[152] The Last Stand (III)

[2970 words]

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While the Sin Incarnate went toe-to-toe with the likes of the Strange Beast, other such battles were picking up in intensity.

Booom!

A brilliant Buddha was forced to the ground under an earthquake of magnitude ten, and its destruction was almost enough to shatter Sengoku's glasses!

Great stress reflected off the Admiral's golden face; the struggle against a Titan was real!

"Hmm?" Whitebeard's Haki flared, diverting his attention from the divine figure.

Without hesitation, Murakumogiri was picked up and slashed across, shattering the very fabric of space to unleash a cataclysmic earthquake that swept away a horde of enemies who hoped to get the drop on him.

Through the hurling energy came a sole man. He clicked his tongue after seeing his knights being swatted away.

"Stand up, Sengoku. We shall take down this evil pirate together!"

"Gurarara! It doesn't matter how many of you there are!"

It was a battle that could easily dominate the headlines for months: Whitebeard vs Saint Figarland Garling and Sengoku the Buddha!

…

A sudden flash of bright light occurred at another corner of God Valley, four kilometers from the main battlefield.

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"Silver Radiance!"

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The bright-silver flash came with howling winds, shattering a swirling mountainous attack. 

"The Basara of today is unlike that of the past," the axe-user's tired voice arrived.

"Silver Axe!" The Admiral balled his fists, seeing his attack cut apart. "Do you wish to follow in Wang Zhi's footsteps?"

"Y-You!!" Much to the man's anger, he was ignored! 

Silver Axe walked toward a battered Solomon, extending a hand.

The Wendigo took the gesture, reaching its feet. Solomon met the sharp eyes under the chipped armour with speculation.

"The fearsome Mountain has broken spirits," Silver Axe explained. "He is not the threat he once was."

The worn-out Solomon turned to the brown-clothed marine, shame evident in Basara's glare.

A pang of thirst came to the eyes of the man hailing from Extinction Valley. There was something in the air…something the Wendigo was hungry to harvest…

"Kuhuhu, let's do it, Axe-guy! This might just be fun!"

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[Two Days Later]

[God Valley]

Nine days had passed since the event began, two days since Rocks D. Xebec's fall.

A secure fleet of Cipher Pol Agents led by Zephyr had departed yesterday. Around four dozen World Nobles still lived, less than a quarter of how many there should have been!

For once in their lives, the Celestial Dragons didn't point fingers or curse at the world; instead, they just sat blankly as if the world had been turned upside down. 

Every time they closed their eyes, a figure of a menacing pirate, one with a savage and feral appearance—Rocks—appeared. 

…

"Haaaah, Huuuuuh," heavy breathing rang across the hellish remains of God Valley.

A sole pirate bathed in volatile electricity stood tall. His body covered dark markings that set him apart from others.

"Damn," he muttered, his eyes growing heavy from fatigue.

Though at the drop of his words came a whirling tornado of pure sand, sharper than great-grade swords, dancing in the dusty winds.

Indra looked up, his vision hazy. He felt the razor-sharp grains of sand enclose him. The human-Sphinx Hybrid, scornfully watching from the side—even as a Logia, he couldn't keep going any further.

Xerxes was considered equal to Admiral Kurowashi; he was naturally incredibly well-versed in combat and extended duels.

"You cling to life as stubbornly as your Commander," the Chief Agent muttered, glancing at the apocalyptic fight a kilometer away. "Surviving off sheer will, a key quality of a true Conqueror's Haki user… the Sin Incarnate is true to his title as a Titan."

Xerxes then glared at the panting Indra.

His tone turned sharp and furious. "Once you fall here, I will aid Kong in taking down your Commander, and then the two of you will be thrown into Impel Down to rot for the rest of your lives!"

*Vvoooo!* The sand flowed into a weapon at Xerxes' side, gathering in the trillions in terms of individual grains, forming a sharp spear.

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"Dóry Ammólofon!" (Sand Dune Spear)

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*Vvooosh!* It soared across the ruined land and nailed the target. Indra was picked up from the ground, his body shooting back alongside the spear.

"Ugh!" he grunted, feeling the water in his body drain away from the spear in his chest.

The spear continued its advent, grinding the pirate across the earth as the friction and rugged land scorched his body quite literally.

Boom!

