Hi guys Azza here!
Still alive, apologies for being so damn slow on uploads but with chapters of this size and my rough work schedule it can't really be helped I'm afraid. Nevertheless I think you'll all enjoy this one!
Onto the reviews!
NoxShiningAbyssal – Hey no worries if you aren't caught up, I answer all reviews with questions so even if people aren't caught up, they do get their questions answered!
So firstly, the person on the bounty poster is very important to Natsu, Mordred and Seilah however they won't be named until Wano because they will play a pivotal role in it.
As for Wendy, she would have received an artificial eye from Porlyusica following the War, however her scars are something she's forever stuck with. I made a point of outlining in Volume I the importance of keeping them as both a reminder and a sign of growth and learning for both Natsu and her and considering how close she was to him, she follows in his example.
So for the Servants in the Skypeia Arc, I will admit that ones such as Grimmjow were requests by longtime readers to see them appear. I did want to begin including Bleach characters but considering how weak Natsu was for most of Volume II I held off because they wouldn't have really worked well during the War Arc at the end.
The idea for Alphonse was one I really wanted to try since I felt it actually matches the overall theme of FMA itself. Alphonse gets screwed over by Alchemy and yet he has Lapis Philosophorum, in essence making him a kind of Created beating out the Creator kind of entity even though I am aware he was once human.
As for Netero, I knew he had to be in an Arc relating to higher beings looking down on mortals and what better one than with Enel. I didn't have it end with the bomb since it wouldn't have done jack to Enel at all since he's a Logia and Netero was fully aware of it so instead I invented a new Type for him instead to compensate for that.
As for the Grimmjow fight, it was gonna be one of the highlights of the Arc no matter how you slice it. Grimmjow is crazy OP so having him go all in against Natsu was something I really enjoyed writing!
As for Assassin Jiraiya, that man is the Jiraiya from Gintama and he's an absolute beast if you haven't seen it. I would highly advise if you haven't to watch Gintama I've still got several Servants from it waiting to be put into this Volume. Also he actually survived the Arc by the way and will be appearing later on down the line too.
The relationship between Natsu and Robin is going to be what I'll refer to as 'Human' in nature. As you read you'll see there will be romance between them, but I won't spoil much for you aside from this. Natsu is coming off of Yugao's death, Robin is messed up mentally from all her trauma stemming back to their childhood so consider what kind of relationship that will ultimately create.
As for Mordred, this ties into her changing and these changes within her as she becomes different from any Mordred we've seen will culminate in an event that will happen during the Marineford War Arc. Also, there is a lemon scene of her in Sabaody that will no doubt completely throw you off from the way I wrote it but its all relevant, all I can ask is that you trust where I'm going with it haha!
As for Beast III, there is still much worse to be encountered yet however they all have a purpose for their presence, hence why Beast III didn't do anything hostile.
And as for Yamato, I feel like she's being hyped up way too much to just be killed off. Oda doesn't just kill of characters for no reason and her death likely wouldn't have a significant impact like Ace or Pedro's if he did do it.
Thomas MCF – Long time no see! I'll kind of sum up most of what you said in the least spoilery fashion possible!
So basically, this arc is future plot thread central right now with most of it not getting resolved until Marineford. Currently, my editing of Volume I I've set myself the goal of finishing that by June since as it stands right now I'm compiling notes for the Marineford Arc and setting up everything from the Servants and all their info, the fights and all that other good stuff. I don't always need to do this but Marineford War, because of all the key players involved, is going to be probably one of the biggest arcs I've ever done in terms of sheer scale.
Because of that I sadly had to put CEO Of Hell And Pancakes on hiatus because this is literally taking up all of my spare time to write between this, editing Vol I and the Marineford compilation. So, with that said, there will be absolute chaos and madness to come just like you hope will happen haha!
Also as for the Servant State, what they are up to will be revealed shortly and trust me it only increases the chaos to come.
As for Interspecies Reviewers, I have indeed seen the whole thing and I wish Monster Musume got the same treatment haha!
Anyway on with the story!
I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
Saber Of Nozarashi
/Grove 30/
"Even if you've decided to take this seriously, this sudden increase in power and skill just doesn't add up," Saber growled as he blocked a powerful sword strike from Natsu that still blasted him backward. "And that style … I definitely don't recall you wielding that blade like that earlier!"
"Is that right," Natsu grinned as the blade slowly began to morph, twisting at the hilt. "It's a real shame that I couldn't care less to tell you, isn't it?"
Saber's eyes narrowed as the sword morphed into a twin blade, the man before him twirling it around his body before falling into an offensive stance. As he assumed his own defensive stance, Saber's mind began to comb over everything he'd seen in the last twenty minutes since the fight had begun, trying to find even a slight hint as to the drastic shift in his opponent.
"You won't find it," Natsu laughed which genuinely shocked the Servant. "I am, as they say, entirely unpredictable!"
"You … I would've known if you'd read my mind!"
"I didn't need to," Natsu laughed again as Saber's eyes narrowed calculatingly on Natsu's own, noticing the distinct lack of humanity within it. "With a face like yours, one doesn't even need to delve into mind games!"
"Tch-!"
"I think you've been on the offensive long enough," Natsu continued as he began spinning his twin blade around behind him at blinding speed. "From here on out, the real fight begins!"
Saber grit his teeth as Natsu began firing off a seemingly endless supply of aerial slash attacks laced with Hybrid's Aura. Slashing through the first two, Saber was forced to dodge the rest as they began ripping apart the land all around them.
"See, the beauty about having a twin blade," Natsu grinned as Saber tried to appear behind him only for slashes to almost hit him, forcing him to vanish and retreat back a considerable distance. "Is that I can cover my entire person with little excess movement!"
