A/N: If I didn't say thank you to the reviewers personally. A huge thanks to Firestorm337, El Pirato, TheDork2Life, Bl0gmOnKeY78, DanteDeLaMuerte, caedwards, BlackBear59—blessed for every single one. As always enjoy the read
High councilor Luffy and deadman Ace sat quietly in an empty wooden shack in the middle of the a thicket of snowy trees. The woodland area remained still and unmoving as the pair listened intensely awaiting the new god's arrival.
The pair of brothers had wisely chosen a secluded island a good distance from Drum Island. The small population of inhabitants of the island long abandoned their unsatisfactory home for greener pastures after the fall of the previous World Government.
Ace agreed overwhelmingly, considering if the fight took place in the capital it could lead to massive devastation. There was no telling how powerful the supposed god truly was. Though the duo had to admit, it was ingenious for the god to murder using no powers—It kept people off his trail. However a crime like that was fit for a psychopath, certainly these gods did not care about human life.
The brothers continued to sit in silence with Ace tapping his foot impatiently and Luffy drumming his fingers along the table losing his patience as well.
"He said in two nights right? It's been that, it's morning now, the suns already coming up." Ace stated breaking the silence. It was true, nighttime had passed hours ago as the sun's rays peaked through the cracks in the shed.
Loud banging could be heard going on outside the perimeter of the shack.
"He's here." Ace smirked at his brother as the two stood from their seats.
The new god known as Delta banged on the door repeatedly, "Come on out! It's no use hiding anymore. More importantly I know what you are!" the voice sounded angry and slurred.
"What a surprise this fucker is drunk." Ace said with a knowing look.
"How do you know?" Luffy asked approaching the door.
"Come on brother, you think I can't tell when someone's shit faced." Ace stated crossing his arms.
Luffy could only shake his head, his brother wasn't helping his situation at the moment. "I'll handle this alone." He said regarding Ace for a moment before turning his attention back to the door.
"No need for this to get bloody—I'll make your death quick and painless." Delta shouted through the door taunting the high councilor.
Luffy flung the shack's wooden door coming face to face with the new god. Delta didn't look anything like a god, his appearance resembled that of an average man in his late twenties. From his bald head, to partially braided long brown beard, to his simple clothing all seemed human—peasant like. The only thing that seemed peculiar were the tattoos that covered the majority of his torso with the exception of a few areas. The markings covering his body were in a language he'd seen only in Hell.
Delta slowly backed away as the high councilor stepped out from the doorway. The god examined Luffy once more smirking to himself.
"Huh, thought you'd be bigger," Delta stated before taking a few steps closer, "But you're definitely the one."
Luffy didn't say anything not impressed nor intrigued by this ordinary looking person.
Delta broke the silence, "Long way from home aren't ya?" He asked knowing damn well why they were out in the middle of this forsaken island. Luffy was baited into coming here at the risk of his citizens being slaughtered by unknown means—the cards were in Delta's favor for now.
"What do you want?" Luffy asked simply wanting answers as to why they'd come to earth all of a sudden. He read about them coming back at the end of days, and today was not it—so why were they back?
Delta's eyes lit up becoming intrigued by the high councilor by the second. "Oh, you already know the answer to that."
"Whatever you new gods seek, we do not have it." Luffy said matching the man's intensity. It was clear their primary goal wasn't to wipe out all the living people on the planet.
"You should move on, tell your almighty one to fight me, I've got no time for underlings." The high councilor stayed turning his back to Delta.
A hearty laugh stopped him in his tracks. "And here I thought the Regime were so supposed to be enlightened. So much better, so much smarter, than the previous rulers," Delta taunted flapping his hands in a yapping manner before continuing, "And yet, here you people hide in your ivory towers—like a bunch of cowards."
Luffy turned back towards Delta a determined look on his face. "You do not want this fight." He growled.
"Oh..." Delta said looking away mockingly before meeting the high councilor's fearsome gaze. "I'm pretty sure I do."
Delta decided to test Luffy's mettle backhanding him with his fist. Luffy barley flinched returning the fearsome gaze he had moments earlier ten-fold.
"Leave...My...Realm." He growled growing furious with the arrogant god.
"You're going to have to kill me for that to happen." Delta said evenly awaiting his opponents next move before striking Luffy's face and following it up with a body shot.
As Delta aimed another strike, Luffy swiftly caught the fist before it could reach his face. "I warned you—" he said pulling back Delta's fist before dealing a furious blow to the god's face sending him tumbling backwards over his shoulder landing on the ground.
