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Beneath the pitch-black night sky, light radiated outwards.
Whoosh!
A fierce gale materialised, suppressing the raging flames.
Buzz!
Its overwhelming power surged forth, causing the earth to crack and split open.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before Akainu, unprecedentedly massive Wings made out of light unfurled.
The figure emerging from the egg shone as brightly as the sun itself.
The golden patterns that had previously been hidden beneath his skin seemed to materialize directly on his body.
Due to the power of the Egg-Egg Fruit, the Winged Dragon's scale-covered form had transformed, becoming covered in golden feathers that fused seamlessly with the scales to form an armor-like structure.
Unique flame clouds radiated a golden light around the figure, as radiant as the sun.
Above his sharp, bird-like beak were crimson eyes, and red mist swirled around his avian-draconic silhouette.
Even the seasoned Admiral Akainu couldn't help but take the situation seriously.
"What kind of Mythological Beast is that?"
As an Admiral, he was no stranger to mythological beasts. He had long heard rumors that Youji was a Mythological Beast Devil Fruit user. But this particular form of the mythical beast was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
At that moment, Youji adjusted his chicken-headed mask. Though his face remained hidden beneath it, Akainu could sense the amusement in his words.
"I'm a Devil Fruit user who consumed the Mythological Beast Dragon Dragon Devil Fruit: Winged Divine Dragon Form," he blurted out casually, weaving a baseless lie. "By the way, you can call me "Sun God"."
"Winged Divine Dragon?"
In the pirate world, where powerful figures routinely announce their Devil Fruit names during battle, Akainu actually took the bait. 'Never heard of it.'
Bang!
He didn't finish his sentence before his pupils abruptly constricted.
With a single flap of the wings behind Youji, his figure vanished.
The next moment...
"Behind me?!"
His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) had detected an intense aura coming from behind him. What Akainu found utterly unbelievable was the sheer speed and power of this presence, it was almost beyond comprehension.
Bang!
He could hear the earth beneath his feet and the surrounding trees being shattered by the shockwave of the impact.
"Crimson Armor."
In an instant, molten magma erupted from Akainu's body and coalesced into crimson armor that enveloped him.
But...
Bang!
The next moment, the attack from behind pierced the magma armor and Akainu's body without hesitation.
Ugh!
Despite having preemptively used Elementalization to evade the strike, which was imbued with potent Flowing Sakura, Akainu was still sent flying.
Boom!
Boom!
His figure pierced straight through every structure on the Eighth Island, propelled by Bang all the way to the Ninth Island.
During his flight, Akainu could clearly see Youji, his wings spread wide and his form radiating divine majesty, soaring nearby.
The searing heat of Akainu's magma had eroded Youji's scale armor and feathers, but they were instantly healed under the radiant light emanating from him before they could even burn.
It was only natural.
"For me now, even your magma cannot burn me."
Youji calmly clenched his fist, relishing the unprecedented power surging within him.
Sunflower Devil Fruit Awakening – Sunburst State
Tyrant Winged Dragon Special State: Ancient Form
Egg-Egg Devil Fruit Awakening: Crying Sun Youji.
This was Youji, the strongest of the Twelve Zodiacs at present.
Or, to be more precise: Among all of Roy's current clones:
'For beheading an enemy general amidst a vast army or carrying out a simple assassination, Zishu was unmatched. Inoshi was the undisputed champion for the speed at which he could destroy an island or demolish a building. Shinryu reigned supreme for his ability to alter weather patterns or terrain and create natural disasters. Inu was the master of covert infiltration and intelligence gathering.'
However, when it came to one-on-one combat, Youji, now in his Divine Winged Dragon form, was undoubtedly the strongest.
Maintaining the special states of these three Devil Fruits naturally required an immense expenditure of stamina.
Even Youji could sense it, despite his physique being enhanced by the fusion of two Ancient Devil Fruits, his stamina was draining at an incredible rate.
Maintaining all three states simultaneously in his 'Winged Divine Dragon Form' would severely limit his combat duration.