"That isn't even remotely true," Saber snapped in response as he cut through several more slash attacks.
"It is if you can master its use," was the immediate reply, one that annoyed Saber to no end.
"Fine then," the Servant growled as he vanished and reappeared a considerable distance away. "If you're gonna be like that then I've got no choice but to start hitting back harder!"
Natsu was about to continue attacking only for an absolutely monstrous pressure to suddenly smash into the entire Archipelago. Ceasing his attack immediately, Natsu cleared even more distance from Saber who was now sporting a vicious grin.
"Ahh … It's been a damn long time since I've gotten to flex my power," Saber grinned as he looked over toward the stunned Natsu. "Now …"
Natsu immediately ducked as a blade nearly sliced his head clean off, his senses screaming for him to avoid the attack. The one swing, Natsu noted, packed as much power as the Earth Titan Terra's punches did. Being struck by it would not have simply severed his head, but instead would have blasted his body apart.
However, it was once he rose back to his full height that Natsu truly froze in shock. Saber's attack had sliced every last Yarukiman Mangrove that had been left standing at their current height, striking with enough force to blast the tops out toward the sea as they all landed with an audible crash.
"What's wrong, a little too much for you?"
"Honestly," Aava huffed in his mind as she surveyed the power behind the attack. "If you can't hack it then let me take over!"
"I can handle this, damn brat," Natsu hissed as he raised his blade to block a downward strike from Saber, the attack packing far too much force for one arm to endure. "SHIT-!"
Natsu grit his teeth as the pressure from Saber's attack ran through his lone arm, the limb not possessing enough strength alone to endure it due to the angle he'd tried to block it with using the twin blade. As a result, several seconds after the blow landed, the bone in his arm snapped with the entire arm being blown clean off several moments after.
"Well," Saber muttered in what could only be described as genuine surprise. "Can't say I'd expected that, but then again …"
"THE SWORD," Aava," shrieked in his head, forcing Natsu to wince. "That's the only thing we have that can block an attack from that blade!"
"I KNOW, SHUT UP YOU ANNOYING LITTLE SHIT," Natsu roared back as his body began to spasm. "This whole damn body is just …"
Natsu didn't have any more time to complain as a brutal kick to the chest sent him flying down into the destroyed landscape below. Landing on an angle, he skidded for awhile and ripped apart even more of it before coming to a slow stop near the coast.
"Fuck," Natsu growled as he regenerated his arm. "Good thing I can do this though …"
"Can you at least TRY to take this seriously!?"
Natsu didn't deign the Dragon with a response as Saber appeared across from him, blade still firmly clasped at his side. The Servant was no longer smiling, instead simply looking at him contemplatively.
"Tell me," Saber said as he slid his right leg backward, his blade being held out to his right side. "When exactly was the 'real fight' meant to start?"
"Not sure," Natsu chuckled in reply which only earned him narrowed eyes from the Saber Servant before him. "I could very well ask why you think holding back is such a good idea, but I don't. See, unlike you, I'm not exactly just gonna spout out my battle strategies."
"Since when did I do that," Saber asked as he noticed the spasming on Natsu's body become noticeably more violent in nature. "What-?"
Saber immediately dropped to the ground, his head striking the ground with enough force to shatter the entire section of the island as it crumbled in on itself. Below, the sea quickly reclaimed the vast section of land as the Servant heard the powerful gust of wind blast over his position.
Having sensed an attack that would have actually killed him, Saber immediately ducked. His senses had almost immediately detected the surge of Magic from Natsu that had originated several hundred metres away and at first, he had been rather confused, until he realized what kind of Magic it was.
"Cheeky bastard," Saber thought as the wind finally began to die down. "To pull off Gravity manipulation that far away and use the maximum amount of horizontal force to pull his sword back to him … shit would've sliced me clean in two as I am now!"
When he allowed himself to fall slightly in order to return to an upright position, he was just in time to see Natsu catch the blade by the hilt. What he most certainly wasn't expecting however was for Natsu to spin right as the most violent convulsion yet struck him.
"What the fuck," was all Saber could say as Natsu spun around and became an entirely different person. "What is this Dragneel, some kind of game to you!?"
"Game," the voice that most certainly wasn't Natsu's replied in amusement. "I would certainly hope not. After all, it has been nigh on a thousand years since I was able to play with my opponents. Are you in fact offering me this indulgence, Shinigami?"
Saber's eyes were wide as Natsu's clothes shifted. The figure before him now sported a pair of Blood Red suit pants with Pitch Black streaks similar to that of lightning as a secondary pattern. A Midnight Blue dress shirt with Pure White streaks of the same lightning pattern appeared however the shirt wasn't buttoned up, exposing the man's stomach and chest. Both possessing signs of heavy battle damage in the form of scars.
A pair of formal dress shoes appeared on his feet, one being Pitch Black with pulsing Blood Red vein like streaks, the other being Pure White with similar Aqua Blue. Looking up to the man's face he could see a shit eating grin on his face as he spun the blade around in his hand several times, Hybrid's Aura exploding from him as he used his free hand to run a hand through his shaggy black hair.
"Ahh, that's better," the man grinned as the twin blade turned back into a one-handed sword that he promptly sheathed. "Natsu's body is all well and good when playing the ruse against trash, but one can only fight uninhibited in their true form!"
"It's you," Saber said in genuine shock. "How can YOU be here!?"
"How can I? Do you take me for a fool," the man laughed as he extended his hands outward. "I know what you really are, there is little chance you don't know what I am!"
"Y-you're bound to his soul," the man replied in awe. "Just like …"
"Till death do us part, how romantic," the man cooed, his face devolving into a vicious smirk. "How novel you thought such a concept was native to your home world, that you lot were somehow unique amidst the chaotic plane we dub existence."
