Thunder Emperor

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Kitaro hurled the massive chunk of ice straight toward Whitebeard.

"Ahhh!"

"Run for your lives!"

This time, the pirates were the ones panicking, scattering in all directions. Being crushed by such a massive iceberg would spell certain death.

Seeing the danger, Whitebeard finally made his move. His left hand clenched into a fist.

"Buzz—!"

A spherical vibration field materialized around his fist, pulsating with white energy.

He swung his fist directly at the colossal iceberg.

Crack! Crack!—

The air shattered like fragile glass as the force of the shockwave rippled outward.

BOOM—!

The enormous ice block exploded midair, shattering into countless fragments that rained down upon the frozen battlefield.

"Tempest Kick: Flaming Bird!"

From the sky, Kitaro raised his leg and unleashed a fiery, bird-shaped slash aimed at Whitebeard.

Whoosh—!

A phoenix-like bird, engulfed in brilliant blue flames, soared upward to meet the attack head-on.

BOOM—!!!

The fiery red bird and the azure phoenix clashed, erupting into a massive explosion.

"Ugh!"

The sheer force of the blast made many instinctively raise their arms to shield themselves.

Fwoosh—!

As the flames dispersed, a figure emerged in midair. His arms transformed into the vast, fiery wings of a blue phoenix, while his legs turned into talons sharp as blades.

It was none other than Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—the Phoenix.

At that moment, Marco's abdomen was nearly severed, a deep gash slicing across his torso.

"What kind of body does he have?!"

"Even after such a devastating attack, he's still standing!"

Kizaru spoke up with a leisurely tone: "As expected of a rare ability… A Zoan-type Mythical Beast! The Bird-Bird Fruit: Phoenix Model!"

"No matter how severe the injury, he regenerates with those flames. Truly frightening… the Whitebeard Pirates."

From above, Marco winced but kept his focus on Kitaro, a sly grin forming on his lips. "Did you really think I'd let you fight our king that easily, huh?"

Sensing something, Marco's eyes darted skyward.

Crackle!

Suddenly, a blinding pillar of lightning descended from the heavens, its sheer power tearing through the sky as it slammed into the ground.

BOOM—!!!

The massive lightning bolt engulfed Marco, piercing through to the frozen surface below.

"Arghhh!"

"Ahhh!"

The blast's shockwave sent countless pirates and marines flying.

"Marco!"

Shouts of alarm echoed as the pirates saw Marco struck by the devastating lightning.

Crash—!

As the smoke cleared, a massive crater appeared in the ice, with Marco standing at its center, seemingly unharmed.

A figure emerged a short distance from him, eyes cold as steel.

"Our president isn't someone you can touch so casually."

It was Uchiha Shisui .

"The First Division Commander of the Uchiha Security Company—'Thunder Emperor' Uchiha Shisui!"

Shisui had become a household name recently, known for fighting a Celestial Dragon and going toe-to-toe with Kizaru of the Marine.

As a wielder of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Shisui's mastery of lightning was unparalleled, earning him the title Thunder Emperor.

In fact, Shisui had gained a moniker even before Kitaro did because of his action and the reputation of his devil fruit.

Many in the world's most influential circles now regarded the Uchiha Security Company as being on par with the Four Emperors.

If Kitaro were to fully enter the New World, the emergence of a Fifth Emperor seemed inevitable.

"See? It's not that I don't try—it's just that the Uchiha clan is filled with monsters." Kizaru shrugged, seemingly exonerating himself.

The World Government often accused him of slacking during the Sabaody Archipelago incident. But they misunderstood him—he genuinely gave it his all. He just couldn't win.

And really, why should he risk his life? With Kitaro, Silvers Rayleigh, and Shisui present, it was a three-on-one situation.

He was just an employee; there was no need to die on the job. If he had been chased down by Kitaro, even his Pika Pika no Mi abilities wouldn't guarantee an escape.

The world was changing too fast. Monsters like Kitaro and Shisui had appeared out of nowhere, upending the established order.

"Hmph!" Akainu snorted coldly. He knew Kizaru's lazy personality all too well.

If Kizaru had returned from Sabaody covered in wounds, he might've believed his claims of trying hard. But coming back without a scratch? That would be suspicious if he wasn't Kizaru.

Yet the emergence of Uchiha Shisui, another powerhouse from the Uchiha Security Company, was a troubling development. To Akainu, criminals like these possessing such powerful Devil Fruits was an unforgivable crime.

"Hino ~ Thunder bird!"

Crackle! Crackle!

Shisui brought his pinky and index fingers to his forehead, forming a quick hand seal. His body pulsed with radiant electricity as a massive bird of lightning took shape before him, hurtling toward Marco at incredible speed.