A massive storm of dust went up, hiding the downed pirate in a brown dust storm.

"..."

Xerxes spanned his Haki, feeling the enemy's signature dying down. "About time he went down, Logias are a real pain in the ass!"

Logias were naturally in an intangible state. Therefore, they didn't need to waste energy to dodge or materialize around things, nor for basic attacks.

The thick-bearded man growled his frustrations away, turning in the direction of Kong and Damien.

His heavy boots shifted along the sandy region, digging in to launch him ahead.

*Bzzt!* Xerxes' mind began to buzz at the very last second from a headache pulsating through his skull. A sonic boom echoed in the Zoan user's ears right before his vision darkened.

"Huh?" The man looked down at his chest and saw a horizontal gash slowly opening up.

Xerxes absently reached for his chest, feeling the warm blood dripping through the gaps of his fingers and splattering onto the ground.

Boom!

The roar of thunder echoed through the shaken Agent's mind as he staggered.

"You…" Xerxes murmured, his body stunned from the pins and needles all over. He looked up in pain and shock, his eyes falling onto a distant, broken figure. 

"...You have Conqueror's Haki too!?"

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Indra, who now stood across from the turbulent Xerxes, wasn't entirely conscious. His breathing was heavy, still at the end of his rope. "This feeling," he muttered, looking down toward his body and noticing the oddity—his tribal marks were pulsating red!

However, his thoughts were broken as his opponent began to speak.

"Those markings, that blood-red colour, I've seen it before…" Xerxes muttered, pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead.

He gritted his teeth, looking at Indra with undisguised anger. 

Said swordsman's appearance had considerably changed.

For one, his usual black vest had long been turned to dust, unveiling the toned skin below.

The oddity lay in the fact that the dark skin had turned jet black from a flood of newfound Haki. Meanwhile, the black tribal marks were burning a deep red.

A few arcs of red lightning crackled about, adding a rather fearsome touch.

[Current Indra Image (in Discord)]

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The CP-Chief clenched his fists and cursed under his breath, "An extinct people, the Warborns, had a tendency of being overwhelmed with their drive to kill and that their own blood would pump a hundred times faster, dyeing their bodily markings in that exact colour."

"First, it was the 'Bloodspawn' Mors over thirty years ago, and now you!"

Indra's expression was of ambivalence. He frowned at the power pumping in his veins. 

"There was a time when I cast away these powers, honing myself to never rely on them again… but what's at stake is far greater than the ghost of my past. My mission is solely to stop you. I will fulfill that… even in death!"

Boom!

The declaration came with ghastly winds, bursting out with a reddish-purple hue. Xerxes winced, feeling the tingling sensation across his skin.

His perspective changed, and he almost adopted an air of admiration as he examined the new Indra. "I can see why the Sin Incarnate would give you such a priceless Devil Fruit," the agent muttered. Such undying loyalty is exceptionally rare."

"Roar!" Xerxe growled like a beast, his body exploding with refined and sharp grains of sand. His deep wounds were plugged up, the sand absorbing the blood and effectively cauterizing the injury.

The Sphinx-man appeared once more, whirling with sand.

Indra saw the towering enemy and raised a hand.

*Crackle* The lightning burst out, crackling into the distance. Interestingly enough, all his lightning had also turned blood-red!

With a blinding light, the bolts of electricity burned away the sand in the air, all the while returning the swordsman to his blade.

Shing!

Tenmei was released once more, imposing the world with its sacred divinity.

The uncontrolled release of lightning created quite the spectacle. The crimson lightning sparked from one side while pure-white bolts appeared from the other, credit to Tenmei.

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"Rumbling Sword Style: Cosmic Storm!"

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Xerxes' eyes shot to the previously clear sky. Within seconds, a giant storm had arrived, rumbling with electricity.

Yet it was no ordinary storm with dark clouds; these clouds were a mix of black, purple, blue, and white. The lightning that fell was of many shades, carrying far more intensity and electric current.

[Cosmic Storm Image (in Discord)]

"Damn!" Xerxes retreated, his body whirled with sand in an attempt to shield him from the storm.

Boom!

The lightning crashed hard onto the barrier, exploding into crystals and glass.

Xerxes grunted, fueling even more sand to cover the sky. But in his roar against the storm, he missed the follow-up attack from Indra.

