Kronos listened quietly as the man in front of him introduced himself.
He now knew the man's name: Kabalu.
At the same time, Kronos felt something odd about the ability this guy had just displayed. It looked oddly familiar. And now, after hearing the man's self-introduction, it finally clicked.
No wonder... His ability resembled that of the Flying Pirate, Golden Lion Shiki!
But while one question was answered, another rose in Kronos' mind.
Logically speaking, a Devil Fruit ability can only exist in one person at a time. It's impossible for two people to possess the same power simultaneously.
And if someone new inherits a Devil Fruit ability, it can only happen after the original user dies—when the power returns to the world and manifests in a newly formed fruit.
Kronos raised his head slightly, looking at Kabalu standing on the artificial island above.
In other words… Kabalu's power wasn't exactly the same as the Golden Lion's—but it was strikingly similar.
"You... have the Golden Lion's ability?"
Kronos asked bluntly, a hint of doubt in his tone. He didn't expect a direct answer—after all, they were enemies—but asked anyway.
To his surprise, Kabalu burst into laughter upon hearing the name "Golden Lion."
Then he stared directly at Kronos and replied in an eerie tone:
"Golden Lion? That bastard who got crushed in East Blue? Hehehe… That's right. The power I have is his."
"The original plan was to extract his power and let him survive… but I didn't expect the old fool to hang on for so long! Hehe!"
"Our World Government's scientific division is stronger than you think!"
Kabalu let out a deranged chuckle as he continued.
"That guy Vegapunk—he's a genius. Crazy, but a genius! Imagine coming up with the idea of transferring a Devil Fruit ability into someone else! Madness!"
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped mid-rant, as if snapping back to reality. His eyes widened in panic as he instinctively covered his mouth.
"Crap... That was supposed to be top secret! I wasn't supposed to say that!"
Kronos couldn't help but stare at Kabalu in disbelief.
Is this guy mentally unstable?
Still, Kronos was able to piece things together from what Kabalu had accidentally revealed.
So it's true... The ability Kabalu now wielded did come from Golden Lion Shiki.
But it had been stolen through some kind of experimental method conducted by the World Government's scientific division.
And in the process—Golden Lion, once feared across the seas, had perished.
"This won't do… you weren't supposed to know any of that!"
Kabalu mumbled, holding his mouth as if trying to undo his blunder.
But then, his demeanor changed instantly. His expression twisted into something cold and menacing, as if a different personality had taken over.
"But… if I kill all of you here, it won't matter what I said."
"The Five Elders never said they needed you alive."
With that, Kabalu pulled a Den Den Mushi (Transponder Snail) from inside his coat and issued a command:
"Begin the assault. Attack!"
At his order, Marines, CP agents, and Pacifistas—all previously stationed and waiting—moved in unison!
Cannons on the warships fired!
Laser beams from the Pacifistas launched!
A storm of destruction descended upon the Angel of Redemption!
The sky was blotted out by the sheer number of cannonballs and energy blasts raining down.
The entire attack was focused on one target: the ship of the Kamui Pirates.
"Hmph."
Facing the barrage, Senju Hashirama snorted coldly.
He moved his hands rapidly to form seals, as chakra surged around him.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
In an instant, massive tree trunks and branches sprouted from the deck of the Angel of Redemption, encasing it in an enormous dome of interwoven wood—forming a natural, living shield.
The attacks struck the wooden barrier in waves—
Cannons exploded!
Lasers scorched the bark!
But none of them broke through!
Even when a few blasts managed to create small cracks, the living wood quickly grew back, sealing the damage.
Protected by the massive wooden barrier, the Angel of Redemption and all aboard remained completely unharmed.
Once the first wave of artillery fire ended and the enemy forces paused to reload, smoke and debris filled the air around the ship.
But as it cleared, the Marines were stunned.
The wooden fortress surrounding the Angel of Redemption… was completely unscathed.
"Alright," Kronos said calmly, stepping forward.
"Now it's our turn to strike back."
"Yes, Captain Kronos!"
"Understood, Lord Kronos!"
The crew responded in unison.
Hashirama released his jutsu, and the protective trees around the ship instantly vanished.
In the next moment—
Konan, Gojo Satoru, the Six Paths of Pain, Tornado, Artoria, Uchiha Madara, Albedo, and the rest of the elite fighters sprang into action, launching a fierce counterattack!
Meanwhile, Asaq, Popron, Vians, Kent, and Illya remained on the ship, manning its powerful cannons to provide artillery support.
Kronos himself soared into the air, forming transparent energy walls beneath his feet to sprint midair toward Kabalu's floating platform.
"Didn't you say you were going to wipe us out?"
"Well then—go ahead and try."
A confident smirk formed on Kronos' lips as he addressed Kabalu directly.
Kabalu's face twisted into a crazed grin, laughter erupting from his mouth.
"Jie hahaha! You want to die so badly? Fine! I'll grant your wish!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
There are 180+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: My Nine-Tails Keep Multiplying!]