But, as he had declared earlier, at least... this would be enough for him to wreak havoc.
Buzz!
With a mighty flap of his wings, a maelstrom of wind and blinding light erupted.
Youji's figure reappeared with incredible speed above Akainu, who was still falling towards the ground.
Akainu's pupils contracted again at the terrifying velocity, but he struggled fiercely to raise his arms and unleash two fists.
"Meigo - Nether Hound!"
His fists pierced the Youji's skull in an instant, but its head regenerated the very next moment.
Replacing the void...
"Body of Light: Tail Strike!"
The massive tail swung down like a hammer, crashing towards Akainu's head.
Bang!
Before Akainu could be sent flying to the ground, Youji unleashed another claw strike.
"Claw of Light: Behemoth Slash!'
The razor-sharp claws, wreathed in Ryuo (Flowing Sakura), tore three deep, gruesome gashes into Akainu's body, exposing bone. With another bang, Akainu's body was propelled through Islands 11 and 12, finally soaring into the sky above Island 13.
"Ryusei Kazan - Meteor Volcano!"
Despite the devastating blows, Akainu managed to elementalize, his hands radiating with intense Haki. Countless molten lava meteors rained down on Youji once more.
"Light Shield: Solar Wing Shield!'
At that moment, however, Youji simply raised his wings to shield himself.
Boom! Boom!
Countless streams of magma seared his wing membranes but failed to pierce the wings enveloped in intense radiance.
In the next instant,
With a powerful flap of his wings, Youji sent wind blades and showers of light scattering the remaining magma. He reappeared before Akainu in an instant.
Crack!
His fist, blazing with such intense light that Akainu was forced to close his eyes, struck with earth-shattering force. For a split second, the light seemed to illuminate the entire Sabaody Archipelago.
"Esoteric Art: Winged Divine Dragon Strike!"
Youji's fist crashed down!
A piercing shriek and an explosion of blinding light erupted in that split second, as if a meteor had plummeted onto the island.
Boom!
A towering pillar of light accompanied a terrifying shockwave that instantly pierced the entirety of Thirteenth Island.
The island's very foundation, interwoven with tree roots, crumbled instantly. A colossal mushroom cloud of smoke and dust billowed skyward while massive waves surged outwards from the island's center. The Yarukiman Mangrove, located at the heart of the island, toppled into the sea.
With a single punch, the Sabaody Archipelago lost another of its 79 islands.
The onlookers naturally witnessed this cataclysmic clash.
The Marines, who were currently rescuing civilians alongside Colonel T-Bone, the slaves and civilians who were fleeing in panic and gathering together, and the criminals who were evading Marine capture were all left frozen in stunned silence.
"That's... 'Akainu'?! The Marine Admiral is actually being..."
"Impossible! How could Admiral Akainu be suppressed by that Youji?"
"Did he kill him? One of the Twelve Zodiacs! What kind of monsters are they all?"
"Hey! What are you standing around for? Run! If those two monsters start fighting here, we'll all get caught in the crossfire!"
"I heard Island No. 1 is gone. Maybe these two were responsible?"
Amidst the chaos and cries of panic echoing across the Sabaody Archipelago,
"Huff."
Shakky exhaled a plume of smoke from her cigarette as she sat on a tree trunk on a distant island.
"That Youji is really a reckless one."
She shook her head as she watched Island No. 13 disappear beneath the waves.
Although her sixth sense had warned her that the Youji would cause trouble, she had never imagined that it would escalate to this magnitude.
Not only were the Twelve Zodiacs involved, but the Celestial Dragons and an Admiral had also been drawn into the conflict.
And...
"Such formidable power," she murmured, watching the Youji's figure blaze like the sun, illuminating the surrounding islands and sky with its radiant light.
Despite having witnessed the legendary eras of the past, she couldn't help but marvel at the raw power the Youji was now displaying.
Although she could sense that his energy was depleting rapidly, this state clearly couldn't be maintained for long; the fact that he could suppress an Admiral to such an extent for even a brief moment was still remarkable.
