"Damn it… AHHHHHH!!!"
Amid the berserk impact of Solar Beam, the burning pain scorching her skin made Celeste Palace hunch over instantly, both hands clamping down tightly on her sniper rifle.
The very next moment—
An overwhelming wave of extreme cold suddenly erupted from her body.
"Nothing more than lowly insects…"
"Unforgivable!!! Absolutely unforgivable!!!"
BOOM!!!
A violent frozen gale swept across the entire battlefield, instantly sealing everything at the outskirts—where traces of greenery still remained—into solid ice.
Immediately after, Celeste Palace's body slowly rose into the air. Bathed in frigid mist, the eyes hidden beneath her hood snapped open, releasing an intense azure glow.
"You… have angered me!!!"
Her voice sounded as if it had crawled straight out of a frozen hell.
The power of the Snow Maiden Fruit not only granted Celeste Palace dominion over ice and snow, but also bestowed upon her terrifying hallucinatory abilities within blizzards—just like a true snow maiden.
Whooo—!!!
Under the blazing sun above the Kingdom of Elegia, a localized snowstorm abruptly formed.
Howling winds and snow instantly spread like a pale curtain, completely engulfing the battlefield between Celeste Palace and Chopper.
Even though—
Chopper had already grown to over ten meters tall.
Yet at this sight, there was no surprise on his face.
After all, as someone born on a winter island—Drum Island—the weather he was most familiar with…
Was precisely this kind of blizzard!
Especially after being loaded with a Pokémon template and gaining Ice-type energy—
Snowstorms and ice were nothing more than toys in his hands.
"So she actually withstood Usopp's specially modified Leaf Stone blast… figures, a member of the God's Knights."
Staring at Celeste Palace, who appeared largely unharmed in the sky, Chopper's expression turned solemn.
In his judgment, although his surprise attack had dealt her a heavy blow—
As a Mythical Zoan user, even if she was a sniper and not physically specialized, her body was still far beyond that of ordinary pirates.
Fortunately—
"I'm not without the power to fight back~!"
Entering his Martial Artist Form, a fierce fighting spirit surged into Chopper's eyes—something rarely seen before.
After training in swordsmanship under Zoro, Chopper had not only learned how to wield a blade, but also absorbed Zoro's indomitable, forward-charging spirit as a swordsman.
And in Martial Artist Form, that spirit was amplified without limit.
At this moment, even without assuming a sword stance, the aura radiating from Chopper rivaled that of a true great swordsman.
Crack… crack crack…
A crisp, thunderous sound of bones colliding echoed from Chopper's body.
The next second, a deafening roar shook the battlefield.
"Six Powers · Shave!!!"
BOOM!!!
The snow-covered ground shuddered violently.
A gigantic footprint appeared in the snow—
And its owner vanished like teleportation itself, leaving behind only a hurricane-like afterimage that continued to churn the white expanse into a raging blizzard.
With the overwhelming bodily control granted by Martial Artist Form, Chopper—despite his massive monster-like size—executed Shave, surging toward Celeste Palace at terrifying speed.
A colossal body combined with explosive acceleration—
The visual impact was far more horrifying than even a Giant's attack.
Chopper now descended like a mountain crashing down upon a frail, delicate girl.
"You damn bastard!!!"
Seeing Chopper take the initiative, Celeste Palace was seized by uncontrollable rage.
As a member of the God's Knights—whose status surpassed even the Celestial Dragons—she had never been reduced to such a sorry state.
More importantly—
Though she had barely endured the Solar Beam head-on…
Only she knew the immense physical toll it had taken.
Without an awakened Devil Fruit, she merely inherited partial Snow Maiden abilities. Unlike typical Zoan users, her stamina was far from limitless.
All of this had been concealed beneath her snow maiden illusion—and thus escaped Chopper's notice.
However—
It would not take long for Celeste Palace to realize just how grave a mistake she had made.
Because if she hadn't appeared so overwhelmingly powerful—
Chopper would never have unleashed his full strength to continue the fight!!!
"Fish-Man Karate · Three Thousand Brick Fist!!!"
BOOM!!!
A massive fist coated in Armament Haki, driven by Chopper's high-speed momentum, slammed down with power far exceeding its original scale.
Having trained under Sanji, Chopper knew exactly how to convert speed into raw force.
A sniper's perception, a swordsman's aura, Sanji's combat technique, Jinbe's Fish-Man Karate, Franky's joint mechanical modifications, and the Pokémon power bestowed by Red—
After three months of training in the Room of Spirit and Time, even Chopper himself no longer knew how strong he had become!
BOOM!!!
Gale-force winds howled as fist shadows followed!
Caught completely off guard, Celeste Palace sensed overwhelming danger and instinctively poured all her icy power forward, forming a thick ice shield.
But it was utterly meaningless!!!
Celeste Palace could never have imagined—
That the illusion of strength she had fabricated through her Snow Maiden powers would become the very reason for her swift defeat.
