"This is really a mess…"
Looking at the ruined state of the port on Abra Island below, Roronoa Zoro and Sanji couldn't help but frown deeply, a flash of anger crossing their eyes.
Red had clearly warned them that the World Government might attack the Pokémon Sea while he and Monkey D. Luffy were away…
Yet because of habitual thinking, none of them had expected that this time the World Government wouldn't dispatch troops at all—instead, they would descend directly upon this island at the edge of the Pokémon Sea.
The Straw Hat crew had paid a heavy price for that miscalculation.
"This is troublesome." Sanji, cigarette between his lips, slowly exhaled as blazing flames began to pour from his body.
Zoro, meanwhile, drew the three swords at his waist one by one, assuming his Three Sword Style stance.
"No matter what… we absolutely can't let them continue destroying this place!!!"
BOOM!!!
Two overwhelming bursts of Conqueror's Haki erupted from their bodies, surging like twin tempests and engulfing them completely.
The next instant—
The storm shattered, transforming into violent gusts that swept outward in all directions.
And Zoro and Sanji had already completed their Pokémon-ization, entering their current strongest forms.
"Perfect… Let's use these big shots to test our training!"
With Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth, Zoro's eyes gleamed with battle intent.
Sanji let out a low chuckle."Heh. I was thinking the same."
Their figures suddenly transformed into beams of light, streaking straight toward the Five Elders below.
At the same time—
The Five Elders on the ground naturally noticed that Zoro and Sanji had no intention of hiding their assault. Their gazes shifted upward.
Seeing the two attack without hesitation, the bald Elder—Saint Nusjuro—immediately swung Shodai Kitetsu and barked:
"The swordsman is mine!!!"
With that, his four hooves slammed into the ground, blasting out a massive crater as his body turned into a streak of icy light, charging straight toward Zoro.
The remaining three Elders locked onto Sanji.
For some reason…
Though they were supposed to be the final bosses, they now looked like they were teaming up to fight a boss instead.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous collision resounded across the sea.
Black lightning filled the sky. Flames surged like living beings.
In an instant, the world seemed to undergo a new baptism.
In midair, endless frost gathered like an ice demon incarnate, hurling a crushing blow upward.
Zoro did not retreat in the slightest. The aura around him condensed into a ferocious dragon wreathed in ghostly flames, colliding head-on with the ice demon below.
CLANG!!!
The clear cry of clashing blades echoed through heaven and earth.
The dragon and the demon shattered simultaneously, transforming into surging waves of energy that swept in all directions.
"Roronoa Zoro…"
In his hybrid form, Saint Nusjuro exhaled piercing frost.
Zoro, blocking the attack completely, curled his lips upward."Grandpa's right here."
"…."
"You brat courting death!!!"
Murderous intent flashed in Saint Nusjuro's eyes. In the next second, overwhelming force exploded from his body. His cursed blade came crashing down, completely nullifying Zoro's attack and slamming him deep into the ground.
"You're nothing but an ant who lucked into mysterious power. Don't get carried away!"
Zoro's voice erupted from below.
"Pretty sure you're the one getting carried away!"
"Three Sword Style Secret Art—Meteor Assault!!!"
WHOOSH!!!
A streak of brilliant light burst from the ground like lightning, charging at Saint Nusjuro with terrifying momentum.
Steel-type move—Meteor Assault.
In-game, it strikes with the force of a meteor and ignores defensive abilities like Battle Armor.
In the modified real-world version, it no longer possessed rule-level defense negation—but gained a different effect:
It became far more effective at shattering defenses and destroying obstacles ahead.
And when wielded by a Great Swordsman like Zoro…
"Hmph! That kind of attack is useless even if you try it ten thousand times!"
Saint Nusjuro sneered.
Overwhelming Conqueror's Haki condensed along the crimson blade.
As the strongest among the Five Elders, his strength already surpassed that of a Marine Admiral. Now, with the immortality granted by Lord Imu—
How could a mere twenty-year-old brat compare!?
"Frost Dragon—Judgment!!!"
BOOM!!!
A domineering slash shot from the blade, roaring toward Zoro.
Like a demonic dragon descending, the icy strike froze the surrounding air, crystallizing frost around its path.
Yet just as Saint Nusjuro believed Zoro would be struck down again—
The unexpected happened.
