Chapter 257: Lineage of Light, Give Me Your Light!
The massive falling rock wasn't just meant to crush Gear 5 Luffy—who had brought hope to Kaido only to ultimately fail—but was large enough to obliterate the entire neighboring kingdom as well.
"Stop it, Kaido! Have you lost your mind?"
Blackbeard's eyes went wide. He hadn't expected Kaido to be this insane. He didn't care about the destruction of the kingdom, but this would also impact him, standing right there on the ground.
"Black Hole!"
Furious, Blackbeard unleashed the full power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Black smoke and black water surged into the Oykot Kingdom as if boundless. The blackened earth, now resembling a miniature black hole, began dragging everyone into it.
Kaido didn't care.
And Blackbeard didn't care about the lives of the Oykot citizens either. All he wanted was to suck everything into the black water and then release it to block the falling meteorite, protecting himself.
In truth, even if he didn't do this, he wouldn't die—he'd just get hurt.
But the Dark-Dark Fruit amplified pain, and he didn't want to endure that agony. So, he decided to let the civilians of Oykot die first and block the damage for him.
They were going to die eventually anyway.
These civilians were being killed by Kaido, not him.
"Are we going to die?"
"The Rubber Pirate... he was defeated!"
"Can he still stand up?"
In the darkness, countless Oykot civilians wept bitterly, shrouded in the gloom of darkness and death. The only rubber man capable of fighting the evil dragon and the darkness had failed. Who else could stand up against the enemy?
"You're at death's door, yet you still spout such nonsense!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly, looking at the despairing civilians, and shouted, "Even a legendary fruit will be swallowed by darkness! Don't hold onto any more hope!"
A stream of black water lashed out like a whip, snagging the withered, elderly-looking Luffy. Blackbeard grabbed Luffy by the neck, intending to absorb the Nika Fruit's power.
I just wonder if the Dark-Dark Fruit can absorb those strange blue fist flames?
Blackbeard wondered inwardly, tightening his grip.
The currently withered Luffy had lost even the will to resist, like a lamb waiting for slaughter.
"Luffy!"
From the hot air balloon floating outside the island, the Straw Hat Pirates roared. Zoro tossed aside the meaningless flyer, drew his dual blades, and leaped out of the balloon's basket, charging toward Blackbeard.
"Let's go!"
Nami sat astride her broomstick without hesitation. Disregarding the massive meteorite about to fall, she charged out without looking back to save the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Countless times, ever since she was young and stealing, whenever she encountered an unbeatable enemy, she would actively run away to save her life. That was the thief's code engraved in her heart.
But in just half a month, she had broken that code twice, willing to die for her partners.
"Nami-san, you are truly too beautiful. I don't know who else I could ever fall in love with."
Sanji, a cigarette in his mouth, spoke his usual nonsensical romantic lines. He too leaped from the balloon, flames igniting on his feet as he propelled himself through the air.
Cooks were categorized as a sub-class in the game, but he had exchanged for a combat-related ability—a very special magic from a magical world.
Derived from demons, but used to destroy demons.
Mastering the power of a demon: [Fire Devil Slayer Magic]!
"Flame Demon's Charge!"
Complex magic circles appeared under Sanji's feet, bursting with demonic aura. Moving last but with astonishing speed, his feet acted like flame thrusters as he rushed toward Blackbeard.
"Black Vortex!"
A black swirl appeared, dragging Sanji directly down to smash into the ground.
"That was close. Almost got burned by that damn fire. And it wasn't normal fire—it was special fire, stronger than Ace's!"
Blackbeard laughed as he looked at the frantic Straw Hats. The gap in strength wasn't something skill intensity could bridge. Killing rookies before they could grow up... honestly, it felt great!
"Damn it, is this the end?"
Capable of injuring Red-Haired Shanks and leaving a scar near his eye, Blackbeard's strength was no less than a Yonko's. Arrogance and carelessness were his weaknesses. That was why he often struggled against weaker opponents, but right now, Blackbeard was going all out.
The Straw Hat crew members were no match for him.
Thump-thump.
A heavy heartbeat sounded.
The withered Luffy, eyes closed and looking dead, suddenly had his heart beat violently.
No one understood what was happening. Only Fang Yi, inside the Game House, understood the transformation occurring within the weakened Luffy.
"Just like in his original fate when he fought Crocodile in Alabasta... Straw Hat Luffy might look silly, but he isn't reckless. His combat mind is very clear."
Fang Yi looked at a newly appeared bond.
After this battle, Luffy would lose the [Nika Fruit] ability.
That's right.
The fruit regarded by the One Piece world consciousness as the core of fate, the Nika Fruit, was sold by Luffy without a shred of hesitation.
All to exchange for an item locked on the shelf.
[Lineage of Light]: Players with this lineage can use the power of light to condense an Ultra Body.
An Ultra Body. In other words, Ultraman.
But unlike the so-called "human hosts," items in the Reincarnation Game gave players absolute control. For players exchanging for the Lineage of Light, the Ultra Body was more like a weapon, similar to a Zanpakutō.
As the fate core of the One Piece world, the Devil Fruit [Nika Fruit] sold for an astronomical price—a full 350,000 reward points.
And this [Lineage of Light] wiped out those 350,000 points instantly; its value was even above the Wind Dragon Bloodline of the Revolutionary Army leader.
The withered Luffy, who had been running on fumes, felt his heart beat explosively due to the Lineage of Light.
"Partners... give me light!"
Luffy's pure voice suddenly rang in the ears of the Straw Hat crew.
They remembered the flyers scattered earlier.
[When necessary, please reach out your hands and give your light to the Pirate King!]
"Light!"
"Luffy! You absolutely won't lose!"
Filled with the power of hope, pure white light suddenly blossomed from the Straw Hats. The power of the [Lineage of Light] and the temporarily unremoved [Nika Fruit] merged.
Zoro's moss-green hair began to turn white, white flame clouds swirled behind him, and his clothes were dyed pure white.
Nami and Sanji too transformed into the appearance of an Awakened Nika, gathering white light toward Luffy!
On the hot air balloon, a white Usopp transformed into Nika screamed into the Den Den Mushi speaker with all his might: "Everyone in Oykot, please believe in Luffy! Raise your hands! I beg you, lend your light to Luffy!"
The cry spread to every corner of the Oykot Kingdom.
Everyone trapped in the darkness instinctively reached out their hands.
"Luffy? Is it the rubber kid fighting the evil dragon and the darkness? If it's him, then take my light!"
"Take mine too!"
"Take all of our light!"
Under the shadow blocked by the meteorite and the darkness wrapped by the Dark-Dark Fruit, everyone shouted.
Countless white figures appeared; the entire population of Oykot Kingdom turned into the likeness of Nika.
Although they were phantom images without power, they were the source of Luffy's light power!
"Everyone's light... I feel it!"
Luffy snapped his eyes open, breaking free from Blackbeard's restraints instantly.
His whole body filled with light, he transformed back into a giant Nika.
A super-giant Nika formed by the convergence of all Oykot people!
This was the true Nika!
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