"The Twelve Zodiac... I'll need to have a serious talk with Rayleigh when he gets back."
"Mm, and about the new bar... It's time to pry open those secret stashes of his."
She muttered these thoughts aloud, never wavering from Youji's gaze.
Although she showed no intention of intervening, her allegiance was clear.
The next moment...
"Hmm?"
Noticing something, she raised an intrigued eyebrow and a subtle curve played at the corners of her lips.
Meanwhile...
Bang! Bang!
The Youji beat its wings and soared through the sky, its gaze fixed on the massive plume of smoke and dust rising from the sinking islands below.
And then...
"Hahaha. The Twelve Zodiacs, you truly are dangerous fellows." A low, menacing voice echoed from within the swirling smoke.
Rumble!
Molten lava blazed, its crimson light spreading across the surface of the sea after the islands had sunk.
Hiss!
The lava gradually cooled upon contact with the seawater, the flames dissipating to form hardened rock formations.
This process almost turned the sea surface below into a gigantic 'floating island.'
And now, on this floating island...
Akainu's figure emerged from the dissipating smoke.
His crimson suit had been shredded by earlier attacks, revealing his muscular physique and gruesome, blood-dripping wounds.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes remained as tenacious as iron.
"I sensed it as soon as Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp mentioned you."
Molten magma surged anew, gathering on his gloved fist.
"You are among the greatest evils to emerge on these seas in this era."
Akainu's deep voice rumbled as he glared up at Youji.
Indeed.
The Twelve Zodiacs were neither pirates nor revolutionaries. They were a mysterious force that had seemingly risen from nowhere, their origins unknown.
The Marines had studied them extensively but had reached no conclusion.
Everything about this organization remained an enigma.
And that was precisely what made them so terrifying.
The Yonko would not attempt to seize the Heavenly Tribute recklessly, as they had no desire to provoke a war with the World Government.
Similarly, the Revolutionary Army would not risk assassinating large numbers of kings, as such actions would cost them the popular support on which their existence is founded.
It seemed that every power in this world should operate according to predictable patterns.
But the 'Twelve Zodiac' were the sole exception.
Although they claimed to collect Beli, the Marines had never discovered the purpose behind their vast hoard.
They possessed technology far beyond the norm and were capable of manufacturing a special alloy that was already causing massive disruption across the world.
Each of their officers had a mysterious background, and to this day, no one at sea has been able to uncover their true identities.
Akainu had now personally experienced the power wielded by the highest-ranking Officer of the Twelve Zodiac: Youji.
Akainu himself was left shaken by this power.
This immensely powerful organization, with its unknown origins and goals, operated with near-complete unpredictability.
Akainu naturally understood what this meant.
"You are a greater threat than the so-called 'Sea Emperors.' You are the greatest source of instability in this era."
At that moment, he was utterly convinced of this truth.
Therefore...
BOOM!
He clenched his fist tightly.
The throbbing pain from his wounds, a lingering reminder of the Youji's power, proved the Youji's might.
Wounding a Marine Admiral to such an extent was an extraordinary feat in itself.
But for Akainu Sakazuki...
These injuries could only be described as 'mere trifles.'
Not even the slightest flicker of emotion disturbed his expression.
It wasn't just these wounds. Even if his body were torn apart, his organs pierced and his bones crushed... As long as the evil he was fighting remained, he would continue to fight.
If his muscles were severed, he would use his bones; if his arms were broken, he would use his legs; and even if all four limbs were gone, he still had his teeth—his fighting spirit burned like an inextinguishable flame in magma.
"A Marine Admiral is the banner of Justice, and Justice cannot be defeated!"
Akainu's cold declaration hung in the air.
But then...
"?"
His expression changed.
Only now did he notice that above him, the 'Youji', who had been hovering in the sky, flapping its wings with an indifferent gaze, had imperceptibly grown dimmer.
A mere moment later…
Snap!
The Youji's form dissipated before Akainu's eyes, dissolving into fragments of light.
(End Of This Chapter)