"No...No,no,no, , no, no,no." Delta repeated resting on a knee.
Luffy walked over to the man pulling him to his feet by his arm.
" turn." Delta said reeling his left arm back and landing an uppercut to Luffy before he could blink sending him high into the air.
Ace could only watch, stunned seeing his brother hit the far side of the shack's roof as he came to a crashing halt. Delta stood on top of the shack leaping into the air, aiming to stomp on Luffy, who managed to see it coming rolling out of the way of the devastating knee slam.
Delta approached Luffy slowly as he got to his feet. "How incredibly disappointing. Come on, then."
The new god made no move as Luffy struck blows to his body sending him crashing through a nearby tree.
Delta simply got up waving him to come forth, the high councilor did so igniting his fists in flames. The god responded igniting his forearms in green light matching Luffy blow for blow.
"Chaos Flame Jet Pistol!" The flaming fist caught Luffy off guard catching him right between the eyes sending Delta staggering backwards.
As Luffy prepared to strike with another one, Delta waited till the last second before flare stepping away dodging the outstretched fist. The two brothers were surprised by the speed as he ended up directly behind Luffy before he could blink.
Delta's eyes and tattoos shined with green light as he slammed his fists on the ground hitting Luffy with a shockwave tremor sending him flying across the small wooded area before he skidded to halt.
"You bore me!" Came Delta's voice from near the shack. His body once again lit up in green energy as he flare stepped in a zig zag motion coming at high speeds towards Luffy.
Luffy barley dodged as the powerful kick smashed a tree effortlessly. As Delta prepped another energy strike, Luffy parried with his hellfire arm sending the god on his heels.
Ace watched as the two dueled ferociously destroying the half the trees and boulders in the area. It was good that Luffy was saving his next form for the back half of the fight. Based on what he'd seen the short statured being was truly a god. Apparently the flames did damage him but he recovered from it, not any other opponents have done that. Also the flare step the man was using had been faster than nearly every evasive move he witnessed. The deadman pumped his fist in the air shouting in excitement seeing Luffy once again parry Delta's energy-laced fist sending the god flying through several trees.
Still Delta stood up in a second once again taunting the high councilor. "So slow..." he said holding arms out mockingly.
Luffy charged connecting fists with Delta obliterating all nearby trees and boulders in the area. The harsh winds blew from the moderately sized crater the two found themselves in.
With an enraged yell Delta flare stepped striking Luffy in the stomach sending him in the air. Before he could ascend, Delta clutched his ankles slamming him face first into the ground.
Delta tossed Luffy up into the air, tackling him before he could react. The two flew through the air crashing onto the roof of the wooden shack.
"You can't hope to defeat me just give up...Pain stops. Real simple." Delta said wrapping his hands around Luffy's neck. Delta reeled his right fist above his head attempting to strike the high councilor. Luffy moved his head to the side as the shack's roof received a gaping hole from the punch.
Before Delta could think of striking again, Luffy had his hand latched on the god's slamming Delta into the roof as they switched positions.
Delta rolled his calf around Luffy's grabbing his neck forcing them to switch positions.
With a frustrated grunt, Luffy stuck his forearm into Delta's neck before using his momentum to roll the god on his back pinning him to the roof.
One hand on his neck and other raised above him Luffy dealt powerful blows to the god's head. Even as he tried to counter and gain the upper hand, Luffy countered right back; switching his striking hand to continue his assault. The punches came fast and furious as Delta's head bounced off the roof from the impact.
"Leave! My! Home!" Luffy shouted in frustration not bothering to stop his assault before bringing his two flaming fists down on Delta sending them both through the shack's weakened roof.
Delta immediately recovered, adopting a wrestling style Luffy recognized when from his time sparring with Franky. The god clutched Luffy's torso from behind suplexing him into the snowy ground before kicking the downed man powerfully, sending him through a couple of trees.
Delta walked slowly towards Luffy as he clutched onto a large fallen tree.
"It's always nice to put a name to face. Your the Luffy that woman went on and on about desperately seeing again, what was her name?" Delta questioned to himself scratching his beard. He could see the anger radiating off Luffy not previously seen. 'So this it really is him'
Delta smirked seeing the darkened expression of the high councilor as he turned slightly to look at the god.
"Struck a nerve did I?!" Delta taunted with an expression of humor. Before Delta could blink Luffy snatched the large tree violently smashing it against him.
