Chapter 258: The True Luffy
[Giant of Light: Luffy]!
Though still cloaked in white flame clouds and sporting pure white hair in his Nika form, the immense power of light gathered from others completely suppressed the will of "freedom" residing in the fruit.
Now, the Giant of Light was guided solely by Luffy's own will.
Luffy helped up Sanji, who was weakened by the effects of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
His glowing arm of light stretched out to catch the falling Zoro and Nami.
There was none of the uncontrollable laughter that had come with his Nika awakening.
His face was serious as he declared firmly:
"I'm gonna beat the crap out of you all!"
Bathed in pure platinum light, Luffy looked like a giant torch.
He threw a punch that smashed directly into Blackbeard's face.
Boom!
The ground cratered. The entire island shook.
Blackbeard crashed into a deep pit, his darkness shield shattered.
Bones broken all over, he lay in a heap like pulp.
He coughed up blood, unable to move, face full of terror.
One hit.
He, who had once scarred a Yonko like Shanks, couldn't even resist a single punch.
What kind of power is this?!
The Dark-Dark Fruit...
Blackbeard, close to death, was full of frustration.
He'd planned to grovel, to feign weakness and escape like before,
but now, all he felt was raging fury.
"Straw Hat Luffy! Even if you beat me and Kaido,
they'll hate you for destroying this island!"
"My Dark Vortex has already sucked half the Oikot Kingdom's citizens into the darkness.
If I die now, their bodies will be torn apart.
They'll be crippled.
They'll never thank you!"
"Have you even thought about their future?!"
Every word brought up more blood,
but Blackbeard screamed anyway,
trying to mess with Luffy's mind before dying.
It's all the Reincarnation Game's fault!
First it gave Straw Hat a god-tier fruit.
Then it handed him those ridiculous game powers.
Even that damn curly-browed cook had fire stronger than Ace's!
Why?!
He'd hidden for years, played the nice guy, waited patiently—
all for a fruit weaker than even East Blue rookies?!
His faith shattered. Emotions surged out of control.
Blackbeard glared hatefully at the glowing Luffy.
"If you're a god-tier fruit user, then I'll test your resolve.
When the people you saved hate you—
will you still stand tall as the world's so-called liberator?"
In the Game Shop,
Ah Fu watched Blackbeard, now seething with malice, and asked curiously:
"Looks like Blackbeard not only studied the Devil Fruit Compendium,
but also knows some ancient secrets from 800 years ago."
The truth of the Liberator was a forbidden secret in the One Piece world.
Very few knew.
Blackbeard, a true villain,
was trying to ruin Luffy mentally—
planting seeds of guilt and regret just before dying.
But unfortunately for him…
he'd miscalculated.
This Luffy wasn't influenced by the fruit's will anymore.
"So what?"
Light Luffy's expression didn't change.
He punched without hesitation.
"You and Kaido are threats.
I can't just stand by while you destroy Oikot and its people!"
"So many have already died because of you.
This isn't a game anymore—this is war!"
"You and Kaido aren't just our enemies.
You're enemies of the Oikot Kingdom!"
"In war, no one comes out unscathed.
Thinking otherwise is naive!"
"My friends and I have risked everything.
And those who lent me their light—they made that choice knowing they could die."
There was no dramatic speech.
No foolish promises like Kozuki Oden had once made—
trusting pirates who never kept their word.
This was a Luffy untouched by the will of "freedom."
He was thinking clearly.
Blackbeard started to panic.
He cursed internally.
"This isn't what the Five Elders told me!
Didn't they say if I used the citizens as a shield,
Luffy would never hurt me once he awakened the Nika Fruit?!"
Damn those Five Elders!
Blackbeard screamed one last desperate plea:
"Straw Hat Luffy!
You never even asked the people of Oikot if they wanted to die!
You're a fake hero!"
He was grasping at straws.
"That kind of thing... doesn't matter.
We're pirates, aren't we?"
Everyone had to take responsibility for their own lives.
As for Luffy…
He wasn't a savior.
He wasn't a hero.
He just wanted to be the freest pirate on the sea.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A light-powered punch slammed down.
The entire island trembled.
This time,
the blow cratered the island completely—
flattening Blackbeard beneath it.
The Dark-Dark Fruit's power vanished instantly.
The dark shadows retreated.
All that remained was the massive artificial meteor in the sky,
and Kaido, circling overhead.
"Light…?"
Kaido watched indifferently.
He saw Blackbeard lose in two punches and didn't lift a finger to help.
He wasn't stupid.
He could feel the pressure radiating from Light Luffy's body—
a power greater than anything he'd ever known.
Saving Blackbeard and teaming up might have been smart…
But Kaido refused.
He, who had tricked Oden,
experimented on Wano's people,
done countless atrocities—
Even he, for some reason,
felt a strange sense of shame now.
He stared at Luffy, glowing like a sun.
"Oden was strong… but I never saw him as a real threat."
"But you—Straw Hat…
Are you really Joyboy?"
"If you are… then defeat me!"
Fire Dragon Torch!
Kaido's entire dragon body ignited.
The artificial meteor above was melting from the sheer heat.
His dragon eyes were full of emotions—
hope, fear, rage.
But Luffy only replied calmly:
"You hurt my friends.
So I'm going to punch you into the sky."
Glowing fists gathered light as he soared into the air,
charging the descending dragon.
"Die, Straw Hat brat!"
Red fire.
Purple lightning.
A monstrous dragon.
A falling meteor.
Kaido threw everything at Luffy.
Not just to defeat him—
but to crush the fate behind him.
To kill Joyboy.
BOOM!
Everyone in Oikot looked up.
A blinding explosion lit the sky.
Fires burned their eyes.
Winds nearly ripped their town away.
But they refused to blink.
This was about their survival.
"The rubber man!
He beat the blue dragon!!"
Someone shouted.
Oikot erupted in cheers.
Kaido, now human again,
lay on his back in the ruins, awaiting judgment.
He murmured:
"So in the end…
I was just a pretender.
Defeated by the real Joyboy…"
Light Luffy slowly faded.
He returned to normal.
He picked up his straw hat,
placed it on his head,
and said seriously:
"I don't know who Joyboy is.
My name is Monkey D. Luffy.
And I'm the man who will become Pirate King."
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