Page One swallowed hard.
The sheer force radiating from Fuzzy Fe, Ulti, and the other four was enough to make his skin crawl.
Even standing near them made his instincts scream danger.
"Great… guess I'm the weakest again," he muttered bitterly.
At not even twenty years old, Page One had always been the youngest and least powerful of the Tobi Roppo.
Eating Luo Xing's Mutant Cell had catapulted him to the top — strong enough to fight Jack the Drought to a standstill. For a brief, glorious moment, he'd been the strongest of the six.
Now, just as quickly, he'd been overtaken again.
Not because he'd grown weaker — but because the others had become monsters.
The aura pouring off them was overwhelming.
Even the Three Calamities — Jack, Queen, and King — could feel it.
And Kaido himself… his massive eyes burned with raw excitement.
"Such power… magnificent!"
Fuzzy Fe flexed his claws, grinning wide with satisfaction.
"This feeling — I could tear the heavens apart!"
Then, suddenly, he turned toward the dark-winged figure standing nearby.
"King — I challenge you!"
A murmur of shock rippled through the hall.
He had challenged King the Wildfire, strongest of the Three Calamities.
Jack immediately stepped forward, scowling.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Fuzzy Fe. If you're looking for a fight, you'll go through me first."
He spoke out of loyalty — he respected King deeply. No one insulted him and walked away.
But Fuzzy Fe just gave him a sidelong glance… full of condescension.
"Jack, you're strong — but not strong enough. You can't touch me anymore."
"After all… you don't have wings."
Jack's face twisted, rage building in his chest.
He couldn't even refute it. Fuzzy Fe's new scarlet wings had granted him freedom and mobility Jack could never match.
King's eyes flared behind his mask.
"Fine. I accept."
Part of it was pride — the pride of a Lunarian.
He wanted to know whether Luo Xing's invention could truly rival the power of a god-blooded race.
The two stepped outside.
Both could fly, so the battle couldn't be contained within Kaido's palace.
Kaido himself followed, arms crossed, anticipation in his grin.
"Let's see it," King said coolly. "Show me what that 'superior' Mutant Cell can do."
Fuzzy Fe crouched low, lips curling into a feral smile.
"You asked for it."
His body twisted and surged, fur sprouting as his muscles bulged. In seconds, he transformed into a massive saber-toothed tiger, his Devil Fruit awakening to a new level.
But this time, something was different — from his back unfurled a pair of blood-red wings, glistening like wet steel.
FWOOOM!
With a mighty flap, the tiger shot skyward, a crimson blur streaking toward King like a living comet.
"What speed! What killing intent!"
Jack clenched his fists, jaw tight. "That monster's as strong as me now…"
King didn't flinch.
"Flame Emperor."
Black fire ignited across his wings, condensing into a blazing sphere in his palm. With a flick, he hurled it forward — a miniature sun screaming through the sky.
ROAR!
The saber-toothed tiger roared, slashing the fireball apart with its claws, scattering molten embers across the clouds.
King smirked — and transformed.
His body expanded, wings spreading wide as he took the form of a massive, jet-black pterosaur, its wings aflame with divine fire.
The sky split open.
The black-winged dragon met the red-winged tiger head-on, and the heavens trembled.
BOOM!
Their clash sent shockwaves ripping through the clouds, tearing the sky into ribbons.
Below, the Beasts Pirates looked up in awe and terror.
"That black one — that's Lord King!"
"But who's the red tiger?! He's keeping up with him!"
"And… wait, does that tiger have wings?!"
Confusion spread, but one burly Headliner stepped forward, pride glowing in his eyes.
"There's no mystery! That's Fuzzy Fe — he's the only saber-toothed tiger in the crew. He must've eaten the Lord Consort's new Mutant Cell!"
Murmurs spread through the crowd — awe, admiration, longing.
That same Headliner, once a scrawny weakling named Billy, was now a true powerhouse thanks to Luo Xing's science.
"The Lord Consort's inventions are divine!"
"If only we were strong enough to endure it too…"
Around them, lesser crew members clenched their fists, eyes blazing with newfound determination.
"Then I'll get stronger! Strong enough to earn a Mutant Cell of my own!"
For the first time, ambition burned bright in even the lowest ranks of the Beasts Pirates.
Overhead, the sky finally cleared.
"Enough," Kaido's thunderous voice boomed. "Come down, both of you."
The two combatants descended, reverting to human form.
Both bore wounds — King's light, Fuzzy Fe's heavier — but the fact that King was even injured left the crowd stunned.
The duel's result was clear: King had the upper hand, but only barely.
Fuzzy Fe… had reached Calamity level.
Kaido's grin split his face wide open. He threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Worororororo! You've all done well! Your strength now rivals that of my Calamities!"
He turned to the Tobi Roppo — Ulti, Black Maria, Sasaki, Fuzzy Fe — his eyes blazing with delight.
"You're no longer just Ancient Zoans. Your fruits… have evolved!"
He spread his massive arms wide, his voice echoing across Onigashima.
"From this day forth — your powers stand on par with Mythical Zoans!"
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/ZoroTL442