"But even still," the Servant said after recovering from his shock. "You shouldn't be able to take control, not over someone like Dragneel!"
"I fail to see how that is any issue of mine," the man laughed as he reigned in his Aura, his eyes beginning to glow Blood Red and Midnight Blue. "I am me; he is he, and we are both Hybrid. We are those who defy the norm, those whom the greater authorities amidst the Gods and Devils dub dangerous and whom they once sought to eradicate. Our very existence is no less shocking, Death God."
Saber's eye flashed dangerously as he tightened his grip on his blade, his jaw locking ever so slightly at the less than subtle jab.
"You know what I am and yet you still taunt me?"
"Of course," the man smirked in reply. "I remember your kind from back when I was a strapping young lad, fresh on the run after being discovered by a Devil in some backwater shithole of a world. In the middle of a war with no realm to call home, Terminus allocated considerable manpower in order to see me eradicated."
"I know that," Saber growled in reply which only increased the smirk on the man's face.
"To eliminate the abomination, the Council Of Terminus authorized the recently formed Death Class to oversee my execution. At its head was a rather young and hot-headed brat," the man barked with laughter, Saber merely scowling at the pun. "Make no mistake about it though, he was indeed unfathomably powerful for his age, a prodigy of his craft unlike most of the other trash of the time."
"Of course he was," Saber replied with a knowing smirk. "The old man, even in Death, is still one of the best of us!"
"Heh, so I've heard," the man chuckled as he looked at his right hand, seemingly lost in thought. "Tell me … I heard he gained another scar on his head, did he get shitty about it?"
"Huh," Saber replied in confusion, unsure as to why the man before him would be asking such a question. "Wait …"
"I'd like to say I was in my absolute prime back then," the man sighed wistfully. "Such power … scattered to the winds."
"You're telling me that YOU were the one to give the old man the first scar on his forehead," Saber snapped in disbelief. "There's no damn way!"
"Time is a funny thing," the man replied in amusement. "I assure you that it was in fact these hands that inflicted that battle scar, though in return I got this."
Saber's eyes moved down toward a long scar that stretched from the man's right shoulder all the way to his upper left thigh. The scar started off thin, but the further up it went, the more jagged it became.
"I wonder," the man said after several moments, snapping Saber from his musings. "Can you perform the same feat?"
The man didn't show any outward reaction as a grin spread across Saber's face. It was one that looked like it belonged on someone from an insane asylum, or a Berserker, not a Saber Class Servant who was part of the Death Class.
"A chance to fight a foe that beat the old man," the man said as a bright yellow Aura enveloped his form. "Now you've gone and gotten my hopes up, First Hybrid!"
Ahnkseram laughed as he placed his left hand behind his back, his right held out in front of him with a Pitch-Black Magic Circle manifesting itself in an already fully rotating motion. The glow in Ahnk's eyes increased as the Magic Circle increased tenfold in size, a purplish ball forming at its centre.
"It has been a long time since I've had the time to fight, so let's make the most of it," Ahnk cackled as both he and the Magic Circle vanished and appeared high in the sky. "I may not be able to access the full brunt of my Aura, but with me in control I can at least utilize this much! Elder Hybrid's Aura: Simulium Cataclysmus!"
Saber was surprised at the mammoth of an attack Ahnk had just fired at him and immediately grit his teeth, the entire island they were fighting on already crumbling away with the ocean surrounding it being blasted back to expose the seafloor. To those on other islands near this one, it appeared as if the apocalypse had come early as massive tsunamis washed over other ones in the Archipelago as a massive sphere of destruction hurdled toward the earth.
"Now I see," Saber laughed as he grabbed a hold of his blade with both hands. "This is the power that was able to match the old man! Fine, I'LL TAKE YOUR CHALLENGE!"
Ahnk's grin increased as he watched Saber rush the attack head on, his blade exploding with power. He watched as the length of the blade increased to over thirty metres, a trait he knew was owed to his power's influence and the secret of what his blade truly was.
"COME ON THEN FIRST HYBRID," Saber roared as he raised the blade above his head. "Elder God's Aura: Ryodan Tormenta Redada!"
Bringing the sword down, Saber grinned as his attack sliced cleanly through it. The attack had the effect Saber desired as it halted the massive sphere in place, causing it to begin pulsing wildly before collapsing in on itself.
"Well done," Ahnk grinned as the last vestiges of the attack faded before setting off a blinding explosion. "But … this is only the beginning!"
Saber flicked his blade, its length instantly returning to its former size just in time to block a powerful downward slash from Ahnk. The clash from the two blades obliterated the last vestiges of the island below them with the shockwaves beginning to rip apart several others.
The sky darkened, black clouds raining down several different coloured bolts of lightning onto the devastated Archipelago. The seas rose up alongside the change in the skies, massive waves twisting in on themselves to create hulking twisters that flung droplets of water fast enough to slice through solid steel.
And at the centre of the chaos, Ahnk and Saber continued their battle. Neither combatant was affected by the changes in the environment in the slightest, a testament to the raw power being unleashed between the two of them.
"Gotta say, I'm surprised you can command this much power despite being nothing more than a piece of Natsu's soul," Saber grunted as he blocked a strike from Ahnk, flicking his blade out of the way and grabbed the First Hybrid by the shirt. "I wonder how that Council would feel if they knew one of their mortal enemies could pull off this little stunt, eh!?"
"What they think is irrelevant," Ahnk snarled in response as he grabbed a hold of Saber's wrist. "All that matters is the present, the past can stay where it fucking belongs!"
Saber arched his neck as Ahnk's eyes glowed, firing two precise beams of light out of them. At the same time, Ahnk used his free hand and punched Saber's wrist which easily dislocated it.
