"Why? Why would you go this far? What kind of conviction drives you to endure until now? Could it be… that deep within your heart, you harbor a justice of your own, boy!?"
Akainu's eyes fixed on Jiang Lin, whose body was burned beyond human shape by magma. A flicker of emotion stirred in the admiral's gaze for the first time.
It was unmistakable—Jiang Lin was no ordinary pirate lacking conviction. Within him blazed a powerful inner resolve, a force that drove his every action, sustained his will, and defined his very being.
The Navy abided by its own vision of justice—its guiding principle in every choice and the measure by which it imposed order.
Pirates, by contrast, were deemed to lack such conviction. They were evil, boundless in their depravity, living by whim and selfish desire.
But Jiang Lin was not such a pirate. Every action of his was steeped in principle and conviction.
"Heh… my justice…"
"Because… because I believe… I believe with all my heart… that I long to see… One Piece!"
"One Piece is real. The Pirate King… will be me!"
Jiang Lin stubbornly rose to his feet, and his eyes seemed to burn endless flames—not real fire, but the manifestation of his unyielding will, the very reason he could endure this long.
That indomitable will poured strength into him, supporting his every move.
"Tori Tori no Mi, Mythical Zoan: Phoenix Form loaded. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds."
"Hie Hie no Mi loaded. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds."
Blazing azure flames erupted from Jiang Lin's body, instantly covering him. Wherever those flames spread, his pain and wounds were soothed and mended in no time.
"Akainu, I admit you're strong… but I… am not weak either!"
With a shout, Jiang Lin raised his right hand high. From it burst a massive ice-bird, which carried his unyielding spirit as it streaked unrelentingly toward Akainu.
"Is that so? I'll grant you this—your will is strong. But your strength… falls short of your ambition, boy! You have no future."
"Great Eruption!"
Facing the charging ice-bird, Akainu's right arm swelled and boiled, magma surging as he thrust forward with unstoppable force—grasping for both the icy bird and the man behind it.
"It's enough! This is enough!"
Yet Jiang Lin showed no panic before Akainu's apocalyptic strike. His eyes locked on the system interface, and a smile spread across his face.
"BOOM!!!"
The battlefield's center erupted with a deafening explosion, the violent shockwave blinding everyone who gazed on.
"Hm?"
On the execution platform, Sengoku's eyes shifted toward the billowing smoke. A trace of concern crossed his face.
"D…"
From below, Garp's eyes on Jiang Lin mirrored the same concern.
"D…"
Even Whitebeard, from the heart of the battlefield, looked toward Jiang Lin with growing concern.
The duel between Jiang Lin and Akainu weighed on every heart present; all felt concern, but each for entirely different reasons.
"One minute elapsed. Magma-Magma Fruit successfully copied."
Within the choking haze, beyond all sight, Jiang Lin's eyes suddenly blazed with battle intent.
"Come on then, Akainu—fight me!"
"Magu Magu no Mi (enhanced with Gura Gura no Mi and Yami Yami no Mi) loaded. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds."
Jiang Lin swiftly removed the Ice-Ice Fruit and replaced it with the empowered Magma-Magma Fruit. With three godlike Devil Fruits gathered within him, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on his body, dragging him into a mire of weakness.
"So this is power? The very power the world trembles before? The strength that all men covet? Akainu… I hope what I wield will satisfy you… hahahaha!"
Staggering, Jiang Lin emerged from the smoke, his eyes burning with an iron will. His battle with Akainu had now truly begun.
"Boy! Your power is frightening indeed—just beholding it sends shivers down the spine. That you can wield such force is astonishing. But it's not enough! Still not enough! Your control is too crude. Without mastery, this power will consume you in the end!"
Akainu's body boiled over with magma. Though his words dripped with disdain, his actions made clear he had recognized Jiang Lin as a true opponent.
"Black Flame Nation!"
Jiang Lin slammed his fist into the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed out, tearing apart stone and buildings alike. From the fissures poured a tide of dense black mist.
Within that darkness flowed molten magma, searing all it touched. The air turned scorching, and panic rippled through the battlefield as Marines fled from the encroaching black flames.
This was Jiang Lin's self-created technique, born of three transcendent Devil Fruits combined: Black Flame Nation.
"Aaaah! These flames… are they hellfire itself? Why can't they be extinguished!?"
"Run! They're spreading—run for your lives!"
The soldiers scattered in terror, their morale crushed by the infernal blaze.
"Haki!"
"Haki!"
Admirals, vice admirals, Sengoku, Garp—all unleashed their power to halt the spreading darkness. For if it were left unchecked, the destruction of Marineford would be beyond imagining.
"So this is the power of D…? He's already reached admiral-level combat ability. Quick! Spread the word immediately!"
On the Sabaody Archipelago, reporters trembled with excitement, furiously typing their reports and rushing to broadcast the news.
"You brat, don't get cocky! Meteor Volcano!"
Akainu roared, his sleeve snapping in the wind as he launched a flurry of massive magma fists like falling stars, crashing down toward Jiang Lin at the heart of the darkness.
"Caw!"
A piercing cry split the battlefield as Jiang Lin, now a blazing blue phoenix, soared upward through the endless rain of magma.
"The Phoenix…! What a troublesome ability!"
Akainu glared as Jiang Lin rose higher, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"BOOOOM!!!"
Scarlet magma and azure flames collided in the sky, explosions lighting the heavens above Marineford.
In the skies, it was fire and light clashing. On the ground, darkness and flame raged. The two forces intertwined, plunging Marineford into a state of ruinous upheaval.
Heaven-rending, earth-shattering devastation—roaring attacks that shook the seas, boiling away the ocean. And the eyes of the world turned once more to Marineford, to the center of this war.
Everyone held their breath, awaiting the outcome.
Everyone longed for the moment when the cry of the phoenix would resound across Marineford.