Chapter 491: Ragnarok - Prelude
The howling wind roared, the island trembled, and the air was thick with the scorching scent of lightning and the tearing vibrations of Haki.
The blood-red sky was fractured by interwoven light and sword aura; even the firmament itself was shuddering.
The final war of the New World—Ragnarok—had completely erupted!
—Deep within the island.
SWOOSH—!!!
Golden light flickered, and sword aura surged like a tide.
Kizaru's figure transformed into a beam of light, darting through the forest. Every flash was accompanied by the collapse of the ground.
He tapped the void with the tip of his foot, and in the next moment, the entire forest was sliced into fragments by countless rays of light. The searing air churned with the smell of burning.
"Oh my~ You're just as fierce as ever, Saint Garling~"
Kizaru's tone remained lazy, but his footwork was astonishingly fast.
A Light Speed Kick swept down from the sky, BAM—! instantly blasting a crater a hundred meters deep into the ground!
"Light speed?"
On the ground, Saint Garling snorted coldly mid-dash, his expression dark.
He gripped his sword with both hands. The blade was as black as ink, and gravity ripples resembling dark currents churned around the edge.
"Nothing more than this."
Before his words fell, a black light violently erupted!
Saint Garling fiercely swung his sword. In that instant, the air seemed to be drained, as if even the light itself was swallowed!
The entire forest was silently cleaved apart in a flash, and even Kizaru's golden light was warped and torn by the momentum of the sword.
"Ooh wow... it even ate the light?" Kizaru raised an eyebrow.
With a flash of golden light, his entire person instantly darted out of the strike zone.
In the next instant, the sword aura howled past where he had just stood, completely leveling the forest!
Light and Sword—clashing madly deep within the island.
—On another side of the battlefield.
"Cerberus!"
A cold shout pierced the air.
The rapier in Saint Shamrock's hand suddenly vibrated, the blade flashing with blood-red light patterns.
With a gentle wave, space abruptly detonated!
"ROAR—!!!!"
The rock layers shattered, flames spewed forth, and a Hound of Hades—a Cerberus—soared into the sky from the blade itself!
It was pitch-black all over, its eyes burning with dark purple flames. Its three heads roared simultaneously, each mouth gripping a sharp longsword.
Swirling around its body was the unique trait of an Awakened Mythical Zoan user—dark Flame Clouds!
Lightning illuminated its hideous fangs and the dripping black flames.
That oppressive aura made the very air emit a low, whimpering hum.
Enel's eyes narrowed, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly before turning into a sinister grin:
"Heh... To think it's a weapon that ate a Mythical Zoan Fruit?"
He tilted his head, electric arcs dancing across his body, his golden staff crackling with energy.
"What a ridiculous piece of technology~"
In the next moment—
"Raimei: Bansho (Thunder: All Creation)!!!"
Lightning erupted from within him. Hundreds of millions of volts of electricity detonated in the air, pouring down like a waterfall. The golden staff was completely coated in electric arcs and Armament Haki, transforming into the spear of a Thunder God as it struck toward the Cerberus!
"ROAR—!!!"
The Hound of Hades roared with all three heads, sweeping its three blades simultaneously!
Flames and black mist wove into a storm, each sword carrying scorching black flames to meet that golden flash!
"BOOM—!!!"
The collision of lightning and flames kicked up an energy storm hundreds of meters high!
Electric arcs turned into a swarm of golden snakes slithering across the Hound of Hades, while dark flames rolled back, swallowing the lightning.
Enel stepped on the lightning, his staff striking in rapid succession. His speed was so fast that even the air couldn't withstand it, the explosions sounding like a relentless barrage of cannon fire!
Saint Shamrock stood in the back, the longsword in his hand flashing as he continuously unleashed sword auras to coordinate with the Cerberus's offensive.
The corners of his mouth curled into a cold sneer: "God of Thunder?"
"Heh, nothing but a mortal who knows how to flash."
Hearing this, Enel laughed out of extreme fury, the lightning surging wildly!
"Mortal?!" He roared, the entire firmament illuminated by his thunder.
