Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen: Nika Form

Shamboly Islands · Square

"Kaido is fake?"

"It's the guy who was with Jinbe before, the one with the same ability as Admiral Kizaru, but his ability isn't light, is it?"

"It's a complete mess—I can't tell what's going on anymore."

"Even if it's fake, that blow just now was truly shocking."

In Shachi's bar

"I always said that brat Kaido would never become a teacher, hahaha!" Lei Li choked on his drink and laughed: "But today's youth are incredible, in every sense."

"Hmm, has Luffy changed in some way?" Shachi said.

"Huh?"

The center of the World Government

In the meeting room where the Five Elders reside.

"What nonsense!"

"That fruit has awakened."

"Cut the broadcast immediately!"

"Too late. Notify Sengoku—eliminate the Straw Hat boy at all costs."

"Send CP0. Karp will get in the way."

"We must eliminate the Straw Hat boy at all costs!"

On the Marineford battlefield.

"Is this thing really as useful as that guy claimed?" Buggy eyed the map in his hand suspiciously: "If he's lying to me, I'll make him pay."

Shortly after Buggy appeared on the live broadcast, Su Lin made a deal with Buggy, trading him a map that could automatically detect gold.

The deal required Buggy to redirect the live feed entirely toward the Straw Hat boy Luffy's vicinity, and whenever Luffy appeared, to switch the camera to him immediately.

After giving the surveillance insects to his subordinates to handle, Buggy had been studying the map nonstop.

"Even someone like that made a deal with Lord Buggy..."

"No wonder he's Lord Buggy!"

"Huh?" Buggy heard people talking about him, turned around, and found his subordinates staring at him with deep respect.

He naturally didn't know that Su Lin's recent commotion had not only elevated Su Lin's status but also changed how these underlings viewed him.

What's happening?

"What's going on with the Straw Hat boy?!"

Buggy stared in shock at the scene.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

People finally realized the drumming wasn't coming from beyond the sky.

It was coming from the one everyone was watching—the Straw Hat boy, Monkey D. Luffy.

All eyes converged again.

Some didn't even notice their weapons had fallen to the ground.

That sight

The Straw Hat boy was melting.

Thud-thud-thud!

As the Straw Hat boy melted, the drumming grew rapid, like war drums crashing, opening the epic prelude on this fierce battlefield!

The drumming suddenly stopped.

Scorching steam swirled around the Straw Hat boy; Ace and the Admirals closest to him felt the temperature rising steadily.

Slowly, some marines began to endure the heat no longer and retreated backward.

"Too hot! Too hot! Too hot! Too hot!"

"Ice Age!"

Kizaru launched the first attack.

Ace melted it with fire.

"Luffy, what's wrong?!" Ace cried anxiously.

"Ahhahaha, Ace, don't worry!" Luffy laughed loudly, clutching his head.

That cheerful voice clashed utterly with the battlefield.

As Akainu tried to return to support his comrades,

Whitebeard unleashed combat power never before shown, appearing instantly beside Akainu and shattering him into pieces, leaving only a pool of magma.

The shattered Akainu reappeared nearby.

"Damn Whitebeard," Akainu spat a trickle of blood from his mouth.

"Has the fruit awakened?!" Whitebeard ignored Akainu, his gaze fixed entirely on Luffy.

On the Red Hair Pirates' ship, Red Hair, who had been following Kaido toward Marineford, spat out his drink upon seeing this—he dropped the meat in his hand.

"Boss... Luffy... he... he..."

"Awakened!" Red Hair grabbed the screen in delight with his right hand: "Hurry! We must reach Marineford faster!"

"Ahhahaha!"

"Ice Age!"

Qingzhi's frost spread beneath his feet, freezing Luffy's body.

Hyouzou teleported beside Luffy, his foot glowing as he kicked—this was the most serious kick Hyouzou had delivered since joining the battle.

It was blocked by the arm.

Akainu Sakazuki began pulling away from Whitebeard, while hurling a fist condensed from magma at Ace.

Luffy's fist swelled with the wind, grabbing Ace.

"Rubber—Jump!"

Luffy's leg stretched out with a cartoonish length, then he leapt upward—just as Hyouzou arrived above him.

"Don't think you can escape, Straw Hat."

Beams, flames, and ice attacked from above, below, and the sides at different angles.

"Rubber—Giant!"

The Straw Hat boy transformed into a giant larger than the Giants themselves, before the stunned gazes of all.

"Rubber—Shield!"

The attacks struck the Straw Hat like raindrops.

"Hey, this isn't a joke," Qingzhi said with Solemn Demeanor.

Seeing his attacks ineffective, Hyouzou turned into a beam of light and returned near Warlord: "Mr. Warlord, this is troublesome indeed~."

In midair, Luffy saw Akainu's grim expression as he prepared to unleash his ultimate technique.

"Akainu!"

A punch turned into the state of black iron, striking toward Akainu.

"Sakazuki, get out of the way!" Warlord leapt up, his body growing even larger as he swung at Luffy: "Stop this, Straw Hat!"

"Ice Block—Horned Sihou!" Frost surged violently from Qingzhi's right arm, its extreme cold forming a colossal ice bird that slammed into Luffy's chest.

The giant Luffy stomped downward with both feet, shattering the flying ice bird—and the ground around it—to pieces.

But Qingzhi had already frozen Luffy's feet.

Even as Luffy's body continuously emitted heat, the frigid ice kept spreading over the giant's feet, blanketing the battlefield in a mist of steam.

Boom—

Everyone felt as if an earthquake had struck; those nearby were even flung up one or two meters.

The ground erupted into a volcano, its lava flood swirling into a tornado that surged toward Luffy's fist.

For a moment, magma spread across the sky like a flat plane.

Navy and pirate soldiers scrambled to dodge, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Then Jin Guang flashed, and for an instant, two suns appeared in the sky.

The Jin Guang on his feet broke free.

A torrent of light followed.

In an instant, it pierced through Luffy's shoulder.

Warlord's golden fist, charged with Haki and unmatched power, struck Luffy's back.

The scarred giant Luffy collapsed, just as Oars had before.

But before falling, his other hand, still gripping Ace, reached Whitebeard and hurled Ace down.

Luffy's goal had been to use his giant size to push Ace out of the battlefield's center.

"Luffy!" Ace screamed.

"Disappear, Straw Hat!" Akainu had judged Luffy's current threat and potential to exceed that of Fire Fist Ace.

The Straw Hat must be executed here!