Delta coughed loudly as his back hit the shack's wall. In a flash Luffy tackled him through the walls, ramming him through the wooden building, running all the way into a pile of boulders with a tree seeping into the formation.
The new god smashed both his fists against Luffy's back sending him to the ground.
"Mortals. Obsolete and inferior, you never should've come here." Delta spoke taunting the high councilor once again. Luffy glanced at the god to see the wounds and cuts from his hellfire and from the battle heal instantaneously; just like him.
"So! Care to try again?!"
Luffy was growing sick and tired of his arrogant taunting, he just wanted to fight in without words.
"You talk too much." Luffy growled standing up in an instant. He grabbed the god by the back of his neck landing a solid punch to the sternum, then another one connected to his face.
Delta swiftly stepped around the next punch intending to knock him out, ending up behind Luffy. Delta began to let out his own speedy flurry of punches on Luffy's body and face. As Luffy threw a counter punch, Delta flare stepped out of reach before his torso and arms lit up in green energy as he shoulder slammed Luffy into the rock formation.
Luffy ended up stuck in between large roots and various rocks as the formation threatened to collapse on him. Again the god's jeered voice bellowed out.
"You won't talk? Fine. You know I remember her name now, Nami, thats it right?" Delta asked rhetorically in a sneer tone.
Luffy's eyes widened slightly remembering his past life about his navigator and friend. It was true, the new gods had encountered her in the afterlife.
"Oh, you should've been there. How happy you two must've been, living in La-La land. Her only request was too see her beloved captain one last time."
Cerulean and Black flames started oozing off Luffy's body as his horns began to grow and his body expanded, steam rolling off the dragon transformation.
"It's too bad since she's going to be married off to my dear brother and you'll be dead and sent back to hell; where you belong—don't worry we'll take much better care then you d—"
With an enraged yell Luffy emerged in his newly christened form charging Delta. The god felt his back smashing into a large tree as Luffy struck him across the face drawing blood.
The high councilor effortlessly tossed him aside picking up the large tree, tearing it from the splintered stump, charging Delta. The tree smashed into Delta's stomach as Luffy rammed the god through the hole of the rock formation bursting through the other side into another wooded area as Luffy crushed Delta's abdomen into a gargantuan boulder.
The god seemed on the thrill of seat enjoying every second of the fight now. "This just got interesting!" He shouted shredding the log into chunks and splinters before laying a hard right hook to Luffy causing him to stagger slightly.
Ace witnessed the combatants clash fists once more with Luffy quickly gaining the upper hand. His hellfire gatling riddled Delta with forceful blows as his body smashed against the rocks only to be pounced in again.
"Pointless!" the god yelled towards the high councilor before charging up his hands in energy.
Luffy continued his merciless rage landing blow after blow to Delta who took the beating in stride.
"You are a fool!" Delta bellowed negating Luffy's hellfire elephant gun with his own energy shockwave.
Luffy attempted to end the battle trying to get close to Delta trying to deal a lethal blow. However the god was ready swiftly hit him in the sternum sending him through a tree. The small hole in Luffy's stomach rapidly closed in seconds.
"I don't have time for th—" before he could finish Luffy's clawed hand snatched his head burying it in the asphalt snowy ground, before charging his horns; cerulean and black flames with light particles gathered rapidly before engulfing the the opponents in a shroud of hellfire, incinerating the nearby area.
Ace flew up higher into the sky to get a better view at the destruction caused by the devastating blast radius. Luffy's hellfire attacks reminded Ace of nuclear weapons, it was a wonder how he could contain such power. The deadman flew closer to see Luffy standing above the large blacked crater as the flames begin to die out.
'Is it over?' Ace wondered surveying the surrounding area a little closer.
"Well you're a vicious one aren't you? If I wasn't a god, I'd be nothing but ashes right now." Delta said rising from the crater with a few burn marks.
To say Delta was impressed would be an understatement. The form Luffy took had increased his power dramatically, it would be a shame to have to kill such a wonder of earth realm.
"What do you hope to accomplish by killing me? It won't bring her back you know, nothing will." Delta spoke walking toward the high councilor.
"That's where you're wrong, if I kill you, the rest of you will come after me and I'll force them to take me to the afterlife." Luffy responded earning a snicker from Delta.
