"My, my, causing such a massive commotion... What a headache."
By the coast, a bicycle lay haphazardly on the port as Aokiji, clad in a gray overcoat, strolled down the street.
Watching the panicked, fleeing crowds and the frantically pursuing Marines, Aokiji rubbed his head with a troubled expression.
He had recently heard the reports of Zephyr defecting from the Marines and taking a large number of followers with him. As fellow wanderers who had lost their way, he had thought about coming over to share a drink and chat with Zephyr.
But upon arriving, he stumbled right into an operation of this scale. It could practically be considered a war.
Furthermore...
"This doesn't seem like Teacher Zephyr's style at all. Just what exactly happened?"
Aokiji scratched his head lazily, looking thoughtfully at the chaos and sounds of battle erupting all around him.
Spreading his Observation Haki outward, Aokiji soon seemed to sense something, turning his head to look toward a specific direction within the town.
Should he go check that out first, or deal with the chaos on the island?
Aokiji couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
He was no longer a Marine. He no longer carried the burden of justice, nor did he have any obligation to save lives or heal the wounded.
However...
There were still some things he simply had to do.
"My, my... Just thinking about it is such a pain..."
Aokiji sighed, exhaling a puff of frigid air. With a casual wave of his hand, an extreme, freezing wind swept across the entire street!
*Whoosh!*
The world seemed to fall silent in an instant. The road, the houses, and the street stalls were all frozen solid, turning the entire street into a world of ice and snow.
The people engaged in the chaotic pursuit were all frozen into ice sculptures, regardless of whether they were Marines or pirates. Only a few fleeing civilians were left unaffected.
"Wh-what's going on..."
"Everyone is frozen..."
The civilians looked around in bewilderment as Aokiji slowly stepped forward, passing through the crowd and continuing toward another street.
Meanwhile, deep inside the town.
The original casino had completely vanished. Along with dozens of surrounding buildings, it had been reduced to a series of deep craters. The entire street was practically leveled into ruins.
*Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!*
In the center of the ruins, two figures flickered rapidly, violently clashing against each other before quickly separating.
Every time their fists and feet collided, a deafening boom erupted, sending out shockwaves of fierce, turbulent wind.
*Boom!!*
A mass of crimson magma, containing terrifyingly high temperatures, blasted into the earth. Copious amounts of lava splattered and flowed out, sizzling and emitting white smoke on the ground.
"Six Powers: Moonwalk!!"
Zephyr continuously kicked the air beneath his feet to ascend. After dodging the successive barrage of magma spheres, he let out a loud shout and unleashed a rapid volley of wind sickles downward!
"Tempest Kick: Chaos!!"
A massive barrage of cyan flying slashes shot downward, as if the sky were pouring a torrential rain of scythes.
Facing the dense and razor-sharp attack, Allen did not dodge. Instead, he charged head-on, raising his leg for a fierce kick and unleashing a move Zephyr completely did not expect.
"Tempest Kick: Gaicho!!"
*Clang!!*
Accompanied by a furious roar, a massive slash was released from the tip of Allen's foot. It resembled a cyan bird with a hundred-meter wingspan taking flight, soaring upward against the torrential rain of wind sickles!
*Boom!!*
The Gaicho swept up the dozens, if not hundreds, of dense slashes and detonated in midair, erupting into countless chaotic and razor-sharp air currents.
A hint of solemnity appeared in Zephyr's eyes.
Those capable of mastering the Six Powers to such a degree could be counted on one hand even within the Marines, yet his opponent had managed to do so merely by observing during combat.
Such talent in martial arts was something even Rob Lucci, the so-called greatest Six Powers genius of CP9 in eight hundred years, could hardly hope to match.
"With such talent, you could have easily vied for the position of Marine Admiral in the future, yet you reduced yourself to becoming a pirate."
Zephyr shouted with a disdainful tone. His figure descended from the sky, using Moonwalk to accelerate his fall. Piercing through the chaotic air currents, he plummeted like a purple meteor!
