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~ 19 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon
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Fujitora's forehead was beaded with veins, cold sweat trickling down.
"Haoshoku Coating... has he completely mastered it??"
Kizaru stared at Luffy, now enveloped in a cloud of crimson-black lightning, his own forehead also beaded with sweat.
The crimson-black lightning cloud—was the symbol of a powerhouse who had fully mastered Haōshoku Coating.
A preliminary user, like the Pirate Empress, could only wrap the lightning around a part of their body to enhance an attack.
But a fully mastered Haōshoku Coating, forming a crimson-black lightning cloud, not only enhanced attack power, but also granted terrifying all-around boosts to defense and speed.
The moment Sky Sovereign Rowen had been truly acknowledged by the world as a new Emperor was when he had demonstrated his own complete mastery of this power.
And now—another one had appeared??
"STRAW HAT!"
Kaido and Big Mom's foreheads also throbbed with veins.
To have completely mastered this power... meant he was now a powerhouse on their level.
"Big Mom, Kaido... one of your two Emperor titles now belongs to Luffy," Rowen declared, looking at Kaido and Big Mom, laughing heartily.
Luffy was now only one step away from becoming an Emperor himself: By toppling one of the old ones.
The positions of the Four Emperors, just like the three Admirals and the Seven Warlords, were fixed. A vacancy had to be created before a new one could be appointed.
Rowen himself had only taken the position after Whitebeard's death.
Luffy now only needed to defeat Big Mom and Kaido to become an Emperor. At that time, their pirate crew would truly achieve the feat of having two Emperors on one ship.
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"You brat."
Kaido and Big Mom's expressions turned grim, a terrifying crimson-black light flashing in their eyes.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The very clouds in the sky began to roil and reverse their course. The countless bolts of lightning within them began to whine and cry out in fear.
As Emperors, Kaido and Big Mom were not known for their good tempers. To have someone point at their noses and declare they were taking their titles...
The two of them were now completely enraged.
"HAAAAAH!!!"
Kaido and Big Mom roared in unison, their violent crimson-black lightning beginning to materialize!
CRACKLE!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Countless bolts of crimson-black lightning roared to life in the atmosphere around them. Under the force of this savage, tyrannical Haki, the solid ice around Kaido and Big Mom shattered into countless pieces.
The fury of two Emperors.
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"How scary~ two Emperors working together is no joke," Kizaru commented, looking at the allied Kaido and Big Mom, cold sweat also beading on his forehead.
The power generated by two Emperors working in concert was far greater than a simple one-plus-one equation. This was why they had to separate Big Mom and Kaido, to besiege them individually.
Two monsters who had completely mastered Haoshoku Coating... their combined power was simply too frightening.
The reason Garp and Sengoku were once called the "strongest duo" was because they both had mastered it as well. But at the Summit War, they were old. Garp had also been held back by his family ties and couldn't use his full power.
But Kaido and Big Mom were different. Though Big Mom was old, she was a natural-born monster. Both of them were still at their physical and Haki peaks. Kaido, in particular, was a super hexagonal warrior with practically no weaknesses.
While their stamina and Haki had been consumed in the previous battle, that was a matter of endurance. A short burst of angry Haki was no joke. It was a power that might even surpass the Garp and Sengoku duo of the past.
Seeing the power of their Haōshoku Coating begin to show signs of fusion, Kizaru's eye twitched.
Kaido and Big Mom both had connections to the Elbaf Giants. And the Elbaf Giants possessed a combat technique that could fuse the power of two warriors.
It seemed these two intended to use this technique to fuse their powers and attack Sky Sovereign Rowen.
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'Thank goodness I'm not the one facing those two monsters.'
Kizaru exhaled a puff of air, then glanced towards Ryokugyu and Fire Fist Ace's battlefield.
As expected, the Forest-Forest Fruit was being completely countered. And Ace's Haki... Kizaru frowned. It was surprisingly strong.
Though not yet Admiral-level, it was definitely at the top of the Yonko Commander class. This was completely different from the boy who used to rely solely on his Devil Fruit.
Under these circumstances, Ryokugyu was actually at a disadvantage.
VMM!
Kizaru's body began to elementize. His target was Fire Fist Ace.
Ryokugyu was countered by Ace's Devil Fruit ability, unable to unleash his true strength.
But his Glint-Glint Fruit was completely unafraid of Ace's Flare-Flare Fruit. His strength was far above Ace's.
If he could take out Ace quickly, the freed-up Ryokugyu could then help S-Hawk finish off Pirate Hunter and the Pirate Empress.
As for Fujitora... even if Straw Hat had fully mastered Haōshoku Coating, he wouldn't be defeated in a short time, just a bit battered.
Pick the softest targets first.
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VMM!
Kizaru was about to elementize and charge towards Ace.
But in the next moment—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Another bolt of crimson-black lightning roared, and Luffy kicked Kizaru's defending arms.
"Where do you think you're going, Kizaru? I can't let you interfere with Ace," Luffy said with his classic grin, an extreme red light flashing in his eyes.
Observation Haki—Future Sight.
"You saw the future? So scary, Straw Hat," Kizaru said, his expression darkening behind his sunglasses.
"Are you trying to block both me and Fujitora at the same time? Aren't you being a little too arrogant? Do you think you're Sky Sovereign Rowen?"
Kizaru's voice was dripping with mockery.
Before Sky Sovereign Rowen, no one could simultaneously fight and win against two Admiral-level or higher combatants.
Straw Hat had fully mastered Haōshoku Coating, yes. But there was only one Sky Sovereign Rowen.
