Candle Dragon!
If one were to compare it to Kaido, it would be the Blazing Dragon Torch. Both were strikes that pushed the power of the fire element to its absolute limit!
In this instant, Erensig transformed into a giant dragon once more, the massive red dragon's body erupting in scorching flames!
Roar!
As Erensig's strongest strike, this formidable power even illuminated the entire Dream World! The immense energy manifested as physical destruction, making the Music Demon King's body appear as if it were being incinerated from the inside out. Yet, this titanic power was merely intended to coordinate with Keiko on the outside!
The Music Demon King's power bled outward, staining the heavens and earth in a dark, bruised red. Violent energy manifested as crimson lightning, relentlessly tearing the island apart. However, amidst this apocalyptic scenery, Keiko's body radiated a brilliant, divine light!
Her Enrakyōten manifested Ryūjin Jakka. This was originally an ability copied from Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's Zanpakutō, but under Keiko's mastery, it exploded with power even greater than Yamamoto himself!
Boom!
Terrifying flames erupted from her blade, slamming into Tot Musica! In this singular moment, the Tot Musica of both worlds simultaneously endured this incomparably powerful explosion of fire!
The Music Demon King's body emitted a searing hiss as if being branded; his form began to warp and twist, and then... it actually began to shrink!
As his frame contracted, space distorted once more. Erensig tore through a Garganta from the dream space. Emerging, he saw an ominous black mist radiating from Tot Musica's remains and immediately opened his maw! The massive red dragon inhaled, instantly swallowing the black smoke that was once the Demon King!
Munch-Munch Fruit!
With the reinforcement of the Munch-Munch Fruit, Erensig's devouring capability as a Hollow was enhanced to the extreme! Before Tot Musica could dissipate, he had been swallowed whole.
As such a powerful Demon King entered his body, Erensig felt an immediate sense of bloating, as if his physical form had expanded by a size. Immense power surged into him, but it was accompanied by a violent mental assault! This Music Demon King was a monster passed down from ancient times; in the current era, perhaps only old monsters like Imu and the Five Elders knew his true origins. Such an ancient creature possessed not only vast power but a terrifying torrent of consciousness within its soul.
As a Hollow, Erensig devours souls and their memories, but an excess of foreign memories can muddle one's own cognition. Sometimes a Hollow can lose itself during the devouring process, leading to a clash of personalities that might birth a completely new ego.
Erensig would never allow this. He generally separates the soul from the consciousness. Although he is Beltz's clone and cannot fully utilize the Subconscious ability, even a fraction of it made this task manageable. As he devoured the soul, he did not digest all of it; instead, he set aside a portion of the soul to act as a container for the memories and thoughts, intending to expel it once the rest was absorbed.
Erensig compressed Tot Musica's massive consciousness into a corner of the soul and severed it from the main body. This was no simple feat, especially given the sheer magnitude of the Demon King's spiritual energy. By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat and his face had turned pale. The initial feeling of power-inflation from the feast had subsided significantly.
He opened his mouth and spat out a single wisp of black smoke.
"Phew..."
Erensig exhaled softly. Tot Musica's power began to flow through his veins, but digesting it would be no quick task. In One Piece, Tot Musica was a legendary Demon King; in the world of Bleach, he would be a top-tier powerhouse. Even Erensig couldn't digest such a being instantly. By his estimation, it would take several months to fully process this power!
However, if he succeeds, his strength will experience a meteoric rise, conservatively estimated to catch up with Beltz's main body. Generally, devouring doesn't result in 100% efficiency; much power is lost during digestion. If it were otherwise, the Espada could simply eat each other to create a "Super Vasto Lorde" with ten times a Captain's Reiatsu, and someone like Yamamoto or Aizen would be easily defeated!
With the Munch-Munch Fruit, Erensig significantly increased his efficiency, but 100% energy transfer was still impossible. He would digest the remaining power slowly. He glanced at Keiko, who gave a slight nod, and the two parted ways again.
They were both heading to Elbaf next, but they each had different objectives. Different people to recruit! Erensig had to find the Golden Lion, while Keiko went to find Roger. They would all converge at Elbaf.
When that happens, Elbaf's combat strength will reach an inconceivable level. Even if Keiko doesn't act personally, the battlefield of Elbaf will host Harald, Loki, Erensig, Shiki, Roger, and Gremmy—all absolute titans—plus powerful lieutenants like Rayleigh, Gaban, and Oden. Combined with the massive army of Elbaf giants, this force is truly staggering.
But first, he had to find Shiki and persuade him to go. Shiki and Beltz were partners; if Beltz asked, Shiki would surely go. But Shiki didn't know Erensig, so persuading him would require some effort. After leaving Wano for Elegia and fighting the Demon King, Erensig now returned to Wano.
Wano, Hachinosu
Shiki was currently staring blankly at several photographs and secret letters. Shiki was both a pirate and an underworld kingpin; he was once called the "Grandmaster of the Underworld" due to his immense reputation in the dark world. His intelligence network was vast, with moles planted in multiple organizations.