Immediately warping away the second he was free from the Servant's grip, Ahnk was shocked to see an aerial slash attack both as wide as a mountain and as high as the tallest trees already coming his way.
"What the hell-!?"
Performing a spin on the spot, Ahnk returned fire with an aerial slash attack of his own before quickly warping back and returning the sword to its sheath. Holding out his left hand, a Pure White Magic Circle appeared with several others manifesting behind it, each slightly smaller than the last.
"Elder Hybrid's Aura: Corpus Cealesti Magia - Volentes stella Magna!"
Pulling back on the centre of the smallest Magic Circle, Ahnk's hand began to glow bright white as a tiny sphere manifested itself into the palm of his hand. The sphere moved up to the most drawn back section of the Magic Circle right as the two aerial slash attacks made contact, Ahnk's being ripped apart after a ten second struggle.
"That attack," Saber yelled in disbelief. "Are you mad!?"
"Assuredly," Ahnk grinned. "Be judged by the Wishing Star, Et scindite corda judicii!"
Saber could feel the power from the now fully charged attack, his own aerial slash attack seeming like little more than that of a mortal human's by comparison. Now he understood it as he gazed at the unhinged yet focused face of Ahnkseram. THIS, this was the man who could scar the old man in his prime and get away with it.
"Gotta say, you really are nothing like Dragneel," Saber sighed as he tightened his grip on his Zankupato. "That attack right there could blow away literally everything in front of it if you were to let it go and although I could say for certain Natsu would fire it as a last resort … I can't say the same for you."
"You know what you have to do now, don't you?"
"What the-!?"
Ahnk blinked as a pink haired girl seemed to manifest on Saber's back, specifically she was draped over his left shoulder. The girl had pink hair with dark pink eyes to match. She wore robes slightly similar to those of Saber that possessed a familiar signature on them, one Ahnk recalled from his time being hunted by their number.
"Of course I know," Saber replied dismissively prompting the girl to puff out her cheeks in annoyance.
"Yeah, sure you do! I bet you were just gonna try and take that attack head on as you are now, weren't you!?"
"And?"
"A-and!? You really are an idiot, even as a Servant!"
"And what exactly were you doing up until now, just hiding no doubt," Saber scoffed which in turn prompted the girl to hit him over the head.
"Idiot! Big stupid brutish idiot! Stop screwing around and take this seriously!"
"Fine," Saber sighed as his right hand began moving up toward his face. "That attack is pretty brutal, so I guess there's no other way to go about it anyway …"
"I've got to fire this attack, right now," Ahnk hissed as he released his grip on the Magic Circle.
Several things occurred the moment his let go of the Magic Circle with them being in this exact order.
Firstly, the moment he let go of the Circle was the exact moment that anyone within a thousand-mile radius dropped to their knees and clutched their heads. A horrific screeching sound was unleashed as a colossal arrow of light was fired in Saber's direction, said arrow tipped with the point of a most potent substance.
"I wasn't aware you had the ability to do that," Aava mused as Ahnk watched his attack slowly move forward, Time having slowed to a near crawl as he focused almost all of his senses on his Perception and Precognition.
"I know many things, performed countless feats of power you likely wouldn't know about. I am old as dirt after all."
The second thing to occur right after the screeching sound was Saber's reaction, a look of genuine shock overcoming his features as he felt the power from the attack go from something manageable to something leagues above anything he could combat in his base form.
"Told you," the girl sniffed smugly which earned her an eye roll in response.
"Fine, you'd better not let me down though."
"Have I ever?"
"Hn."
The third and final thing that happened was a sudden spike in power from Saber's side of the attack. As Ahnk's attack pierced through Saber's aerial slash attack and continued toward the Servant, he watched as the man pulled off his eyepatch and was shocked at just how drastically his power began to spike.
"Guess there's no point screwing around now," Saber sighed, only to suddenly grin manically as a bright yellow light exploded out from his form. "You are a worthy opponent indeed, Ahnkseram … BUT THERE'S NOTHING NOZARASHI AND I CAN'T CUT THROUGH!"
"What did you just say," Ahnk gasped, his eyes wide as the man spun his Zankupato and held it out to his far right. "It can't be-!?"
Former Captain Of The Eleventh Division
One Of The Strongest Shinigami
Wielder Of Nozarashi
The Eleventh Kenpachi
Kenpachi Zaraki (Saber)
"Kenpachi," Ahnk muttered as the Shinigami across from him roared with laughter as more and more of his power was unleashed, flooding the area with a blinding light few could see beyond, save for those with higher powers.
"You know him?"
"Not this one," Ahnk replied slowly as he watched his attack near his foe. "However, I fought against one bearing the same name of 'Kenpachi' a long time ago."
"So, you fought his ancestor or something," Aava asked confusedly prompting the First Hybrid to shake his head with a scowl.
"No! Kenpachi isn't just part of his name, it is a title passed down from one Shinigami to another that can prove himself more powerful. Fortunately, I didn't encounter the first Kenpachi, but I did fight the second one."
"Who was that?"
"Kenpachi Shingen, a vicious bastard who fought with a blade called Gyu Tan, better pronounced as 'Ox Tongue' and let me tell you … the bastard was as durable as his name implied."
"And you think this guy is gonna be as strong as this Kenpachi Shingen you fought?"
"No," Ahnk sighed as he watched his attack close in on Kenpachi. "It'll likely be worse."
"I can tell that my name alone has you spooked," Kenpachi grinned as the monstrous yellow light finally finished expanding outward with it now covering the entire Archipelago. "I heard you fought the Second Kenpachi, almost killed him too."