The pitch-black fist shattered the thick ice instantly.
And in that split second, Chopper even used the finely crushed ice shards—replacing water—to further amplify the power of Fish-Man Karate.
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
Deep within Elegia's forest, a freezing vacuum corridor suddenly appeared.
From the forest's center nearly to the island's edge, a ruined passage was carved out—as if a mischievous god had dragged a finger across the island.
Celeste Palace, struck head-on, was blasted toward the distant coastline, smashing violently into a protruding mountain ridge.
"Cough—cough—!"
"No… impossible!"
Barely maintaining her Snow Maiden form, Celeste Palace teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.
But the sniper rifle that should never have left her side had long since been blown away by Chopper's punch—nowhere to be found.
Shock and disbelief filled her eyes.
Before she could recover—
Chopper's second attack descended from the sky!
Mercy?
Compassion?
Impossible!!!
Having witnessed firsthand how Celestial Dragons treated their slaves, Chopper had long abandoned any illusions about them.
Especially under Red's influence, he now believed in eradicating evil at its root.
Thus, the second strike came without the slightest pause.
In Chopper's "vision," Celeste Palace was still considered "uninjured."
Driven by Celestial Dragon arrogance, she refused to acknowledge her shattered state—
And paid the price.
"Fish-Man Karate · Falling Sakura · Hoof Engrave!"
BOOM!!!
Chopper's massive form sprang skyward with explosive force.
In an instant, his sniper-trained eyes locked onto the target amid the rubble—Celeste Palace!
He raised both hands high, clapping them together rapidly.
A soft pink radiance bloomed around his fists, forming a massive cherry blossom shape aimed straight at Celeste Palace below.
This was the Pokémon move Chopper had been training recently—
Mega Punch!
Normally, Mega Punch was an average move, inferior in power and effects.
Its sole function was to concentrate force into a single devastating blow.
But—
Under Chopper's Pixilate trait, Mega Punch was transformed.
Now a Fairy-type move, it not only unleashed explosive power instantly—
But could also be condensed and retained within his fists, functioning as a sustained buff.
Naturally, the energy cost was immense.
But for Chopper right now?
It was nothing.
At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to Chopper's overwhelming presence.
Even Red and Mirabelagon Palace—whose battlefield dwarfed this one—turned their heads.
Because they all sensed it—
After this strike, one battlefield would be decided.
And the outcome was already clear.
Whooo—!!!
A shrill gale screamed through the air.
From the apex of his jump, Chopper plummeted like a meteor.
In the sky, a cherry blossom fell at fifty thousand kilometers per second toward Celeste Palace.
At such speed, even in perfect condition she might not have dodged—let alone now.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion shook the skies of Elegia Island.
The earth screamed and trembled violently.
At the island's edge, a massive crater appeared—so large it seemed ready to punch through the island itself.
Seawater surged inward through newly formed underground channels.
Around the crater, shimmering ice crystals—pulverized into glittering dust—drifted slowly down.
From above, one could clearly see—
The crater was shaped like a gigantic beast's hoof.
At its center, Celeste Palace—already gravely wounded—was struck by Chopper's newly developed move.
Even with the Celestial Dragon bloodline's extraordinary resilience, her body could no longer endure it.
Her Zoan transformation collapsed, reverting from Snow Maiden form back to normal.
"H-how… is this possible…?"
Barely conscious, Celeste Palace raised her head weakly, staring at Chopper as he finished his stance—eyes filled with resentment and disbelief.
"Impossible… a lowly insect… wielding such power…"
Using her last strength, she voiced her doubt.
But the whisper, faint as a mosquito's hum, reached no one else.
Her head tilted—
And Celeste Palace lost consciousness.
After a while, a small figure approached the crater's edge and peered down.
"She's… unconscious?"
As Martial Artist Form and Monster Form faded, Chopper reverted to the familiar timid, gentle self.
Slip—
He stepped onto a slope and slid down into the crater.
Moments later, he stood beside Celeste Palace.
Seeing how young she truly was, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
But the next second—
An icy sword formed in his hands.
"I'm sorry."
He stepped forward, the blue blade aimed at her heart.
"I really don't want to do this… but for all those oppressed by the Celestial Dragons…"
Shk—!!!
His eyes hardened.
With both hands, Chopper thrust the blade downward, piercing her heart.
Though kind by nature—and a doctor who loathed death—
Faced with what Red called a "species that should not exist," Chopper chose to act.
Because he understood—
This one sword could spare hundreds, even thousands of people.
To kill is to save.
Afterward, Chopper retrieved a foul-smelling seed from his Green Vine Belt and flicked it onto Celeste Palace's bleeding chest.
The next instant, the seed seemed to come alive, burrowing into her wound.
In moments, her small body withered as if centuries had passed.
Strange, vibrant flowers bloomed from her chest, exuding ominous beauty, completely engulfing her remains.
As if—
She had never existed at all.
(End of Chapter)