Chapter 10: A Little Too Far
"Don't resist head-on, use your mobility!"
"I hate to say this, Erza, but we need to work together. Taking down this jerk Dino comes first!" Mirajane said.
Dino said helplessly, "Hey! Is it really okay to discuss battle tactics right in front of me? I'm just here to complete the mission. Don't hate me so much!" He felt like dramatic boss battle music had started playing in the background.
"My mobility isn't bad either, you know!" In the anime, Whitebeard had stood nearly motionless during battle. The real reason was simple: his body no longer allowed vigorous movement. Even taking a few steps became difficult, so he could only watch the three Navy Admirals leap around in front of him. With hostages in their hands, he had no choice but to face his end. Seeing that scene, fans didn't just mourn Whitebeard's death, they mourned thinking about how powerful he must have been in his youth.
Dino was now close to what Whitebeard had been in his prime. Dino stomped down. "Boom!" The ground suddenly exploded, and his body shot forward, appearing instantly in front of Elfman. The shockwave propelled him.
The effects of force are mutual. Vibration can destroy everything, but vibration can also propel force backward to achieve high-speed movement. Dino felt this was even faster than the Soru technique from the Six Powers, though the burden on his body was considerable. The stronger the body, the greater the force it could withstand.
However, he didn't like using it often. The reason was simple: too much force caused earthquakes and disasters. This was one of the main reasons he'd earned the title "Human Natural Disaster," so he only used this technique in remote areas or when absolutely necessary.
Elfman, who had just been knocked back by Dino, had no time to react before a fist slammed into his abdomen. "Gah!"
"You worked hard. Get some rest now."
"Brother!"
"Elfman!" Mirajane's eyes widened with worry as her brother went down.
"Boom!" A shockwave rippled through the air, slamming into Mirajane and sending her flying backward until she disappeared from view.
"Second!"
"So fast!" Everyone watching was shocked. None of them expected Dino to defeat Elfman and Mirajane in the blink of an eye.
"Boom!" With a roar, Dino appeared beside Natsu.
Natsu's eyes widened in shock. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Dino countered with his own punch. Their fists collided with a tremendous crack.
"Aaaaah!" Natsu screamed, clutching his arm as he flew backward.
"Third!"
"Boom!"
"Gray, move!" Erza shouted.
Before Gray could form his Ice-Make spell, Dino's kick caught him in the abdomen. "Ugh!" His eyes bulged as he collapsed to the ground, arms wrapped around his stomach.
"Fourth!"
Cana slumped to the ground. "No way! We can't beat him!"
Natsu, lying on the ground, shouted to Cana with difficulty, "Don't give up, Cana! Your opponents aren't just Dino. Erza and Mirajane are still fighting too. You have to keep going no matter what. It's not time to surrender yet!"
Erza called out loudly, "That's right! We still have a chance! No matter how strong Dino is, he's only one person. And even though his attacks are powerful, his body isn't that different from ours. As long as we coordinate properly and attack from all directions simultaneously, we can hit him!"
A figure flew overhead. Mirajane, who had just been knocked away, came soaring back.
"Did I hold back too much?" There was no helping it. After all, they were guildmates. Better to pull his punches than seriously injure them.
Suddenly, "Ice-Make: Ice Prison!" An ice cage materialized around Dino's body, trapping him. It was Gray, who had forced himself up from the ground to cast his Magic.
"Hurry! I can't hold him long! Attack now!"
"Soul Extinction!" A powerful blast of dark magical energy shot from Mirajane's hand, streaking toward Dino.
"Lightning!" Cana threw her cards skyward. A small dark cloud formed above Dino, then unleashed a thunderbolt.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu sprayed high-temperature flames from his mouth.
"Requip: Lightning Empress Armor! Lightning Empress Spear!" A bolt of azure lightning shot from the spear in Erza's hand.
Attacks converged on Dino's position from every direction, covering nearly every angle.
Faced with this coordinated assault, Dino smiled and shook his head. He dropped into a low stance. "Buzz!" White translucent spherical halos appeared around both his fists.
"Hah!" Dino shouted, then rapidly extended both arms and punched toward either side of his body.
The air cracked audibly.
"Crack, crack, crack!" Fissures spread through the atmosphere itself.
All the attacks approaching Dino stopped around his body as if frozen in time. Then faint spherical white halos emerged from his body, expanding continuously outward.
"Boom boom boom!"
"Waaaah!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Everything around Dino's body was blasted away. Even the ground beneath his feet shattered. The entire island shook violently, as if struck by a magnitude ten earthquake. The seawater surrounding the island surged outward, forming a small tsunami that rocked the boat violently, causing Levy and Lisanna to scream in terror.
When everything settled, a massive crater had formed in the island's center. Standing in the middle of it was Dino, with an unconscious Gray at his feet. The others lay scattered in the distance, knocked out cold.
Seeing the destruction, Dino scratched his head. "Ah! I think I went a little too far!"