Chapter 40 Awakening of Princess
Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's office was tense. Sengoku frowned as he looked at the reports on his desk, irritation clear on his face. "Why hasn't Kuzan reported yet?" he asked, his voice carrying impatience.
Tsuru remained calm, folding her arms. "He might have encountered bad weather. He could have been delayed," she replied logically, though even she seemed slightly concerned.
"Bhahahaha! The kid is an Admiral now, stop worrying so much!" Garp laughed loudly, stuffing his mouth with senbei without a care in the world. Crumbs fell everywhere as he spoke.
Sengoku and Tsuru both sighed at his behavior. Even in moments like this, Garp remained completely unfazed, as if none of it mattered. Sengoku rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache forming.
Inside a luxurious office elsewhere, the president of the World Economy News Paper sat grinning widely. The bird-man's eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at the photographs spread before him.
"Kahahahaha… now this is a spicy story," Morgan muttered, his feathers ruffling in excitement. His desk was covered in fresh prints taken by his news seagulls.
One image showed a frozen sea, shattered and cracked, with Admiral Aokiji clashing against a breathtakingly beautiful woman. "Kahahaha! The new Empress of Kuja… truly, the land of women produces monsters. Such beauty, with the strength of an Admiral…"
Morgan's eyes turned into hearts just from looking at her picture. "Magnificent… absolutely magnificent!" he muttered before snapping back to reality, already imagining the headlines.
On the frozen sea, Hancock and Kuzan continued their battle. Their fists and kicks collided repeatedly, each clash releasing black lightning as their advanced armament haki met violently.
The ice beneath them shattered again and again, unable to withstand the force of their blows. Every step, every strike, cracked the battlefield further, turning the once-still ocean into a warzone.
Hancock jumped back gracefully, landing lightly on the frozen surface. She raised her hand and pointed directly at Kuzan, her expression calm yet slightly bored. "Love Chaos."
A massive pink heart formed in her palm before shooting forward at incredible speed. The air itself seemed to distort around it as it rushed toward its target.
Kuzan's observation haki screamed in warning. His expression sharpened instantly. "Ice Age," he muttered, releasing a surge of freezing energy as the sea expanded with thick ice.
The heart collided with the frozen surface and exploded into countless smaller heart-shaped projectiles. Everywhere they touched, the ice turned into stone instantly.
A massive portion of the battlefield was petrified in seconds, the frozen sea now mixed with lifeless stone formations. The contrast was surreal.
Kuzan reformed from the ice a short distance away. "Arara… what a troublesome ability to deal with," he said, scratching his head slightly.
Her every attack carried the effect of her Devil Fruit. He had to keep his eyes closed constantly, relying entirely on observation haki. Even her long-range attacks were lethal—direct hits meant instant petrification.
"If not for my Logia body…" he muttered under his breath, "…I might have already lost a limb or two."
He sighed, then stepped forward again, his body turning cold as frost gathered around him. "Ice Present."
Inside the Flower Capital, Shogun Castle had turned into chaos.
Hiyori stood breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her face as she faced Fukurokuju. Her grip on Enma tightened as she steadied herself.
Fukurokuju attacked again, his long earlobes striking like whips. "You are too weak to wield that blade. Accept your defeat," he said coldly.
Hiyori didn't respond. Her focus was entirely on Enma.
'Enma…' her grip tightened further. Memories flooded her mind—endless training, hunger, helplessness, the burning castle, her father's execution.
"Give it back…" she muttered.
"What?" Fukurokuju frowned, confused.
"I. SAID. GIVE. IT. BACK!" she roared, her voice shaking with emotion.
Something inside her snapped. A powerful wave of conqueror's haki burst out from her body, spreading across the battlefield.
Several samurai and ninjas froze mid-fight before collapsing unconscious, foam forming at their mouths. The pressure was overwhelming.
Denjiro, Ashura, and Kawamatsu stared in shock. "Lady Hiyori…?"
Enma trembled violently in her hands before suddenly stabilizing. The haki it had been draining flowed back into her.
"I've had enough of this," Hiyori said coldly. "All this time… being protected. I won't be protected anymore. I will protect."
Her aura changed completely.
She dashed forward.
"Ninpo: Mimitabu Cracker!" Fukurokuju shouted, launching his earlobes again.
Hiyori swung Enma.
"Impossible… how?" Fukurokuju's eyes widened in horror.
First, she awakened the spirit of a king. Now… she had tamed Enma?
On Onigashima, Yamato charged toward Toki and King, her kanabo wrapped in conqueror's haki and advanced armament.
Toki's mouth twitched. "This girl… seriously?" she muttered, clearly annoyed.
She pushed King back before turning to meet Yamato head-on. Her blade was also coated in advanced armament and conqueror's haki.
Both grinned.
Their weapons never touched. Their haki collided first.
A massive explosion of red lightning split the sky as the pressure between them detonated. The wind howled violently, and the ground beneath them shattered from the impact.
Their hair whipped wildly in the storm created by their clash. Neither backed down.
Kaido wiped the blood from his mouth as he stood up slowly. "Worororo… what a damn monster," he muttered, staring at Kai.
For a moment, even Kaido wasn't enjoying the fight. He was too shocked.
This brat, only fifteen, had gained the loyalty of two conqueror's haki users—both incredibly powerful. One of them was his own damn daughter.
"Should I be proud she found a monster of a man?… or angry that she wants to beat me with him?" Kaido laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Worororo… what a filial daughter I have."
"Well, you'll be joining them soon," Kai said casually, clearly excited. "With you on board, things will get a lot more comfortable. I can travel without worrying about Wano."
Kaido froze for a second before his face turned red in anger. "You bas—! You want me to be your guard dog?"
Kai stiffened slightly. Oops… that slipped out.
"Ahem… what are you talking about?" Kai said quickly. "How can I treat my crewmate like that? And aren't you already protecting Wano indirectly? You'll just keep doing what you've been doing."
Kaido paused.
He thought about it.
"…He's technically right," Kaido muttered. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
Then suddenly—
"Worororo! You bastard! Are you already treating me like your crewmate? I haven't lost yet!"
Embarrassment and anger exploded at once as Kaido charged forward.
Kai grinned, raising Akatsuki. "Kahahaha! It's just a matter of time!"
Their weapons clashed again.
The night sky split apart once more as their haki tore through the heavens.