One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

---------------

"Woohoo—"

"Hey... Chi Chi..."

From hundreds of meters in the air, above the rolling sea…

A massive, eye-catching dragon, crackling with electric energy, appeared. The enormous beast seemed to tower over everything, its presence truly shocking.

The giant dragon's body twisted and hovered in mid-air, surrounding the terrifying figure of Wilhelm, who looked fierce and dangerous, baring his teeth and claws. Despite his intimidation, a hint of fear could be seen in his eyes.

An overwhelming pressure radiated from the dragon, making the air thick and heavy, causing everyone nearby to tremble and sweat in fear.

The dragon's cold, emotionless eyes locked onto Akainu below, staring down at him as if he were prey.

Just the sight of it was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

"What!?" Akainu's face shifted, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

Clearly, he hadn't expected such an impressive and dangerous move. Realizing the threat, he quickly activated his Devil Fruit powers, stepping onto the air itself to retreat, putting distance between himself and the dragon.

The dragon had suddenly soared into the sky, performing a move from above. Akainu knew that the strike wasn't just meant to defeat him directly, but to use its overwhelming force to knock him—who was relying on his Moonwalk—to the sea below.

"haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The enormous dragon roared, its scarlet eyes flashing fiercely.

In that moment, Wilhelm swung his sword down, and the dragon followed his command, tearing through the air.

The sky seemed to tremble as the dragon's roar echoed across the battlefield.

With an intense burst of speed, the massive black dragon shot downward, its mouth open wide, glowing with electricity as it aimed straight for Akainu.

"It's all just a trick..." Akainu muttered, his face grim and his eyes focused.

Though his words suggested otherwise, he wasn't underestimating the attack. Behind the scenes, Akainu had been gathering his strength for just such a moment. He had already become a living volcano, magma flowing from his body as the temperature around him soared.

His muscles tensed, veins bulging, his face ferocious and filled with determination.

"Justice is invincible... Great Eruption!!!"

With a furious roar, he let loose his power without holding back.

An enormous magma fist formed in an instant, crackling with the intense heat of Armament Haki. The fist shot into the sky, radiating a terrifying force, as if a real volcanic eruption had just occurred. It collided with the descending dragon.

"Boom!!!"

The world seemed to stop.

"Boom..."

"Woohoo... woohoo..."

"Clatter... crash..."

The explosion was deafening.

In that instant, the sky was filled with an explosion of light, as the immense black dragon collided with the giant magma fist. The collision was so intense that it sent shockwaves across the battlefield.

The heat from the explosion was unbearable, and the pressure of the wind sent massive waves crashing across the sea. The surviving Marines clung to debris in the water, watching in awe and fear as the battle raged on.

Some couldn't even speak, their mouths agape in sheer terror, drenched in cold sweat as they stared at the scene of destruction before them.

"Zizi..."

A long time ago—

Steam rose from the surface of the sea, swirling in the air.

Suddenly, the water boiled violently, scorched by volcanic bombs raining down and splashes of molten magma.

Faint electrical currents crackled in the atmosphere, adding to the chaos.

Schools of fish and sea beasts, unable to escape, were stunned, burned, and floated lifelessly on the water in clusters.

"Crack, crack..."

Black and red magma coated his body, giving him a fearsome appearance. It was Akainu.

Standing mid-air, using the atmosphere as footholds, he panted heavily, his expression grim and frustrated.

"Damn brat… Did he really escape?" he muttered, his tone dark.

His Observation Haki failed to pick up Wilhelm's presence. It was clear that the Charlotte family upstart had used up most of his strength and retreated after realizing the odds weren't in his favor.

"Damn it!"

Akainu clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly. "You little brat from the Charlotte family! I'll personally finish you off one day!"

His anger was palpable, a mixture of humiliation and regret.

With his power, he should have completely crushed the opponent.

But fighting on the open sea, without solid ground to stand on, had limited his strength.

To make matters worse, Wilhelm's Devil Fruit ability was unpredictable and infuriating—like a sewer rat darting around, too fast to pin down and unwilling to engage head-on.

Even with the overwhelming power of an Admiral candidate, Akainu found himself at a disadvantage.

The brat's monstrous body, eerily similar to Big Mom's steel-like physique, was tough enough to withstand even sword strikes.

Despite his superior strength, Akainu was forced into a grueling battle that left both sides worse for wear.

The outcome was unacceptable to him.

"Clatter…"

"Sakazuki Vice Admiral!"

"Is it… over?"

"Grunt… That Charlotte monster…"

"Akainu Vice Admiral actually fought it to a draw…"

Amid the wreckage of warships and the lifeless bodies of Marines scattered across the waves, a handful of survivors clung to floating debris.

Seeing no further activity in the sky, they breathed sighs of relief, convinced the battle had ended.