"You don't get it do you? No humans have ever set foot in its entire existence. You're a strong one, I'll give you that. But your no god, even if you kill me, I'm only the fourth strongest in my family. By some fucking miracle you make it through all of us, the almighty will find you and end you, in an instant. Is that woman really worth all that trouble, to take on the Gods?!" Delta inquired balling his fists. There was something in Luffy's stare that unnerved him—no fear.
"She is." He said simply.
Delta shook his head. "You'll go through all that just to be disappointed. Why settle for you when she can have a god. There's nothing you can do to stop my brother from getting what he wants."
"What's his name?"
"Alpha, he's the leader of the new gods and he's found his new omega—your navigator."
The enraged look returned as hellfire surrounded Luffy, the embers flowing from his body. "Then I'll have to stop all that, and it starts with your death."
Delta smirked. "So you're actually gonna do it huh? This could've been so easy, you should've just found someone else," The god sighed, "but I just love me a battle to death."
The two foes clashed locking hands creating another crater from the pressure exerted from their power. Luffy gained the upper hand briefly landing a fiery hook to Delta's cheek sending him on his back. Wasting no time, he snatched the god's ankles swinging him around like a rag doll.
Delta laughed at the pure joy he was having at his first real fight in a centuries. Luffy flung him right back into the boulder causing him to cough out some blood from the forceful impact. Delta slumped to a sitting position, not having anytime to block Luffy's clawed foot, which smashed the back of his skull into the boulder.
Luffy grabbed him by the throat slamming him against the gargantuan stone repeatedly before adding a few hooks, jabs to the body, an uppercut, and finally a fist straight to the nose smashing his skull into the rock once again.
Delta slumped onto the ground after Luffy tossed him aside. The high councilor ignited his hellfire blade cutting the bottom half of the boulder off before forcefully slamming it onto the downed god.
After a few moments of no movement, Luffy noticed his brother wave from a distance near the shack. He began to leisurely walk back the way he came before Delta's taunting voice returned.
"Leaving so soon?"
Luffy sensing what was coming, wasted no time summoning his hellfire lance in a flash, jamming the spear into the boulder shattering it to a million pieces.
The god flew through the air locking fists with the high councilor. The opponents held one another's fists tearing the island slowly apart from the force of their stalemate.
"When Alpha sent me here, I didn't anticipate this. I expected you to move on and not interfere with us, but no, YOU had to act all proud. Throw whatever you have at me... I'll keep coming. Despite your transformation, your mortal body will give out before I end this" Delta said increasing the pressure on his grip before continuing, "I just want you to know one thing...I can't feel any of this."
Delta landed a left hook to Luffy's head before uppercutting his sternum before tossing him high into the air.
The high councilor spread out his wings to halt in mid-air ready for the fast approaching god.
Ace watched as the two exchanged blows up in the air falling back down to the ground rapidly. Delta managed to remain on top landing a two-footed kick to Luffy's chest sending him down the battle trench the pair created.
Quickly Luffy struck his razor sharp claws out dragging them against the metamorphic rocks, sending chunks down the massive crevice in the island. Luffy took a few moments to recapture his wind; this guy's strength was his stamina and durability; it proved troublesome to keep up with.
Luffy began his ascent climbing slowly still recovering his stamina.
"You've seen it with your own eyes; you can't hurt me. Nothing can." Delta bragged from the top, kicking rocks rocks into the canyon to ease his boredom. "This fight is pointless. Your struggle is pointless. It didn't have to be this way." He said the last part annoyed the fight dragged on this long.
Before he reached the very top, Delta's foot smashed in front of Luffy's hands causing the rocks to fall into the crevice. The high councilor swiftly used his wings to glide to opposite side of the canyon.
"Pathetic. You can't win." Delta smirked pacing back and forth; it was all about mind games in his arsenal. If he could get in his opponent's' head, half the battle was already won. So far Luffy had proven to be mentally strong, nothing gotten to the leader of the free world except—
Delta flare stepped speedily towards Luffy as he nimbly dodged the incoming energized fist.
The foes stood only feet apart death glaring at one another.
"Let's finish this." Delta said smiling widely. Despite his outwardly taunting the god was having the time of his life.
Ace couldn't believe the speed in which the two moved as Luffy ignited his hellfire blades to battle the energized god. Green and Cerulean/Black danced wildly basking the island in a glow probably to be seen from miles away. The way Luffy countered Delta's movements meant he was slowly taking the upper hand, slicing away at the weakening god.
Despite his weakening state, Ace could only shake his head as the god through out more sneering comments.
"You can't beat me!"
"I feel NOTHING!"
"NOTHING!"
