章 98: Chapter 98: Magma World

Chapter 98: Magma World

Sword energy shaped like a crescent moon, more than ten meters long, tore through the air. As it swept forward, mountains and rocks split in its wake, leaving deep sword marks across the ground.

Koby's sword energy was already incredibly powerful—his strength was nearing that of a Marine Admiral.

Simultaneously, Koby held his sword in his right hand, a white light forming at its tip. Seeing this, Sakazuki's pupils shrank in alarm, and he shouted, "Flying Squirrel, get out of here—!"

But the Flying Squirrel hesitated, and in that moment, Koby's sword was already thrust forward.

The sword's tip pierced the air, and the surrounding space fractured, spreading like a spider web toward the Flying Squirrel. Seeing the space crack and tremble as it moved forward, the rocks on the ground disintegrated into dust.

"How is this possible?" The Flying Squirrel's face turned pale with shock. His Haki was formidable, and his blade was renowned, yet it was shattered by Koby's attack.

The Flying Squirrel had no idea that Koby had eaten the Shock Fruit and mastered a divine power technique that fueled his powerful qi. Furthermore, Koby had trained using Whitebeard's physique cultivation method.

With this recent training, Koby had unlocked significant power from the Shock Fruit, allowing him to use the small collapse technique, enhancing his combat strength to incredible levels. Combined with his true qi, the small collapse technique had reached a whole new realm.

In the distance, Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru looked on in astonishment.

"How has he grown so strong so quickly?" Tsuru muttered.

Akainu's face darkened. The strength of this brat had grown beyond expectation—it seemed clear that Koby must have consumed the Shock Fruit, or he would never have reached such a level of power.

"I can't let him kill the Flying Squirrel," Akainu decided, immediately using his Lava-Lava Fruit to transform the ground beneath the Flying Squirrel's feet into magma. A huge defensive barrier of magma enveloped the Flying Squirrel.

As the powerful space cracks spread toward the magma shield, the barrier only trembled slightly, holding firm. Once the energy dissipated and the space returned to normal, Akainu retracted his magma powers.

The Flying Squirrel looked down at his broken sword, leaving only the handle intact. His face twitched with fear as he quickly retreated to Akainu's side, determined to avoid Koby at all costs in the future.

"Chiba, your subordinate openly attacked a Marine Vice Admiral! Are you rebelling?" Sakazuki roared.

Chiba chuckled. "Akainu, you're blowing things out of proportion. I simply had Koby teach this little mouse a lesson."

"Is that your idea of a lesson? If I hadn't intervened, the Flying Squirrel would be dead by now!"

"Calm down, Akainu. The Flying Squirrel is perfectly fine, isn't he? There's no need to overreact."

"Marshal, this was attempted murder! We need to arrest Koby now." Sakazuki cast a sharp look at Koby, intent on turning him over to the Five Elders. If he could pull this off, perhaps he'd even be rewarded with a promotion to Commander-in-Chief of the entire Marine force.

"Sakazuki, you aren't the Marine Marshal yet," Sengoku interjected, stepping in front of him. "Wait until you become Marshal before issuing orders."

Vice Admiral Tsuru added, "He's right, Sakazuki. This matter can wait until you're officially Marshal."

Frustrated, Sakazuki looked around. Sengoku, Chiba, and Tsuru all seemed to be united against him. Desperate, he turned to Kizaru. "Kizaru, what about you?"

"Hm? What happened just now?" Kizaru stretched and yawned, a lazy smile on his face. "I must've dozed off. Been busy searching for the Shock Fruit lately. So exhausting."

Sakazuki's face turned red with anger, but he knew there was little he could do. Starting a confrontation with Kizaru could only push him toward Garp's faction.

"Fine. We'll discuss this again after I become Marshal," he said bitterly.

Chiba smirked. "You think you're a shoo-in for Marine Marshal?"

"If not me, then who?" Sakazuki sneered. "Your father's the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and both your brothers are pirates. If you were made Marshal, wouldn't that turn the Marines into a haven for pirates?"

Chiba sneered back. "Akainu, you can eat whatever nonsense you want, but think twice before you speak it out loud. Be careful, or I'll sue you for slander."

"Heh, it's not nonsense. Everyone knows you visited Impel Down before Ace's transfer. Back then, Ace's strength was only at the quasi-Admiral level. But after you visited, he suddenly broke through to Admiral-level strength. You're clearly responsible for his growth."

"And right before the execution, I poisoned him, but he remained unharmed. I saw you touch him on the platform. You must've cured him."

"Slander! Absolute slander!" Chiba shouted, though he thought to himself, This Akainu really does have sharp instincts.

Sengoku knew that Akainu's accusations were likely true, but he sympathized with Chiba—Ace was his brother, after all. Sengoku's priority was to deal with the pirates who genuinely threatened peace, not to target Ace or Luffy specifically. In today's turbulent seas, only Chiba could help restore order and reinstate Marine prestige.

"Sakazuki, do you have any proof of these claims?" Sengoku asked sternly.

"No, but I'm certain I'm right," Sakazuki asserted.