"Figures you'd know about that …"
"You know what that means, don't you," Kenpachi said as he looked over his shoulder toward the pink haired girl who nodded with a grin of her own. "Means I've got a lot to prove now in this fight, so no more holding back!"
"Shit," Ahnk muttered as he sensed exactly where Kenpachi's power was travelling. "This isn't good, he hasn't even properly powered up yet …"
"WHAT," Aava roared in her Draconic voice. "THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN HE HASN'T EVEN PROPERLY POWERED UP YET!?"
"Pay attention to this Aava and note every last detail so we can have Natsu review it later," Ahnk replied calmly as Kenpachi raised his blade toward the incoming attack.
"You've gone and got me all excited for a true fight now First Hybrid, let's kick things up to the next level! NOZARASHI, TIME TO RELEASE YOUR POWER! DRINK, AND CUT IT ALL!"
The second Kenpachi roared the word 'Drink' was the exact moment his power spiked again, his Zankupato quivering as it began to shift into a massive great axe/war cleaver hybrid that easily eclipsed the size of his own person several times over.
Despite the sheer absurdity of its size, Kenpachi held it with no effort whatsoever, laughing madly as he brought it out to his far right and entered a prone stance. Ahnk watched the man, his vision still processing things at a snail's pace, and wasn't even surprised in the slightest when he suddenly charged toward his attack.
"I'm honestly wondering who lost their mind," Aava muttered as she also watched the Death God charge the attack. "He does realize what is at the head of that attack, right?"
Volentes stella Magna, an attack spoken in a tongue not spoken in this world but in countless others. In Latin, the attack means 'Great Wishing Star' and is an attack crafted by Ahnkseram during his travelling years.
Corpus Cealesti Magia, this stands for 'Heavenly Body Magic' and uses both Raw Magic and Elder God's Aura to invoke the power of 'Star' against one's foes. Unlike that of Grand Chariot however, this kind of Magic requires both Age and Wisdom and thus prevents any mortal or even higher being not considered of the rank of 'Elder' or higher from wielding it.
To wield 'Star' quite literally means that the entity is touching the concept of 'Star' and manipulating it for their own purpose. Thus, Great Wishing Star is, in fact, quite literally a weaponized Wish Upon A Star with its sharpest point being crafted onto the end of condensed Light Magic.
To say that firing the point of an actual Star at someone would be a sure-fire way of defeating them isn't a stretch by any means. However, not everyone fires Stars and to do so at an entity who is also an Elder God Tier Deity is definitely a scenario to give one pause.
"This is gonna be messy," Ahnk muttered as he prepared to brace himself, his eyes locking onto the Elder God's Aura exploding out from Nozarashi. "Now that he's released his Shikai, he'll be an absolute nightmare!"
As he braced, Kenpachi charged. Nozarashi roared in tune with Saber's own cries as he grabbed a hold of the handle with his second hand, skidding to a stop mid-air and swinging his blade with enough strength that the very space around him began to shake.
"Elder God's Aura: Shikai – Tijerra de grieta!"
It seemed almost impossibly stupid of Kenpachi to try and match the force of what was essentially a neutered Shooting Star, however it was obvious to Ahnk that the man's confidence wasn't without merit. He did bear the title of Kenpachi, after all.
"That weapon-!"
"Zankupato," Ahnk cut in which only made the teenage Dragon growl in frustration.
"Zankupato then, whatever! Look, are you seeing what I'm seeing right now!?"
"His swing is bending Space itself, yes."
"You don't sound too concerned about that?"
"You have forgotten several crucial points brat, the foremost being that I'M at the helm right now, not Natsu."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Aside from the fact that I am a learned entity who has fought countless beings who can weaponize both local and external Space-Time, I also can bring out the absolute limits of the powers within Natsu's body simply by being in control."
"The Elder Hybrid's Aura …"
"Precisely," Ahnk hummed as he watched Kenpachi's attack struggle evenly against his own. "Realistically, if Natsu possessed even more power, I could in fact wield the Arch Hybrid's Aura due to my age and experience with it. Unfortunately, given the resources at my disposal, or lack thereof, combined with the fact that I'm only able to do this because Natsu isn't actually with us right now, we're still in a veritable pickle no matter how you slice this situation."
"B-but you just said-!"
"I know what I said brat," Ahnk snapped back quickly as he watched the space around his attack and Kenpachi's Zankupato begin to twist and distort in on itself. "I possess more knowledge than most but that man right there is an entity of pure power, one that could overwhelm us should he be given the proper inclination to do so."
"Huh … What are you on about," Aava asked confusedly as Ahnk raised both his right and left hands, Pure White and Pitch Black Magic Circles forming all around his position as power exploded from his form. "That aside however, my goal isn't to slay a Death God today so I'm safe."
"Y-you-! Hrrgh! I swear I'll eat you if you keep this shit up!"
"If you did that then you'd eat yourself too, and Natsu as well for that matter," Ahnk replied playfully as the Magic Circles all began to spin wildly, forming a solid array around him.
"I hate you."
Ignoring the pouting Dragon, Ahnk turned his full attention back toward the battle. Kenpachi, despite struggling against his attack, wasn't actually focusing on it at all but rather at his exact position. Had he been easily spooked, the fact that he was able to focus so intently away from what he was currently doing and not die would have forced him to open a portal and flee.
Probably several quadrillion realities away, to be exact.
But, unlike most of the trash in Equilibrius right now, Ahnkseram wasn't one to be spooked by such a thing. He'd fought against stronger beings once and although he no longer possessed power akin to them, they couldn't rob him of the knowledge and experience gained through said fights.
"Elder Hybrid's Aura: Neutral Arts – Cbyla Yht Desa Crevd!"
