rayleigh sighed, gripping his sword as he and the Revolutionaries formed a defensive circle. "In all my years on the sea, I have never seen a monster quite like you."
Despite their numbers, despite their strength, none of them felt safe. Their only thought was survival—to help each other escape this hell.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Arthur said, eyeing the group. They had lost their will to fight. They just wanted to run. "Now, if there are no further questions… please hurry up and die."
He was impatient.
Of the group, Rayleigh, retired for years, had the least desire to fight. He was just a roadblock. The Revolutionaries were the same—their mission was done. Only Dragon seemed interested in a real brawl.
Arthur wanted to end this quickly. He needed to get back to Punk Hazard.
It wasn't that something was wrong. It was that this form… it felt too powerful. It felt like burning a candle at both ends. He needed to check for side effects.
But first, he needed to test the capabilities of this Ultimate Form.
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"Dark King" Rayleigh.
"Tyrant" Kuma.
"Miracle Person" Ivankov.
Inazuma.
Fisher Tiger.
And Monkey D. Dragon, a man who had never revealed his full strength.
It was a lineup of legends. Strength, numbers, experience.
Arthur couldn't ignore them. Forget the grudge about invading Raijin Island—that was petty. What Arthur cared about was the thrill. It had been so long since he'd had a fight that truly made his blood sing. How could he let them leave peacefully?
The Navy broadcast was focused on Shiki and Kaido. But the World Economic Journal? Their cameras were locked onto Arthur and the Revolutionaries.
"Hahahahahaha! You stalled long enough. Your people are gone," Arthur laughed, his voice booming like thunder. His electric eyes looked down on the six masters with utter indifference. "You can drop the act. Let's fight!"
His tone brokered no argument.
"I'll start with the clown!!"
The moment the last word left his lips, he vanished.
He didn't move—he ceased to exist in location A and appeared in location B.
Instantaneously, he was behind Emporio Ivankov.
A massive hand, wreathed in the glowing violet patterns of the thunder-demon, slammed down toward the Okama Queen's head. The lightning shrieked, a violent, ear-splitting scream. The air itself couldn't withstand the pressure and detonated.
When surrounded, you kill the weakest first.
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