Chapter 42: God vs Demon!

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"Did I just blast him to smithereens?" Beneath the deafening roar of the explosion, only a gaping, blackened crater remained. Ian had vanished without a trace.

Enel, the self-proclaimed God, assumed this human from the Blue Sea had been consumed by his arrogance, daring to challenge him without the necessary power. All bravado, no substance.

"No!" But then, a jolt of realization shot through him. His enhanced Observation Haki, still detected two distinct presences within the palace ruins.

"Looking for me? Then try this! I've never encountered such a weak, pathetic God!"

Ian's voice echoed from several meters away. His right index finger pulsed with a pale green light, and a Cero, rivaling the power of Enel's El Thor, shot forward, engulfing nearly half the palace.

Enel, caught off guard, could only retaliate with a hasty El Thor of his own. The two attacks collided in a blinding flash, a shockwave of energy ripping through the palace, obliterating what little remained of its structure.

"Human! How did you escape? That was the speed of light!" Fury and disbelief warred on Enel's face, a tremor of fear coursing through him.

On Skypiea, no one could match his speed. His attacks were unavoidable.

"Idiot. You're lightning, not light itself. A God who sits high in the sky, yet you're nothing but a frog in a well!"

Ian didn't hold back his scorn.

The speed of light could circle the Earth in seconds. Some lightning-wielding superhumans could even manipulate time, traversing the past and future. But in this world of One Piece, speed was relative, a matter of perspective.

Many powerful individuals surpassed Enel's speed. The Ulquiorra template had already enhanced Ian's physical abilities, and with Sonido, a technique similar to Soru, Shunpo, and the Body Flicker Technique, dodging was effortless.

"And do you really think Mantra is unique to you? It's not exactly commonplace in the Blue Sea, but it's not unheard of. One in several hundred, maybe thousands, possess a similar ability. They can even read minds and glimpse the future." Ian explained. Observation Haki was a manifestation of spiritual energy.

In other worlds, it was known as soul power, while Armament Haki was the physical counterpart. The Six Powers, developed by Garp from Kong's principles, were merely diluted versions of these powers. Theoretically, they could evolve beyond mere foresight and telepathy.

Materialization, manipulation, advanced perception… all were within the realm of possibility. The same applied to Armament Haki. It wasn't limited to hardening and imbuing weapons with force. It could also enhance speed and agility when channeled through the legs. Soru and Geppo were just the beginning.

Sanji, the master chef and skilled martial artist of the Straw Hat Pirates, might be the first to fully realize this potential.

"Impossible! Only a God can wield such power!" Enel's delusions of grandeur resurfaced as he roared in defiance.

Harnessing the lightning speed granted by his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he appeared before Ian in an instant, raising his golden staff for a devastating blow. His eyes burned with a crazed intensity.

Electricity crackled around him, converting into light and heat, nullifying any physical attacks. The golden staff buzzed with destructive energy.

This strike could shatter even a seasoned Vice Admiral, a fatal blow that would leave no survivors.

This was his electrical manipulation, capable of generating voltages ranging from one to 200 million volts at will. In the original story, he had demonstrated 1 million, 20 million, 100 million, and his maximum output of 200 million volts. But his current state…

He likely hadn't even reached 100 million volts yet. Still, few could withstand his power. At his peak, he would rival, perhaps even surpass, any Admiral or Yonko.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was truly a versatile and formidable power, encompassing the explosive force of fire, the speed and piercing capabilities of wind and light, the paralyzing effects of ice, and the destructive might of earth.

Arguably the strongest Logia, second only to Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit, which nullified all Devil Fruit powers. That power had driven Blackbeard to endure decades of servitude on Whitebeard's ship, ultimately betraying and killing Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander, to claim the fruit's power for himself. It was a power worth betraying even the strongest pirate in the world.

But Ian didn't have time for such musings. His life hung in the balance.

He channeled Armament Haki into his sword, Shusui, imbuing it with enhanced durability and the ability to bypass Enel's Logia intangibility, a direct counter to Devil Fruit powers. His hands, coated in black Haki, doubled his strength as he met Enel's golden staff head-on, their clash a testament to their evenly matched power.

At 39% fusion, nearing 40%, Ian's strength rivaled that of a high-ranking Vice Admiral or a Yonko Commander, capable of battling pirates with bounties exceeding one billion berries. He had reached the level of a low-ranking Adjuchas, a lieutenant in the Soul Society. Slightly weaker than Momousagi or Chaton, facing Enel was still a formidable challenge.

However, his exceptional soul control allowed him to masterfully manipulate his spiritual pressure, manifesting it as Armament Haki, unleashing devastating sword pressure, and even sensing Enel's attacks before they materialized. Their battle was a stalemate, a dance of destruction.

The demon and the God clashed relentlessly, their attacks a flurry of sword strikes and energy blasts. Both bore the same deathly pale skin.

They moved throughout the crumbling palace, their battleground shifting with each devastating blow. Enel's initial confidence had morphed into a grudging respect. This was the first opponent, from either Skypiea or the Blue Sea, who could match him blow for blow.

The battle was exhilarating. Though every drop of sweat and blood evaporated instantly from the intense heat generated by their clash, Enel felt a surge of adrenaline, his senses on fire.

He unleashed El Thor blasts, met with equal force by Ian's Cero and sword pressure. Neither yielded an inch.

"30 Million Volt Hino, Kiten!"

Enel struck the drums on his left and right shoulders, summoning a phoenix-shaped lightning bird and a wolf-like lightning beast. They charged towards Ian with incredible speed, their forms crackling with destructive energy.

