"Looks like… your only opponent left is me."
Hovering in midair while stepping on rippling waves of Moonwalk, Jinbe first glanced toward Celeste Palace, which was chasing after Chopper, then looked down at Brook, who had already entered a tense standoff with Saint Abyss below.
In the end, Jinbe focused his gaze on the knight before him—the one whose expression never seemed to change, forever wearing that gentle, princely smile.
Yet in the face of Jinbe's scrutiny, the Smiling Prince remained as calm as ever.
He said nothing—but his body suddenly began to transform.
"So you really are… a Devil Fruit user too!?"
Jinbe wasn't surprised by the strange sight before him.
But the next instant, the vigilance in his eyes froze into pure astonishment.
The smiling-faced prince vanished completely.
In his place—
Stood a short, dark-green creature wearing a bizarre lotus-leaf hat, the crown of its bald, gleaming head exposed through a hole in the center.With a duck-like beak, frog-like webbed feet, and tiny eyes brimming with an indescribably sleazy aura.
For some reason, as Jinbe looked at this odd being, he couldn't help but feel that this fellow was even more deserving of the title "Fish-Man" than himself.
At that moment, the previously taciturn knight finally spoke:
"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Knight of the Sea, Jinbe. I truly didn't expect you to collude with the Straw Hat Pirates…"
A duck-like voice emerged from the strange creature.
Though the appearance was comical, Jinbe could clearly sense the overwhelming power emanating from that bizarre body. He showed not the slightest hint of contempt.
Respecting every opponent had always been Jinbe's way.
"I am now an official member of the Straw Hat Pirates,"Jinbe said, taking a stance as he calmly stated his change in allegiance.
"As I thought…"
The grotesque creature opened its duck-like mouth and continued:
"In that case, there's nothing more to say."
As the words fell, a brilliant azure light suddenly burst from his eyes, rippling violently like water.
The next moment, just like the other members of the God's Knights, he proudly announced himself:
"God's Knights—Bal!Zoan-Type, Mythical Zoan—Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Kappa!!!"
"So it is a Mythical Zoan…"
Jinbe frowned slightly.
He'd already suspected as much from the bizarre forms of the other God's Knights—but hearing it confirmed still sent a shock through him.
As expected of warriors under the World Government… troublesome monsters, one after another!
A flash of thought passed through Jinbe's mind, and a faint, water-like blue glow surfaced in his eyes as well.
At the very least—
Right now, he was terrifyingly strong too!!!
…
…
"All of them are Mythical Zoans!?"
"That's quite the investment~"
High in the sky, watching the remaining three members of the God's Knights complete their transformations, Red couldn't help but sigh softly.
Having recently plundered a vast number of precious Devil Fruits from Mary Geoise, he knew better than anyone just how shocking the World Government's stockpile truly was.
What impressed him even more was that not a single one of these abilities was wasted.
Snow woman.Starving skeleton.Kappa.
All three Devil Fruits were legendary yokai Red was deeply familiar with.
In some legends, these monsters were said to rival even the monstrous forms of the Five Elders.
"So then…"
"What about your ability?"
"At this point, there's no need to keep hiding. In that state, you're no match for me."
Red turned his gaze directly toward Alicia Mirabelagon, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
If even her subordinates possessed such fearsome powers, then as the Vice Commander, she certainly wouldn't be lacking.
Sure enough, the moment Red finished speaking, Mirabelagon replied coldly:
"If you're in such a hurry to die, then I'll grant your wish!"
Boom—
Pitch-black mist suddenly burst forth from the gaps in Mirabelagon's armor, enveloping her entire body in an instant.
Then, within the darkness, two black, flame-like clouds appeared—wrapping themselves like silk around a humanoid form with a bird's head.
Whoosh—
Two exquisite black wings spread wide, casting a massive shadow over the ground below.
Mirabelagon's physique hadn't changed much, but her body was now covered in glossy black feathers that gleamed with an eerie sheen.Behind her, a perfectly proportioned pair of wings—like those of a crow—extended outward.
Shing—
She raised her long sword once more. Influenced by her Devil Fruit, even the hilt of her black blade became wrapped in razor-sharp black feathers, forming a guard that extended diagonally backward.
"Zoan-Type, Mythical Zoan—Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Karasu-Tengu!"
Mirabelagon shouted coldly, a blinding flash erupting from her eyes as she declared her power.
For Mythical Zoan users, revealing their Fruit's name wasn't a weakness—it was a psychological weapon, leveraging the legend itself to pressure their enemies.
In the world of pirates, the rarer the fruit, the more its user wanted everyone to know what they had eaten.
However—
"Karasu-Tengu?!"
"Are you the God's Knights, or some kind of Yokai Knights!?"
"Don't tell me aside from that Angel Fruit user, Emilagon, all of you are just a bunch of bizarre monsters!?"
Red raised an eyebrow, laughing as he teased her.
But to his surprise, a flicker of displeasure crossed Mirabelagon's usually composed face.
"Do not compare me to that useless Emilagon."
"She was nothing more than a lucky beneficiary of her fruit's special nature—promoted beyond her worth."
"The fact that she died so meaninglessly at your hands proves her existence had no value!"
"And I—!"
Slash!
Her black blade cut through the air, releasing a razor-sharp wave.
Mirabelagon lifted her head, her avian eyes gleaming as she stared straight at Red.
"I am the strongest beneath Figarland Garling Saint in the God's Knights!"