To both Aava, Kenpachi and even the girl's shock, the circle rapidly expanded outward from Ahnk's position and enveloped the area they'd been in. The wrecked Archipelago vanished and was replaced instead by a vast expanse of ocean with the fires far off into the distance.
Right as Ahnk activated his technique, Kenpachi's attack finally detonated the Star Piece at the head of Ahnk's other attack. This resulted in a delayed explosion as the attack collapsed in on itself before rapidly expanding into a colossal explosion that shook the entire area and sent the ocean below them back for miles, exposing a now scorched seafloor.
"Ok … NOW I get why Kenpachi asked if you were nuts," Aava huffed after several moments. "That attack would have literally killed everyone and wiped every last island in the Archipelago away!"
"But it didn't."
"… I don't even know where to begin with that, I really don't."
"Try after the end and continue onward, that'll work for me," Ahnk replied cheekily as he lowered his Aura Barrier and noticed Kenpachi doing the same.
"I was under the impression that you were still as insane as the legends made you out to be, but it seems both the legends and I were wrong on that," Kenpachi said as he flexed his sword arm. "Gotta say though, warping the local Space-Time wasn't exactly what I expected you to do to stop that clash from blowing up Sabaody in its entirety!"
"I am a man of many talents," Ahnk smirked in response.
"Foremost being theatre …"
Ahnk nearly choked on his own spit, jutting forward slightly in mid-air as he sent a mental glare into the shared mindscape directed straight at the clearly annoyed Dragon. Shaking his head, the First Hybrid looked over toward Kenpachi and the girl who appeared to be eyeing him curiously.
"So," Ahnk said after several moments. "Who's the girl?"
"Me," the girl asked in genuine surprise. "You can actually SEE me!?"
"Of course he can," Kenpachi scoffed as he entered a ready stance. "He's a Hybrid, he has the eyes of both God and Devil, those of an Elder to boot. If he couldn't see you then he wouldn't be worth my time."
"Oh … Well, if you really wanna know before Kenny plays whack-a-mole with your body, I'm Nozarashi."
"Ah, the Zankupato Spirit," Ahnk hummed in understanding. "But if that is truly the case, why do you have the Lieutenant's Garb for the-?"
Ahnk barely had time to react as Kenpachi cleared the distance between them, Nozarashi already in mid-strike as he half drew the War Titan's blade to block. The force from the blow blasted him backward as he began running countless scenarios through his mind on how to further draw out a fight against a Kenpachi who had now unleashed his Shikai.
"Maybe try putting all those supposed years of experience to good use," Aava snorted in response.
"Shut up!"
/Somewhere In The Smouldering Archipelago/
"That damn crazy bastard, there won't be any of our friends left to save if he just goes and tosses my raw power out like that," a tiny pink haired figure sighed. "Still … he has given me at least ONE good thing, guess that counts in his favour."
Emerging into a small clearing, the miniature pink haired man gained a sadistic smirk, his eyes flashing Aqua Blue as he opened his mouth to reveal a set of razor-sharp teeth. The figure licked his lips, his tongue slightly lapping at the air, his body shuddering in delight at the taste.
"Of all my elements, the one that is hardest to access has just been given to me in abundance," the man laughed as he seemed to grip the air. "To think I'd actually get to feast on the power of Apocalypse itself!"
The man began shoving the air into his mouth greedily, the wind in the area picking up as everything was sucked toward his mouth like a vacuum. Be it flame, smoke, plant life, dead animals … it didn't matter. All of it was greedily consumed by the tiny man as his power skyrocketed to seemingly unfathomable levels.
"Mmmhmm! This, THIS is what I call a delicacy," the man swooned as he took one last bite before wiping his face. "Ah, that's all there is in this area … a shame."
The man played it off, but in truth he had quite literally eaten everything in the clearing right down to the charred roots of the trees. The area was now a lifeless grey, a grey that it wouldn't ever recover from now that it had been contaminated by the power of the Apocalypse itself.
"I need more," the man muttered darkly as his stomach rumbled. "To beat that guy, I'll need more than this!"
"That doesn't sound very pleasant, I suppose I should stop you in your tracks then."
The pink haired man froze and slowly turned around to see Kizaru towering over him, scratching his chin with an intrigued gaze. Taking a step back in genuine surprise, Kizaru grinned at his action and spoke once again.
"I have to admit, I couldn't have predicted you had the ability to duplicate yourself. Then again, from the moment you have arrived in our world you've done nothing but prove yourself as unpredictable, Natsu Dragneel."
'This is bad … As I am now, I stand no chance against someone like Kizaru,' Natsu inwardly growled in frustration. 'Think Natsu, how can you get out of this one!?'
"What's the matter," Kizaru grinned as he raised his index finger toward Natsu, the tip glowing that same bright gold colour he instinctively knew was bad news. "No means of escape, no plan to turn the tables?"
"Tch-!"
Natsu grit his teeth and knew he was screwed. In this tiny body, he had less than a hundredth of the potential his main body possessed and was entirely reliant on the power he consumed to even attack. As a Black Arts Blood Magic Spell, it was designed to allow its caster the ability to preserve their main body however it wasn't durable due to the nature of how the body needed to be formed.
He closed his eyes as he heard Kizaru fire the beam, but was shocked when he felt himself move. Immediately opening them, he was shocked to see Rayleigh holding him by the scruff of the neck, an amused expression on his face.
"The hell are you doing here!?"
"Is that how you greet all the people who end up saving you, or am I special?"
Natsu had the decency to blush, prompting the man to burst into laughter as he skidded to a stop several metres away from Kizaru who was no longer smiling. Lowering his finger, the Admiral frowned as he took in the image of the man before him.
