A scorching aura enveloped the battlefield as Thorne Ashveil and Admiral Akainu stood across from one another. The heat distorted the air, and the Marine Admiral's eyes widened in disbelief.
This rookie pirate… could also transform into magma? His ability looked nearly identical to his own.
"How about it, Akainu, do you believe me now?" Ashveil said with a faint, confident smile.
"Damn brat, how do you have my Devil Fruit ability?" Sakazuki snarled, his arm igniting as molten magma surged outward.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Explosive fists of magma launched skyward like artillery fire. Each blazing projectile streaked across the sky, filling the heavens with crimson light. The oppressive heat made onlookers tremble as the rain of molten fists fell toward Ashveil.
Akainu twisted his neck with disdain, arrogance gleaming in his eyes. "So what if you can use magma? The true strength of a Devil Fruit isn't just the ability itself, but how far it has been developed! I'll kill you here and deliver your corpse to Vegapunk. Then the truth of your 'fake' Magma Fruit will be revealed!"
He sneered coldly. Vegapunk had long experimented with artificial Devil Fruits. Kaido's capture had already led to the creation of an artificial dragon fruit. Even though it was defective, some lesser artificial fruits had succeeded. To Sakazuki, this boy must have eaten one of those flawed creations.
Ashveil, however, regarded the Admiral with amused disdain. His magma-coated arm rose and pointed directly at Sakazuki.
"You think your magma is superior to mine?" he said calmly.
In the next instant, his arm erupted.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Magma fists surged into the sky, colliding violently with Akainu's barrage. The heavens turned red as the two volcanoes rained destruction against each other.
Rumble! Boom!
The sky split with thunderous detonations as magma collided against magma. Burning debris fell from above, while thick black smoke rolled over Sabaody.
Akainu's face twisted with fury. His pride as a Marine Admiral was being shredded. To be matched—no, equaled—by a young upstart pirate was intolerable.
"Damn brat!" he roared, his voice shaking with rage.
In the forest nearby, Jewelry Bonney looked up, her face lit by the crimson sky. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock.
"This time, I believe it… someone else really does have the same ability as Admiral Akainu. The New World… is full of monsters!"
Tyrant Kuma's usual calm expression faltered as well. His gaze fixed on Ashveil with rare intensity.
"This boy… so young, yet his strength isn't ordinary. And he holds the same power as Sakazuki? Could Vegapunk have created another miracle?"
The thought unsettled him, though his loyalty to the Revolution meant he knew better than most what Vegapunk was capable of.
Overhead, the reporters from the News Agency maneuvered their flock of transponder birds higher, eager to capture every moment.
"This power is terrifying. If we get caught in the crossfire, we're dead!" one cried.
Yet none of them looked afraid. Their faces glowed with feverish excitement.
"Manager, this is groundbreaking!" Rose said, eyes shining as she aimed her camera. "Two Magma Fruit users—this is history in the making!"
The middle-aged manager laughed, practically trembling with joy. "This isn't just a story, Rose. This is our ticket to the headquarters of the World Economic Journal!"
Even Urouge, observing from the coast, couldn't remain calm. He swallowed hard, trembling as the sky lit with fire.
"Two monsters… one is Admiral Akainu, but the other… could it really be my benefactor?"
The chaos above Sabaody was only just beginning.
Sakazuki's face twisted with unrestrained fury, veins bulging as he gathered his strength.
"Kid! Today, you die here!"
The magma on his fist shifted, shaping into a monstrous hound's head. The heat alone scorched the earth as he unleashed his next attack.
"Great Eruption: Crimson Lotus!"
The magma beast lunged forward, jaws wide as if to swallow Ashveil whole.
Ashveil sneered in disgust. "So that's your great technique? Pathetic."
His own magma swirled, condensing into the shape of a dragon's head. Its roar reverberated across the battlefield as it launched forward.
"Dragon Devouring Crimson Lotus!"
The dragon and hound collided with a thunderous detonation. Heat waves and shock pressure blasted outward, scorching trees and shattering stone. Ashveil's dragon roared louder, overwhelming the magma hound and devouring it whole before charging straight at Akainu.
Akainu's eyes went wide. His ultimate strike, so easily consumed? He barely had time to throw himself aside, using his advanced Observation Haki to narrowly dodge.
Boom!
The dragon slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater of bubbling molten rock. Sweat poured down Akainu's back as he realized the truth.
That attack… its destructive power exceeded his own. If he had been even a heartbeat slower, he would have been obliterated.
"This boy's control over magma… surpasses mine?" he thought, stunned.
On the sidelines, Tyrant Kuma's gaze sharpened further.
"… this boy's power might already rival that of the Admirals."
_______
Damn, y'all are stingy with power stones
Anyway, if you want early access to chapters, check out my Patreon: Patreon.com/Zphyr"