One Piece: Song of Despair - Chapter 15

“Boom… Bang…”

Sand and dirt flew everywhere, countless stones scattered, and the ground looked like it had been plowed, with debris all around.

“Bang…” With a powerful collision, Nokiyoru’s feet sank deep into the ground, carving two ten-meter-long trenches. His face turned slightly pale as his blood churned within.

“Cough… Cough…” Nokiyoru coughed, his damp, jet-black hair covering his right eye, giving him a unique aura.

“Are you alright?” Nokiyoru warily eyed the towering black beast before him, beating its chest furiously and roaring skyward. Without turning his head, he called out to the badly injured Peach Rabbit behind him.

“Cough… Cough…” Her clothes in tatters, revealing mesmerizing pale skin, Peach Rabbit looked extremely disheveled. If Nokiyoru hadn’t arrived, she might have been dead already.

“Thank… thank you…” Lying on the ground, Peach Rabbit clutched her chest, her breath weak.

Just a few minutes ago, she had unwittingly wandered into this area and encountered an exceptionally tough creature, the same one now facing off against Nokiyoru.

The creature stood nearly three meters tall, covered in black fur. It resembled a gorilla but had a thick tail.

If Nokiyoru hadn’t shown up in time, Peach Rabbit would have been dead, as this creature was as powerful as a Vice Admiral, if not stronger.

“It’s too early for thanks,” Nokiyoru said grimly. The beast in front of him felt like a mountain.

Tensing his body, Nokiyoru narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. “If you get a chance, run. You’re too badly injured to continue this trial.”

“But…”

“Stop arguing. I don’t have much confidence in getting out of here unscathed. You should leave while I hold it off.”

“Thank you…” Peach Rabbit gritted her teeth, struggling to stand and retreating slowly.

“Roar…” Seeing its prey trying to escape, the giant beast roared, kicking up a cloud of dust as its violent eyes fixed on Peach Rabbit’s retreating figure.

“Big monkey, fight me first,” Nokiyoru said sternly. He vanished in a blur, reappearing mid-air with a fist blazing with intense heat, aimed at the creature’s head.

“Roar…” Even more enraged, the beast’s right fist turned black, causing Nokiyoru to stiffen as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

“Boom…” With immense force, Nokiyoru felt as if he had struck a diamond. Pain shot through his right hand, and his body was hurled back like a ragdoll, crashing into the ground and rolling through the dirt.

“Boom…” A giant tree shattered, and Peach Rabbit, who hadn’t gotten far, froze in her tracks, her face stiff with worry. “Nokiyoru, are you okay?”

“Cough… Cough…” Nokiyoru wiped the blood from his mouth, his expression turning excited. “Not dead yet. Run quickly, this opponent is exhilarating.”

“Madman,” Peach Rabbit muttered, her face darkening. She staggered towards the island’s edge, steps faltering.

“Roar…”

“Bang…” With brute force, Nokiyoru seemed to lose his mind, opting for a head-on clash rather than using technique.

“High Heat, 100,000 Degrees Celsius.”

Nokiyoru’s body erupted in a powerful heatwave like a fire deity surging.

“Roar…” A pitch-black fist came crashing down. Nokiyoru sidestepped, his leg sweeping out like a whip.

“Roar…” The beast howled in pain, but its retaliatory kick landed on Nokiyoru’s abdomen.

“Armament.”

“Ugh…” Scarlet blood spurted from his mouth as Nokiyoru grunted in pain. After kicking up a cloud of dust, he stood up, his face pale.

“Damn it, that kick almost knocked me out,” Nokiyoru grimaced, clutching his abdomen.

“Divine Flame Spear.”

With his hands clasped together, flames surged, forming a massive spear over thirty meters long, which he hurled at the beast.

“Armament. Endless Arrows.”

Following closely, countless flaming weapons shot through the air, their momentum unstoppable.

“Roar…” With a roar, the beast’s body swelled. Its three-meter frame instantly grew even larger, exuding a more powerful aura.

“Whoosh… Whoosh…”

“Sizzle… Sizzle…”

Endless flames and agonized roars filled the air. The entire ground shattered, and an unstoppable wave of force swept everything away, disappearing into the horizon.

“Huff… Huff…” Nokiyoru panted, sweat dripping from his forehead as he stared at the inferno before him.

“Roar…” A colossal figure engulfed in flames burst from the fire, charging at Nokiyoru with lightning speed.

“Damn it.” Seeing the beast’s violent eyes and black fists, Nokiyoru gritted his teeth, making a decision. “Golden Crow Half-Beast Form, activate.”

“Screech…” With a cry, a giant bird wreathed in flames appeared, its three claws gleaming, ready to soar.

“Armament. Finger Gun. Golden Crow Claw.”

Sharp claws, like streaks of light, radiated intense heat as they struck the beast.

“Boom…”

The explosion burned fiercely. Nokiyoru, in his half-beast form, took a step back, his golden-red eyes filled with ferocity.

The beast’s fist bore three bloody holes, oozing blood, the surrounding flesh charred and emitting the scent of cooked meat.

“Let’s go again.”

“Roar…”

The beast and the bird clashed violently, feathers flying and the beast roaring. The ground turned chaotic, and the surrounding kilometer became scorched earth.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, and an hour later, a massive explosion echoed. Nokiyoru, half-kneeling in a crater, his body bruised and bleeding, grinned savagely at the similarly battered beast.

“Roar…” The once imposing beast now bore countless gruesome wounds, its flesh emitting a burnt smell.

Its eyes locked on Nokiyoru, showing fear for the first time. In its memory, it had killed many creatures like this one, but even after using all its strength, this small creature still couldn’t be killed, leaving it bewildered.

“No time to play with you anymore.” Flames blazed around Nokiyoru. He had been using his half-beast form to fight the creature, but with time running out and night approaching, he decided to end it quickly.

“Full-Beast Form.”

“Screech…” Nokiyoru’s hands turned into golden wings, his feet into claws. Strangely, a third claw sprouted from his abdomen.

With a thought, Nokiyoru felt the three claws move naturally, boosting his power immensely.

In full-beast form, his defense, stamina, attack power, and recovery increased significantly. Most importantly, the flame temperature rose continuously. In an instant, the temperature around Nokiyoru surged from 100,000 degrees Celsius to 200,000, doubling his previous form.

Power, overwhelming power, Nokiyoru roared with excitement, appearing beside the beast in a flash. His golden wings slashed out mercilessly.

“Roar…” The beast howled, its hands blackening as it fought back with all its might.

Roaring, the beast and the bird clashed again.

“Bang…” Nokiyoru flew back with five wounds on his chest. Feeling the pain, he grinned, his body igniting as the wounds healed quickly, leaving scars.

“Hahaha… In this form, I’m invincible.”

“Time for you to die.”

With a ferocious glare, Nokiyoru vanished like a meteor.

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