"So, the rumours were true after all," Kizaru said as Rayleigh put Natsu down next to him. "I'd heard tales about an older man who fit the MO of a former 'Most Wanted' Pirate from over two decades ago. Still out and about being a Pirate at your age, Silvers Rayleigh?"
"Hardly," the older man sniffed as he ran a hand through his white hair. "If you lot would simply retract my bounty, I could finally retire and live in peace."
"The sins of Pirates can never be erased, Rayleigh," Kizaru countered evenly as he saw the legendary Pirate place himself directly in-between himself and Natsu. "Especially the sins of one with such a storied history, Dark King."
"You really talk way too much for a Navy Admiral, you know that," another voice sighed as he emerged from the clearing behind Natsu and Rayleigh.
"Salvatore!? Why the hell would you be here," Natsu openly gaped in shock, earning him a low chuckle as the man lazily lit a cigar and took a drag. "I would've thought you'd have bailed along with your man!"
"You did me a good turn Natsu, Don Salvatore doesn't forget things like that and he definitely ain't one to let good allies like you get pushed around by World Government trash."
"Ho? Well now, isn't this quite the stellar line up," Kizaru hummed in clear amusement. "The King Of Balance, Natsu Dragneel, The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh and the Underworld Emperor for the Mafia, Don Salvatore Costello. With a price such as yours I'm surprised you left the safety of the Underworld, Salvatore?"
"We all have to get our hands dirty sometime," Salvatore shrugged in reply. "Besides, you ain't exactly gonna scare me with your little light show like you do the other Underworld Emperors."
"Of course," Kizaru grinned as he watched Rayleigh pick up Natsu. "They don't call you the 'Bloody Lustre' for nothing."
"Oi Natsu, I'll be waiting for you in the New World," Salvatore said as he took several steps toward Kizaru who's stance shifted into a defensive one. "I'm keen to see just how much you can shake up this world, strike fear into these chumps again like Roger once did."
"There are plenty of other people already capable of that, Salvatore," Rayleigh chuckled softly as he looked toward Natsu who seemed to be looking between Salvatore and Kizaru with a mixture of worry and unease. "Don't worry about Salvatore, he can more than hold his own against the likes of Kizaru here."
"A bold claim," Kizaru said as his body began to fade into light particles. "But I wonder …"
Appearing right behind Rayleigh, Kizaru moved to attack but found the Dark King and the miniature Natsu already gone. One foot tapping the ground, Kizaru already moved to fire a laser beam from his foot at Salvatore, who made absolutely no move to dodge.
"Hmm?"
The attack was fired and struck its target, however there was a significant lack of an explosion which prompted the Admiral to cock his head to the side curiously.
"That's a pretty strong blast," Salvatore said as he emerged from the small dust cloud. "Unfortunately, I'm not exactly one to go down easily to a pretty light show."
"Oh," Kizaru hummed as he saw Salvatore's right hand had been converted into a deep red gemstone. "I didn't expect that to happen?"
"I ate the Sparkle Sparkle Fruit, Ruby Model," the Don replied as he looked at the bright red light currently sitting in his right arm. "To be blunt, I'm a Ruby Human. Do you get what that means, Kizaru?"
"Of course," Kizaru smiled in response as more of Salvatore's body morphed into Ruby.
"Gemstones are curious things," Salvatore mused as he raised his left hand and watched the light travel up the remainder of his right arm, down into his chest before moving into his left arm. "Worth a shit tonne to anyone, but more useful for harnessing their refractive properties."
With a sudden swift movement, Salvatore fired Kizaru's attack right back at him however it was the same deep red as his body rather than the bright yellow it had once been. Kizaru easily avoided the attack however it still possessed the same destructive power and with it easily missing its target, the attack detonated off in the distance.
The explosion shook the area as Salvatore's body finished shifting into its full Ruby form. Spinning around, his right arm blocked a strike from a Haki clad Light Sword with its wielder simply smirking in response.
"Impressive."
"You ain't the only one with Haki," Salvatore scoffed as he coated his free hand in Haki and threw a punch at the Admiral who vanished and appeared in the air several metres away. "You think that'll be enough? Sparkle Sparkle: Bloody Hail!"
Aiming his right hand at Kizaru's position, Salvatore began firing a hailstorm of razor-sharp Ruby shards at him through his fingers. The Admiral raised his eyebrows in surprise and began flashing around the area.
Unfortunately for Kizaru, Salvatore seemed to be capable of predicting his next location of appearance which ended up leaving several scratches on the Admiral. After several minutes of constant fire, Salvatore ceased his attack as Kizaru appeared back on the ground several metres away, multiple cuts around his face and chest area.
"I guess you really didn't learn anything in basic training, did you," Salvatore sniffed in disapproval. "You have an overpowered Devil Fruit ability, that much is true, but you aren't even prepared for a foe who can counter it. I thought you were trained by the legendary Admiral Zephyr; he wouldn't have made such a rookie mistake?"
"Scolding me, at a time like this?"
"Did you really think that someone like me, who possesses one of the most solid Gemstone Paramecia Devil Fruits, would be lacking in my Observational Haki training? My defence is almost ironclad, yet still I have my Armament Haki in case I come up against a foe who can pierce my Ruby Form. Plus, I have trained my Observational Haki to detect such attacks coming nanoseconds before they are within range, so why have you not trained your Haki in a similar manner?"
Kizaru didn't respond, instead vanishing and appearing high in the air with two bright glowing lights between his fingers.
"Glint Glint: Yasakani No Magatama!"
"So that's your answer, is it," Salvatore sighed as he knelt down and placed a hand on the ground. "Sparkle Sparkle: Bloody Mound!"
Ruby shot forth from the earth, encasing Salvatore within a jagged space of the glittering Gemstone. The formation consisted of several diagonal layers of varying sizes which had formed a protective barrier across all sides.