"It is utterly absurd!"
"Black Arm: Muscle Blade!!"
Zephyr roared furiously as dense Armament Haki wrapped around his left wrist. Driven by his high-speed descent, his muscular arm transformed into a sharp blade, slashing ruthlessly toward Allen's body!
*Boom!!*
Allen raised both arms to block. His powerful Armament Haki prevented him from being cleaved in half, but the immense force of the heavy blow still drove him into the earth, smashing a massive crater directly into the ground!
"If you were still a Marine, I might have spared your life for being such a promising seedling. What a pity..."
"Since you chose to become a pirate, pay the price for your choices!"
Zephyr bellowed in anger. Seizing the momentum to pursue, he leaped into the air. His mechanical arm rapidly charged up, unleashing a thick laser beam aimed directly below!
"Smash Blaster!!"
*Pew—!* The laser pierced through space in an instant, blasting into the center of the crater and triggering a violent energy explosion. Intense flames shot into the sky!
*Boom!!!*
A ring of explosive shockwaves swept outward, kicking up massive clouds of dust and smoke as countless pieces of debris were hurled into the air.
Zephyr's purple hair whipped wildly in the wind as his feet touched back down on the ground. He stared intently into the dust cloud, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
The laser just now had undoubtedly landed a direct hit. Even if the opponent had avoided a fatal strike and survived, he should at least be severely injured.
However, within the perception of his Observation Haki, Allen's aura hadn't weakened in the slightest. In fact, it faintly seemed to be growing even stronger.
"How should I put this... You really exceeded my expectations, Teacher Zephyr."
Suddenly, a mocking voice echoed from within the dust. A humanoid silhouette gradually appeared, and Allen's figure slowly walked out.
A bloody, gaping hole had been blown through his shoulder, leaving half of his arm hanging limply. Wisps of black mist slithered around the edges of the wound, working in tandem with the regenerative cells of the axolotl to rapidly heal the injury.
Allen glanced down at his shoulder and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Even after losing the right arm you were so proud of, you still maintain such formidable strength. It's hard not to admire you."
"Unfortunately, age catches up to everyone. You can forget about killing me. Your fists aren't fast enough, nor are they ruthless enough."
Allen said with a playful smile. Then, his expression shifted as he waved his hand dismissively.
"Well, jokes aside, pushing me to this extent is probably your limit, right? After all, you are no longer that 'Non-Killing Admiral'."
"A Devil Fruit ability..."
Zephyr muttered, staring at the wound that had healed completely in the blink of an eye. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold sneer.
"You arrogant brat. Back in the day, there were plenty of pirates who looked down on me, and in the end, every single one of them was personally sent to Impel Down by my hands."
"Ah, I did hear quite a few of your exploits back then. Joined the Marine Academy at fourteen, saw your first real combat at eighteen, and didn't master the Six Powers until you were twenty-eight..."
Allen said, rolling his newly regenerated shoulder while looking at Zephyr.
"It sounds incredibly mediocre. Yet who would have known that looking back ten years later, you would have been promoted to Marine Admiral, sending countless pirates to Impel Down to repent for the rest of their lives."
"Tsk, sounds quite inspiring, actually."
"Then come and test it! I'll show you my true strength!"
Allen's expression shifted from disdain to wild arrogance, his mouth splitting into a ferocious grin as he shouted.
Activating his ability, he loaded the Lineage Factor of the Buccaneer Tribe, causing his heavily muscled, robust body to expand to over six meters tall.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
Allen spread his legs, stomping heavily to root himself into the ground. His eyes darkened as he let out a low shout.
"Life Return: Paper Art - Martial Body!!"
Wisps of white smoke rose from his skin as his bulging muscles began to compress. Finally, he transformed into a slender figure over three meters tall, his muscles so dense they looked as if they were cast from solid steel!
