Chapter 43: Flame Against the World
Ren's colossal form shimmered and compressed, golden fur folding inward as the ocean wind roared around him. In a flash of crimson lightning and swirling flame, he transformed into his human-beast form, shrinking to a towering but manageable size. His red cloak flickered wildly behind him, snapping like a battle flag against the storm they had created.
High above, Loki's immense dragon form coiled across the sky, his shadow swallowing the horizon as molten clouds drifted around his scales. His laughter boomed like thunder over the sea, reverberating through Wano's cliffs and across the trembling waves.
Loki grinned, eyes gleaming with mischief and challenge. "What? Tired already?" he called out, his voice shaking the air itself.
Ren rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck as though loosening up for another round. He laughed lightly, staff resting against his shoulder. "I don't like fighting at that massive size. It makes me uncomfortable. Gotta train in that later."
Loki's fanged grin widened, smoke curling from his nostrils. "What? Already accepted you lose? Shirahoshi was bragging how you were stronger."
Ren's eyes glinted dangerously as flames licked across his staff. "Well, since the princess said that, I can't afford to lose. You don't think size makes you invincible, right?"
The sea groaned beneath them as Ren reached up and casually plucked several strands of his golden hair. With a flick of his fingers, he scattered them into the wind. Instantly, hundreds of golden sparks erupted midair, each one morphing into a perfect copy of Ren, cloaked and staff in hand.
Ren smirked, his grin sharp and dangerous. "You were enjoying fighting with Ragnar earlier, right?" His voice dropped lower, almost playful yet edged with steel. "Now you will be fighting dozens of me."
Loki's massive jaw twitched. "Hey, that's cheating!"
Ren did not answer. Every clone surged forward at once, their staffs blazing with Samadhi flames and coated in internal destruction Haki infused with Conqueror's lightning. The sky cracked with each strike as dozens of crimson-gold arcs slammed into Loki's colossal body.
Loki roared, twisting midair as he lashed out with claw and tail. "You think numbers will matter?!" he bellowed, swiping through three clones that dispersed into sparks only to reform moments later.
One clone ducked beneath a sweeping tail, staff expanding mid-swing. "We've got future sight," it quipped casually. "You're the one surrounded."
Another clone grew to half-dragon size before shrinking instantly to dodge a blast of fire. "Adaptability, my friend!" he laughed. "Try keeping up!"
Below, Ragnar hovered midair, his hammer form spinning slightly as four clones circled him menacingly. His voice rang out indignantly. "Hey! I'm just a hammer. Why gang up on poor little me?"
One clone's mouth twitched in annoyance. "You bastard, when you were attacking the main body from behind, you didn't think then, right? Now it's revenge time."
Ragnar protested loudly, spinning defensively. "You bastard! I didn't even hit you. You blocked all my attacks. Now you wanna bully me?"
The clone laughed wickedly. "You shameless guy. Take the beating quietly."
Loki's eyes narrowed, irritation flashing as more clones struck him from blind spots. "You rely on tricks!" he snarled, biting down on one clone only for it to burst into sparks. "Fight me properly!"
Ren's real body stepped forward through the chaos, staff humming with restrained power. "This is proper," he said calmly. "You're just overwhelmed."
Flames gathered deep within Loki's throat, swirling into a blazing inferno that illuminated the inside of his jaws. The air itself warped as heat distorted the horizon, and even the clones hesitated for a split second as they sensed the density of that attack.
Ren's main body raised his staff high above his head as Samadhi flames spiraled upward, compressing and condensing into a blazing golden-red orb. It glowed brighter and brighter, a miniature sun forming at the tip as the sea below began to boil violently.
It was a technique he had created based on Ace's. But now Ace was still a kid, without a Devil Fruit. So it was his now.
Loki unleashed his attack first, roaring to the heavens. "Dragon Breath!"
Ren's eyes burned with fierce intensity as he swung his staff downward. "Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!"
The blazing golden-red sun collided with the Dragon Breath in midair, and the impact shook the sky like a divine hammer striking the world. The Dragon Breath roared fiercely at first, pushing against the miniature sun, but then the golden orb began to devour it.
Loki's pupils shrank as his flames were swallowed whole. "You've got to be kidding me—!"
The Flame Emperor grew larger, feeding off the dragon fire, and began descending toward Loki like judgment incarnate. The ocean below erupted into violent steam as its heat radiated outward in waves.
Loki flipped his massive wings desperately and shot backward just as the blazing sun slammed into the sea. The impact detonated with a deafening hiss, and an enormous column of steam exploded upward into the heavens.
For dozens of kilometers, the ocean began to boil and churn violently. Steam clouds formed rapidly, blanketing the sky in thick white layers that stretched across the horizon and even drifted toward Wano.
Loki stared in horror at the churning sea below. "You lunatic… you'll boil the entire ocean!"
Ren exhaled slowly, watching the expanding steam clouds with narrowed eyes. "I told you. Size doesn't mean invincible."
Far away in Wano, the Whitebeard Pirates stood on the cliffs, staring at the distant battlefield in stunned silence. The blazing sun, the boiling sea, and the ever-expanding steam clouds made it feel like the world itself was ending.
"Mo– monsters," one pirate whispered hoarsely. "They… they are monsters."
Marco clenched his fists, eyes reflecting the distant glow. "If they keep going… the sea will turn into steam and rain for months."
Even Whitebeard's gaze hardened as he observed the scale of destruction. The clouds rolling in from the sea covered Wano's sky entirely, casting the land in a heavy mist.
Back in the sky, Loki lowered his wings slightly, breathing heavily as smoke drifted from his jaws. "If we continue," he said more quietly, "Wano might experience rain for weeks."
Ren nodded, gaze steady. "Destroying all the hard work of little people and farmers. That would be a boring victory."
For a moment, the two monsters simply stared at one another, steam swirling between them like a curtain. Then Loki began shrinking, his massive dragon form folding inward until he stood once more in human form, panting but smiling.
Loki laughed heartily, brushing back his hair. "Looks like Shirahoshi wasn't bragging about you."
Ren chuckled, dismissing his clones in a shower of golden sparks. "Well, you are stronger than I expected."
Loki stretched his arms casually as though they had merely sparred in a courtyard. "Next time, no hair tricks."
Ren grinned. "Next time, no dragon-sized tantrums."
Nimbus expanded beneath them, growing large enough to carry both warriors comfortably.
As they soared back toward Wano, laughing and continuing their banter, the steam clouds slowly drifted behind them like a scar across the sea.
Neither of them noticed the distant ships that had witnessed the battle. Nor did they sense the Den Den Mushi frantically transmitting reports toward the Holy Land, the Marines, and every powerful force watching the tides of the world.
Two monsters had clashed, and the world had felt it.