"But Creed, you won't be smiling for long!"
Akainu glared at Creed, murderous intent surging in his eyes.
Creed's figure flashed into the air, directly facing Akainu, while Ain and the others at his side couldn't help feeling uneasy.
After all, the Marines hadn't even sent out their Fleet Admiral–class combat power yet, and his own main commander was already taking the field. Letting their captain personally step out under these circumstances seemed… a bit reckless.
"Captain, why don't you let me handle him instead?"
Riding atop the thundercloud Zeus, Big Mom drew her sword Napoleon and flew to Creed's side, asking in a deep voice.
At the same time, she was inwardly shocked by how Akainu's aura was changing the surrounding environment. If she wasn't mistaken, Akainu's Devil Fruit ability had already undergone a deep awakening, reaching a terrifying level.
Any Logia-type Devil Fruit was a fearsome force in battle, especially with their unique elementalization that made them so troublesome to deal with.
So even now, she wouldn't dare say she had a one hundred percent chance of victory against Akainu.
Akainu was already standing on the same tier as her.
"No need. I'll finish him off very soon. You just keep an eye on Kong's movements."
Creed waved his hand, rejecting her offer without hesitation.
"V-very soon?!"
Big Mom was almost choked by his words. To say he could quickly deal with someone on the same level as herself…
For someone who had always prided herself on her strength, that was yet another little blow to the ego.
It was obvious that compared to when he'd first defeated her, Creed's strength had grown significantly. Only then could he possess such confidence.
"Understood, my captain."
Big Mom immediately turned and left.
The Marines' top combat power still held an absolute advantage here. If she hesitated even a minute, it could have a huge impact on the overall situation of the battle.
"Heh, I thought you were going to gang up on me two against one."
Akainu sneered as he stabilized his body in the air, a little over a hundred meters in front of Creed.
He didn't have the power of true flight, but at his level, he could refine Geppo (Moonwalk) to the extreme. Staying suspended in midair for a while was nothing difficult.
Up in the sky, he was like a mobile volcano, radiating rolling, blistering heat. The light in the air for dozens of miles around was distorted, and the surrounding temperature soared by tens of degrees in an instant.
Creed smiled.
"A mere defeated subordinate—why would I need anyone else's help? Sakazuki, let me see just how far your strength has grown."
Inwardly, however, Creed immediately scanned the other's status panel.
[Stats]: Strength: SSSS, Agility: SSS+, Endurance (Defense): SSSS-, Spiritual Power: SSS+
[Abilities]:
SSSS- Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)
SSSS- Fist Arts
SSSS- Shi no Ken'i (Death Fist Intent)
SSS+ Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)
SSS+ Physical Technique
SSS+ Rokushiki (Six Styles)
SS+ Swordsmanship
[Devil Fruit]: SSSS Magu Magu no Mi (Magma-Magma Fruit) (Fully Awakened)
[Overall Strength]: SSSS
"Overall strength SSSS? So he's already on the same tier as Big Mom and Shiki. And his Magu Magu no Mi (Magma-Magma Fruit) has fully awakened?! As expected of the strongest among the three Admirals."
The scan result made Creed slightly surprised.
Since the last time he'd defeated Sakazuki, only two or three years had passed, yet the man had broken through again and reached his peak state.
This was far earlier than in the original history.
"Did I stimulate his growth that much?"
Creed couldn't help thinking that, and his thoughts naturally drifted to the other two Admirals.
"Then what about Kizaru and Aokiji? Have they also reached their peak states?"
Rather than worry, Creed actually felt a bit of anticipation.
After all, he'd already beaten Kizaru and suppressed Aokiji.
Those frozen Gods of Water still stood tall in Water 7, becoming its most famous landmark to the outside world. For Aokiji, the man of ice himself, that was probably… a bit of an embarrassment to live down.
Looked at that way, it did make sense to say he'd pushed the three Admirals of the Marines to grow further.
Thinking of this, Creed found it a little funny, but he didn't forget why he was here.
"System, extract Sakazuki's Death Fist Intent for me."
He hadn't expected that after raising his fist arts to SSSS-, Akainu had actually comprehended a Fist Intent on top of that. For Creed, this was a pleasant little surprise.
Ever since his abilities could be fused, what he lacked the most now were SSSS-level abilities. Plus or minus didn't matter—he wanted as many as possible.
Creed was well aware that if he didn't have several SSSS+-level powers in hand in the future, it would be hard to storm Mary Geoise, defeat the Five Elders and Imu.
"Defeated subordinate? Heh…"
Akainu's eyes blazed with fury as he let out a cold laugh.
The fact that he'd lost to Creed had already become a thorn lodged in his heart over these past few years, constantly stabbing at him. It had driven him to risk death by stepping into the legendary Death Volcano, undergoing life-and-death training within its flames.
And today, seeing Creed again, the other man even dared to mock him to his face. That made his bottled-up rage explode in an instant.
"Creed! Today, you die!"
Boom!
With his roar, the entire sky seemed to tremble.
Unmatched, rolling heat swept out for more than thirty miles, even dyeing the heavens and the sea below the crimson of magma.
Not only that—there was also a strange pulse rising from deep beneath the waves, making the entire sea surface heave into tsunami-like surges.
"Rumble!"
"Gurgle, gurgle!"
It was as if some unimaginably colossal primordial beast at the bottom of the sea had awakened from its slumber and was about to burst out of the depths.
"The full awakening of a Logia… so it really has this kind of power?"
Creed's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) was incredibly strong. In an instant, he sensed what was happening far below, and was genuinely shocked.
The submarine volcanoes were erupting.
And it wasn't just one.
Akainu had actually triggered all of the submarine volcanoes within a radius of over thirty miles.
Even through a seabed two to three kilometers thick, the violent tremors still spread. Under Creed's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), he could clearly perceive massive fissures tearing open across the ocean floor, with torrents of blazing red magma surging upward.
Akainu actually intended to turn this entire stretch of ocean into a sea of magma—to make it his home field.
Boiling rivers and seas.
"Interesting."
Creed was astonished, but a smile still tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The current Akainu was indeed qualified to fight him.
Of course, if it weren't to settle his personal grudge with the man, Creed honestly couldn't be bothered to make a move.
After all, the bigwigs of CP0 and those troublesome monsters from Blood Shadow hadn't shown themselves yet. As the overall commander, it did seem a bit improper to take action so early and reveal too many trump cards.
But what most people would be wary of, Creed didn't care about in the slightest.
Trump cards? He had plenty.
So many that even someone like Sengoku would be left sighing at how monstrous he was.
Besides, Creed did not believe there was anyone present today who could force him to play all his cards.
"Hopefully those guys can at least make things exciting," Creed thought to himself.
The stronger the enemy, the happier he was—because it meant more abilities he could extract.
In the best case, that CP0 crowd and those killers from Blood Shadow would be carrying purple or even golden treasure chests.
And Creed was certain of one thing: those Blood Shadow slaughterers, with their mountains of corpses behind them, definitely had at least purple treasure chests on them.
(End of Chapter)
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