'First, I use my ability to gain the Buccaneer Tribe's giant-like strength, then I compress my body through Life Return to maintain my original agility and flexibility.'
'Then, I stack on the defense and speed of the Lunarian Tribe!'
A sharp glint flashed in Allen's eyes.
Immediately after, his skin began to turn brown, and a streak of white rapidly dyed his hair from the roots to the tips. Pitch-black wings abruptly unfurled from his back, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Crimson scales covered his shoulders and face, while a pair of serrated horns sprouted from the top of his head. Razor-sharp claws and fangs manifested one after another.
An indestructible chitinous exoskeleton covered his torso and arms, and his feet morphed into powerful, tightly-muscled locust legs lined with barbs. Wisps of flame wreathed his entire body.
'The claws of a Deinonychus, the fangs and jaws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, invisibility, flames... The abilities of countless apex predators of the sea, land, and sky are all gathered within me!'
'This is my strongest form! The one and only ultimate creature in the world!'
Allen's eyes were fierce, his smile savage, as the aura radiating from his body rapidly climbed.
In Zephyr's eyes, Allen underwent countless transformations in the blink of an eye, thoroughly turning into a humanoid demon straight out of purgatory.
"So this is your Devil Fruit ability. Freely altering your body to acquire the traits of other creatures."
"You truly are an absolute monster."
"You look intimidating enough, but whether you're just all bark and no bite remains to be seen."
The corners of Zephyr's mouth curled up with interest, a flash of fanatical battle intent gleaming in his eyes.
Dense Armament Haki coiled from his shoulder down his entire left arm. A deep, pitch-black luster flowed across it as a powerful aura suddenly erupted!
"Shave!!"
*Bang!!*
The ground exploded, cracks spreading out like a spiderweb. Zephyr's figure instantly vanished from his spot, reappearing right in front of Allen. His mechanical arm, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, smashed down with explosive force!
However, Allen was even faster! The attack pierced through an afterimage that dissipated like an illusion, causing the massive Battle Smasher to crash directly into the ground!
*Boom!!*
Zephyr's expression shifted in shock. "What!"
'Above me!!'
His Observation Haki screamed warnings that pierced his mind. Zephyr abruptly spun around, only to be met with the sight of three cold, vicious claws!
*Riiiip—!!*
A massive spray of blood splattered into the sky. The claws mercilessly tore through flesh and skin, dragging a bloody trail from Zephyr's shoulder all the way down to his abdomen, leaving three deep gouges that spanned his entire torso!
After tearing into him with his claws, Allen bent his legs and delivered a violent double kick straight into Zephyr's chest!
*Bang!!*
"Puh-wah—!!"
Zephyr coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was instantly sent flying by the immensely heavy kick, tearing through the air like a human cannonball and rocketing back over a hundred meters!
Allen flapped the wings on his back with all his might, breaking the sound barrier in midair! He shot forward at breakneck speed, appearing right above Zephyr before the older man could even come to a halt!
Blazing flames suddenly erupted, extending over his fist. Allen let out a thunderous roar and viciously threw a violently burning punch!
"Flame Emperor!!"
*Bang!!*
The fist, carrying terrifying heat, slammed ruthlessly into Zephyr's chest! The moment it made contact with his body, Allen's eyes darkened, and the flames on his fist erupted once more!
*Boom!!*
The violent crimson flames expanded rapidly in an instant, ferociously engulfing Zephyr's entire body and blasting him away!
His back smashed into the ground before bouncing up, skipping across the earth like a stone on water for dozens of meters. He crashed through several houses in succession before finally slamming heavily into the fountain pool in the town square!
"Cough... Cough, cough...!!"
The fountain statue in the center of the pool had been smashed to pieces, completely unrecognizable from its original form.
Zephyr coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. Gritting his teeth, he used his mechanical arm to prop himself up, his gaze locked dead onto Allen several streets away.
Fast.
He was completely outclassed in speed alone, and the same went for strength.
