Chapter 86: Chapter 86: The Collision Of Logia’S Awakening!
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed across the sky as a massive thunderstorm gathered, forming a ferocious lightning dragon. With a terrifying roar, it charged toward Aokiji at an alarming speed.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
Aokiji condensed freezing energy in his right arm, unleashing a gigantic ice bird. In an instant, the thunder dragon clashed with the ice bird.
Boom!
The impact created immense shockwaves, splitting the earth beneath them. Trees disintegrated into ash as thunder and ice shards filled the air.
"Sixty Million Volts: Thunder Dragon!"
Nami stood confidently, holding her Clima-Tact, her body crackling with fierce lightning.
"A Logia-type… Thunder Fruit!"
Aokiji exhaled a cold breath, staring at Nami in disbelief. Another Logia Devil Fruit? And it's the Thunder Fruit!
No longer wearing his usual lazy expression, Aokiji's face grew serious. The Thunder Fruit had not been seen in the seas for ages, and in terms of Devil Fruits, it was considered nearly invincible, particularly in the first half of the Grand Line. Among the Logia fruits, the Thunder Fruit had few rivals.
According to the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, the Thunder Fruit was only slightly less powerful than Akainu's Lava-Lava Fruit in terms of pure attack, and only marginally slower than Kizaru's Sparkling Fruit in terms of speed. But in overall versatility, the Thunder Fruit was superior to both. It was one of the best Devil Fruits in existence!
And now it was in the hands of the Entei Pirates.
Looking at Ace, who was holding Robin with a faint smile, Aokiji couldn't help but feel uneasy. The Entei Pirates possessed not one, not two, but three Logia-type Devil Fruits: the Sand Fruit, the Thunder Fruit, and Ace's own Mera-Mera Fruit. Together, these abilities were as powerful as any the Admirals possessed.
"I underestimated you," Aokiji muttered, "Your potential is far greater than I imagined. The government should have been more concerned after the Mariejois incident... but now it's clear even that was insufficient. Portgas D. Ace, you may very well be the one to ignite chaos across the seas. Perhaps you should die here."
Boom!
A gunshot echoed. Aokiji's face turned to ice, shattering on the right side.
"Is this the advanced Logia intangibility Ace mentioned? Even Armament Haki can't affect him."
Nojiko held her rifle high, her face tense. Strong Logia users can seemingly avoid attacks, rendering them ineffective.
"What a precise shot," Aokiji remarked as his face reformed. But his expression grew darker. Another sniper who can infuse bullets with Armament Haki… and the strength of that Haki is quite formidable.
"Tempest Kick!"
Kaya's leg sliced through the air, unleashing a sharp energy slash.
"Shigure!"
Tashigi drew her blade, her determined eyes narrowing as she joined the attack.
Both attacks rushed toward Aokiji.
"Ice Blade!"
Aokiji summoned an ice sword and met the incoming slashes head-on.
Clang!
The sound of metal meeting ice echoed as Tashigi and Kaya's combined attack was blocked. But in the process, the ice sword in Aokiji's hand shattered.
"Ah, I see. You taught her the Marine Six Styles, didn't you, Ace? Did you pick that up from your grandfather?"
Tossing aside the broken blade, Aokiji addressed Ace.
Given their history, Aokiji knew full well that Garp had adopted Ace.
"How's the old man?" Ace asked with a slight smile.
"He's fine. I heard he had a scuffle with Sengoku-san over you," Aokiji responded, the tension in the air thickening as he shifted his gaze to Tashigi.
"Your name is Tashigi, right? You used to work under Smoker. Looks like you've fully joined the Entei Pirates now."
Aokiji had a friendship with Smoker and had read about Tashigi being taken by Ace during the incident in LogueTown. But now, Tashigi's prowess exceeded his expectations. She could wield Armament Haki, launch flying slashes, and even use Shave of the Marine Six Styles.
"Tashigi shouldn't have had this kind of talent," Aokiji thought to himself as he analyzed her progress.
Without a word, Tashigi gripped her sword tighter, her determination shining through.
"Everyone, attack!"
Nami's body was surrounded by lightning, her lips curling into a confident smirk. At the same time, the sound of a harp echoed through the air. The notes seemed tangible, boosting the morale of the girls.
"That girl is a Sky Islander… Is that the ability of a Paramecia-type that controls music?" Aokiji muttered, his Observation Haki sensing the sudden surge in their spirits.
"Thirty Million Volts: Thunder Beast!"
Nami unleashed a lightning wolf that charged at Aokiji.
"Desert Sword!"
Vivi, her right hand turned into sand, sent a powerful slash toward Aokiji.
"Tempest Kick!"
"Flying Slash!"
Kaya and Tashigi attacked simultaneously, aiming their strikes at Aokiji.
Meanwhile, Nojiko kept her gun aimed, using Observation Haki to search for any opening.
Surrounded on all sides, Aokiji raised his hand.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Instantly, a massive wave of freezing energy spread out, freezing the earth, trees, and rocks. All the incoming attacks collided with this freezing air, neutralized in a deafening storm of ice.
"As expected of an Admiral, but…"
Nami's lips curled upward once more, her expression mischievous.
"Hmm?" Aokiji sensed something was off.
Suddenly, a deafening screech filled the air.
A colossal phoenix made of pure flame, so large it seemed to blot out the sky, descended with unimaginable speed, aiming directly at Aokiji!