"Shishishi! If you were at full strength, it would indeed be a bit troublesome," Luffy's smile at this moment was exceptionally infectious.
"How conceited!" Kizaru, being looked down upon, let out a smile of his own and launched a merciless light-speed kick.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Luffy blocked Kizaru's light-speed kick with Haōshoku Coating, but to conserve Haki and stamina, he used the backward flight to dissipate the force.
"Straw Hat... you can't stop the two of us," Fujitora said, his brow furrowed.
Why was this utterly evil pirate's emotion so infectious?
Feeling the emotional perception from his Observation Haki, Fujitora's brow furrowed even deeper.
Because he was blind, his Observation Haki was even stronger and more delicate, able to perceive others' emotions more clearly.
Over the years, he had felt countless emotions—good, evil, warm, cold... But an emotion as joyful and infectious as Straw Hat's... this was the first time.
"Shishishi! Not necessarily! Didn't Rowen say so? Have you forgotten Rowen's title?" Luffy's smile was impossibly wide.
"The Ultimate Human."
Kizaru's forehead veins throbbed.
Recalling this man's step-by-step journey, never once making a mistake. Without absolute certainty, would this man have shown himself?
Remembering Sky Sovereign Rowen's earlier words, Kizaru had a bad premonition...
But the current combat strength comparison was very clear, their side still held the advantage.
And their Navy, being forced to cooperate with Big Mom and Kaido, was also forced by Rowen. If this man hadn't used the Birdcage, their Navy would never have, after activating the Buster Call, cooperated with two Emperor crews.
Why did this man push himself to this point?
Unless—
Rowen was genuinely confident he could swallow them all.
Kizaru's forehead began to break out in cold sweat.
The key to his confidence... was it Straw Hat??
Kizaru looked at Luffy.
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And at this moment, Luffy bowed his head, closing his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, his lips were still curled in an infectious smile.
DOKUN! DOKUN!
DOKUN DOKUN DOKUN!
DOKUN DOKUN DOKUN! DOKUN!
A strange heartbeat, like the sound of a drum, came from Luffy's chest.
"IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!" Luffy began to laugh joyfully.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Violent crimson-black lightning began to roar around Luffy's body. The next moment, this incredibly violent and tyrannical power was absorbed into Luffy's rubber body!
And then.
FWOOSH!
Luffy's body began to undergo an unbelievable transformation.
His color began to turn pure white.
His clothes, his eyebrows, his hair... everything turned a brilliant white.
FWOOSH!
A sash of pure white "Flame Clouds," unlike the black ones of other awakened Zoans, wrapped around his shoulders.
"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed and laughed, a sound filled with pure, unadulterated joy.
"THIS IS MY PEAK! GEAR FIFTH——!!!" Luffy laughed joyfully, bouncing on his rubbery body.
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"AWAKENED??? YOUR DEVIL FRUIT ISN'T A PARAMECIA!" Kizaru stared at the white flame cloud ribbon behind Luffy, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
There was no mistaking it. That was the mark of an awakened Zoan.
"Mythical Zoan..." Kizaru exhaled a puff of air.
Straw Hat's appearance hadn't changed into an animal, and before Awakening, he displayed Paramecia characteristics. Such an ability could only be a Mythical Zoan, even rarer than a Logia.
A rubbery body, a constantly laughing appearance, a pure white form...
Hey, hey...
Kizaru's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. How is this so similar to that legend he heard from Vegapunk? The form of... a God.
"Shishishishishi!"
CRACKLE! BOOM!
Luffy just laughed joyfully, waving his arms, and his entire body erupted with terrifying crimson-black lightning.
The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika—AWAKENED!
After absorbing the 'Desire for Liberation' from Dressrosa, Luffy had finally completed his Awakening!
After Awakening, the Nika form not only possessed the BUG-level Nika-exclusive imagination, but the ability of his rubber body was also pushed to its extreme!
His Haki—Armament and Conqueror's—was completely fused with it. Every single one of his attacks was now a combination of Nika's power, Armament Haki, and Haoshoku Coating.
This was why Gear Fifth Luffy was so outrageously strong. This was why he could fight two Admirals at once.
AND THIS WAS WHY ROWEN HAD CHOSEN TO TRAP KAIDO, BIG MOM, AND THE THREE ADMIRALS HERE AND WIPE THEM ALL OUT AT ONCE!
His side's combat strength was already completely sufficient.
Everything... was going according to Rowen's plan.
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"Let's see if that's true," Kizaru, about to activate his Glint-Glint Fruit ability.
"Yasakani no Magatama——!!!"
VMM! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Kizaru unleashed his big move, his hands emitting countless flash bullets, submerging Luffy.
"Shishishi! Too bright, you bastard!" Luffy laughed continuously, looking at Kizaru's flash, then simply grabbed the air.
WHOOSH!
A pair of sunglasses appeared out of thin air in Luffy's hand, which he put on.
"Now your flash won't affect me! Shishishi!" Luffy looked at the incoming flash bullets, his body beginning to stretch.
"Try this! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed joyfully, his hands directly grabbing the solid ice!
GURGLE! GURGLE!
The solid ice began to ripple and stretch like rubber.
POP!
Luffy lifted the massive, rubberized ice chunk like a shield, and the countless light bullets slammed into it.
The next moment—
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!
"WHAT??" Kizaru's eye twitched.
The countless flash bullets he had fired... were actually bounced back by the ice??
After Awakening, he not only has the characteristics of a Mythical Zoan, but also the characteristics of a Paramecia Awakening??
And he could create things from nothing??
What a ridiculous ability.
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