The fruit's bitterness still lingered on Kael's tongue, a taste so vile it made bile rise in his throat.
Yet alongside that foulness came something far greater.
It was like fire crawling under his skin. Like the sea itself had flooded into his veins. His body tensed, shuddered, and then—
Golden light burst from him.
His muscles swelled, his frame stretching, veins glowing faintly as if molten sunfire coursed within.
The air cracked with raw energy, and the ground beneath him splintered into webs of stone.
The crew shielded their eyes, some stumbling back.
"Wh-What the hell's happening?!" one shouted.
Brogy's booming laughter shook the battlefield.
"Hah! He's being reborn!"
Dorry slammed his massive axe against the ground, his grin wild."Like a cub turning into a true warrior!"
Then it appeared.
From Kael's shadow rose a colossal, golden figure.
A monkey crowned, fanged, eyes blazing with fire its outline vast, stretching toward the heavens.
The phantom slammed an ethereal staff into the earth, and the shockwave rattled the bones of all who stood nearby.
Moria, limping behind Magnus, froze in abject horror.
"T-That fruit… that cursed fruit…! He actually…!"
Kael gasped, clutching his chest as the golden aura wrapped tighter around him.
His form shifted, muscles tightening, his teeth sharpening into fangs.
Patches of fur, black streaked with gold, crawled across his arms.
His spear pulsed with the same golden light, warping for a moment into a staff before flickering back.
Magnus watched in silence, his expression unreadable.
Kael staggered forward, half-laughing, half-groaning as the power rippled through him.
"I..I can feel it… like something alive is inside me…!"
The ground cracked as he slammed his spear down, the golden phantom above mimicking the motion with its staff.
The impact sent a shockwave blasting outward, kicking up dust and shoving even giants a step back.
The crew roared in disbelief.
"Monster!"
"No, more than that!"
"He's a damn god!"
Kael's eyes, glowing gold, turned to Magnus. His voice trembled."Captain… I can't control it. This strength… it's tearing through me!"
Magnus finally stepped forward, his presence calming the chaos around them.
His voice cut sharp and commanding.
"Breathe, Kael. Do not fight it. Command it. The fruit bends to no one unless you bend yourself to it first."
Kael clenched his teeth, sweat dripping as he steadied his breath.
Slowly, the golden phantom behind him began to stabilize, no longer thrashing wildly.
Its staff lowered, its form sharpening until it stood proudly behind Kael, an echo of Sun Wukong himself.
For a moment, silence.
Then Kael lifted his spear, golden sparks dancing around it.
He pointed it skyward and roared with a newfound voice, deeper and fiercer than before.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
The heavens answered.
Lightning crackled across the sky, mingling with the golden aura until it bathed the battlefield in light.
Even the Elbaf giants paused, wide-eyed at the sheer force radiating from the once ordinary man.
Magnus's smirk tugged at his lips. His thoughts echoed like thunder in his mind.
Yes.
This is it.
The Monkey King reborn, sworn to my banner. With Kael as my right hand, the seas will quake even before I unsheathe my blade.
Kael dropped to one knee, chest heaving, aura dimming but still burning faintly around him. His voice, ragged but fierce, rang out for all to hear.
"Captain… this power… I'll master it. I'll make it worthy of standing beside you."
Magnus turned, cloak billowing, his voice carrying over the battlefield.
"You will. Because from this day forward, the world will remember Kael as the Monkey King."."
He raised a hand toward his crew, his giants, his new monster reborn.
The cheer that followed shook Thriller Bark to its core.