Akainu could not accept it: someone could withstand the extreme heat of his magma and even swim in it. Was this a joke?
His face darkened. Though seasoned and a top-tier fighter, he had not lost his rational mind. Watching Jack swim toward him, Akainu noticed Jack's dark skin slowly turning red. That meant the magma was having an effect — just very slowly, because Jack's defense was ridiculously strong.
Akainu felt a quiet relief. Slow penetration was still penetration: he could keep raising the magma's temperature and destructive power until Jack's defense cracked. It was only a matter of time.
Jack surfaced from the molten sea, steam rising off his body. He breathed heavily — even with the Dragon-class Monster Cell's boost, using his flesh to tank magma wasn't easy. Yet facing an Admiral, to have reached this point was already world-shocking.
Jack drew the short sword hidden in his tusk and charged Akainu without pause — vengeance burning in his chest.
Akainu, ruthless in his absolute-justice creed, was not intimidated by the change in Jack. If anything, his determination to kill rose. He would eradicate anyone who threatened the world.
They collided with a thunderous impact. On the whole, Akainu had the upper hand. But Jack's hide was tough — now a Mythical Zoan "Adamantine Mammoth" — and in his elephantiform his defense and regeneration were astonishing; he would not fall quickly.
"Heh, time for me to show up," Queen said with a dark chuckle. In a blink he vanished and reappeared behind Akainu.
"Watch out, Admiral Sakazuki!" Moumouse and the marines shouted in alarm.
Akainu's Conqueror's Haki was legendary, yet he was startled by Queen's speed. How had the Three Disasters become so monstrous strong so suddenly?
Wham! Queen struck with his mechanical arm and sent Akainu flying. The Dragon-class Monster Cell had given Queen extreme speed and overwhelming power.
Akainu skidded across the ground for dozens of meters before stopping, a huge gap in his torso leaking magma. His expression darkened; the fight had gone far beyond his expectations. He had thought the Three Disasters, even if boosted, could not match him. Now Jack could resist his magma; Queen's speed launched attacks Akainu struggled to respond to—what had the third, King, acquired?
Akainu's gaze swept the Three Disasters. He said coldly, "You didn't eat ordinary Monster Cells, did you? The cells we Marines analyzed shouldn't grant you this kind of strength."
Queen sneered: "So the Navy analyzed Monster Cells, huh? Too bad — not even Vegapunk, with his world-exceeding brain, can understand the inventions of our lord the Young Master!"
Indeed Vegapunk could not fully comprehend Roseng's inventions. Even Tiger-class Monster Cells eluded replication; Dragon-class was on another level.
"Truly, that Beast son-in-law Roseng is the world's greatest threat," Queen added.
Akainu's murderous intent intensified. If he ever met Roseng, he would kill him without hesitation. In Akainu's view, Roseng's inventions threatened the World Government more than even the Ohara scholars once did.
Jack heard Akainu speak of Roseng with such contempt — he would not stand for it. He charged like a rampaging elephant; in elephant form he reached nearly twenty meters, an oppressive walking tank.
Akainu roared, "Inferno Blast!" His right arm swelled with magma into a hundred-meter titan fist — the very attack that had sunk Jack's ship before.
Jack's eyes went white with hate. He braced his defense to the maximum, cloaked it in Armament Haki, and met the molten giant fist.
Boom! The collision blew winds and scattered magma; everyone scrambled for cover.
"Jack — I'm coming to help!" Queen flashed to Jack's back and pressed his mechanical arms into Jack. Queen's defense paled to Jack's, but his support pushed back Akainu's Inferno Blast step by step.
Akainu's face shifted through shades of fury. "Damn you — mere pirates!" He could not accept being driven back by them. He summoned the full force of his body and managed to hold against the combined power of Jack and Queen.
"Not bad for the Navy's top war power," King — who had been standing with arms folded — said, lowering them as he opened eyes faintly. "And what now?"
The black wings on King's back unfurled. He ascended above Akainu. Black horns on King's brow crackled with electricity; a thick bolt of lightning smashed down onto Akainu.
Boom! Explosions rocked the shore; the coastline of Dressrosa seemed on the verge of being shattered. Moumouse and the five Vice Admirals with their hundreds of marines were dumbfounded — they had never seen anyone able to contend with Admiral Akainu, let alone three at once.
Pirates who had followed the fleet to gawk now stood aghast. "Are my eyes playing tricks? Jack bathing in magma? Queen punching back Akainu? King's thunder blasting Akainu into the ground?!"
"Is this real?" a pirate asked; they were stunned silent.
"No mistake — this is happening," an older pirate assured. "But don't be fooled by appearances. The real reason the Three Disasters are this strong is that Beast son-in-law Roseng made it possible."
Listeners suddenly understood. The scariest thing wasn't only the Three Disasters, but Roseng, the twenty-billion-beli Yonkō-level young man who created those enhanced Monster Cells.
"If Roseng's inventions are in play, he alone could build a force rivaling an entire Yonkō crew," someone murmured.
"Five-Emperor Roseng — one man could equal a Yonkō!" came the shocked whispers.
A veteran pirate sighed. "The age of the sea may be shifting — from Whitebeard to Kaido, and now to Roseng."
Dust from King's lightning settled on Dressrosa's coast. Akainu stood in the pit his power had carved, bloodied and disheveled.
"Admiral!" marines called, alarmed — they had never seen Akainu so battered.
"Don't call out — I'm not dead yet!" Akainu roared, leaping from the crater, face clouded with rage.
He stared upward at King and then at Jack and Queen standing together. Even proud Akainu had to admit the situation was dangerous; he might fail and be compelled to withdraw. That, he refused. Akainu had ambitions: to become the Navy's supreme leader. He'd long used ruthless action to increase his standing. The Dressrosa strike was meant to boost his prestige.
His aura flared into a terrifying intensity. He painted the sky red with blazing magma. Moumouse's face changed. "Admiral Sakazuki is enraged — he intends to go all out!"
Another Vice Admiral panicked: "If he does, the whole of Dressrosa might be destroyed!"
Each Admiral had the power to devastate an island or nation — in the original canon Akainu vs. Aokiji reshaped Punk Hazard's climate permanently. Moumouse hurried forward and warned Akainu, "Admiral, if you do this, the people of Dressrosa will be in grave danger!"
Akainu's expression froze cold. "Wasn't there a report? The people of Dressrosa have all turned traitor, supporting the Beast Pirates and insulting the Navy and the World Government. Such citizens deserve death."
Moumouse was stunned — Akainu truly didn't care about civilian lives? That was not surprising: years ago Akainu had fired on civilian ships during the Ohara incident. To Akainu, absolute justice meant only those siding with the Navy and World Government were righteous; everyone else was evil and disposable.
On the Beast Pirates' side, King's face grew serious. "We can't let Akainu destroy Dressrosa — all of Lord Young Master's efforts would be ruined."
"Stop holding back — you two, fuse and wipe out these Marines!" King ordered Queen and Jack.
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