61. Luffy On Gear 5, Whitebeard Joins The Fight

Hahaha.

The smiling kid with the straw hat, even in this sad fight, stayed upbeat and cheerful.

And that cheerfulness seemed to rub off on everyone around, making them smile too.

But it didn't affect Akainu, his opponent. Instead, it made him colder inside.

Seeing the boy in the straw hat, like a mythical god, made Akainu's already cold face even uglier.

He felt rage boiling inside.

"Straw hat boy, you, a pirate with evil blood, deserve to be wiped out," Akainu yelled.

Dark red magma spewed from his body.

"Lava, volcano."

It was as strong as a volcanic eruption.

Akainu's lower body turned into dark red magma, propelling him toward Luffy.

His fist grew, covered in layers of endless magma, forming a huge fist aimed at Luffy.

With intense heat, it came crashing down.

"It's a scary attack. Admiral is terrifying."

Luffy watched the massive fist with exaggerated fear, feeling the intense heat even from the ground.

But despite his words, Luffy watched calmly as if it were nothing.

Just as the fist was about to hit, Luffy acted like he had just noticed, quickly plunging his hand into the ground and pulling up.

"Gommu Gommu no, bounce."

The name seemed random, and his expression wasn't serious.

But it was effective.

The ground in front of Luffy bounced like rubber, forming a shield.

Boom.

The magma fist hit the ground head-on.

But instead of melting or breaking, the ground just dented and then bounced back with incredible elasticity.

The magma was sent flying back towards Akainu.

Boom.

The impact knocked Akainu to the ground, turning it into a magma floor-like crater.

"The Straw Hat Kid."

From the dark red magma emerged a figure—it was Akainu.

He didn't take any damage since there was no Armament Haki on the bounced-back magma. Being made of magma himself, he couldn't be hurt by it.

But the humiliation stung.

His own attack had been turned against him.

Yet, even as anger simmered within him, Akainu calmly analyzed the abilities of the Straw Hat Boy.

"The transformation is different from his previous fourth gear. It's not like a Paramecia's ability but more akin to a Zoan's transformation. There's a fundamental change."

Recalling Luffy's transformation, Akainu could easily see the difference.

Before, it was clear why Luffy could stretch and combine with Armament Haki—that was the essence of the Rubber Fruit.

But now, it seemed like his original form, with strange wrist strength and speed, that didn't fit the Paramecia category at all.

The fourth gear should have been the limit of the Rubber Fruit's power.

"However, turning the ground into rubber just now must be the awakening of his Devil Fruit, aligning with the Paramecia fruit's assimilation ability."

He always felt something was off.

"Why don't you keep attacking? It's boring, Akainu."

Luffy danced happily, seeming devoid of any negative emotions, only joy.

Even in battle, even with Ace nearby, he remained cheerful and relished the fight.

"Since you're not making a move, then I'll go ahead, hahaha."

With that, Luffy vanished, reappearing above Akainu in an instant.

His legs arced high and extended.

"Gommu Gommu no Axe."

"So fast."

Even though Akainu was ready for Luffy's speed, it still caught him off guard.

But thankfully, with preparations and knowledge, I can still catch it.

"Great Eruption."

A massive column of magma fire erupted from Akainu's body.

However, the straw hat boy's leg kept growing, seeming to enlarge as he descended.

A colossal shadow instantly engulfed Akainu below.

Boom.

The feet, even larger than giants', stomped down, crushing the magma pillar directly.

It was like stepping into a puddle.

Countless viscous magma splattered out like water droplets.

"Run! The fight between Straw Hat and Sakazuki Admiral has escalated."

Some Marines fled for their lives, as did pirates.

Not everyone had mastered Armament Haki.

Not everyone can defend themselves against magma using it.

Around Luffy and Akainu's battle, it seemed like a rain of magma was falling.

No one dared to approach.

Even Jinbei, Vista, and the others who were previously watching couldn't help but retreat.

They were mortal bodies and didn't want to touch the falling magma.

"It's hot."

Luffy's feet shrank instantly, and he screamed as he hugged them in the sky.

His slippers had fallen off long ago, and now his bare feet were on the magma, turning red.

But compared to Luffy's screams, people were surprised when they saw Akainu.

"Cough, cough."

Akainu knelt on the magma, coughing lightly, dark red magma mixed with blood dripping from his face.

He felt like he'd been stepped on by countless giants.

That kick just now had Armament Color and Conqueror's Haki attached.

"What was that?"

Akainu couldn't comprehend Luffy's attack.

Wasn't Straw Hat's move supposed to involve blowing air to enhance strength and reach?

But that didn't happen. It seemed like, with just a thought, Luffy's body had expanded.

"Damn it, Akainu."

Akainu, looking more miserable, hadn't spoken yet, while Luffy was like an angered child.

An unmistakable expression of anger crossed Luffy's face, exaggerated even more by his features.

"I'm gonna take you down, Akainu!" Luffy shouted furiously.