"Lanza Del Infernio!" The lance sparked with hellfire as it collided with the green God's energy sending the god flying at a high speed into the ground from the massive explosion, as his energy dissipated.
Before Delta could move, Luffy gripped his ankles throwing the weakened god toward the canyon as he nearly fell into the abyss, barley holding on by a thread. Luffy roughly grabbed the man's throat slamming him into the ground.
"I-I see now, how much you wish to get her back. You've got a long way to go and a lot tougher fights ahead, b-but you have plenty to fight for. The world, yourself, her... hell the way you battle...brutal, unmercifully, admirably...you finally made me feel something!"
Delta reached out for the high councilor as he swiftly flipped around laying under Delta's back, interlocking his right calf with the god's to prevent his escape while grappling his forearms around the god's neck.
The struggling god tried to reach his arms back to grasp Luffy's face threatening to gouge his eyes out. Luffy managed to stretch his neck slightly to keep out of Delta's range.
"W-what is your name mortal?!" Delta said starting to wheeze from pressure bing applied.
"Monkey D. Luffy, high councilor of the free world and killer of gods." He said tightening his grip.
"Ha, that's good. I'm Delta the fourth strongest member of the new gods and son of the almighty one." Delta could feel the air leaving his lung struggling to breath. "Y-you want to see your w-woman again right? Finish it, finish me, go on do it! It's all pointless anyway, it's all a joke—you won't live to see her, but I wish you luck...I finally felt something..." Delta smirked gleefully before his neck snapped forcefully nearly twisting a full three hundred sixty degrees.
Luffy laid still for a moment reverting to his original form, shoving Delta's deceased body off him. Taking a deep sigh he finally was getting somewhere after following this religious trail; it annoyed him to end but after this the new gods would certainly come for him. If he could defeat them he was once step closer to reuniting with Nami in the afterlife.
The bright sky began to shine brighter with no clouds in sight. His eyes began to shut slowly before Ace's voice broke him from distant stare.
"Well baby bro you did, you're officially a god killer now, this is what we wanted right?" Ace asked regarding the deceased body for a moment.
"Yes," Luffy stood up looking toward his brother, "We have to gather the council and prepare for the new gods arrival, I know I said two months but this is an emergency especially since I killed their brother—no telling what they'll do."
"Well at least we are one step closer now towards reuniting you with Nami, and you know we'll all help you do it even if it ends in our deaths." Ace spoke earning a nod from Luffy.
"I'm glad to hear, we shouldn't waste time let's head back and alert everyone know to leave early tomorrow morning." Luffy exclaimed glancing toward the sky as clouds started floating by reminding him of his goal. 'Please hold on Nami, I promised I'd always be there and I will.'
"By the way, I should use this body as my new one don't you think?" Ace asked with a grin earning a frown from his brother.
"Don't even think about it, I just killed the guy and his neck is all twisted up, have some common decency Ace." Luffy said earnestly slinging the god's corpse over his shoulder.
"Says the slob, who has a bottomless pit for a stomach." Ace smirked towards his brother earning one back before they both took off into the sky ripping the clouds open as the pair went.
Back in the One-City, Alpha sat at his desk reading up on the intel reports of the navigator sent to them by Scarlett—she didn't have a choice in the matter. The orangette would be his wife wether she agreed to it or not.
He hadn't even noticed the doors being slammed open by the old man with glasses screaming his head off.
Alpha barley spared him a glance focusing on the photo of Nami intently wanting to visit her at the moment, a devious glint in his eye.
"Alpha!"
He glanced up finally taking his attention off the reports. "What is it gramps, I'm busy."
"Brother Delta he...he's dead. Scouts say the high councilor defeated him and took his body to the capital city."
Alpha had no outward reaction only focusing on his balled fists. "I see..." he stood up before continuing, "my brother...he died a warrior...with no legacy...dammit." The leader slammed his fists into the table causing the old man to take a slight step back.
"I swear you will be avenged Delta...Gramps," He said authoritatively glaring at the old man, "rally the brothers, we're making our move immediately."
Gramps bowed closing the door quickly. Alpha took his seat again placing the reports of the navigator in the drawer. He would make sure this 'Luffy' would never get close to her again; it was time for them to meet face to face.
"Luffy, it's time for you to forfeit your world to us and your woman." Alpha spoke to himself standing up and exiting the room following gramps into the heart of the otherworldly fortress.
A/N: Next- The Emperors' day off. As always thanks for the read.