55. Thatch vs. Sherzi and Noji. Ace to the Rescue.

│3rd Person POV│

[Grand Line, New World, Beehive Island…]

"Thatch! At last, I've found you!"

At another end of the battlefield, Sherzi also reached Thatch's location. Observing the ongoing slaughter by Thatch, a surge of intense murderous intent and hatred flickered in Sherzi's eyes.

"Get out of my way!"

With a low roar, Sherzi boldly initiated an attack.

The ground began to crumble, transforming into a swamp at a visible speed, before beginning to close on Thatch from all directions.

"This is… the Swamp-Swamp Fruit's power!"

Sensing the impending danger, Thatch swiftly grasped the situation.

After assessing the swamp water closing in from all sides, his gaze immediately locked onto Sherzi not far away.

Reacting promptly, Sachi leaped into the air, activating the Sea Moonwalk. He effortlessly avoided the incoming attack, while also swiftly approaching Sherzi.

"Shezi, I see that you have come to die!"

Without hesitation, Thatch, with lightning dancing around his body, descended from the sky towards Sherzi.

"How can you use the Marines' Moonwalk technique!"

Seeing this unexpected turn of events, Sherzi's expression changed drastically.

He never anticipated that Thatch, the Whitebeard Pirates' Fourth Division Commander, would utilize Moonwalk.

Moreover, as far as he knew, Thatch hadn't consumed a Devil Fruit. So he was dumbfounded by seeing him covered in lightning.

"Not good!"

In his disbelief, Sherzi didn't evade immediately. His mind was still questioning how Thatch had acquired the ability to use the Marines' secret technique.

In an instant, his expression transformed into one of horror. Faced with Thatch's impending strike, his only chance was to defend with all his might.

"Fight!"

Gritting his teeth, Sherzi refrained from activating elementalization.

With Armament Haki coating Thatch's hands, elementalization would prove to be a futile move.

He quickly mobilized his own Armament Haki and coated his hands with it before raising them in a defensive posture.

"Die!!"

With a low growl, Thatch's fist struck Sherzi's arm.

Bang—!

Instantly, Sherzi's figure was sent flying, his face etched with pain as countless swamp particles sprayed in all directions.

Upon stabilizing himself, a long trail of muddy swamp and a faint bloodstain marked the ground.

"Sherzi, your Haki is still so weak."

After the powerful blow, Thatch calmly observed Sherzi.

"Thatch, you bastard!"

Hearing this, Sherzi seethed with anger, directing an intense gaze filled with hatred and murderous intent toward Thatch.

However, in his mind, he acknowledged that his Armament Haki was indeed weaker, especially when confronted by Thatch, there was a noticeable discrepancy in strength.

Suppressing the fury within, Sherzi questioned, "When did you eat a Devil Fruit? How did you guys acquire the Marine Six Styles?"

Observing his surroundings, Sherzi noticed that many members of the Whitebeard Pirates were employing techniques reminiscent of Marine Six Styles, yet they seemed even more formidable.

"You don't need to know this."

Casting an indifferent glance at Sherzi, Thatch raised his hand, sparking electrical arcs across his body. "Sherzi, since you've taken action against me and the Whitebeard Pirates, consider your days numbered. Next, I will do my best to annihilate you."

With these words, he initiated another move. As his right foot stomped the ground, the arcs of lightning on his body grew in intensity.

As a result, Thatch's speed increased significantly, and he reached Sherzi in just an instant.

"Die!"

A cold voice resonated as Thatch's punch aimed straight for Sher Zi's head.

"So fast!"

Witnessing this, Sherzi recoiled. He sensed that Thatch hadn't used any special techniques; rather, it was the Devil Fruit's power propelling his speed.

With haste, Sherzi raised his hands to block. In the next moment, he was once again knocked back.

This time, not only did his body degrade into muddy sludge, but he also began to spew blood continuously.

"Sure enough, after the lightning stimulation, my speed, reaction, and strength become stronger! I didn't expect Ron to be so skilled at developing the power of lightning."

Witnessing the outcome, Thatch grinned.

This development technique was revealed to him by Ron in the past half a month.

His Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit only provided him with limited lightning powers. However, the power of lightning could not be underestimated, as it complemented the strength of the Beast Form and the Human-Beast Hybrid Form.

Despite being less powerful than pure lightning, when utilized correctly, his lightning could still exert significant force, as demonstrated by Thatch.

Initially, Ron only shared the idea of using lightning to stimulate muscles and nerve endings slightly and creating a Lightning Style Armor similar to Raikage.

Over time, Thatch attempted to improve the technique, significantly enhancing his strength.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Sherzi was going crazy, struggling to accept this sudden shift in circumstances.

He couldn't comprehend why Thatch's strength had surged so dramatically, overpowering him completely!

However, before he could say another word, Thatch's figure had already moved, heading straight towards him to attack.

"Not good!"

His pupils shrank, and Sherzi attempted to dodge.