Although he was reluctant to admit being surpassed by someone so young, Allen's martial arts were indeed no weaker than his own.
If it were just that, it would have been fine. With his superior Haki application techniques, he could have easily suppressed Allen.
However, the gap in their physical constitutions was simply too vast. That terrifying speed and strength were on a completely different level from his own.
Allen flew high into the sky before going into a rapid dive toward Zephyr's direction, shouting coldly:
"This is the advantage brought by my ability. You underestimate the power of Devil Fruits far too much, Teacher!"
"Don't get too arrogant, brat! It's just a mere Devil Fruit ability! Only the strength cultivated through down-to-earth training is truly reliable!"
Zephyr roared in anger, swinging his right arm's Battle Smasher out with all his might!
Facing the whistling mechanical arm, Allen raised his right wrist, pushing his Armament Haki to the absolute limit to turn his entire arm pitch-black.
"Someone swinging around a clunky hunk of iron like that has no right to say such things!"
Allen flapped his wings furiously, causing his flying body to suddenly drop and evade the sweep of the Battle Smasher. Then, he stomped his feet hard against the ground, launching himself upward!
Extending his right arm, he used his wrist as a blade and slashed horizontally toward Zephyr's abdomen!
"Black Arm: Muscle Blade!!"
"This is...!!"
Seeing this familiar move, Zephyr's pupils shrank in shock.
This wasn't a simple infusion of Armament Haki. It was the use of absolute control to concentrate Haki along the entire wrist, condensing it into a line to form a Haki slash as sharp as a blade!
He had only used it once, yet the opponent had already learned it!
The thought flashed through his mind. Before Zephyr could fully solidify the Haki he was concentrating to defend his abdomen, he was struck squarely by Allen's wrist blade!
*Slash—!!*
The Haki slashed across Zephyr's abdomen, sending a large spray of blood into the air. He gritted his teeth, using his left hand to push against Allen's arm, preventing it from advancing even an inch further.
At the same time, Zephyr raised his heavy mechanical arm high into the air and brought it crashing down with violent force!
*Bang!!*
Allen raised his left arm above his head to block. His entire body was forced down a few inches by the pressure, his feet directly shattering the floor and sinking into the earth.
"Black Arm: Mountain Shatter!!"
Allen pulled back his right hand, clenching it into a tight fist. With a ruthless glint in his eyes, he unleashed a furious, fully charged punch infused with Armament Haki directly onto the heavy mechanical arm!
*Clang!!!*
The strike let out a deep, resonant sound like a struck bell. The Haki surged into the interior of the mechanical arm, wreaking absolute havoc!
*Crack—crack—crack!*
Tiny cracks appeared on the surface of the mechanical arm and spread rapidly. Aside from the Seastone embedded at the front, the rest of the structure was completely covered in dense fractures.
*Bang!!*
Under Zephyr's incredulous gaze, the heavy mechanical arm violently exploded with a deafening boom. Countless parts shattered and scattered into the sky!
"Internal Destruction, an advanced technique of Armament Haki. I learned it pretty well, didn't I?"
Allen stared at Zephyr, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he said:
"Whether it's the Marines or the NEO Marines, it's all over, Teacher Zephyr."
As he spoke, Allen brought his five fingers together into a palm strike, pitch-black Armament Haki wrapping around it.
Just as he was about to end the battle with a hand blade, a wave of frigid air swept over them. A wall of ice suddenly rose from the ground, separating him from Zephyr.
"My, my, young man, could I ask you for a favor?"
A lazy voice came from behind. Allen didn't even need to look to know who it was. Retracting his stance, he turned around expressionlessly to face the newcomer.
Aokiji, wearing his gray overcoat, stood a dozen meters away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Frigid air radiated from his body, showing he was ready to strike at any moment, as he spoke in a drawl:
"Well, this man happens to be my esteemed teacher. It would put me in a very difficult position if he were to die by your hands. Could you do me a favor and let's just call it a day here?"