"60 Million Volt: Sango!"

He continued his assault, striking the drums once more, summoning a massive lightning dragon. The three divine beasts roared in unison, their voices echoing through the heavens.

"Die, demon!" Enel bellowed, his frustration mounting.

During their battle, he had realized that Ian could somehow bypass his Logia intangibility, striking him directly. Ian had revealed that it was a power called Armament Haki, a counterpart to Observation Haki.

Enel recognized the threat. Ian's arsenal seemed endless, his attacks growing increasingly potent. If the battle continued, defeat was a real possibility. While others revered him as a God, Enel knew the truth.

His power stemmed from a mysterious fruit he had consumed three years ago. He realized that such powers were likely not unique to him. This Marine might possess a similar ability.

Furthermore, Ian's attacks were incredibly heavy, almost unbearable. He had only narrowly avoided serious injury by utilizing his Mantra to predict and preemptively transform into lightning.

In the original story, Enel had relied too heavily on his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, neglecting physical training. When he encountered Luffy, whose rubber body neutralized his lightning powers, he had suffered a humiliating defeat, reminiscent of Admiral Kizaru's swift downfall at the hands of Whitebeard.

"Ryuo, Explosive Gravity Fist!"

Facing the three divine beasts, Ian shifted Shusui to his left hand, raising his right fist and slamming it downwards.

Black Armament Haki enveloped his fist, taking on the compressed form of the Spring-Spring Fruit. Twenty tons of force surged through him, amplified by the explosive power of the Kilo Kilo no Mi, adding another ten tons to the mix. His strike now carried a devastating thirty tons of force, further doubled by the explosive and spring-loaded properties of his abilities.

The final blow, a monstrous one hundred tons of force, augmented by the Ulquiorra template's enhanced physical abilities, distorted the very fabric of space.

Faint cracks, similar to those created by Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, appeared, reminiscent of Might Guy's Evening Elephant, the pinnacle of taijutsu, which had unleashed transparent shockwaves against Madara Uchiha.

The three divine beasts were obliterated, dissipating into motes of energy. However, this was a mere imitation. If he truly possessed the power of those legendary figures, defeating Enel would be child's play.

If he were to rely solely on swordsmanship, perhaps the Kilo Kilo no Mi could be utilized effectively. But the explosive and spring-loaded properties couldn't be transferred to his sword, at least not yet. Was he supposed to wield a forty-meter blade to enhance his attacks?

He was certain that if he mishandled those powers, even Shusui would be reduced to fragments. Therefore, he had opted for Ryuo, the advanced form of Armament Haki. After all, both the Bomb-Bomb Fruit and the Spring-Spring Fruit involved hand-to-hand combat techniques. Channeling those powers through his body, augmenting his physical strength, was a far more efficient approach.

His sword pressure could likely extinguish any of the divine beasts, but he would be forced to endure the full brunt of the remaining two. Even with his enhanced durability and regeneration at 39% fusion, the pain would be excruciating.

"Is that Enel-sama? And that demon? They're both… monsters!"

The once-grand palace lay in ruins, the result of their relentless assault. They now stood exposed beneath the scorching sun, bathed in the intense heat of the upper atmosphere, two figures clashing at an altitude of twenty thousand meters.

"So even God isn't invincible? There are others who can challenge him. He truly is a demon!"

The surviving priests, stunned by the spectacle before them, whispered amongst themselves, their fear and awe palpable. Their words, however, only fueled Enel's rage.

"I am invincible! I will crush this demon who dares defy me! But all of you… you will die! I cannot allow my weakness to be exposed!"

As expected, Enel unleashed a miniature Raigo, a blast of concentrated lightning, upon the priests, silencing them permanently. Their charred remains lay scattered amongst the debris.

Ian facepalmed. Some people were truly determined to meet their demise. Couldn't they have discussed this in private? But even then, it wouldn't have mattered. With his Rumble-Rumble Fruit and his Mantra, Enel's awareness extended across the entire island. His lightning speed allowed him to deliver swift retribution wherever necessary.

"100 Million Volt: Amaru!"

Enel declared, his body swelling dramatically as electricity crackled around him, enveloping the highest layer of clouds in a swirling vortex of energy. Despite being bathed in sunlight, the sky grew dark and ominous.

He had transformed into a towering giant, a form similar to Tesoro's golden behemoth and Bullet's monstrous amalgamation.

His ultimate attack, unleashing the full force of his lightning power, encasing his body in a blinding aura of energy. He had become a true lightning God, his power immeasurable.

He hadn't yet created the Ark Maxim, his flying vessel capable of amplifying his lightning and generating massive thunderclouds, unleashing Raigo, a devastating attack that could obliterate entire islands and nations in an instant.

This was his ultimate technique, akin to Ace's Flame Emperor, Aokiji's Ice Age, Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama, and Crocodile's Desert Spada.

Every Devil Fruit likely had its final form, its ultimate expression of power. Luffy's Gear 5, Kid's Damned Punk… Even his own abilities, after much experimentation, had revealed their ultimate forms, primarily as devastating attacks.

The Shadow-Shadow Fruit's potential remained largely unexplored, its ultimate technique shrouded in mystery. The Bomb-Bomb Fruit possessed the Full Body Explosion and Spring Jump Man. The Kilo Kilo no Mi was purely for manipulating weight, but he had discovered that, like Armament Haki, he could focus its effects on specific body parts or his entire body, increasing his weight up to ten tons.

As for the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, its ultimate technique was incredibly powerful, yet tragically finite… self-destruction.

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Word Count [2070]

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To Be Continued..

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