Jaden's fist slammed directly into Zeus's helmeted head.
The first punch was a right hook, aimed straight at the face.
The second followed immediately-a left hook snapping up into the chin.
Then another right hook, this one crashing into the temple.
Before Zeus could recover, Jaden's left hand clamped down on his head.
Jaden leapt.
Zeus's head was smashed upward into Jaden's knee.
At the same time, Jaden didn't release his grip. His right arm rose high, then came down again and again, his elbow hammering into the back of Zeus's skull-
Like smashing a coconut with a stone.
Zeus had been stunned for an instant by the destruction of Ares's Spear.
And in that instant-
He took the full force of Jaden's combo.
Cracks spread rapidly across the Helmet of Uranus.
But Zeus didn't dare detonate it.
-Because the helmet was still on his head.
However, Zeus still had a way out.
The moment he sensed Jaden shifting his leverage, just as Jaden raised his right arm again, Zeus dropped to his knees.
Using the explosive strength in his legs, he violently pulled backward.
His head was torn free from the Helmet of Uranus as he retreated.
In the next instant-
The Helmet of Uranus detonated.
Boom-!
Lightning and flame expanded outward in a violent surge.
Jaden's raised right hand came down without hesitation.
His left hand joined the strike.
The lightning and fire were intercepted directly by his hands.
The shockwave slammed into his body.
But in his current state, Jaden took it head-on.
When it was over, Jaden walked out of the black smoke left behind by the helmet's explosion.
Zeus, now bareheaded, was on one knee, gasping heavily as he struggled back to his feet.
He raised both hands in front of his face.
Like a boxer.
Clad in the Armor of Gaia, Zeus possessed unparalleled recovery ability.
He could fight in any environment, under any climate.
His stamina was effectively infinite.
He should not have been tired.
And yet-
The heavy gasping only proved how much pressure Jaden had just placed on him.
Still, Zeus gradually stabilized his breathing.
Jaden smiled and walked toward him.
"This time it was the helmet."
His tone was relaxed.
"Next time, are you going to tear off your own head and hand it to me?"
Zeus scoffed softly.
"Don't underestimate the last Divine Weapon I still have."
"You probably already guessed some of the Armor of Gaia's abilities when I was wielding multiple Divine Weapons."
He paused.
"But when this is the only one left, the armor has a hidden ability."
Zeus wasn't lying.
The Armor of Gaia did possess such an ability.
It was just extremely difficult to trigger.
Once activated, Zeus's recovery and resistance would surge dramatically, and negative status effects would be transferred to his opponent.
At that point, he would truly have the capital to drag Jaden into a war of attrition.
But-
It wouldn't be triggered in a fight like this.
First, Zeus couldn't activate it on his own.
Second, no matter how strong Jaden was, he shouldn't possess the special power required to trigger that condition.
Zeus knew this clearly.
He was speaking to intimidate Jaden.
And to leave himself a sliver of hope.
More than speaking to Jaden-
He was speaking to himself.
-He still had a trump card.
Jaden simply smiled.
"It's good that you still have a special ability."
His Gear Second had already been pushed to its limit.
This was his final combat state.
Zeus raised both fists.
Jaden did the same.
Earlier, when Zeus destroyed Athena's Shield and reflected the explosion of the Gods' Paradise, Jaden would have punched if Kuriboh hadn't intervened.
After that, facing Zeus while he still held most of his Divine Weapons and remained completely unharmed-
Jaden chose to punch.
When Zeus unleashed a full thrust with Ares's Spear-
Jaden still chose to punch.
So now-
He would punch again.
A faint sense of déjà vu overlapped with Jaden's memory.
Garp had experienced this.
He kept punching Rocks until he knocked him down.
And now, Jaden was doing the same.
So-
Bang!
They stepped forward at the same time.
Jaden's fist shot out and smashed straight into Zeus's face.