The storm was a smokescreen, hiding a more devastating monster behind it. It arrived with a red flash and fell with the grace of Indra's sword.

The creation was a hand pointing a finger at Xerxes, thundering onto the sole enemy.

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"Rumbling Sword Style: Hand of God!"

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BOOM!

"Aughh!" The attack hit the CP-Chief hard, his entire body digging deep into the ground.

By the time Xerxes regained control of his spamming body, Indra had disappeared into a blue flash.

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"Rumbling Sword Style: Godspeed!"

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Boom!

*Rumble!*

Bang!

*Whizzz*

Blood exploded from Xerxes, and giant gashes slowly formed across his entire body. The pain came in waves, each followed by the roar of thunder. The flashes of white and red left his mind overwhelmed, slowly eating away at his concentration.

A blade soon appeared by the man's throat, slashing without mercy.

*Swish*

"Guhh!" Xerxes grabbed at his throat, his mind racing to stop the bleeding. All he saw was the colour hue, failing to track.

But under such struggle was still a battle-hardened veteran.

*BAM!* The fist shot out, raging to meet a flash of light. The brute strength sent the attacker soaring through the air, crashing into a pile of earth.

Xerxes fell to a knee, hastily cauterizing his dripping throat and other large cuts with sand. "Almost got me… can't use Observation Haki when you're panicked. He really almost got me!"

The beast gnashed its maw together, releasing a growl. "He's much faster than ever before. Is it from the increased blood flow?"

*Swish*

A jet of blood shot out from the man's nape, leaving a deep cut below his neck.

"Auuugh!" Xerxes stumbled forward, aches spreading across his body.

*Gruuuu* The whirling sand began to slow down, slowly collapsing from its previous virility.

Dunes of sand appeared across the ruined land. Every so often, a few glints would go off from the shards of glass mixed in the sea of sand.

Xerxes' transformation began to break apart, losing its fearsome nature as he fell to his knees.

His weathered face appeared, covered in fresh cuts.

The previous golden mane surrounding his head had been burnt to ashes, blackened from the heat.

"Why is a failed experiment so powerful…" he gazed up at the figure that had appeared in front of him. "You're supposed to be dead; all of the Warborns were supposed to be dead!"

Indra's blood-red eyes fell upon the distraught Cipher Pol Agent, examining his expression. 

"Do you know our purpose?" he suddenly asked.

Xerxes sighed, relenting to his fate. "The Warborns were created in the picture of a near-extinct supreme race—the Lunarians. Their sole purpose was to become the greatest weapon for their master…the World Government."

Indra hummed while Tenmei graced the land once more, bringing about a bright dawn.

*Cough* *Cough* Xerxes coughed out a bloody mess, his teeth dripping with the fresh crimson liquid.

"Xa-Xa-Xa! That is what you want to be… the greatest weapon for your master, the Sin Incarnate?"

The Agent glanced at Temei, closing his eyes.

Indra's blood-red eyes showed strong determination. Waves of Haki expelled from his body, sending tremors through the air and ground.

"It is my purpose, after all."

Shing!

The sacred blade slashed forth without hesitation, without mercy.

…

[Nearby]

A tired Damien backed up. Half of his body was in the fluid shape of crimson particles, reforming once more. 

It was apparent that the pirate was about to lose energy at that moment.

A scuffed-up Kong in his Ape form stood towering over the pirate. He had quite a few purple bruises across his chest, dried blood on top, and a few broken bones were evident from the protrusions. 

"!!!" Kong's eyes zoomed into the distance, trying to confirm his guess. 

"Xerxes, you…!"

A look of pure disbelief fell onto the Fleet Admiral's face, swamped with shock. 

Damien smirked from the side. "Rahahaha! It looks like Indra was a little tougher than your friend."

Kong gnashed teeth, clenching his hand. 

Seeing a 50-foot-tall Ape present such fury was maddening. It came in thick pulses of visible anger that quaked the land. 

"Xerxes, we started as brothers in arms. You actually fell here…"

Meanwhile, Damien sighed, trying to dig up some energy. 

Boom!

A giant man landed near him, showcasing an equally giant glaive. 

"Gurararara! You really got an impressive sword by your side, Damien."

On cue, another few persons arrived, this time at Kong's side: a Buddha and a swordsman. 

"Kong-san…" the blooded Buddha muttered. 

