Chapter 41: Chapter 41 : The Last Blow?
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"Hateful!"
Akainu's attack missed.
Frustrated, he gritted his teeth in anger.
"Keng!!" He spun around sharply, just in time to block the ruthless strike of Wilhelm's sword, which had come from an unexpected blind spot.
But before Akainu's scalding magma fist could land—before it even got close enough to touch Wilhelm's clothes—the man had vanished once again.
Gone.
In every clash, to Akainu, Wilhelm seemed like a rat in a burrow—constantly moving, always avoiding, always disappearing, only to reappear out of nowhere and strike from a new angle. It was impossible to predict where the next attack would come from.
If it were a simple, head-on confrontation, Akainu could have easily overpowered Wilhelm's violent attacks. But instead, the battle was constantly shifting, with Wilhelm's unpredictable movements making it hard to land a solid hit.
This frustrating, elusive style of fighting had Akainu—someone who was confident in his strength—feeling helpless and irritated. Even though he considered himself strong enough to face the likes of BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin, this fight was draining him mentally and emotionally.
"Clang!!" "Clang!!"...
The sun was setting, and the battle dragged on.
As the fight continued, Wilhelm's intense use of his Shima Shima no Mi ability took a toll on his body.
Despite his monstrous physique, which helped him withstand the extreme heat of Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit (Magu Magu no Mi) abilities, he couldn't ignore the long-term strain.
The heat was starting to dehydrate him, and his attacks grew slower and less frequent.
Several times, Akainu almost took advantage of the openings in Wilhelm's defense, pushing him to the brink of a counterattack.
Although it seemed like Akainu was on the defensive, blocking and dodging Wilhelm's relentless barrage of strikes, he wasn't panicking.
Instead, he was adapting. Little by little, he had adjusted to Wilhelm's strange fighting rhythm, and as Wilhelm's strength began to wane, Akainu saw his chance to strike back.
In his Moon Lion form, Wilhelm's once-pristine snow-white fur was now scorched black from the intense heat, curling up in singed clumps. His skin was red and raw, like it had been burned by molten lava. The toll the battle had taken on him was clear.
Despite his monstrous resilience, Wilhelm had taken several devastating blows from Akainu. His body was covered in burns, his internal organs were in turmoil, and he had coughed up blood multiple times.
But Akainu wasn't in perfect condition either.
His chest, stomach, shoulders, and back were covered in blackened, bloody wounds. The electrical currents from Wilhelm's attacks had also taken their toll, constantly shocking and damaging his body.
Though Akainu's physique was strong, the constant shocks slowed his reactions, leaving him vulnerable at times.
Both fighters were in rough shape now. The battle had escalated into a deadly struggle, with each side determined to fight until the other was defeated.
Injuries were traded for injuries, lives for lives.
Neither side was willing to back down.
"Keng!!"
Mars Splash Room.
The sharp, teeth-rattling sound of metal clashing echoed.
Wilhelm's Shichiseiken and Natural Fang, both wrapped in jet-black Haki (Armament Haki), collided with Akainu's attack, creating brilliant arcs of light.
Though he blocked the magma fist, Wilhelm's entire body was still shaken by the sheer force of Akainu's blow. His arms went numb from the impact.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Wilhelm flew backward.
There was no chance for Akainu, who was rushing forward to press the advantage, to close the gap again.
Activating his Shima Shima no Mi ability, Wilhelm flickered away, creating a massive distance between them in the blink of an eye—now tens of meters apart.
"Huh…" Wilhelm, still in his Moon Lion form, looked like a terrifying beast. His scarlet eyes burned with intensity, filled with fury. His golden pupils were sharp, glaring at Akainu as if he were a dangerous animal.
His body was in a sorry state—completely battered. The thick snow-white fur that had grown during his transformation was scorched in large patches, burnt away by the searing magma.
His skin had turned red from the heat, with bruises and burns covering it, leaving him looking like a savage warrior on the brink of exhaustion.
He was sweating heavily, his chest heaving with each breath. It was clear that the battle had taken a toll on him.
"You don't look like you can keep going, kid from the Charlotte family..." Akainu said with a cruel sneer. He hovered in the air, looking down at Wilhelm, who was gasping for breath.
Covered in blood, Akainu's expression was dark, filled with murderous intent. "In my eyes, even though we're on opposite sides, I can still recognize the worth of a man like Roger, the Pirate King. He's a real character, a figure with history, even if he's infamous."
He let out a scoff, continuing, "But your mother, Charlotte Linlin, she's all talk—always scheming for the throne, yet too scared to face Whitebeard. She doesn't have the guts to take him on. She's just a failure."