Currently, he was reading a report from a mole within the Navy. It stated that the Navy was making a major move, secretly recalling elite officers from across the globe. They expected to gather 100,000 officers of rank Captain and above within three months! Such a massive mobilization was no ordinary exercise!
Perhaps they were finally coming for him! Furthermore, there was another report... before the Navy began gathering troops, a strange phenomenon occurred at Mary Geoise. According to his contact, everyone clearly felt a burst of power so intense it felt like a physical collision.
Not just the Navy, but something had changed at Mary Geoise as well. His brow furrowed deeply.
"Does the famous Golden Lion also have moments of such distress?"
A voice suddenly rang out, but Shiki did not panic; the intruder hadn't tried to hide their presence at all. The sense of power was so strong one didn't even need Observation Haki to perceive it. Indeed, Erensig wasn't hiding; the process of digesting Tot Musica kept his soul in a constant state of overflow. He couldn't hide his aura even if he wanted to! So, he approached openly.
Since this was Shiki's first time meeting Erensig, he simply snorted: "A sneaky brat. Die!"
He immediately launched an attack! His twin blades slashed forward without mercy—a starting move backed by the black lightning of Conqueror's Coating! In terms of raw power, Erensig couldn't yet match Shiki, but blocking a single strike wasn't difficult. Even without entering his Resurrección state, he wouldn't be blown away by such an opening move.
Boom!
Erensig also drew his blade, holding it with both hands to block Shiki's twin swords!
"You've got some skill!" Shiki grinned savagely. "But if that's all you've got, you're dead meat!"
"There's no need to start with killing," Erensig said calmly, unfazed by the pressure. "I am here on behalf of Beltz. He has matters to discuss with you but cannot show his face for certain reasons, so he asked me to find you."
"Hmm?" Shiki's brow furrowed. It had indeed been a long time since he'd seen Beltz. Before leaving, Beltz had mentioned he might be gone for years or even a decade. Now, he finally had news of Beltz, but from a complete stranger.
"Where is Beltz? Why isn't he showing himself?" Shiki asked coldly. That guy was a master of disappearing—just as sudden as when he first appeared.
"As I said, he has important things to do, so he sent me," Erensig explained. "He knew you wouldn't believe me easily, so he told me to say: the follow-up to what you did at Elbaf is about to begin."
At the mention of "Elbaf," Shiki's interest piqued! He and Beltz had once gone to Elbaf and thwarted the World Government's plan to annex Elbaf. Only those involved knew the details. If this person wasn't an agent of the Five Elders, he had to be connected to Beltz.
"Oh? A follow-up? What kind?"
"The World Government is going to declare war on Elbaf," Erensig said solemnly. "This war will be extraordinary—far bloodier and more intense than the previous conflict! No, it will surpass any war recorded in history!"
"What?!" Shiki was shocked. To him, the peak of warfare was the God Valley incident. That battle had gathered the Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates, countless other crews, the Navy, the Holy Knights, and even the "Ultimate existence" of the World Government had taken the field! Looking back, that roster was incredibly luxurious.
Now, a war surpassing God Valley was about to break out at Elbaf? Shiki found it hard to believe. For a battle to reach that scale, the World Government would have to empty its nest. Would they really abandon their base like that?
"The World Government's combat power has been vastly increased," Erensig explained. "New powerhouses have emerged, and even the Five Elders have become stronger. Our strength alone is insufficient to stop them. That is why, in addition to you, we have invited Roger. Even Harald is returning."
"Roger!" Shiki exclaimed at the name. "That bastard is going to Elbaf too?!"
Shiki still held a strong obsession with Roger, having been defeated by him years ago. Even after all this time, he couldn't let it go. Hearing that Roger would be there immediately gave him all the motivation he needed.
"I know what you're going to say." Shiki sheathed his blades and lit a cigar. "Tell Roger that I'm coming to Elbaf. Once the World Government is dealt with, he and I will finally settle our score!"
Puffing on his cigar, Shiki finally understood the secret letter he'd received. So, the Navy was gathering troops for a war on Elbaf. They were truly insane. Not only was Elbaf the strongest nation in the world, but there were many giants within the Navy itself—many of whom hailed from Elbaf! Was the World Government really going to make those giants attack their own home?
Many would likely refuse and find themselves in naval prisons. But... the Celestial Dragons' forces have grown stronger? What Erensig said matched the intelligence he'd gathered perfectly.
"What's your name?" Shiki asked suddenly.
"Erensig," he replied, preparing to leave. "I've delivered the message. I won't be traveling with you. See you at Elbaf."
With that, Erensig departed, transforming back into a Great Red Dragon and flying straight toward Elbaf.
"Another dragon," Shiki muttered, watching the transformation from his window. "Beltz is an Azure Dragon, and this guy is a Red Dragon. Are they some kind of dragon clan?"