章 28: Chapter 28: "The Dragon Unleashed"

The air around Mary Geoise crackled with tension. Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold stood in tense silence, their eyes locked on the figure standing across from William—Admiral Akainu, the embodiment of the World Government's relentless, destructive "justice."

William's smile grew wider as he sized up the man who had taken so much from him, his blood boiling with hatred and a twisted sense of anticipation. Memories of Ohara—the flames, the screams, the death—flooded his mind. And in the center of it all stood Akainu, the man who had ensured there would be no survivors, who had ordered the destruction of refugee ships, the killer of innocent women and children. It was time for payback.

"If it isn't Akainu," William sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "The dog of the Celestial Dragons. The killer of innocents. I saw what you did at Ohara. I watched as you burned those ships—women, children, people just trying to escape. And you called it 'justice.'"

Akainu's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched as magma began to bubble from his hands, heating the air around him. "Don't speak of justice when you are nothing but a criminal," he growled, his deep voice filled with disgust. "The World Government has no place for weaklings and traitors."

William's smirk only grew. "Weaklings? Is that what you call them? Innocent people who just wanted to live? You slaughtered them like animals, and now you're here defending those Celestial pigs. I wonder if you even have a soul left."

Akainu's temper flared, his face twisting in anger. "I don't need lectures from a filthy pirate like you. Your kind has no place in this world, just like Ohara. They deserved to be erased."

William smirked, his glowing reptilian eyes locking onto Akainu with an intensity that seemed to unsettle the usually stoic admiral. "Well, I'm not a pirate," William said with a grin that was as menacing as it was mocking. "But it matters not. Let's see if you can erase me."

The tension between them exploded, their presence alone causing the ground beneath them to crack. Without hesitation, William charged at Akainu, his fists glowing with the raw power of his Haki. He moved with incredible speed, launching a flurry of punches at the Marine admiral. To the sisters' amazement, William was managing to land blows, sending Akainu flying backward with each impact, despite the magma user's hardened Logia defense.

The sisters watched, their hearts pounding in both fear and awe. Though William wasn't as strong as Akainu, his relentless assault was proving that he was not far off. Every punch was backed by years of hatred and vengeance, and even Akainu, the man infamous for his iron will and volcanic rage, felt the force behind each hit.

"His strength…," Hancock whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from the fight. She had never seen William like this—so consumed by rage, yet so controlled in battle.

Akainu, however, was no slouch. After being knocked back multiple times, he finally planted his feet into the ground, his face contorted in rage. "You dare strike a marine admiral, you brat!" His voice was a low growl, and his arms turned into molten magma as he lunged toward William.

"Great Eruption!"

A massive fist of magma flew toward William, the heat intense enough to scorch the ground below and turn it into molten rock. William braced himself, feeling the heat wash over him but not deterred. His dragon form, even in its partial state, gave him resistance to such extreme heat. Still, the power of the magma fist was undeniable. William took the hit head-on, his body vanishing beneath a wave of magma as it consumed him.

The sisters gasped, eyes wide with terror as the magma began to solidify over William's last known position. For a moment, it looked like Akainu had won. A twisted grin formed on Akainu's face as he turned toward the sisters, his eyes gleaming with cruel intent.

"You're next," he said coldly, raising his arm toward them. "I'll deal with you like I did with him."

Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold stood their ground, though their faces betrayed their fear. They knew William was strong, but could he survive being buried alive in magma?

Just as Akainu's arm stretched out, preparing to unleash another attack, a low rumble echoed from the magma pit where William had fallen. Akainu's expression faltered. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the molten ground.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and an intense, terrifying aura radiated from beneath the hardened magma. Akainu stepped back instinctively, his senses screaming danger.

The air around them thickened, and the sisters could feel the change—something primal was stirring. Hancock's heart raced as her eyes remained fixed on the spot where William had disappeared. She could feel it—his Haki, stronger than ever, surging with a force that seemed to defy the world itself.

Without warning, the solidified magma cracked.

A massive burst of energy erupted from the ground, shattering the magma into pieces. Akainu shielded his eyes from the blinding light as the sisters looked on in awe.

Standing amidst the debris was William—no longer in his human form, but in the beginning stages of his full dragon transformation. His body was now covered in dark black scales, with golden ones shimmering at the center of his chest. His arms were fully transformed into dragon claws, and his glowing red eyes, with their slit pupils, pierced through the chaos. The magma that clung to his body melted away, unable to harm the creature he was becoming.

The smile that crept across William's face was one of pure sadistic joy. His sharp teeth glinted in the firelight as he slowly stepped toward Akainu.

"You thought that would kill me?" William growled, his voice now carrying a deeper, more menacing tone. He stretched his dragon wings, which were now beginning to form from his back, their dark, leathery surface shimmering in the glow of the lava.

Akainu stood his ground, but for the first time, there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. This… this wasn't the boy he had fought moments ago. This was something far more dangerous. "So, you're a monster after all," Akainu spat, summoning more magma to his fists. "It won't matter. I'll incinerate you until nothing remains."

"Monster?" William tilted his head, his red eyes glowing with amusement. "You haven't seen anything yet."

With that, William disappeared from Akainu's sight once again, reappearing right in front of him. The sheer speed of his movement was staggering. Before Akainu could react, William's dragon claw tore through the air, slashing across Akainu's chest with terrifying force. Even the admiral's magma body could not fully protect him. He was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground with a loud thud, molten blood oozing from the deep gash William had inflicted.

The sisters watched in awe as William's power continued to grow. This was no ordinary Demon Fruit user. This was the power of a mythical Zoan, and it was unlike anything they had ever witnessed.

As Akainu struggled to his feet, William grinned, his dragon form becoming more pronounced by the second. His wings now fully stretched out behind him, casting a shadow over the battlefield. His entire body radiated a dark, terrifying energy that sent chills down the spine of everyone present.