Chapter 34: Brontes Joins the Battle
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Katerina was fiercely engaged in battle, her focus so intense that she failed to notice the Marine reinforcements swiftly approaching. High above the chaos, Brontes observed the scene unfolding below him. Using the Moonwalk technique, he hovered with an eagle's view over the city, now caught in the throes of a fiery nightmare.
The city was ablaze, a testament to the ferocity of the battle and the Marine's disregard for collateral damage.
Sakazuki, the man responsible for the inferno, was a force of nature, his only concern the eradication of pirates, even if it meant innocent lives were lost in the process. Brontes shook his head, a sense of helplessness in his voice as he muttered: "His reckless fighting style didn't change at all."
Below, the sound of combat echoed through the burning streets.
"Bang!"
Katerina's nine tails, each a weapon of its own, lashed out with the fury of a storm. One tail, in particular, whipped towards Sakazuki with such force that it seemed to crack the very air it traveled through.
"Don't even think about escaping from here!" Sakazuki roared.
Sakazuki's response was immediate; his magma fist, glowing with intense heat, met Katerina's tail. The collision sent shockwaves through the area, but Katerina's relentless assault didn't cease. She followed up with a swift slash aimed directly at Sakazuki's chest.
"Boom!"
The sound of their powers clashing was like thunder.
Sakazuki, quick on his feet, raised his left arm, now shrouded in the black sheen of Armament Haki, and deflected the sword slash. His strength was undeniable. Despite his recent graduation, Sakazuki's combat prowess surpassed that of an average Rear-Admiral.
"Metro Volcano!"
He shouted, charging at Katerina once more, their powers locking in a dangerous dance.
Katerina's Mythical Zoan-Type devil fruit granted her immense physical strength and a host of unique and formidable abilities. However, Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit, as one of the most powerful Logia-Type devil fruits, it had the potential to suppress even the Mythical Zoan types, a rare but not unheard-of occurrence as the story unfolded.
Brontes watched the battle with growing concern: "The aftermath of this move is too big; I must intervene, or these soldiers and civilians in the city won't be able to escape." The realization hit him like a wave; if he didn't act now, the people, along with Katerina's pirate crew, would be consumed by the flames.
With a decisive motion, Brontes called upon his power.
"Thor's Judgment!"
His hand raised to the heavens, and from his wrist, a bolt of lightning surged upwards, piercing the sky. The atmosphere turned heavy, charged with the promise of a storm.
The lightning transformed into plasma, a silent predator in the sky, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Sakazuki and Katerina, sensing the shift, paused their battle to look up. A blinding light filled the sky, and in that moment of distraction, it found its target.
"Ahh!!!"
Katerina's scream tore through the air as the lightning plasma engulfed her. The sound was fleeting, quickly smothered by the roar of thunder.
Even in her formidable nine-tailed fox form, she was no match for the relentless assault from above. Brontes had joined the battle, and the tide was about to turn.
"What... what power is this?" Katerina gasped, her voice a mix of awe and fear as electricity danced around her form.
The shock was immense, her body taking a massive hit, and her instincts screamed for her to react.
"That guy is here!" Sakazuki's eyes were scanning the skies.
Sakazuki, his face set in a grim line, didn't need to guess who had joined the fray. The signature lightning power was unmistakable. "Crackle!"
The plasma, alive with energy, began to move with purpose, snuffing out flames and tearing through the land, carving a clear path from the city square to the outskirts.
Struggling to her feet, still shrouded in the remnants of the electric attack, Katerina looked up. She could feel the weight of someone's gaze from above.
"Looking a bit ragged, Sakazuki." From the sky came Brontes's voice.
Sakazuki's response was a snort of disdain: "Hmph, I didn't expect you to come to support. Shouldn't you be buried in paperwork? You haven't fought in half a year; do you still have the strength?"
Brontes smirked, his confidence unshaken: "Who says sitting in an office makes you weak? I feel great, and my strength hasn't shrunk in the slightest. I can still take you on."
"Then let's try it out." Sakazuki replied, his tone suggesting that the challenge was accepted.
"First, let's deal with that fox. Hey, you're not thinking of running away, are you, Katerina Devon?" Brontes descended gracefully from the sky, landing above the flames, his gaze fixed on Katerina.
Katerina's expression soured at the sight of Brontes, especially after his lightning attack. The marine coat he wore was a clear symbol of his authority, and she knew that the man before her posed an even greater threat. Surrounded by two Logia fruit users, she realized the gravity of her situation.
Her reputation had drawn significant attention, and now her thoughts of escape seemed futile.
"All soldiers, evacuate this area; I've already made a path." Brontes commanded, his voice carrying over the chaos.
The soldiers, caught in the midst of combat, paused, their surprise evident: "Ah!?"
"What are you 'ahhing' about? Get out of here; we'll take over. It's been a while since we fought side by side." Brontes said, his laughter light, almost carefree amidst the destruction.
The soldiers turned to Sakazuki, awaiting confirmation from their superior officer. Sakazuki spared a glance at Brontes, then barked his order: "Get out, all of you. You're in the way."
"Yes, sir!" With Sakazuki's command, the soldiers, a mix of relief and excitement on their faces, grabbed their weapons and quickly made their way out of the city, following the path Brontes had carved with lightning.
The Red-Fox pirate crew, sensing the tide turning against them, seized the moment to make their escape. But their freedom was short-lived.
With a sharp "ZliZli!" slicing through the air, Brontes appeared in front of them, blocking their path with an air of inevitability.
"You didn't think you could just walk down this path, did you?" Brontes's voice was cool, his gaze as indifferent as the sky before a storm.
"Kill him!" The command was desperate, a last-ditch effort. The pirates surged forward, a chaotic blend of rage and fear, some charging headlong towards Brontes, others firing their guns in a futile attempt to bring him down.
"It's no use at all," Brontes stated plainly, the wounds on his body closing with a flicker of lightning, as if they were never there.
"Lightning Dragon!"
He called out, and with a resounding "Boom!" a dragon made purely of lightning erupted into existence, its roar as loud as the thunder that followed a lightning strike. It surged towards the pirates, an unstoppable force of nature.
The lightning dragon swept the pirates into the burning buildings, the immense power of the electricity coursing through their bodies. In a moment, they were all down, their eyes rolled back, stacked atop one another in a grim tableau of defeat.
"Now only the fox is left." Brontes said, his voice calm as he began to close the distance between himself and Katerina.
Katerina, wounded but defiant, stood up, one hand clutching her abdomen. She looked upon her fallen crew with a detached gaze, as if they were nothing more than discarded pawns in a game that had turned against her.
"I thought I could escape, but I didn't expect a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user to come. Now, no matter how fast I am, I can't outrun lightning." She said, the corner of her mouth twisting into a wry smile.
"You think I'm only good for speed, and Sakazuki represents strength?" Brontes replied, his own smile playing across his lips.
"Isn't the speed of lightning fast?" Katerina retorted, her voice tinged with resignation.
"That's true, but you're overlooking something. The attack power of lightning is also very strong." Brontes countered, raising his hand. Lightning gathered, coalescing into a long, crackling spear.
"Thor Spear!" He shouted, as the spear of lightning took shape.
"Inugami Guren!"
Sakazuki's arm transformed, the scorching magma taking the form of a wolf's head, its roar as fierce as the flames that surrounded them.
"You damn pirate, die!" Sakazuki's voice was a death knell, filled with the finality of judgment.
"Boom!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone