"That damn brat, he can even control lightning! What exactly is his ability?!" Mankervis, charred black, stumbled out of a crater-like ruin, muttering through gritted teeth. He then looked up at the sky, but his mouth instantly gaped open, and he stood frozen.
"No, no way..."
Rumble—!
Thunder roared, and lightning intertwined.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the dark night sky, its dazzling light illuminating both the sky and earth.
Dark clouds churned in the sky, and the wind howled between the sky and earth.
Above Doma City, a human face with grotesque features gradually appeared within the clouds. In the dimness of the night, illuminated by the lightning, it appeared even more terrifying and horrifying.
"Gulp—Wha-what is that thing?!" Mankervis's expression was one of shock. He stared, unblinking, at the cloud-formed face in the sky, involuntarily swallowing hard.
"From now on, you shall be named, Marduk!"
"Thank you, Master! That truly is an excellent name!"
Suddenly, a familiar, grand voice echoed through the sky. Then, the giant cloud-formed face actually responded, its voice as loud as thunder, imbued with a sense of joy.
"Nani... Marduk?! That bastard Cross!" Mankervis snapped back to reality, his face instantly turning ashen, an intense rage surging uncontrollably within him.
In mythological legends, the chaos goddess Tiamat created the Mushussu to battle the chief god Marduk, but Marduk defeated Tiamat and subjugated the Mushussu. From then on, the Mushussu became Marduk's pet and also represented the chief god Marduk.
"Stop acting so arrogant, you bastard!" Moments later, Mankervis couldn't help but roar, soaring into the sky like a golden lightning bolt, heading straight for Cross, whose mount had changed to a giant stone bird.
"Marduk, Lightning!" Cross scoffed, his voice cold.
"Yes, Master!"
Boom—!
As soon as the words fell, the dark clouds erupted with dazzling lightning. A three-meter-thick pillar of lightning struck down, instantly knocking Mankervis to the ground and blasting a bottomless, charred, circular pit into the earth, like a deep well.
The power of a single strike was terrifying!
"Hmph~ His vitality is quite tenacious, as expected of a Zoan user!" At this, Cross's Observation Haki sensed that the opponent's voice hadn't weakened too much. He snorted coldly, then roared fiercely, "Marduk, he's not dead yet! Continue to strike that bastard down!"
"Imhullu!"
"No problem, Master!"
The cloud-formed face named 'Marduk' grimaced, its eyes filled with malice as it looked down at the earth below. Then, its eyes filled with dazzling lightning.
Kraaak—Rumble—!
Suddenly, the lightning flared intensely, instantly illuminating the dim night sky as if it were day. Countless bolts of lightning passed through the clouds from all directions, arbitrarily unleashing their thunderous might upon the ground below, as if a thunderstorm had begun.
Mankervis, charred black, had just climbed out of the circular pit he'd been blasted into when he saw lightning dancing wildly all around him, all of it striking directly at him.
"Oh, damn it..."
He only had time to utter a single lament before his figure was engulfed by countless bolts of thunder.
Boom boom boom boom... boom boom boom boom...
Numerous buildings were shattered by the wildly dancing lightning. Each bolt of thunder was as thick as a bucket, and even the ground was blasted with dense pits, shaking violently as if an earthquake had occurred. For a time, rubble flew everywhere, and the roaring never ceased. The majestic might of the heavens was unstoppable!
After a long while, the terrifying lightning storm finally ended, leaving behind a vast, scarred, and burning ruin of a city.
"Excellent work! I didn't give you the name Marduk for nothing!" Cross smiled as he looked at the scene below. A powerful surge of ecstasy welled up in his heart, making his blood pound. He even wished he could fly to Totto Land right now and have a spar with that iron balloon, to witness the sight of Zeus and Marduk clashing.
"Thank you for the compliment, Master!" The giant cloud-formed face emitted a thunderous roar, with a hint of joy in its tone.
That's right, this giant cloud-formed face had been given life by Cross, giving birth to a self-aware thundercloud—his second Apostle, named Marduk!!!
The name originated from the Mesopotamian god of storms, the guardian and chief god of Babylon, one of the Four Great Ancient Civilizations. Since the Hammurabi era, when Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates River basin, Marduk gradually ascended to the position of chief among the gods, presiding over all gods, storms, war, and magic. In terms of birth and ancientness, Mesopotamian mythology predates Greek, Norse, and similar mythologies by a significant margin.
"What tenacious vitality! He still hasn't been struck dead!" Afterwards, Cross circled in mid-air on the stone giant bird, intently observing Mankervis, who was almost a charcoal husk below.
At this moment, Mankervis lay in the charred, scorching pit, his vision intermittently blacking out. He was completely blackened like charcoal, his entire body numb; he couldn't even feel pain. Intense electricity savagely ravaged his body. Even his incredibly strong Mushussu body couldn't withstand the violent thunder.
He didn't understand what was happening. Why had the clouds in the sky suddenly come alive? Why did the lightning seem conscious, actually chasing after him to strike?
Fortunately, he could still hear Cross's words, so he slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the sky with a gaze filled with both terror and hatred.
"You damn brat... cough, cough, cough... You're the one who should die..." His voice was hoarse, as if his vocal cords were damaged. His weak voice revealed his current feebleness.
"Still talking tough!" Cross smiled indifferently, returning the Shūsui in his hand to its sheath at his waist.
This guy wasn't a monster like Charlotte Linlin or Kaido. To still be alive after being subjected to such a terrifying and massive lightning storm was already impressive. There was no need to kill him; it would be better to lock him up in Impel Down.
Otherwise, if Mankervis were killed, the Mushussu Fruit would simply reappear somewhere else, falling into the hands of other pirates or ambitious individuals, and thus becoming another disaster.
Seeing Cross sheathe his sword, Mankervis understood his intent. His face twisted into a demonic grimace, and he snarled hysterically, "Damn brat, just kill me!" With that, he actually leapt up, transforming once more into a Mushussu in mid-air. His previously charred exterior now gleamed with a golden luster.
"How does he still have strength?!" Cross was greatly surprised. Subconsciously, he drew his sword and executed an Iaido slash.
Clang!
The blade scraped intensely against the sheath. The dark flash of the blade was swift as lightning, instantly striking Mankervis down to the ground.
Thud~!
Mankervis lay on his back on the ground, his body rapidly shrinking back to human form. A long, narrow, bone-deep sword wound marred his chest, not only gushing blood, but also revealing severed internal organs within.
"I won't accept this—!"
The next moment, Mankervis glared, his eyes wide with fury, and let out a roar before seemingly expending his last shred of strength, finally drawing his last breath and dying.
——————————
Babylon: One of the Four Great Ancient Civilizations. Led by Hammurabi, Babylon, through a series of wars, came to rule all of Mesopotamia, aligning with Marduk's domain over war.
Imhullu: Marduk's most powerful weapon, corresponding to Marduk's domain over thunderstorms.
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