Even though Shisui possessed a Devil Fruit, his ninja background gave him a unique edge—his mastery of hand seals allowed him to control his techniques with unmatched precision.

In Kitaro's eyes, Shisui's moves resembled divine lightning techniques, awe-inspiring and elegant.

Every time Kitaro watched Shisui fight, he couldn't help but feel envious and regretful.

"If I'd eaten that fruit myself, I'd be this cool too…"

There was a saying: Strength might be temporary, but being cool? That was forever.

"Blue Flame Shield!" Marco conjured a rotating, circular shield of blue flames before him to block the attack.

Shisui's hand seals changed fluidly. This time, his thumb pressed against his middle finger, while his other three fingers pointed skyward.

"Kiten ~ Thunder Beast!"

Crackle, crackle!

Even more intense lightning erupted, forming a massive thunder wolf several meters tall in front of Shisui. It roared fiercely and charged at Marco.

"Bluebird!!!"

Marco brought his arms together, summoning a blazing blue flame that coalesced into a massive fireball. He hurled it straight at the thunder wolf.

BOOM——————!!!!

An even more devastating explosion occurred. The intense heat melted large amounts of ice and snow, which rapidly cooled into dense, white mist, spreading swiftly with shards of ice scattered throughout.

"Uwaaahhh!!"

"Ahhhhhh!!"

Many of those nearby were blown away by the forceful impact. Those farther away shielded themselves with their arms as they peered toward the source of the explosion.

This time, Marco had successfully blocked Shisui's attack.

Shisui adjusted his hand seal. His index and middle fingers extended while his thumb held down the ring and pinky fingers.

"Lightning Dragon!!!"

Crackle, crackle————!

Massive bolts of electricity erupted from Shisui's body, gathering above his head to form an enormous dragon of pure lightning. Its face was intricately detailed, and its presence crackled with raw power.

ROAR————!!!

The thunder dragon let out a deafening roar as though splitting the heavens, then surged toward Marco.

"Phoenix Brand!!" Marco shifted into his hybrid form, half-man, half-phoenix, with wings spread wide. His talons ignited with blue flames as he kicked at the Lightning dragon, releasing a powerful shockwave.

The dragon's head clashed against Marco's blazing talons.

BOOM——————!!!!

A cataclysmic explosion followed, sending waves of destruction rippling outward. The shockwave obliterated chunks of the icy battlefield.

"Ahhhhh!!"

"Uwaaaaahh!!!"

Everyone inside the bay and even those shielded behind the inner wall felt the impact's intensity.

"That's Uchiha Shisui?!"

"He's incredible! Absolutely incredible!"

"Fufufufu! The Uchiha Security Company is truly terrifying. Even their second-in-command is this powerful. Such a force is exceedingly dangerous!" Doflamingo laughed uproariously, clearly reveling in the chaos. He thrived on disorder and seemed thrilled at the rise of a wild card force like the Uchiha.

"Kishishishishi! I want them! I want their corpses!!" Gecko Moria exclaimed with twisted excitement.

"If you value your life, you'd better not set your sights on Shisui," Hancock interjected, her tone cold and threatening. "Otherwise, I, as Shisui's sister-in-law, won't hesitate to turn you into stone."

Moria froze at her words. Though he wasn't necessarily afraid of Hancock herself, he certainly feared her man.

Even with his usual arrogance, Moria could see that Uchiha Kitaro and Shisui were not people to trifle with. Adding Hancock to the equation made any confrontation hopeless.

BOOM!

Marco's body shot out from the dense icy mist created by the explosion, his form singed by lightning burns. Though the injuries weren't severe, he was visibly worse for wear.

"What?! Marco is injured?!"

"How is that possible?!"

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates were stunned to see their vice-captain wounded by someone so young.

Marco looked up seriously at Shisui. "You're strong. When I was your age, I was still an intern on Whitebeard's crew. Yet here you are, already standing near the pinnacle of the world. The new generation truly surpasses the old."

He exhaled deeply and continued, "I admit your strength, but I have my reasons not to lose!"

Transforming back into his phoenix form, Marco engulfed himself in flames and charged at Shisui.

"You have your reasons, and so do I!" Shisui replied, raising his hand toward Marco.

"30 Million Volts!"

Crackle——!!

A surge of lightning struck Marco, tearing through his form. Part of his body disintegrated, but it quickly regenerated, his flames allowing him to recover in an instant.

"Crane Talons!!!" Marco closed the distance, swinging his talons at Shisui.

Shisui raised his arm to block.

BOOM————!!!

The two clashed fiercely, their fight igniting the battlefield with intensity.

Meanwhile, Kitaro floated into position, now face-to-face with Whitebeard himself. Hovering in mid-air, he matched Whitebeard's towering height as the latter stood on the Moby Dick.

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