While the other man, Garling, was shocked by something else: "Admiral Basara, what on earth has befell you?"

His words were for the final man who had arrived. Basara's glorious brown marine attire was in tatters, ripped up. 

The man looked at the Saint, his face carrying a mix of shame and anger. 

…

"Kuhuhuhu! *Cough* that may have been me…"

Damien looked to the side and saw a limping Solomon at Silver Axe's side.

"I never thought to see Basara's face with such despair. What did you do to him?"

Solomon smirked, exposing a few broken teeth and bloody lips. "His will is broken!"

The Spirit of Fear recounted the emotions he felt hidden within The Mountain, "I could see pieces of what left him like this... His heart wavered when he failed at G-2. Then again, when the Navy lost at Superbia. Finally, returning to see his home island destroyed by Rocks was the last straw…"

Solomon licked his lips at the delicious fright of the Admiral he had harvested, "His greatest fear is failing in the Absolute Justice that defined his life. He's no longer the man he once was!"

'The spirit of The Mountain has collapsed?' Damien echoed with surprise etched on his face. 

"All the more reason to strike when the iron is hot!" 

"Newgate-san," Damien called for the other Titan. 

Whitebeard's chest was covered in deep cuts from Garling's blade, backed with Sengoku's shockwaves, though his face betrayed no signs of pain. "Hmm?" he grunted in question. 

Damien gave a cheeky grin. "Let's thin the crowd."

The words made the man smile, but it hid a worry: "Can you still do that in your condition?"

Damien chuckled, spitting out a wad of blood. "As long as you don't drag me down, old man."

Whitebeard laughed, agreeing to the following path of action...

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Meanwhile, Silver Axe heard their exchange and immediately moved, grabbing the fallen Solomon and pulling him back. 

Pablo, the caretaker of the downed Kaen and Hensō, followed suit. 

"Hehe…" Damien stood by Whitebeard's side, the two separated by a small distance.

A sharp hissing wind began to build up, flooding in an ominous front.

Ryushi appeared in the undying pirate's hand. He held up like a bat, reeling it to his left shoulder. Whitebeard, with his Murakumogiri, mirrored the motion.

The ground began to shake, trembling hard enough to create cracks around the duo. 

"!!!" Kong, Sengoku and Garling felt the budding threat, their survival instincts firing through the roof. 

*Purrup* They saw Whitebeard's glaive covered in a white bubble with enough power to sink the island. 

*Krrrrr* Next up was Damien's Ryushi which began to quake with volatile crimson energy, turning nearby air currents to void. 

The sheer collection of brute strength and dense Haki had sent pulses of danger out, effectively graying the atmosphere and plunging it with a deathly cold wind.

"That will sink the island!" Kong roared. 

Garling gnashed his teeth, subconsciously taking a step back. "It'll create an opening for them to flee. We have to stop it!"

Sengoku sucked in a cold breath, shaking his head. "There's no way to stop that!"

All of them were fully aware of the chaos about to arrive but could do nothing about it. 

The island seemed to hold its breath as Whitebeard's towering frame shifted beside Damien's. Black lightning crackled, the sky itself warping under the weight of their combined power. Murakumogiri hummed with cataclysmic energy while Ryushi swirled with volatile crimson force, distorting the very air. Together, their auras grew—an unstoppable storm of brute strength and unfathomable destruction.

What followed was hell itself. 

It was a mix of blue and red, an attack born from the combined force of absolute destruction and atomic dismantling—a forbidden union, one that had the strength to shred an island.

The winds screamed and thrashed, bowing to the relentless storm of energy, twisting the very fabric of the battlefield into chaos. Amidst the rising cacophony, the two titans roared in unison:

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""Judgement Day!""

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And then—

BOOOOOOM!

The world detonated with an unimaginable force, sending shockwaves ripping through what remained of the Cradle of the Gods, swallowing everything in its path.

[Attack Image (in Discord)]

To Be Continued...

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Author's Corner.

Indra's Warborn lineage has been mentioned a few times now. Made in the image of the Lunarians, but according to Kong, they are a "failed experiment." You may also remember Bloodspawn Mors being mentioned in Chapter 139. 

Meanwhile, a tired Damien unleashed hell alongside Whitebeard… With Xerxes dead, how do you think the Navy will survive this?

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q