With that, Akainu stomped forward, magma swirling around his body. He charged again, unwilling to let up, sensing that Wilhelm might be starting to falter, perhaps even considering retreat.
Akainu was getting impatient, so he decided to use words to provoke him. While the tactic was a bit old-fashioned, it could sometimes rattle young pirates, especially those who were arrogant and headstrong like Wilhelm.
Wilhelm's teleportation ability was incredibly fast, even faster than Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi (Light-Light Fruit) at times. If Wilhelm wanted to leave, Akainu couldn't stop him. But he also knew that this unpredictable power made him hard to catch.
At that moment, Wilhelm's figure flashed once again with a swish.
Without hesitation, he activated his ability once more, teleporting another ten meters away from Akainu, who had been rushing toward him.
"Would the future Admiral of the mighty Marine Headquarters really still rely on these boring mind games?" Wilhelm sneered, trying to catch his breath and regain his composure.
Though Wilhelm was enjoying the fight, he was also fully aware of his own limits. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever.
He had no intention of using his Natural Tooth (Paramecia-type Healing Fruit) to heal himself for now. Instead, he was preparing to focus all his remaining strength into one final, decisive strike.
He was determined—if this last attack didn't send Akainu flying into the sea, he would retreat immediately. There was no need to push this battle to the absolute limit.
"Hey... Chi Chi..." The arcs of energy crackled, jumping and flashing wildly, creating dazzling light all around.
The cells in Wilhelm's body seemed to be alive, practically leaping with excitement, as if they were urging him to reach his ultimate limit.
The already intense aura surrounding him flared up even more, and the atmosphere around him felt like it was freezing. His entire body was humming with energy, brimming with power that seemed ready to explode.
His twin blades, the Shichiseiken and Natural Fang, both wrapped in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), were held behind him, poised for the strike.
His arm muscles bulged as he steadily accumulated strength, preparing for an attack of overwhelming force. His whole body seemed to pulse with rhythm as he gathered power.
The Shichiseiken let out a soft hum as its dark green blade shimmered with bursts of ominous green light.
An otherworldly energy, almost magical in nature, flowed around the blade. It wasn't just confined to the sword—the same aura wrapped around his Natural Fang as well, intensifying the tension in the air.
"Isn't it?" Wilhelm muttered under his breath, his voice cold as ice.
On the other side, Akainu sneered while using Geppou (Moonwalk) to stay in the air, watching his opponent carefully.
He knew Wilhelm was preparing a stronger attack, trying to accumulate enough power to launch something devastating. Akainu's eyes sharpened as he tensed his muscles and began building his own strength. But despite his vigilance, he continued to press forward.
"The Roger Pirates circled the entire Grand Line, and Gol D. Roger became known as the 'One Piece'..." Akainu taunted.
"But what about the BIG-MOM Pirates? Your mother, Charlotte Linlin, is nothing but a coward. She hides in Totto Land, playing her little pirate games. Every few days, she finds some strange men and pops out another litter of you lot. How pathetic."
Akainu's sneer widened as he pushed forward again, closing the gap between them.
A powerful wave of heat blasted from his body, and the temperature around them soared. The air shimmered with intense heat as a massive amount of magma erupted from his body, coloring the sky a deep red.
"Your petty attempts to provoke me won't work," Wilhelm said coolly, unfazed by Akainu's words. "You're wasting your time."
In the blink of an eye, Wilhelm flew above Akainu, leaving no time for the admiral to react.
Without hesitation, Wilhelm attacked.
"Double-Sword Style: Canglongpo!" he shouted as he swung both swords in a deadly arc.
The atmosphere around them seemed to freeze for a moment, and a high-pitched sigh rang out as both blades cleaved through the air, shimmering with a terrifying force.
"Swoosh... WHOOSH..."
The air crackled with electric energy, and the sheer pressure of the swords caused the atmosphere to warp. Violent wind gusts rushed outward, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at the clash.
"ROAR!"
From the collision came a roar, followed by the appearance of an enormous, majestic beast formed from electric light and surrounded by an overwhelming aura of power. The beast's form was massive, lifelike, and ferocious, with bared teeth and claws that seemed to tear at the very fabric of the sky.
It was a vision of terrifying power.
With the combined might of the Shichiseiken and Nidai Kitetsu, along with Wilhelm's perfected dual-sword style, he unleashed the full force of the Long Ring Long Land Breaking Mystery.
This attack was unlike anything seen on Asuka Island before—it was much bigger, much more powerful. The sheer size and strength behind this strike far surpassed anything Akainu had faced from Wilhelm in their previous encounters.