One Piece: Song of Despair - Chapter 29

“Screech…”

With wings spread wide, the fierce cry echoed, embodying unparalleled ferocity and power, like a ruler looking down on everything.

“Dead dog, consider yourself honored. You’re the second person to force me into my full beast form. As a reward, prepare for your death.”

In his majestic form, with a noble bearing, Nokiyoru hovered in the air, his wings flapping, causing the temperature to rise sharply until the atmosphere rippled with heat.

“You bastard, you’re just a beast who ate a Zoan fruit, but I consumed a Logia Magma-Magma Fruit. I’m naturally stronger than you. Don’t think you’re all that impressive just because you transformed.”

Akainu’s eyes were cold and ruthless, his body oozing magma, maintaining his usual aggressive stance.

Despite currently being at a disadvantage, Akainu believed in his ultimate victory. As a Logia Devil Fruit user, Akainu had every reason to be arrogant. He believed magma was the strongest, a force of nature that reduced everything to ash. He was convinced no mere animal could stand against him.

“You seem very confident in your abilities. Today, I’ll show you that Devil Fruits aren’t everything. Logia fruits are the most overrated.”

Nokiyoru’s cold words were followed by immediate action. His body turned into flames, surging forward.

“Hellhound.”

“Finger Gun: Feathers.”

“Boom…” Explosions rocked the battlefield, the ground crumbling beneath them. The shockwaves from their clash were like tidal waves, tearing up the earth and sending debris flying.

“Boom…” Dodging, Nokiyoru’s golden-red eyes locked onto Akainu. With a swift kick, his claws struck, followed by a barrage of weapons appearing behind him.

“Bang… bang…” The ground trembled, magma splattered, and Akainu panted heavily, reappearing elsewhere.

Akainu chose to use his elemental form to escape at critical moments, knowing that being caught in Nokiyoru’s attacks meant relentless suppression.

“Dead dog, all you can do is run?” Nokiyoru taunted, reappearing beside Akainu, his golden wings slicing through the air mercilessly.

“Dark Hound.”

“Boom… boom…” Akainu could only react defensively, his speed no match for Nokiyoru’s. He endured heavy blows, each one landing with punishing force, leaving him mentally and physically strained.

Unknowingly, the battle had raged for five hours, yet neither showed signs of exhaustion, fighting with the intensity of machines.

Especially Nokiyoru, in his full beast form, his recovery, attack power, and stamina had all reached a new level. Any wounds Akainu managed to inflict had already healed.

In contrast, Akainu struggled. He couldn’t counterattack effectively without the advantage of speed, his attempts futile against Nokiyoru’s relentless assault.

Since the battle began, Nokiyoru has maintained the upper hand. It was clear to any observer that Akainu’s defeat was only a matter of time.

“Bang…” After another fierce clash, Akainu spat blood and was sent flying. Nokiyoru, flipping in the air, landed smoothly, wings flapping as he stood calmly.

“Cough… cough…” Kneeling on one knee, Akainu’s face was dark, blood dripping from his mouth, his condition worsening.

Nokiyoru, aside from looking a bit disheveled, only showed slight signs of heavy breathing.

“Dead dog, if that’s all you have, then you can die now.”

Coldly staring at Akainu, Nokiyoru spoke with no emotion, a faint smile on his lips.

“You underestimate me. To kill you, I’ve made preparations. Today, you’ll taste the terror of a Logia.”

Akainu sneered, his lower body turning into magma, connecting with the ground. His hands glowed red as he slammed them down.

“Magma Terrain.”

“Glug… glug…”

“Boom… boom…” The ground shook violently as magma surged, transforming the area into a sea of lava.

“Dead bird, Logia fruits are the strongest because they can alter the climate and terrain. As long as I’m in magma, I’m invincible.”

Akainu’s transformation of the battlefield allowed him to maximize his fruit’s power.

Using Observation Haki, Nokiyoru sensed Akainu rapidly healing his injuries, regaining strength and energy.

Akainu was indeed formidable. Without his speed advantage, Nokiyoru knew he couldn’t completely overpower Akainu using just Haki and strength. Akainu’s Haki, while not as strong as Nokiyoru’s, was enough to hold its own in the short term.

But no matter how hard Akainu fought today, he wouldn’t escape Nokiyoru’s grasp.

Did Akainu have a trump card? So did Nokiyoru.

“Dead bird, that name suits me. But let’s see who dies first, you or me.”

“Whoosh…” Taking a deep breath, Nokiyoru didn’t wait for a response. His wings spread wide, flames surged, and the temperature soared.

“Five Million Degrees Celsius: Infinite Fire Domain.”

“Boom…” A golden-white light flashed, and a massive dome of fire covered the area, swallowing Nokiyoru and Akainu.

“That move again.” On the outskirts, Kizaru winced, recalling his defeat under that technique.

The only difference was that Nokiyoru now wielded five million degrees, not the one million he had before, indicating that his power had grown.

In this domain, Nokiyoru was the absolute ruler, controlling air and severely restricting his opponent’s abilities. Kizaru thought Akainu’s defeat was imminent.

Endless flames filled the air, magma covered the ground, and the scene inside remained unclear, obscured by the golden-red fire.

“Prepare for rescue,” Sengoku sighed. Truthfully, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Repeatedly intervening in their fights made Sengoku feel he’d lost face.

Likewise, Zefar’s face was extremely grim, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

As for Garp and Sengoku, their expressions were equally dark. It was humiliating for anyone.

At Marineford’s plaza, the crowd fell silent watching the massive fiery dome.

The vast sea of people stared at the Den Den Mushi projection, captivated.

Today’s battle had exceeded their expectations, not only intense but incredibly thrilling. Some men, inspired by the scene, yearned to join the fray.

Others were deeply worried.

For instance, Nokiyoru’s master and younger brother tensed up every time Nokiyoru was injured, even though they could see Nokiyoru had the upper hand.

“Why can’t we see anything…” After silence, the crowd erupted in complaints, frustrated by the obstructed view.

“Won’t it be like the last battle, ending when the flames disappear?”

“Damn, are we going to miss the best part?”

“Who do you think will win this time?”

“Definitely that guy… what’s his name? The one who turns into a firebird.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“Hmph, don’t be so sure. I think Akainu will win.”

“Who said that?”

“I did. I bet a million Berries on him.”

“I bet a million on the other guy.”

“Hmph, we’ll see. You’re going to lose.”

“No, you will.”

Arguments broke out, faces flushed with passion, each side fervently defending their choice, just like gamblers ready to brawl.

Become a Patron to read chapters ahead of public release and support me 😉

Read up to 40 chapters ahead on p atreon.