Thump!
The Ark Maxim descended slowly, landing on a sheet of ice with a soft impact. The crew immediately hopped off.
"Captain, where are we supposed to find this so-called Giant Hammer Pirate crew?" Nami was the first to ask Ryuuto.
As she spoke, the others also turned their gazes to him, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"White Thorns!"
Before Ryuuto could respond, a sharp, bird-like cry pierced the air. It was carried on a raging blizzard that swept toward them from the distance.
As the sound drew nearer, a dozen sharp ice spikes erupted from the ground, thrusting viciously toward Ryuuto and his crew.
"My turn!"
The Little Empress reacted instantly. With an excited shout, a black and red aura flared in her eyes. She shot forward toward the blizzard, unleashing a torrent of black and red lightning.
As she charged, she clenched her right fist and slammed it into the empty space before her.
Boom!
In that instant, the air itself shattered like a mirror. The powerful tremor not only broke space but also compressed the atmosphere, creating an immense destructive force. The white ice spikes on the ground instantly crumbled, atomizing into fine dust.
Such was the might of the strongest Paramecia—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!
"How is that possible? What kind of Devil Fruit is that?" Monet's form materialized from within the blizzard, her voice a gasp of disbelief at the shocking scene.
"Enough talk! Let's have a good fight!" the Little Empress declared, the excitement on her face intensifying.
"Who are you people?" Monet roared, hovering in mid-air. The wings on her back flapped, stirring up fierce blizzards that crashed against the ice below, creating thick layers of snow.
This was the power of Monet's Snow-Snow Fruit. As a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, she was not only immune to physical attacks but could also generate powerful blizzards.
"Monet?" Baby 5 immediately recognized her. After all, they had both served under Doflamingo.
But their paths had diverged. Baby 5 had remained in Dressrosa, while Monet, heartbroken by Doflamingo's death, had chosen to establish herself as the ruler of this place. Originally, she had been sent here on Doflamingo's orders to keep an eye on Caesar.
Thus, when Ryuuto arrived, the island was divided between two powers: Monet, who controlled the icy terrain, and Caesar, who controlled the research facility.
"Take this! Shatter Fist!" the Little Empress roared. She lunged forward like a cannonball, a sphere of white energy gathering in her right hand as she shot toward Monet.
"I'm a Logia!" Monet said with a light chuckle, far too reliant on her fruit's power. Seeing the attack, her first instinct was to turn into her element, believing she could evade it completely.
Crackle!
As black lightning sparked, the Little Empress instantly closed the distance and plunged into the swirling blizzard. With a surge of Haki, she drove her fist forward.
Under the effect of Armament Haki, Monet's physical form was forced to materialize. She took the full force of the blow, a spray of blood flying from her lips as she was sent hurtling backward.
Haki? And some other strange energy? Monet thought, her mind reeling. Even now, she couldn't comprehend how this little girl could possess such immense power.
The Little Empress, demonstrating her combat prowess, moved in for the kill, intending to neutralize Monet with her next attack.
"Wait, we need her to lead the way!" Ryuuto called out, seeing the situation.
Crackle!
At the same time, a flash of golden lightning shot out, materializing in front of Monet as a hand made of pure electricity that clamped down on her neck.
"No fun at all," the Little Empress grumbled, pouting as she halted her advance.
"What is this ability?" Monet wondered, before her eyes widened in shock. "No, this is… this is the Emperor Ryuuto!"
As Ryuuto brought her before the crew, she finally got a clear look at his face. The recognition hit her like a physical blow. After a moment of dazed shock, sheer terror washed over her, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Looks like you recognize me," Ryuuto said calmly. "Then I won't waste words. Take us to the frozen giants, or I'll kill you right now."
As he spoke, the golden hand tightened its grip. Monet's breath caught in her throat. At that moment, she had no doubt that Ryuuto would kill her.
An overwhelming will to survive surged through her. "I… I know where they are," she struggled to say, her voice choked and broken. "They're… in the research facility!"
Ryuuto relaxed his grip slightly, allowing her to gasp for air.
Thud!
He then unceremoniously dropped her onto the ice.
"Since you're so cooperative, lead the way," Ryuuto said, his gaze cold.
Monet now fully understood the chasm in power between them. Though she was free, she didn't dare try to escape. With a powerful beat of her wings, she rose into the air and began flying toward Caesar's laboratory.
Ryuuto and the others followed close behind.
After flying for some time, Monet glanced back. Ryuuto's crew followed in silence, their combined presence exuding the unmistakable aura of an Emperor's fleet. She quickly turned back around, focusing intently on leading the way.
So terrifying, she thought. Is this the power of a Yonko crew?
Soon, they arrived before a massive steel building covered in snow and ice—Caesar's research facility. Punk Hazard had once been the site of Vegapunk's laboratory, but it was abandoned after a poison gas leak four years ago. Later, the duel between Akainu and Aokiji had ravaged the island, leaving this single facility as the only structure still standing.
"The giants are all inside, in the cold storage room," Monet explained, standing before the large iron gate. "But we'll need Caesar's password to get in."
"That won't be necessary. Watch me!" The Little Empress stepped forward again. She walked up to the gate, a sphere of white energy already condensing in her right hand.