Looking up at Akainu hovering above, they called out to him, voices filled with mixed emotions.

Relief at surviving.

Grief for their fallen comrades.

Terror from the life-and-death struggle.

And awe at witnessing a battle of such incredible scale, a clash of titans that left a lasting impression on their hearts.

"Ahem…"

Far away, in the distant sky—

A silver-white figure darted through the air, vanishing and reappearing with each movement, crossing miles in an instant.

Wilhelm, breathing heavily and still shaken, used his ability to flee while reflecting on the fight.

"As expected of a future Admiral," he muttered. "His power is terrifying…"

That last attack had been Wilhelm's strongest—an all-out strike with no reservations.

Yet even that wasn't enough to take down Akainu.

The battle was uneven from the start, and Wilhelm knew he couldn't afford to stay. His stamina was nearly depleted, and continuing would have guaranteed his defeat.

For him, this fight had already reached its conclusion.

"Om—"

The blade in his hand, Natural Teeth, radiated a soft, holy glow as it merged back into his body.

Bathed in divine light, Wilhelm's burns and injuries vanished in moments. Even the internal damage caused by Akainu's advanced Armament Haki attack was quickly healed.

Thanks to his Paramecia Healing-Healing Fruit, his wounds closed, though at the cost of draining almost all his energy.

His monster-like physique, however, remained his saving grace. With incredible durability and resilience, it kept him going despite his exhaustion.

Even though his recovery speed couldn't match the energy consumed by his Devil Fruit abilities, it was enough to keep him alive and moving toward his destination.

"Swipe, swipe…"

Not long after—

Using the extraordinary teleportation powers of his Paramecia Transfer-Transfer Fruit, Wilhelm disappeared into the distance.

Following the guidance of the Vivre Card that Smoothie had given him earlier, Wilhelm landed on the pirate ship where Smoothie and the others were waiting.

"Wilhelm…"

He no longer looked like the handsome and noble young man they knew. His appearance was ragged and disheveled, a stark contrast to his usual self.

Although his injuries had fully healed during his rushed return, his pale complexion revealed how much his stamina had been drained.

The sight shocked everyone onboard.

The triplets—Smoothie, Stronge, and Simon—who had eagerly awaited his return, were alarmed at the state he was in.

"Master Wilhelm!"

"Hiss! What happened?"

"Gulp… I've never seen Lord Wilhelm look this beaten up!"

"Is this the power of Akainu, the Admiral candidate?"

The pirates and Homies on the ship stared wide-eyed, some gasping in disbelief.

This was the same Wilhelm they had always known as the "untouchable nobleman," a figure who had inherited Big Mom's monstrous talents—a body like iron, impervious to swords and bullets, never even scratched.

But it made sense. Wilhelm had faced Akainu, the infamous Vice Admiral of the Marines, a man feared by pirates everywhere and considered an Admiral candidate.

After all, the "Iron-Blooded Vice Admiral" was a true monster.

Even so, Wilhelm was still young compared to such a seasoned powerhouse.

"Wilhelm, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Smoothie asked, her face full of worry.

She dashed to his side in a flash, moving as quickly as lightning. Her eyes turned red with concern.

Simon and Stronge followed immediately, surrounding Wilhelm, their faces filled with worry as they bombarded him with questions.

"Huff… Finally back…" Wilhelm muttered, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

He slumped down onto the deck without any care for his usual composure, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he waved a hand to reassure Smoothie and the others. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I got a little beat up, sure, but thanks to Natural Teeth, everything's healed. I'm back to normal."

He smirked faintly before adding, "Akainu, though… He won't be walking away without a few reminders of me. Those scars of his will stick for a long time."

"You're such a mess…"

"Thank goodness you're okay!"

Smoothie, Simon, and Stronge sighed in relief, though they still looked exasperated at their reckless younger brother.

They couldn't understand why Wilhelm would purposely challenge Akainu, an Admiral candidate.

They had been keeping tabs on Akainu's movements and could have easily avoided him, leaving him with nothing to chase but shadows.

But Wilhelm grinned at their silent disapproval. "How could I miss the chance to face such a powerful opponent? It's a rare opportunity!"

Despite his battered state, he didn't regret his decision one bit.

After catching his breath, Wilhelm looked at his sisters, who still stared at him with concern and mild frustration. He raised his hands helplessly.

Changing the subject, he said, "Can someone prepare some hot water? I need a bath."

His clothes were in tatters, and his body was sticky with sweat. On top of that, the smell of burnt fabric and scorched flesh clung to him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Right away…" Smoothie said, nodding.

Then, she turned her sharp gaze to one of the nearby pirates. "Did you hear that? Get the hot water ready! Now!"

"Yes, Lady Smoothie!" the pirate stammered, scrambling to obey.