"Thunder God!"
With Ryuuto's roar, the lightning coursing through his body seemed to find a vent, erupting violently around him.
A powerful beat echoed from his heart…
Thump! Thump-thump!
A glimmer of violet light appeared in Ryuuto's eyes.
Thump-thump-thump!
With each heartbeat, the lightning around Ryuuto condensed, gradually taking on a more solid form. Under the influence of this immense power, his clothes began to whip about as if in a gale, his hair stood on end, and his entire body levitated into the air.
All of this happened in a mere instant.
Hancock's impossibly long leg finally reached him. At that moment, the lightning arcing around Ryuuto had coalesced to its absolute limit.
"Take this!" Ryuuto bellowed, his eyes wide with fury as a streak of violet energy flared from their corners. As his right fist shot forward, a colossal fist composed entirely of lightning met Hancock's kick head-on.
BOOM!!
A powerful impact erupted from the point of collision, unleashing a devastating shockwave that swept out in all directions.
CRASH!!
The shockwave slammed into Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold, knocking the two sisters to the ground.
"So strong!" they gasped, staring in horror at the scene before them.
On one side, black lightning crackled from between Hancock's pristine white legs. On the other, a massive fist of lightning pulsed with terrifying majesty. The black lightning sparked and popped in the air while the fist of lightning sizzled relentlessly. Hancock and Ryuuto locked eyes, a powerful fighting spirit surging between them.
How is this happening? How did he suddenly become so strong?! Hancock wondered in disbelief. She had assumed that since he hadn't even mastered Conqueror's Haki, this fight would be over quickly once she used a kick coated in it. She never imagined he would suddenly unleash such immense lightning power, manifesting a giant electrical fist to block her attack.
"Fall!" Hancock yelled, putting all her strength into her waist and unleashing another massive burst of power through her leg.
CRACK!!
The intensity of the black lightning grew even stronger.
Ryuuto was instantly forced downward several dozen centimeters, almost getting kicked straight into the ground by Hancock's sheer force.
"This is bad!" Feeling the immense pressure travel up his arm, Ryuuto gritted his teeth, barely managing to hold his ground.
"It's not enough! I need to be stronger!" he roared. The violet light at the corners of his eyes exploded, and his heart began to beat faster and faster.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!
As the sound of his heart reached a frantic crescendo, the violet energy drilled its way into his body. Suddenly, his heart stopped for a single, terrifying moment…
Then, a sound like a clap of thunder boomed from within his chest.
BOOM!!!
As the thunderous beat subsided, an even greater surge of lightning erupted from Ryuuto's body, quickly flooding the area around him. This time, the lightning was different; it was tinged with a faint violet hue. An overwhelming pressure burst forth from him, channeling directly into the giant fist of lightning.
BANG!!
The lightning fist, now swollen to twice its original size, blasted Hancock away.
"What! How is that possible!" Hancock flipped gracefully in mid-air to regain her footing, staring in terror at the man who now looked like a god or a demon.
"It's over!" Seeing this from a distance, Elder Nyon gripped her snake staff and quickly leaped over, landing quietly beside the petrified Ace. It was worth noting that the shockwaves from the battle had already knocked Ace over; he was now lying on his side with his head on the ground and his rear end sticking up in the air.
Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold had transformed into their giant anaconda and king cobra forms, respectively. They watched Ryuuto with predatory focus, ready to charge in the moment things took a turn for the worse.
But Ryuuto was completely unaware of the outside world, having entered a transcendent state. Enveloped by a maelstrom of lightning, he floated in the air as the energy continued to gather, slowly forming the colossal figure of a Thunder God.
Ryuuto's consciousness, meanwhile, seemed to have arrived in a chaotic void. The entire world was filled with nothing but endlessly crashing thunderbolts. He looked down upon this world, feeling as if he were its absolute ruler. An invincible aura of intimidation began to emanate from his body as he felt his spirit undergo a monumental change.
VMMMM!!
In an instant, the lightning around Ryuuto's body took its final shape. The avatar of the Thunder God was complete. It had long, flowing hair, a bare torso, and a single ring hanging from each earlobe. Its face bore a resemblance to Ryuuto's, but its expression was one of cold indifference to the world. Arcs of purple lightning constantly flickered across its form.
ZING!!
Ryuuto's eyes snapped open!
A terrifying wave of pressure exploded outward like a thunderclap, sweeping across the battlefield.
Hancock was the first to be hit. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and was forced to take half a step back to brace herself against the crushing force. Next were the ten-meter-tall Boa sisters, who both let out a stifled cough and spat a mouthful of blood. As for Elder Nyon and Ace, they were spared the worst of the blast by being on the ground. Otherwise, the petrified Ace might have shattered into pieces.
"Such terrifying power!" Elder Nyon truly regretted her actions now. Why hadn't she stopped Hancock sooner? Now, it was too late. Even Hancock was no match for him. As she thought this, her gaze shifted to Ace beside her.
"What terrifying power!" Hancock grimaced, the force of the impact making her arms ache. Her expression was incredibly grave as she stared at Ryuuto.
Ryuuto, in contrast, looked at Hancock with cold indifference. With a slight furrow of his brow, another immense wave of power erupted from him as boundless black lightning shot out from his body.
"What? Conqueror's Haki?!" Hancock was even more astonished as this new pressure washed over her. It had only been a few minutes, and this man had even learned to use Conqueror's Haki.
"So this is Conqueror's Haki? It's nothing special," Ryuuto mused, instinctively comparing the force he had just released to the overwhelming, world-destroying lightning he had just witnessed in his mind. Having experienced that scene of absolute destruction, an indomitable spirit had been born within him, and his willpower had grown exponentially. He had simply tried to release that will outward.
And just like that…
He had done it with ease.
Conqueror's Haki, awakened!
"Now then, Hancock, it's my turn to perform!" Ryuuto said softly. With a single step, his body flickered like a thunderbolt, appearing instantly before her.
"No!" Hancock gasped as the massive form of the Thunder God materialized beside her. She felt as if she had been completely locked in place.
"Fist of the Thunder God!"
With a sharp cry from Ryuuto, the colossal Thunder God raised its fist, wreathed in violet lightning, and brought it crashing down toward Hancock.
Hancock's body froze. She had just broken free from that paralyzing sensation, but it was already too late to escape. She hardened her entire body, coating herself from head to toe in Armament Haki.
BOOM!!
The fist descended in an instant