"Evidence is necessary for any accusations within the Marines, Sakazuki. Without proof, your words hold no weight," Sengoku admonished, secretly thinking, If you become Marshal, this Chiba will be your first target.

Sakazuki's expression turned grim. All he needed now was power—only with power could he enact the justice he sought, no matter the cost.

"There's no need for more talk," he declared. "The higher-ups have decreed that the strongest will become Marshal. Chiba, let's settle this with our strength. We'll see who embodies true justice." His eyes blazed with a murderous intent.

"For fairness, you and I will depart in separate boats, with no one else following. We'll fight on an island we both agree on."

"Fine," Chiba replied calmly. "This way, there's no risk of either of us cheating."

"Then let's set out immediately."

With that, Chiba strode toward the port. Hina approached him, worry etched on her face. "I can't shake this uneasy feeling. I'm afraid Akainu might have something up his sleeve."

"Don't worry, Hina. I'll be fine. Just wait here for me."

Chiba gathered Peacock and Hancock and said, "While I'm gone, stick together and stay with my grandfather or Sengoku. No matter what happens, wait for me to return."

Peacock's heart warmed at Chiba's concern. She hugged him tightly, whispering, "Be careful."

Hina pulled her aside and embraced Chiba as well. "Stay safe," she said.

Peacock glared at Hina but held her tongue. Hancock, blushing, also walked over to embrace him. "Take care," she murmured.

After bidding farewell to the three women, Chiba joined Sakazuki at the port, and the two departed on small boats, letting them drift with the wind.

They didn't row or steer, allowing fate to guide their destination. Over half a month passed on the open sea before Chiba, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. Powerful qi surged from him, and he struck out toward Akainu, who also sat cross-legged.

Akainu grinned. "I knew you couldn't stay patient for long." He countered with a punch, magma erupting forth to clash with Chiba's energy.

Explosions resounded as their boat splintered, and both men leapt ten meters into the air. Akainu used Moonwalk to hover, while Chiba activated his Electro-Dragon Flash, suspending himself mid-air. The two glared at each other across a vast distance.

Akainu sneered. "Couldn't wait to strike? It's only been a dozen days."

Chiba smiled back. "Red Dog, this clear sky and golden sea make for the perfect place to bury your bones. I'm giving you an honorable resting place."

"I think this will be your grave." Akainu roared, his right fist morphing into a magma dog that lunged at Chiba.

Chiba dodged, diving into the water, forcing the magma dog to follow him into the sea, where its heat rapidly dissipated.

Seeing Akainu hovering above, Chiba smirked. I'll tire him out. Maintaining Moonwalk is draining, and with seawater everywhere, he won't last long.

"Damn brat," Akainu growled. He activated his Lava-Lava Fruit, causing magma to erupt from deep below, rolling upward until it broke through the ocean's surface, creating a towering magma volcano.

Akainu descended, laughing in Chiba's direction. "Hiding won't save you."

Chiba frowned. So drowning him isn't an option.

He summoned four colossal water dragons with his Black Water Technique,The water dragons, each over 300 meters long, coiled around Chiba, surging forward with immense force, creating waves tens of meters high as they charged toward Akainu. Chiba's intent was clear: he aimed to engulf Akainu in the powerful ocean waves, hoping to exploit his weakness against seawater.

"Hmph, childish tricks," Akainu scoffed, molding magma into a massive shield around himself. As the sea water surged, it crashed against the molten barrier, but the intense heat kept it from penetrating. Akainu stood untouched within his shield, unbothered by the torrents of water swirling around him.

Chiba observed from a distance, a glint of determination in his eyes. So, he's more resilient than I expected, he thought, before lifting his right hand. Concentrating his qi, he gathered a massive sphere of energy, its radius quickly condensing from a hundred meters across down to the size of a rice grain, a feat requiring immense control.

With a swift motion, Chiba launched the condensed energy straight at Akainu's magma shield. Realizing the imminent threat, Akainu's instincts kicked in, and he opened a gap in the shield, narrowly escaping the impact. Behind him, the explosion shattered the shield, reducing the surrounding magma to powder.

Akainu shot a quick glance at the destruction left in the attack's wake, feeling a surge of caution. Yet he masked it with bravado, sneering, "I didn't even need to go into elemental form to dodge such a simple attack."

In response, Akainu pointed his right hand at Chiba. "Let's see how you handle Great Eruption!" His fist spewed out a hail of magma stones, each one blazing hot as it arced toward Chiba.

But with his keen Observation Haki, Chiba easily evaded the attack, weaving gracefully through the hail of magma. Smirking, he taunted, "Wasting your energy on attacks that won't hit? Pathetic."

Just then, Chiba felt his footing shift. Glancing down, he saw magma pooling around his feet. He realized, with a grim sense of irony, that the entire area around him had turned into a sea of molten rock.

Akainu laughed triumphantly. "Did you really think I was targeting you? My goal was to turn the entire seabed into lava!"

With a fierce gleam in his eyes, he called out, "Welcome to my Magma World!"