The frost dragon did indeed explode with power upon contact, freezing Zoro solid.
But the next instant—
Blazing flames burst from Zoro's body, melting the ice instantly.
Crack… crack!
A clear fracture spread across the frozen dragon before him.
Before Saint Nusjuro could react, Zoro's body began spinning at high speed, as if controlled by unseen force.
Flames spiraled with him, forming a blazing red streak like a meteor reversing its course, propelling him forward.
His blades pierced straight through the frost dragon, slashing toward Saint Nusjuro.
And Saint Nusjuro's slash counted as an obstacle.
Which meant it triggered Meteor Assault's special effect.
That was precisely why Zoro had chosen this move over so many other options.
The meteor-like blades tore through Saint Nusjuro's Armament Haki, carving a massive hole straight through his body.
Zoro soared past into the sky behind him.
Splurt!!!
Bright red blood rained down, freezing midair into crimson shards before clattering to the ground.
"This…"
Saint Nusjuro stared at the gaping hole in his chest in disbelief.
Though his immortal body was already regenerating—
The true shock was Zoro's power.
His slash had been destroyed so easily?!
Even an Admiral would think twice before taking it head-on!
What exactly was this brat!?
At the same time—
While Zoro and Saint Nusjuro completed their first exchange—
The other three Elders were experiencing similar shock.
"What… just happened!?"
Three massive craters held three terrifying beasts lying dazed within.
Flames burned across their bodies, consuming them—only for new flesh to regenerate and push the fire outward again.
Death held no fear for them.
But the pain of burning remained etched into their nerves.
Yet what truly stunned them was—
From beginning to end, they hadn't even seen their attacker.
Just a flash of fire and shadow—
And they were already in craters.
Rumble…
The Elders climbed out.
Ahead stood a man in a suit, cigarette in his mouth, head lowered.
"You're finally out?" Sanji smirked."I thought you'd nap a little longer~"
"Black Leg Sanji…"
Their faces darkened.
How…?
A month ago, he had been suppressed by Aokiji.
How had he reached such speed in just one month!?
They didn't fear Teleport.
Teleport was instantaneous.
But extreme speed was continuous—and potentially permanent.
If he was so fast they couldn't even react, how was that different?
Hearing them speak his name, Sanji blinked, then grinned.
"To think the Five Elders remember a nobody like me…"
Snap.
He flicked his cigarette into the sky.
The next second, overwhelming flames erupted.
"And I'm honored~!"
Despite his words, his attack carried no hesitation.
The battlefield transformed into a sea of fire.
Walls of flame surrounded them.
"Devil Dragon Leg—Roast…"
A faint dragon's roar echoed.
A flaming dragon materialized behind Sanji.
"Blazing Abyss!!!"
BOOM!!!
The dragon dived.
Its wings spread wide, joining the towering walls of fire as though to engulf the world.
The sea of flames crashed down like a tsunami, instantly turning the three Elders into burning fireballs.
"Damn it! What is this!?"
Saint Mars tried to fly away—but his feathers became perfect fuel.
Then—
Agonizing pain struck his mind from within.
Blazing Abyss.
A Fire-type move.
It deals damage and guarantees a burn.
Unlike Sizzly Slide—which causes an explosive ignition—
Blazing Abyss ignites flames inside the enemy's body, burning them from within.
The difference was obvious.
Its weakness? It required far more energy and was slower to cast.
Normally, its hit rate would suffer greatly.
But under Sanji's Speed-Speed Fruit · Semi-Awakening, that weakness vanished completely.
Yes.
After long training, Sanji's Devil Fruit had finally shown signs of awakening.
But unlike normal awakenings—
Perhaps because the Speed-Speed Fruit was too powerful, he had only reached a semi-awakened state.
A true Paramecia awakening influences the environment.
Donquixote Doflamingo's String-String Fruit could turn surroundings into strings.
The Gold-Gold Fruit could transform the earth into gold.
Sanji's fruit couldn't alter the environment.
He couldn't speed up objects or grant allies speed powers.
But—
He could now accelerate his own energy flow, accumulation, and recovery.
His genetically enhanced body.
His internal Pokémon energy.
Everything was affected.
And that allowed his combat power to undergo a leap-like…
Ascension!!!
(End of Chapter)