From Luffy's furious gaze, it seemed as though a roaring, unyielding flame stretched across the heavens.
The blazing sun warped the surrounding space into irregular shapes, assaulting the senses.
The vast, searing energy in Luffy's hands now poured out in full force!
A colossal, terrifying storm of energy surged through the air, roaring toward his ancestor from eight centuries past.
The violent assault, carrying waves of scorching heat and molten sand, descended relentlessly upon his ancestor, blanketing him completely!
Sanji and Zoro, as if anticipating this, had already adjusted their stances.
In an instant, they retreated—avoiding the massive, scorching current of heat.
The infernal temperatures, comparable to the sun itself, struck Luffy's ancestor fully, engulfing him entirely.
In a flash, fire shot skyward, scorching the entire Arabasta island again and again, as if ten suns hung in the sky at once, burning everything in a crimson glare!
For the citizens of Arabasta, who had endured years of drought, this heat made their previous suffering feel trivial.
The suffocating waves of heat spread from Yuba outward, weakening only as they reached the distant seas surrounding Arabasta.
Luckily, this blazing heat lasted only a brief moment.
Otherwise, this island, on the path to prosperity, might have been transformed into a true living hell!
The flames continued to burn across his ancestor's body.
Yet his Air Fruit powers only made the fire more uncontrollable!
Half of Yuba's desert slowly turned a deep crimson under the unimaginable heat.
Light danced across the ground, dazzling and brilliant.
The flames continued to rise!
The blazing red desert gradually transformed under the extreme heat, turning into transparent, glass-like surfaces.
Under the scorching sunlight, the colors shimmered in dazzling brilliance.
Moments later, the sunlight itself seemed drawn by the fire, growing even more fierce!
The rampaging light struck the skies above Arabasta directly.
The flames slowly dimmed in the piercing light.
At the center of the frozen glass-like expanse, the molten crystal sand slowly began to envelop Luffy's ancestor.
The intense heat did not diminish with the fire's fading.
The hatred-driven killing machine lay flat in a "大" shape atop the newly formed glass, resembling a work of exquisite art—if one ignored the charred, blackened wounds covering his body.
...
Hoo~
Luffy descended from the sky beside the crew.
Stepping onto the uneven, glassy crystal ground, he paused slightly and exhaled in relief.
But his footing faltered—he staggered backward two steps uncontrollably.
The previous explosion had used all his strength.
Stars floated before his eyes.
If he were to fight Aokiji now, Luffy believed that his blazing inferno alone could make the admiral flee!
Moreover, his ancestor had been locked down by Sanji and Zoro, leaving no chance to evade.
If such a fearsome attack could not seriously harm his ancestor, continuing the fight might seem pointless!
Yet… as Luffy feared, the situation unfolded exactly as he imagined.
...
The Starry Sky Pirates quickly gathered around.
"Luffy, how is it!?"
Zoro, who had long felt no effect from the beast's power, stepped forward to support the dazed Luffy.
It almost felt like a pattern: because of Luffy's unique invulnerability, Zoro always ended up holding him.
At this rate, one of the crew's strongest fighters was turning into the strongest support!
Luffy tested the ground with his foot, confirming he was firmly on solid earth.
With Zoro's help, he shook his head, trying to dispel the lingering dizziness.
"Look over there!!!"
Just then, Sanji, who had been standing nearby, shouted in surprise.
A cool current of air brushed across Luffy's body, converging into the multicolored crystal glass.
Luffy and the others followed his direction.
Above the charred, battered ancestor, a steady flow of air appeared.
The air surged instantly!
The ancestor's severely injured body began absorbing it.
His wounds started healing before their eyes!
"This… this is a Devil Fruit awakening!!!"
Crocodile, shocked at the ancestor's recovery under the flow of air, shouted:
"Quick! Stop him!"
Before his warning was even necessary, Brook, who had preserved some strength from the prior chaos, lifted the already enlarged Ghost Dragon Cannon, aiming at the air aiding the ancestor's recovery.
A sound like an electronic disturbance emerged from the front of Brook. A sinister aura gathered within the cannon's mouth.
Howl~!!!
BOOM!!!!
With a soul-stirring roar, a blue-green beam shot straight upward from the dragon skull, targeting the ancestor above.
Crack…
The chilling energy immediately froze the orderly air flow.
The cyan ice spun with inertia, scattering thousands of colorful rays.
Yet…
Crocodile's warning came too late.
Crack!
The ancestor's fingers moved slightly.
The frost instantly shattered!
Air, omnipresent, continued flooding into his body, unstoppable even by Brook's attack.
"Damn it!!!"
Crocodile gritted his teeth, swearing, then muttered in frustration:
"I never imagined… someone could truly awaken a Nature-type Devil Fruit!!!"
"Awakening!? What does that mean?"
Zoro, preparing for battle again, asked to gain more information about the ancestor's powers.
Crocodile focused on the worsening situation and explained slowly:
"Devil Fruit awakening is a higher level of a Devil Fruit's power.
Anyone capable of it qualifies to become a dominant force in this world!"
"So far…
Beast-type users gain immense recovery and combat power upon awakening!
Superhuman stamina! Bestial traits!
Logia-type users gain influence over things beyond themselves!"
He paused, eyes wide with astonishment at the fully recovered ancestor standing again.
"As for Nature-type Devil Fruits…"
"I've never heard of anyone awakening a Nature-type!"
"But look at him now. He's likely using the element of his fruit to heal, strengthen, and enhance attacks!!!"
"And… the problem is, this old monster's element is… air itself!!!"
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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