Not long ago.
"Get out of the way. I'm not interested in fighting you today. I just want to smash that big-headed freak's skull."
"Sorry, but I can't…."
Boom!
"You're getting scarier by the minute. Doesn't look like you're not planning to fight."
Before Kizaru could finish his sentence "I can't," Shayna's powerful kick had already reached him. Even with Haki serving as a barrier, Kizaru could feel the heat of her flames.
Sizzle.
As the Future Island, Egghead was full of metal structures. Even the ground was largely metallic. During the clash just now, Shayna's flames scattered onto the ground, and those flames acted like corrosive liquid, instantly melting the metal plates on the ground.
"If you'd just stepped aside, we wouldn't have to fight at all."
Unless Kizaru voluntarily gave up fighting, then during battle he'd be like a piece of clingy adhesive, impossible to shake off.
Trying to get around him to do something else was simply unrealistic.
"My dear subordinate wanted me to protect Vegapunk. If I can't even do that, he'll be heartbroken."
The Ama no Murakumo Sword formed from light split into two. Transformed into a Two Sword Style, Kizaru crossed his swords and slashed at Shayna's neck, but a crimson spear broke straight through Kizaru's light swords. The spear tip grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody scratch.
Just as Kizaru was about to counterattack, a deadly crisis flashed through his mind. He forcibly stopped his movements and quickly retreated. As he left his original spot, a bolt of lightning struck down.
"Why are you back again?"
"Got the item, so of course I came back."
The tuft of fur on Zeraora's back was now wrapped around a plate, securing it firmly behind his back. This was Seimei Kikan.
That section of fur originally had no practical use, but under the influence of Seimei Kikan, it had become Zeraora's third arm. Due to its length, it was even more convenient than a real arm in certain situations.
Not much time had passed between Zeraora leaving and returning. Most of the time was spent on travelling.
Shaka and Pythagoras hadn't left with the main body and the other satellites. Instead, they had deliberately brought the remaining plate to the lower level. [TN: Replacing clones to satellites.]
From the moment he saw that lottery ticket, Vegapunk knew the enemy had a way to track the plates. Of course, he wouldn't take the plate along while escaping.
Just as Shaka and Pythagoras appeared with the plate, they ran right into Zeraora.
Their act of transporting the plate made Zeraora believe they were trying to move it. Without giving them a chance to explain, he destroyed both of them and brought the plate back.
To a lifeform created by Arceus, stealing the plate was a serious crime.
"Shayna, we've got the plate. Mission complete. What do you want to do next?"
Vegapunk and Kizaru hadn't guessed that Kuzan had joined the Beasts Pirates, and was now involved in this operation.
Shayna also hadn't expected Vegapunk to create something like the Seraphim. Without that creation, she would have chosen to retreat the moment they obtained the plate, but now, she simply couldn't bring herself to leave.
Before Shayna could make a decision, a dull rumble echoed from the sky. Looking up at the now-vanished upper half of Egghead, Shayna's face turned grim.
"That b*stard... escaped?"
"Looks like you won't be able to achieve your goal after all."
A smile rose on Kizaru's face, and even more dazzling light erupted from his body.
With Vegapunk having successfully evacuated, Kizaru no longer had any reservations. He was ready to fight without holding back. But once again, things developed beyond his understanding.
The plate Zeraora brought back was originally lifeless, indistinguishable from an ordinary stone, but when he approached Shayna, the Red Chain in Shayna's hand began to change.
Waves of rainbow-colored energy surged across the Red Chain. Guided by this power, the dull, colorless plate also began to emit a radiant rainbow light.
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
Seeing the strange sight before him, Kizaru felt a sense of foreboding and immediately attacked Shayna.
Dense light bullets shot toward Shayna, but the moment they touched the light screen, they completely dissolved, entirely absorbed by the mysterious light screen.
[Shayna.]
"Lord Sacred Beast?!"
Arceus's voice suddenly rang out in Shayna's mind. Instinctively glancing around, Shayna saw nothing related to Arceus.
"Lord Sacred Beast, you've come here too?"
"No, I haven't. This is the power of that plate. Though it is far from me, the Red Chain is an item condensed from my power. When it comes close enough to a plate, I can control it remotely."
The more plates returned, the more perfect Arceus's power became. When the fifteenth plate returned to his body, his strength was elevated once again.
Now, using the plate and the Red Chain as mediums, Arceus had achieved long-distance telepathy. Though it had not yet returned to him, he had already reconnected with it in advance.
"Lord Sacred Beast, we've found the plate, but I…"
[No need to say more. I already know.]
The Red Chain's convenience was in allowing Arceus to understand recent events.
From the moment his consciousness descended to this place, he had become aware of what was happening on Egghead from Shayna's perspective.
[If you want to do it, then go ahead. But with your current strength, catching up won't be easy. Let me give you a little help.]
The rainbow light screen shattered, and the reinvigorated plate transformed into a sphere of light, gradually approaching Shayna's back.
As the sphere made contact with her body, the immense energy transformed into two streams of light and fused into Shayna's body. Crimson wings began to grow, and her original bird-like feathers slowly merged with them, eventually becoming a pair of dazzling wings of light.
Their wingspan was several times what it had been before. With just two flaps, terrifying cyclones formed over Egghead, and fierce winds surged outward in all directions.
"In times of crisis, the sacred relic grants us power. The power of fire opened a path to the outside world."
This was a saying passed down for hundreds of years among the Lunarians. It referred to a time when, during a crisis, the Lunarian chief temporarily obtained the power of the Flame Plate and used it to defeat the enemies and open a path for his people.
At that time, Arceus was still just an egg. His method of lending power was crude, and even the Lunarians couldn't withstand the corrosion of this power for long.
But this time was different. After matching compatibility, Shayna was now able to temporarily wield this power.
[Go and do what you want. These new wings will guide your path. This is a portion of my power, the power of the sky. From now on, it is yours.]
"Understood."
****Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 75 chapters on my pa*reon.