"Then let me show you—what a true God looks like!!!"
"RUMBLE—!!!!"
The sky exploded, and a pillar of golden lightning pierced straight through the clouds. The Cerberus roared as it met the attack. Demonic flames and lightning intertwined into a devastating vortex, swallowing the entire battlefield in a purgatory-like sea of light!
—On the other side.
The gale howled, and the firelight reflected against the sky.
The entire highland was torn into scorched earth by the aftershocks of the battle. Rocks collapsed like quicksand, and the blistering wind swept up waves of dust and raging flames.
Zephyr's entire body was clad in ultimate Armament Haki. His arms were as black as iron, the surfaces burning with intense azure flames.
With a single step, the earth was vaporized into charcoal; wherever his fists aimed, airwaves roared.
Opposite him was Shanks, draped in the silver-white cape of a Celestial Dragon, his red hair dancing wildly, both of his arms perfectly intact.
The Conqueror's Haki radiating from his body was like a blood-red storm, shaking heaven and earth!
The famous sword "Griffon" in his hand flashed with red light. The sword aura was like a tide, his killing intent like a sea.
The two clashed madly in the air, erupting with visible shockwaves.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
Every clash made the world tremble.
The collision of fist and sword was enough to kick up explosive impacts akin to volcanic eruptions.
Flames, wind pressure, and Haki intertwined; even the sea level was shocked into forming fissures!
Zephyr grinned, the azure flames surging along his black arms.
"Shanks—you've got both your arms back," he laughed darkly in anger, "but with this little bit of strength, you can't uphold the title of a 'God'!"
Saint Shanks' eyes sharpened. He stomped his foot, his red hair whipping wildly in the wind.
His aura skyrocketed abruptly, his Haki rolling like a tide, blood-red lightning dancing across his blade.
"—Kamusari (Divine Departure)!!!"
In that instant, the entire world seemed to stand still.
Immediately after—
"BOOM!!!!"
The red sword aura, carrying the thunderous roar of Conqueror's Haki, swept across the sky. The earth was cleaved in two in a flash, and the air was torn into a vacuum!
Facing that devastating strike, Zephyr did not retreat, but advanced!
Crossing his arms to guard his chest, azure flames erupted from his entire body, the raging fire spreading out like twin wings behind his back!
"Bring it on!!!"
He roared and charged, meeting that heaven-cleaving sword light head-on!
"BOOM—!!!!"
The collision of red light and azure flames caused heaven and earth to completely collapse!
The shockwave from the explosion swept across several kilometers. The ocean waves rolled backwards into the sky, and shattered rocks flew alongside the flames!
"Hiss—!!"
The ground beneath Shanks' feet was thoroughly pulverized. He rapidly retreated several steps, beads of sweat sliding down his temple as he stared intently at the burning, dust-filled zone.
"That guy... actually took 'Kamusari' head-on?!!"
A deep CRACK—! sound came from the air.
In the next moment, the dust and smoke were torn apart by the explosive airwaves—
Zephyr slowly stepped out from the sea of fire!
His entire body was enveloped in azure flames, and twin wings formed of fire burned upon his back!
Every beat of those azure flame wings made the air wail.
The wounds on his body were healing at a visible rate. The Haki around him merged with the flames, his aura several times stronger than before!
Zephyr's laughter resonated in the wind.
"This feeling—it really has been a long time, Shanks!!!"
Roaring, he shattered the earth beneath his feet. The azure flame wings violently propelled him, transforming him into an azure shooting star soaring into the sky!
His fists, carrying raging flames and ultimate Armament Haki, lunged straight toward Saint Shanks at an indescribable speed!
"CLANG—!!!"
The sword light and the fist collided once again, sparking fire and thunder simultaneously!
Azure flames and Conqueror's Haki entangled and detonated in mid-air. The blistering heatwave tore through heaven and earth like a tornado. The residual shockwaves swept across the edges of the entire island, blowing the seawater hundreds of meters into the air!
Thunder, azure flames, explosive light, sword aura.
The battlefields burned simultaneously. On this island cursed by fate,
The "Ragnarok" of the New World had raised its curtains!