"Sherzi, let me help you!"

A low roar sounded at that moment. The next second, a figure, covered in Armament Haki, appeared in front of Sherzi.

After landing a punch on the figure, Thatch frowned and said, "It's you! Iron Human Noji!"

Surprisingly, the individual blocking Sherzi was Noji, a Devil Fruit user of the Paramecia-type, the Iron-Iron Fruit.

His physical defense ranked second only to Jozu of the Whitebeard Pirates on the battlefield.

Enhanced by his powerful Armament Haki, his defense reached a formidable level, capable of withstanding even Thatch's lightning-stimulated attack.

If only Thatch had been capable of discharging his lightning into his opponent's body, then Noji wouldn't have the ability to endure a single blow from him.

However, Thatch hadn't developed his fruit's powers to that stage yet.

"Go to hell, Mud Bomb!"

Before Thatch could continue speaking, a vicious voice emanated from behind Noji.

The next second, a mud ball, enveloped in Armament Haki, attacked Thatch.

Simultaneously, the ground beneath Thatch collapsed rapidly, turning into a swamp and threatening to engulf him.

"Not good!"

In an instant, Thatch's expression changed slightly.

Lightning on his body intensified even further as he broke free from the swamp. Covering himself in Armament Haki, he swiftly assumed a defensive stance.

Countless mud bombs attacked him, and Thatch was forcefully knocked back.

"I'll trap this guy, Sherzi, and you'll attack from the side."

With murderous intent in his eyes, Noji accelerated sharply and began pursuing Thatch.

He understood the urgency of entangling Thatch as soon as possible to prevent disastrous consequences.

"Good!"

Agreeing to the plan, Sherzi wasted no time. Activating the power of the Swamp-Swamp Fruit, he unleashed countless torrents of mud bombs towards Thatch.

"Hiken!!"

However, before the mud bombs could approach Thatch, a low roar echoed from a nearby area.

The next second, scorching flames surged forth, forming a massive fire fist that rapidly advanced towards Noji and Sherzi.

Under the intense heat of the fire fist, the solidified mud bombs crumbled. The colossal fire fist targeted Noji and Sherzi directly.

"No!"

Their expressions changed drastically.

Although Noji's defensive power was formidable, he appeared terrified when confronted with an attack from a Logia-type.

"Swamp Wall!"

At the critical moment, Sherzi took action. Slapping the ground with his hands, a massive wall made of thick swamp emerged, shielding both of them.

The next second, the fire fist collided with the swamp wall.

Rumble—!

An explosion resounded loudly as the swamp wall rapidly collapsed. Noji and Sherzi's figures became visible, which were covered in flames.

"Ace!"

Seeing this scene, Thatch breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to the side and said, "You're here."

"Hey Thatch! Did you miss me?"

Ace, with a slight smirk on his face, stepped to the area next to Sage.

After glancing at the raging flames not far away, he said, "Leave Sherzi to me. His Logia powers are restrained by my Flare-Flare Fruit."

"Alright!"

Nodding, Thatch did not refuse Ace's offer of help. Although his strength had improved, a one-on-two situation with Noji's defense and Sherzi's Logia powers would prove challenging to overcome.

"Fire Fist Ace! Damn you, brat!"

Angry voices followed their discussion.

Emerging from the flames, Noji and Sherzi appeared in an extremely miserable state.

Their clothes were in tatters, all the hair on their bodies was singed, and their faces were blackened, reflecting their inner anger and murderous intent.

"Pfft~ Hahahahahaha–!"

Observing this, Ace laughed, and with a playful look on his face, he said, "Two deep-fried eggs! Is this all you big pirates amount to?

"You guys are not worthy of having a bounty of more than 500 Million Berries. Thatch, let's go and take them down together!"

After saying that, Ace raised his hand, sending another Hiken towards his enemies.

Unlike the previous large-scale fire fist, this one was smaller but more powerful. It kept condensing as it advanced, targeting Sherzi directly.

"Hahaha! Ace, let's see who can defeat their opponents first!"

Thatch laughed out loud as he was in good spirits.

Lightning once again danced around his body as he swiftly moved towards Noji.

In the blink of an eye, his figure arrived before Noji, delivering a punch while uttering in a chilling voice, "Noji, today is the day you die. So many people from my Fourth Division died by your hands previously. I will kill you today to avenge them!"

"Yeah?"

With a smile on his face, Noji remained unfazed. "Thatch, you couldn't do anything to me back then, and the same is true now. Let me see what you have learned under Whitebeard over the years!"

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

A/N: Power Stones and Review please. Also, don't forget to add this in your library!

Shameless P@treon & Coffee plug...;

👉 patreon.com/ChaosWriter;

👉 buymeacoffee.com/ChaosWriter;

You can read up to 20 chapters ahead of Webnovel. Your support would be appreciated, but don't feel pressured to join. I'll upload stuff outside it and not keeping it behind a paywall forever.