"Anyone who dares tarnish the honor of the Celestial Dragons—"
"Execution on the spot!!!"
Whoooosh!!!
In an instant, Mirabelagon transformed into a streak of pure shadow, surging toward Red like a bolt of lightning.
At that terrifying speed, her black blade became an untraceable flash of light, arriving before Red in the blink of an eye.
"So fast~!"
Red's pupils shrank as he hastily condensed Psychic Power into an energy shield where the strike landed.
The next moment—
BOOM!!!
His body shot downward like a meteor.
CRASH!!!
A massive cloud of dust erupted as Red slammed into the ground.
Moments later, a figure wrapped in psychic armor soared back into the air.
"As expected of the Vice Commander~"
Red sighed lightly, brushing his hand across the cracked psychic armor on his chest.
The fractures healed instantly, regenerating like living flesh.
"She even awakened a Mythical Zoan… truly troublesome."
"In that case, I suppose I can't hold back anymore either."
As he spoke, a blue tail formed behind him, luminous blue patterns spreading across his body.They traveled up his tail, across his torso, and finally converged into a pale pink energy ring on his chest.
This was Red's strongest form yet!
The blue tail and markings came from the power template of Dialga, the God of Time.The pale pink ring originated from Palkia, the God of Space.
By combining Mega Mewtwo, Dialga, and Palkia, Red couldn't gain all three Legendary Pokémon's base attributes—but he could use all of their moves.
The drawback?
An absurd energy cost.
Even with the power he'd accumulated since the last great incident, he could barely maintain this form for an hour.
So—
"Let's end this quickly~!"
Red lifted his head, one blue and one pink light shining from his eyes.
"Spacial Rend!!!""Roar of Time!!!"
The powers of space and time surged forth, fusing into his psychic blade and Venomous Chains.
The true battle erupted at this very moment!!!
…
…
"This… what kind of power is this?!"
Inside a shelter within the former Kingdom of Elegia's palace ruins.
Gordon, hiding there with Uta, stared through a small window at the cataclysm outside, unable to suppress his awe.
In the distance, near the island's edge—
The shockwaves from Luffy's battle with Figarland Garling Saint covered nearly a quarter of the entire island!
Elsewhere—
Red, in his ultimate form, and the awakened Karasu-Tengu clashed continuously in the sky, their bright, ringing impacts forming a fierce symphony.
On the ground—
What had once been dense forest had inexplicably transformed into colossal surging waves, reducing the land into a shattered wetland.
Nearby, raging snowstorms froze towering trees into lifelike ice sculptures.
And finally—
A desolate field of deadwood.
Lush vegetation withered and died in succession, as if cursed by some ominous force.
Because the Elegia palace sat atop the island's central highlands, Gordon and Uta could see everything clearly.
And it was precisely because of this vantage point that the battle between the Straw Hat Pirates and the God's Knights left them utterly shaken.
After the initial shock, their reactions diverged completely.
Gordon's heart was filled with worry and conflict.
He hoped the Straw Hat Pirates would win—After all, anyone could see they harbored no ill will toward Uta.
But at the same time, he feared that if they won, they would take Uta away.
If her power became known to the world… it would be far too dangerous.
Uta, however, watched Luffy's absurd, overwhelming strength with sparkling eyes, so excited she nearly burst into song to buff him.
And in her mind echoed Luffy's words from earlier:
"Uta, come with me!""Join my crew—let's return to the sea together!""I have the power to protect you now. Even Shanks won't say a word!""We'll travel the world together—And become the freest people alive!!!"
Ten years.
For ten long years, Uta had stayed by Gordon's side, studying music day after day, year after year.
Her longing for the outside world had already grown unbearable.
But Gordon had forbidden her from leaving Elegia, and Shanks' words when he left—about using her to gain the kingdom's trust—had shackled her heart.
Now, these battles showed her just how vast and wondrous the world beyond Elegia truly was.
Simply put—
Her heart had begun to waver.
She wanted to leave with Luffy, to see the wider world…And then—
Bring her song to everyone.
Not through broadcasts or recordings.
But truly—Singing her own songs before the entire world.
"Maybe… I can even go find Shanks myself, and confront him about the past."
Having learned the truth behind Elegia's fall, complex emotions flickered in Uta's eyes.
…
…
"Divine Descent · Annihilation!!!""Gum-Gum… Fairy Giant Swing!!!"
Whooo—!!!
Moving through the forest at near-teleportation speed, Figarland Garling Saint condensed all his Haki onto his blade and swung fiercely at Luffy—who, for some reason, had planted both feet deep into the ground!
A slash tens of meters tall erupted into existence, tearing through the air as if to split the world in two.
Yet Luffy seemed oblivious.
His body suddenly began spinning at high speed.
His embedded feet twisted his body like a wrung rope—
Until he snapped back!
Without any conscious control, the elastic force stored in his rubber body exploded outward, generating a violent storm.
At the same time—
A mysterious pink energy surged into the gale, rushing head-on toward Garling Saint's slash.
BOOOOM!!!
The slash and storm collided, neither overpowering the other—locked in a deadlock above the forest.
And at that very moment, using Glimmer Storm to cleanse his negative status and fully shake off his dizziness, Luffy shot up from the ground and appeared directly in Garling Saint's path.
Then—
"Gum-Gum… Mole Rush!!!"
(End of Chapter)