Chapter 84: Kuke is Dead!!

"A stubborn old man, insisting on getting involved."

Kuke watched Zephyr approach with a hint of irritation.

He had just about managed to lower Akainu and the others' guard. Maintaining this extreme state was exhausting, and he was preparing to seize the opportunity to unleash his final strike on Akainu. But then Zephyr arrived, ruining Kuke's timing.

"Fine then, I'll give this last blow to Zephyr instead."

...

Zephyr removed his Marine coat and turned back to face the distant battleship. In a loud voice, he declared, "Watch closely! This is the fate of those who run rampant in the sea!"

With that, Zephyr's muscles bulged, and his arm swelled several times its normal size.

Each of his steps shook the ground as he charged at Kuke with fury. The sheer force of his movements was terrifying, leaving a lasting impression on the new recruits like Ain, whose eyes were glued to the scene, burning the memory deep into their minds.

Kuke exhaled a long breath, quietly gathering the last remnants of his strength into his blade.

He leaped into the air, but only managed to rise a few dozen meters. Seeing this, Zephyr's confidence grew. "Is that all? You've got nothing left!" he thought, his smug grin widening.

"Divine Strike—Thunder God's Wrath!"

Kuke's entire body surged with lightning, transforming him into a thunder god. The true power of lightning, fused with golden-colored Conqueror's Haki, descended from the sky like divine punishment.

Lightning crackled around Kuke's blade as it came crashing down.

"What?"

Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru's faces paled instantly.

"Impossible! Kuke still had such a powerful technique hidden! How can he still have this level of strength?" Akainu was in disbelief as he watched Kuke unleash an attack far surpassing anything he'd seen before.

He was stunned.

Akainu had been fighting Kuke the entire time and knew his condition best.

"Don't just stand there, save him!" Kizaru shouted in shock, though ironically, he was the slowest to react.

Zephyr, on the other hand, swung his fist, fully confident in its power. But as he felt the space tearing under Kuke's attack, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him.

It was too late to unleash his full strength.

Zephyr had believed he could easily crush Kuke with a simple punch, so he hadn't gathered all of his power. But now, he didn't have time to make up for that mistake.

He froze.

"Boom!"

Kuke's strike descended like a massive bolt of thunder.

The impact sent shockwaves into the sky, creating a towering column of energy that connected the heavens and the earth. Lightning spread in all directions as the ground twisted and contorted like a rag being wrung out, leaving Island No. 1 a shattered wasteland.

"What just happened?"

The onlookers were left dumbfounded.

Even those with no fighting experience could tell that Kuke had been on the verge of collapse, his strength all but gone.

Yet, he had suddenly unleashed such a devastating attack that no one had been able to react.

"Spurt!"

A figure was flung from the explosion, trailing a long line of blood through the air.

"It's Zephyr-sensei!"

The students aboard the battleship watched in horror as Zephyr crashed hard into the ice, shattering the dozens of meters-thick layer and carving a massive river of destruction that stretched for kilometers before disappearing into the ocean.

"Is Zephyr-sensei... going to...?"

"So much blood... there's so much blood!"

The students began to scream in panic.

On the battlefield, Aokiji and Akainu worked together to block Kuke's blade.

"You sneaky bastard," Akainu growled, glaring at Kuke.

"You should thank Zephyr for saving you," Kuke sneered.

Akainu froze, a chill running down his spine.

That's right.

If Zephyr hadn't intervened, that hidden strike would have landed on him. If he hadn't reacted in time, he might have ended up just like Zephyr.

As for Zephyr's current condition...

Akainu didn't know. But when he saw the severed arm lying on the ground, along with parts of a shoulder and chest, he felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

"Go all out and kill him!" Akainu roared, activating his awakened Devil Fruit powers. Lava immediately engulfed the entire shattered island, and with a punch, he sent the now-weak Kuke flying.

Kuke fell into the sea of lava.

Slowly, with great effort, he struggled to rise from the molten ground. His entire body was covered in molten lava, which began to devour him.

It was a sight none of the onlookers would ever forget.

Standing in the middle of the lava ocean, Kuke remained motionless, his body melting into the molten rock as he leaned on his sword.

Life was draining from him rapidly.

In that moment, many who witnessed the scene couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.

Even Akainu, who had intended to mock Kuke one last time, fell silent.

"Kuke-sama... he's leaving us."

Many pirates stood at attention, silently removing their hats and bowing their heads in respect.

Even those who weren't pirates found themselves filled with a deep sense of reverence, quietly watching Kuke's departure.

"It's a shame I never got to befriend Kuke back in the recruit camp," Smoker muttered, his voice hollow.

...

For the first time, Tashigi pulled out a cigarette, inhaling deeply.

Ain and the other recruits, who had been taught that pirates were the worst, deserving of no sympathy or forgiveness, found themselves watching in quiet respect.

"Sengoku said we need to bring Kuke's body back to HQ and display it publicly," Aokiji muttered, glancing at Kizaru. "Is that really necessary?"

"No," Akainu replied, "his body will soon be reduced to ash by the lava. There's nothing to bring back."

Akainu looked calmly at Kuke, who was being consumed by the molten rock. "I'll make sure to send your comrades to join you soon."

"Did you enjoy your funeral?"

Half-submerged in the lava, Kuke suddenly laughed loudly. "Hahaha! I'm not going to die!"

...

Laughing, Kuke sank into the lava sea.

That scene would forever be etched in the minds and memories of everyone who witnessed it.

The Navy's photographers rushed forward, furiously snapping pictures, capturing every detail of Kuke being swallowed by the lava.

Not long after, those images would be printed in government papers and sent around the world.

The world would soon know:

Kuke was dead.

Bit by bit, he was consumed.

Everyone silently watched as Kuke was completely devoured by the lava, disappearing from view.

Akainu and Aokiji used their Observation Haki to track Kuke's position, sensing his life force diminish until it was gone.

He was truly dead.

There could be no doubt.

"Ice Age!" Aokiji unleashed his ultimate move.

The freezing air spread across the lava sea, extinguishing the molten rock and covering the scorched earth in thick layers of ice, sealing the entire island in a deep freeze that would last for years.

"Let him rest in peace."

"The battle is finally over," Kizaru exhaled deeply. What he had thought would be an easy mission had turned out to be far more difficult than he expected.

"Kuke is dead! The war is over!"

Akainu's roar echoed across the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

Even those who hadn't been able to witness the battle could hear Akainu's voice.

Kuke is dead!

Though many had expected this outcome, the confirmation left countless people frozen in place, unable to process the reality for a long time

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 100+ at patreon.com/Emik01.