The shockwaves left behind by Uranus's defeat still rolled across heaven and earth like raging tides, showing no sign of fully settling.
Faint tremors lingered in the air, leaving the entire region tense and oppressive.
Yet while the turmoil had yet to fade, a strange new change quietly began taking place in the plaza of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
A fresh energy stirred across the sacred grounds, slowly awakening like some colossal beast that had slept for a thousand years.
At the center of the plaza, Jozu stood tall and straight like an immovable mountain.
His entire body was covered in dazzling diamond skin, its smooth yet unyielding texture resembling crystal formed from the purest energy.
Liquid light flowed across its surface, soft yet brilliant, as though countless tiny stars were flickering and dancing inside him.
The power of his awakening had flooded through his body and completely transformed both his physical condition and state of mind. He felt as though he had been reborn.
Every muscle brimmed with explosive strength, while every nerve had become astonishingly sensitive. He could clearly sense the energy flowing and circulating within him.
The feeling was unfamiliar, but deeply exhilarating.
"This feeling…"
Jozu lowered his head slightly, unable to hide the shock and confusion in his eyes as he stared at his hands.
Under his gaze, they looked like two exquisite works of art. Even the spaces between his fingers seemed to contain endless mysteries.
"It feels like every prism is breathing."
His voice carried a faint sense of wonder.
The diamond fragments embedded across his skin were no longer motionless pieces of decoration. Each tiny prism seemed alive, rhythmically drawing in and releasing light as if participating in some ancient, mysterious ritual.
Jozu slowly lifted his right arm with solemn grace.
As it rose, the diamond matrix covering his body underwent another remarkable change.
Its intricate patterns automatically rearranged themselves, every connection becoming tighter and more orderly until they formed a flawless structure.
Then warm sunlight fell across his body.
The instant it touched the diamond matrix, the light was precisely divided into seven distinct colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Each color was vivid and pure, as though a rainbow had been separated into individual ribbons.
But the spectrum did not scatter.
In the next instant, the seven colors gathered together again in an astonishing process, merging into a beam of perfectly refined energy.
The light was painfully bright, as though it could pierce through every barrier and shine directly into the soul.
"Watch closely!"
Jozu suddenly raised his voice, his tone filled with confidence.
His sharp gaze locked onto a specially reinforced target at the far end of the training grounds.
He casually lifted one finger.
A faint laser shot from the test launcher, slicing through the air like a thin silver thread as it raced toward him.
The moment before it struck his body, another miracle occurred.
Countless prisms hidden inside him activated instantly, seizing the laser like starving beasts before repeatedly refracting, amplifying, and strengthening it.
In the span of a heartbeat, the weak laser had transformed into a scorching beam of terrifying power.
It reflected back with thunderous force and struck the reinforced target with perfect accuracy.
Boom!
The target was vaporized on the spot, dissolving into a thin trail of smoke.
Only a scorched mark remained behind, proof of the overwhelming power that had just passed through it.
"Wororororo!"
Kaido's dragon eyes narrowed.
"That brat's become a walking mirror!"
Big Mom licked her lips.
"Mamamama… If I had an ability like that…"
"Not a chance!"
Jozu laughed as dazzling light erupted from his diamond body.
Ron nodded in satisfaction.
"It's more than simple reflection. Jozu, try the other part."
Jozu gave a slight nod, immediately understanding what Ron meant.
He slowly extended both hands and held them loosely before his chest, his movements calm and graceful, like the opening of some ancient ritual.
A remarkable change followed.
The surrounding light began twisting violently, pulled by an invisible force.
Beams that had once traveled in straight, orderly paths became chaotic, swirling like currents caught inside a vortex.
Countless tiny rays of light, normally scattered and almost impossible to grasp, were forcibly seized under Jozu's astonishing control.
They responded like obedient little spirits, following his guidance as they gathered toward his palms.
Gradually, a dazzling sphere of light took shape between his hands, spinning continuously.
Blinding radiance poured from it, while countless rays inside crossed and collided with one another, containing an immense reserve of energy.
"Gather, focus, separate, convert…"
Jozu murmured each word, enlightenment shining in his eyes like the brightest star in the night sky.
Countless sparks of understanding seemed to dance within his gaze, each concept opening another door into an entirely new world.
"So this is the true nature of the Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit's awakening!"
Excitement and amazement filled his voice, as though he had finally uncovered a secret of the universe that had remained hidden for ages.
What followed stunned everyone even further.
When Jozu released the immense Armament Haki inside him, pitch-black power surged across his body.
To everyone's disbelief, the dark Haki fused perfectly with the brilliant light of his diamond form.
A unique prism surface formed over his skin.
It was no mere visual effect, but a defensive layer filled with overwhelming power.
Reinforced by Haki, its physical hardness multiplied exponentially. Even the strongest metal would appear fragile in comparison.
More astonishingly, when an energy attack struck this Haki-coated prism surface, it could do more than simply endure the impact.
Jozu could reflect the energy back after infusing it with his own Haki.
...