Suddenly, his leg muscles expanded like balloons.

A huge crater appeared where he stood, cracks spreading outwards, and dust billowed like a massive ring.

Bang, bang, bang.

Countless white clouds formed sonic booms in a circular pattern, exploding in the sky.

Luffy's speed was so swift that even Observation Haki struggled to keep up.

Akainu didn't have time to react.

A terrifying pressure loomed behind him.

He didn't need to turn around to sense the Straw Hat Boy's raised fist of anger.

Boom.

Invisible Conqueror's Haki entangled Akainu's head, crushing it instantly.

The power sent shockwaves through the air like columns.

Akainu's head hit the ground in an instant, blood spraying.

"Gommu Gommu no gattling!"

Luffy roared as his fists rained down like a storm, their speed almost imperceptible, only the movement of his shoulders visible as he became a blur.

It was as if invisible strikes were pounding the ground.

The earth shook, massive cracks forming.

"Meigo !"

Amidst Luffy's barrage, Akainu gritted his teeth, transforming into a dark red hunting dog—slender and lightning-fast—aiming for Luffy's face.

"I've seen right through you."

In Luffy's eyes, a white light flashed, his head snapping sideways as the white streak in his pupils sliced through the air.

The dark red magma hound grazed Luffy's face, the intense heat reddening his cheeks slightly.

Just as the hound passed through Luffy and began to revert to its normal form, a white-lighted hand forcefully grabbed it and pulled back hard.

The high temperature and Armament Haki of the magma instantly caused violent friction.

At such close range, the Armament Haki only held for a moment before breaking, turning Luffy's palm black. Yet, he pulled back as if unfazed.

"Gommu Gommu no, King Kong Gun."

Luffy's left hand pulled back Akainu, now formed of magma, while his right fist swelled, solidifying with Armament Haki, and retracted deeply into his wrist.

There was a piercing sound of pressure.

As Akainu returned, he collided with Luffy's fist.

Boom.

The one-punch Ape King struck at close range.

In this fifth gear state, the fourth gear was reinforced with elasticity to increase force.

Boom.

Countless sonic booms exploded radially, creating a storm on the ground. Ahead of Luffy's fist, a horizontal tornado of white smoke and dust formed.

Akainu smashed into the thick protective wall, creating huge cracks.

Luffy breathed heavily.

In this fifth-gear state, his physical strength drained rapidly despite being able to sustain fourth gear for long periods.

Though only minutes had passed, he felt as though he'd fought fiercely.

But the power of the fifth gear was undeniable.

Against Akainu in fourth gear, whether in Snake Man or Elastic Man form, Luffy was slightly disadvantaged. But in this fifth-gear state, he easily dominated Akainu in strength and speed.

"Sakazuki Admiral was defeated?"

"Did that Straw Hat kid really take down an Admiral so quickly?"

"Is Sakazuki already beaten?"

Even Kizaru, in the distance, heard the Marine soldiers' collapsing shouts. Though his heart sank, he didn't doubt the news.

Because no one understood the Straw Hat Kid's strength better than him.

In this state, Luffy surpassed anyone at sea.

Even Sakazuki couldn't match him.

"Hateful."

Sengoku, on the execution platform, gazed at the Straw Hat boy below, a faint golden light reflecting on his face.

He couldn't help but feel the urge to act. The Straw Hat Boy's newfound strength surpassed everyone's expectations. Even Sengoku, who had heard Kizaru's account, was deeply shocked.

"To be honest, Sengoku, don't worry," Garp said, looking toward where Akainu had fallen, the smoke swirling around. "Sakazuki isn't someone to underestimate."

Before Garp could finish, boom! Countless magma poured out from the protective wall, brightening the battlefield under the dark clouds.

Akainu leaned against the wall, slowly standing up. The hole he'd smashed seemed to have turned into a crater. Magma gathered under his feet, turning the ground into a river of fire.

"Straw Hat boy, you little bastard, that really hurt," Akainu panted, blood staining his face.

"Admirals are tough," Luffy muttered. "No matter how hard you hit them, they just keep coming."

"However many times it takes, I'll keep beating you until I win," Luffy declared, his face full of determination.

"Let me show you how the top Logia powerhouse fights," Akainu whispered, magma spewing around him, transforming the battlefield.

"This is our final battle," Luffy said, undeterred by the spreading magma.

On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's expression changed. "It's time for us old guys to step in, Rayleigh."

Boom! Whitebeard leapt off the bow, causing the ice to crack beneath him.

"Have you felt the shift in the battlefield?" Rayleigh followed suit, jumping off lightly.

"Dad's at war," Whitebeard's presence inspired the pirates on the ice.

Though Luffy displayed terrifying strength, his reputation still paled in comparison to Whitebeard's legendary status.

"Kingdew, make way!" Whitebeard commanded.

"Dad?" Kingdew quickly complied, stepping aside as if avoiding a disaster.

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