Aokiji quickly realized that all the previous attacks were simply a setup for this final strike.
Crossing his arms, he braced himself against the cold.
Bang! Bah!
In the next moment, Raki, engulfed in strange flames, collided with Aokiji. He instinctively tried to freeze her, but his eyes widened in alarm.
These flames... dammit!
Aokiji gritted his teeth, his voice low and tense, as he poured all of his Armament Haki into his arms.
Boom!
With a powerful strike, Aokiji managed to knock back the fiery force in front of him.
Whoosh!
As the flames dissipated, Raki reverted from her Suzaku form to her human form and landed beside Kaya. Though hit by Aokiji's Haki, the flames around Raki continued to burn, purging the damage.
Kaya's right hand glowed with a warm yellow light, enveloping Raki in its soothing radiance.
Thanks to the dual blessings of her healing fruit and Suzaku form, Raki quickly recovered from the effects of Aokiji's attack.
"Thank you, Kaya," Raki said with a grateful smile.
"We're comrades," Kaya replied with a gentle smile of her own.
Aokiji's expression shifted. "Zoan? No... a Mythical Zoan! So that's it..."
He stared at the lingering flames on his arms, flames that burned even through his Armament Haki. His eyes widened in disbelief. It can burn through Haki itself? What kind of ability is this?!
"Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Suzaku form," Ace declared confidently.
Aokiji's gaze snapped to Raki in shock. The Suzaku form... That Devil Fruit was as legendary as Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon form! And now it had reappeared... in the hands of the Entei Pirates.
He glanced back at Kaya, whose Paramecia Devil Fruit could heal injuries, and then at the others. His expression darkened with growing concern.
Not only did they possess the Sand-Sand Fruit, Thunder Fruit, and Mera-Mera Fruit, but they also had a Mythical Zoan Fruit on par with Kaido's legendary ability.
What kind of monstrous pirate crew was this?
With these four Devil Fruits alone, they were already on par with the three Admirals and even Marshal Sengoku's Human-Human Fruit: Model Buddha. But the most terrifying element was Portgas D. Ace himself.
Aokiji's face grew more serious than ever. Portgas D. Ace... a man with the Conqueror's Haki capable of affecting reality itself!
Where had Ace managed to find so many rare and powerful Devil Fruits? And more importantly, how had he obtained Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit?
Even more astonishing was the fact that every member of the Entei Pirates—despite being in the first half of the Grand Line—knew how to use Armament Haki, and they were all exceptionally skilled.
This made no sense. It took countless battles to learn and master Haki. For someone sailing the first half of the Grand Line, it was virtually impossible. Haki was mostly seen in the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.
Moreover, all of Ace's crew were women, who generally had more difficulty developing the physical strength necessary to master Haki. There were only a handful of powerful women across the seas... yet Ace's crew had already surpassed expectations.
The weight of the situation settled on Aokiji like a heavy fog. What is going on? His mind raced as he looked at Ace's female companions, who had grown in strength far beyond what was typical for the first half of the Grand Line.
Aokiji's solemn gaze locked onto Ace. There's an enormous mystery surrounding this crew... and it's suffocating.
The mastermind behind it all was none other than—
"Portgas D. Ace," Aokiji muttered under his breath, his expression grim.
Ace smiled. "Finally taking me seriously, Aokiji?"
He let go of Robin's hand and stepped forward, his presence radiating command. The girls might not yet be able to face an Admiral head-on, but these skirmishes would help them experience the power of an Admiral.
But now, this was a fight Ace had to handle himself.
As Ace stepped forward, the girls obediently stepped back, understanding that their captain had taken control. They smiled warmly, watching Ace take the lead.
"Raki, take everyone back to the ship," Ace ordered calmly.
Chirp!
Without hesitation, Raki transformed back into her Suzaku form. The girls climbed onto her back and swiftly headed toward the going merry.
Aokiji narrowed his eyes as they flew away. "I can't just let you escape."
He exhaled a cold breath, preparing to make his move, but then his expression changed suddenly.
Whoosh!
"If you think you can stop them, you're welcome to try, Aokiji!" Ace's entire body ignited with terrifying flames as he laughed, his pupils glowing with a fearsome purple-black hue. His very presence began to distort the world around him.
Under Aokiji's stunned gaze, the transformation unfolded.
The sky darkened, clouds morphing into fire-laden masses that radiated intense heat. The ground beneath them cracked and spewed flames, turning the landscape into a fiery inferno.
Rocks, forests, and grass all succumbed to the blaze. The world was consumed by fire.
"Devil Fruit Awakening..." Aokiji muttered in disbelief. The Mera-Mera Fruit had been developed to such an extent?
The flames continued to spread, reshaping the environment into a hellish landscape of molten fire. Aokiji couldn't allow Ace to turn the entire battlefield into his domain.
Click! Click!
Most of Aokiji's body transformed into ice as a bitter chill filled the air.
Whoosh!
With each breath, a frigid wave spread outward from Aokiji, causing the very earth to freeze. Rocks became towering icebergs, and the entire landscape shifted into a world of ice and snow.
The Frozen Fruit had also awakened.
Click! Click!
Half of the island had become a realm of fire, while the other half was a frozen tundra. The two powers clashed violently at the boundary between their domains.
This was pure, raw power—two Logia Devil Fruit users colliding without restraint.
Boom!