"Shatter Fist!"
With a sharp cry, an invisible force erupted from her fist. The massive iron gate buckled inward as if struck by a colossal hammer, then gave way completely, flying off its hinges.
Bang!
A tremendous crash echoed through the facility, the impact shaking the entire structure. The towering gate flew more than ten meters down the corridor before slamming into a wall and finally coming to a stop.
"Who? What's going on?"
Caesar, who had been leisurely sipping tea, was so startled that his cup slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor. He immediately directed a Surveillance Den Den Mushi toward the entrance.
Beep! Beep!
The small, red snail began to turn its head, trying to focus on Ryuuto. But before it could, a bolt of black and red lightning shot out.
In an instant, the Den Den Mushi was knocked unconscious. It stood no chance against Ryuuto's Conqueror's Haki.
Caesar lost the video feed before he could get a clear look, catching only a blurry image in the final second.
"Looks like a lot of them. Is my impenetrable fortress being invaded?" he mused. "Well then, let's see how you like the taste of my poison gas! Smiley, go capture them all!"
With that command, the large, crimson slime beside him, his pet Smiley, began to move. It was a creature formed from compressed poison gas, possessing considerable strength.
"Shurorororo…" With a gurgling laugh, the slime blob slithered its way toward the main entrance.
Meanwhile, Ryuuto and his crew followed Monet deeper into the facility. The long corridors were lined with cold steel walls, a stark contrast to the style of Egghead's laboratory. However, whether it was because Monet hadn't been here in a long time or for some other reason, after several minutes of walking, they still hadn't reached the cold storage room.
"Are you lost?" Vivi finally asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"I… of course not! How could I be lost?" Monet's face flushed as she quickly retorted.
"There's movement," Ryuuto said suddenly. His lightning power, spreading invisibly through the air, had detected life forms ahead.
"Hurry, everyone, run!"
"We just have to hold on a little longer! If we can make it outside, we'll be free!"
A few minutes later, the sounds of running footsteps and voices echoed from the far end of the corridor.
"What is that?" Hancock asked softly, her Observation Haki picking up on the group. "Why are there so many children?"
As the figures grew closer, Ryuuto and the others could finally see them clearly. It was Kin'emon, leading a group of children who had been subjected to the gigantification experiments.
No, wait. There was also a small figure being dragged along the ground.
"Who… who are you people?" The moment Kin'emon saw Ryuuto, he skidded to a halt, shoving all the children behind him as he questioned them defensively.
The familiar sight was almost disorienting for Ryuuto, especially that of Momonosuke, who was crying hysterically on the floor. Ryuuto didn't know what had happened, but the boy was weeping uncontrollably, a long tail trailing behind him as Kin'emon dragged him along.
Momonosuke must die!
The thought instantly surfaced in Ryuuto's mind.
"Lightning Finger." Ryuuto raised his finger, aimed at Momonosuke on the ground, and spoke the words softly.
Crackle!
A flash of lightning, and a beam of condensed golden plasma materialized behind Momonosuke, piercing straight through him.
"Pfft!"
Momonosuke's crying stopped abruptly as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The single attack had grievously wounded him.
"You bastard! How dare you harm the young lord!" Kin'emon roared, his heart consumed by rage. "Die!"
Ignoring the number of opponents he faced, he brandished his famous sword, which crackled with black lightning, and slashed down at Ryuuto's group. It was clear that Kin'emon was also a proficient user of Armament Haki.
"Triple Lightning Finger!"
But against an attack of this level, Ryuuto couldn't be bothered to move. He simply raised his hand again, aiming at the curled-up form of Momonosuke. Having eaten an artificial Devil Fruit, Momonosuke was, in a sense, a mini-Kaido. While his offensive power was negligible, his regenerative abilities were significantly enhanced.
Because of this, Ryuuto's first attack hadn't killed him.
But that was fine. Ryuuto would finish the job.
Crackle… Bang! Bang! Bang!
Instantly, three more beams of lightning shot through Momonosuke's body. His small frame convulsed three times before going completely still, a pool of crimson blood spreading out beneath him.
Momonosuke was dead.
By this time, Kin'emon's attack had arrived. But Ryuuto had already anticipated it, transforming into his lightning form. As the blade descended, Ryuuto's body split in two.
Crackle!
Before Kin'emon's stunned eyes, Ryuuto's form reformed. In an instant, a torrent of golden lightning surged up Kin'emon's sword and into his body.
Kin'emon glanced at Momonosuke's corpse, his expression a mixture of shock and fury.
Boom!
Before he could react, the lightning strike made his body go rigid. His skeleton flashed gold through his flesh as he was cooked from the inside out. He collapsed to the ground, smoke billowing from his mouth, utterly defeated.
"Ahhh!"
The gigantified children, witnessing the terrifying scene, screamed and huddled in a corner.
So utterly terrifying! Ryuuto was a monster!
So that's how you can use Logia intangibility against Armament Haki, Vivi thought, replaying the scene in her mind. As long as your Observation Haki is strong enough, you can transform ahead of time and dodge the attack!
With the threat neutralized, Ryuuto walked slowly toward Momonosuke's corpse.
"I guess I've fulfilled one of my wishes," he said softly. "Momonosuke must die."