Without the Helmet of Uranus, Zeus's face visibly deformed under the impact.
The Armor of Gaia immediately emitted a green glow.
Zeus began regenerating.
Using that recovery, he stabilized his footing.
He showed no intention of retreating.
Even as Jaden's fist struck him, his eyes never left Jaden.
Bang!
Zeus's fist landed squarely on Jaden's face.
Then-
Their second punches were thrown simultaneously.
Once again, they struck each other's unguarded faces.
At first, their punching speed was slow.
But after the first exchange, every punch became faster.
Heavier.
More violent.
Jaden was skilled in countless fighting techniques.
Zeus, as the King of Gods, had his own combat style.
But if a professional spectator were watching this fight now-
They wouldn't be able to explain it.
Because-
They had both abandoned technique.
This wasn't some incomprehensible realm of high-level mastery.
Nor was it a return to simplicity or purity.
It was nothing so refined.
They were simply-
Like street thugs.
Engaging in a raw slugfest.
No defense.
No strategy.
Just punching.
Just smashing fists into the opponent's face.
Again.
And again.
Jaden's face carried a constant smile.
And Zeus-
After being dragged into this kind of fight-
Also began to smile.
His face was bruised and swollen.
But unlike Jaden's smile-
His was filled with helplessness.
Because he had realized it.
When his punching speed reached its peak-
Jaden's was still increasing.
Gradually-
It went from one punch each.
To Jaden landing two.
Then three.
Eventually, Zeus began retracting his arms, trying to block.
And from that moment-
The fight officially became a one-sided beating.
Zeus tried to resist.
He tried everything.
But-
It was useless.
Even as Jaden's wounds split open and blood flowed, he never stopped.
Even when Zeus struck at vital points, Jaden didn't defend.
He just punched.
And punched again.
As long as an enemy stood in front of him-
His fist would smash into their face.
Time didn't exist in the void.
No one knew how long it lasted.
Finally-
Zeus's legs gave out.
With one last hit from Jaden, he was sent flying backward and collapsed onto the ground.
Jaden remained in his punching posture, gasping for breath.
He looked down at Zeus.
The smile slowly faded from his face.
[Garp Panel Fusion Degree 100%]
The moment he saw the notification, Jaden knew.
The fight was over.
This battle, filled with more twists than expected, had ended in his victory.
He didn't check the new panel draw.
He didn't look at the skills unlocked by the completed fusion.
Instead, he dragged his suddenly exhausted body and walked toward Zeus.
-He hadn't delivered the finishing blow yet.
And-
He still had a question.
"Zeus."
"Didn't you say your armor had a hidden ability?"
"Did you already use it?"
Zeus lay on the ground.
His eyes were swollen shut.
His face was so compressed he couldn't see.
In a weak voice, he answered.
"No..."
"The Armor of Gaia's hidden ability requires a trigger."
"It only activates under abnormal conditions-curses, diseases, forced weakening."
"You don't have that kind of power."
Jaden froze.
Then he remembered something.
"Actually..."
"I do have a similar ability."
Hearing this, Zeus raised his voice despite the blood spilling from his mouth.
"Then why didn't you use it!?"
Jaden blinked.
He answered honestly.
"I forgot about the skill."
"Forgot..."
"Forgot..."
Zeus burst into laughter.
"Hahaha-HAHAHAHAHA!"
Blood poured from his wide-open mouth as he laughed.
His breathing grew weaker.
But his laughter grew louder.
In the end-
Without Jaden delivering the final blow-
Zeus died laughing.
Jaden watched as Zeus's body turned into golden dust.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then, before Zeus completely dissipated, he stepped on his head.
The golden dust scattered faster.
After that, Jaden collapsed onto the ground.
He lay there, breathing heavily.
"The fight is over..."
"Now I just need to see what higher-level panel I get this time."
"Check that 'Iron Fist' thing."
"And then..."
"...figure out how to get back."