As Kizaru's attack rained down upon his position, the makeshift shelter had easily absorbed the attacks, the light simply becoming trapped within its confines. Kizaru seemed to lose any sign of amusement as he began coating his attack with Haki, the now black coated Light pellets smashing into his barrier, leaving tiny cracks in it.
"Overwhelm it with sheer numbers, eh," Salvatore mused. "At least you're taking this seriously now, but even still … I doubt it'll be enough."
Placing his left hand on the nearest crystal, all the light that had been trapped within the makeshift barrier was absorbed directly by Salvatore with it now ending up in his entire upper body.
"Let's see if you can take it as well as you dish it out, eh Kizaru!"
Salvatore slammed his right leg into the ground which seemed to both open the top of his makeshift shield and create a makeshift platform that sent him flying up to Kizaru's position. The Admiral immediately moved to counter, coating his right leg in Haki as he flashed into an already downward striking position.
Salvatore coated his right arm in Haki and met the attack, the two instantly stuck in a momentary stalemate of sorts until Salvatore slowly began to fall back to the ground. What came next however, Kizaru certainly didn't expect.
With his other hand, Salvatore formed a jagged sword made of solid Ruby that was now filled to the brim with his own stolen Light. Kizaru, in an attempt to get away, began warping however his movement was halted as Salvatore fired another brief barrage of Bloody Hail in the direction his Light was set to travel.
"Oh-!"
"Sparkle Sparkle: Bloody Lustre Blade!"
The shade of Kizaru's sunglasses changed into a dull red as the attack neared his position, the Admiral letting a slight grin escape him as the blade inched closer toward him.
"How interesting …"
/Meanwhile – Natsu And Rayleigh's POV/
"And you're sure this is the best way for us to escape," Natsu asked once more prompting the Dark King to sigh and nod slowly. "I don't want to risk them if I don't have to."
"To be fair, this was all to be expected you know," Rayleigh pointed out as the pair came to a complete stop. "The murder of one Celestial Dragon is already enough to put you on the World Stage, three is entirely unheard of. The World Government will want to make an example out of you now and ensure you pay for your crimes against them, not to mention the fuss the Celestial Dragons are no doubt kicking up right about now."
Natsu sighed as Rayleigh put him down, taking several steps forward before turning around to look up at the man. He could see the knowing look in the man's eyes, like he'd definitely been in this exact situation before, and he could sense the man's genuine intentions with the plan he'd come up with alongside Salvatore to aid their escape.
"Alright," Natsu sighed. "I'll play along, but I'm gonna be having some words with that guy after all this is over!"
"Assuming Sabaody survives your coming battle," Rayleigh replied grimly which threw Natsu off.
"What are you on about?"
"That Servant, you no doubt saw what he and whoever is currently using your body to fight him did, right?"
"He was bending Space, nothing I haven't encountered before-."
"Not that, the sheer level of destruction both of them were putting out," Rayleigh answered with a slight frown. "If your main body only has around thirty five percent of your power at the moment then its safe to say that Saber is holding back by an astronomical margin. He did seem to power up before your body used that technique that warped space around them, but I can sense so much more within him."
"I'm surprised you are capable of that," Natsu hummed in approval. "Then again, you are a former Assistant and possible Devil candidate yourself. But yes, I agree that Saber likely does have much left to show, however it is useless to mull over it."
"True," Rayleigh conceded. "But what you should do is use that knowledge to your advantage as you do whatever it was you were doing back in that other clearing."
"I was eating the Apocalypse in that area; it was rather dense there so I got quite a decent amount of power from it. If I can eat a few more areas like that, I'll definitely be able to fight Saber on even ground!"
"Then I suppose I'll help you get around," Rayleigh said thoughtfully. "The quicker you do it, the quicker we can all throw off the World Government and lie low …"
"Aren't you going to help the others?"
"Help is already on the way."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Who did you send," Natsu asked curiously. "A Servant?"
"Not quite," Rayleigh grinned as his thoughts turned toward who he had sent.
/With The Straw Hats/
"This is getting ridiculous," Zoro growled as he narrowly avoided a punch from the smirking Major Viller.
"What's wrong Roronoa, too fast for the mighty 'Pirate Hunter?' Or perhaps you never were as good as you thought," Viller jeered as he easily dodged an aerial slash attack, vanished, and struck Zoro in the back which sent the swordsman flying off into the base of a Mangrove.
"Zoro," Luffy cried out only for Viller to strike him across the face with a Haki clad fist, sending the Captain stumbling backward.
"Oh no! If you have the time to cry out for your comrades, then I'll make sure you can do so in peace from the afterlife!"
"Damn bastard," Sanji snarled as he tried landing a blow on the man with a flaming kick, only to miss as the man vanished. "He's way too fast!"
"He's like those guys from Enies Lobby, only worse," Luffy agreed as Viller appeared several metres away.
"Is this really the best of the fabled 'Worst Generation' or are you still going to claim that this is still nothing but a mere warm up?"
"Damn," Luffy growled as he wiped his bloody nose, clenching his fists at how amused Viller seemed to be about the whole situation. "We're completely outclassed!"
"So, you're finally beginning to realize that fact," Viller laughed as he coated his fists in Armament Haki once again. "A pity you couldn't have realized it before you and Dragneel went and committed the one crime that is truly unforgivable in this world!"
Viller vanished in a burst of speed, faster than any of the trio could track. All three braced themselves to be the target of their opponent's wrath however no strike ever came. Instead, the sound of an explosion going off prompted all three to open their eyes.
"Wh-what," Sanji gasped as Zoro shakily rose to his feet.
"You," Viller muttered as he pulled back from the clash, skidding backward as the newcomer released the Haki on their knee.
"Hello again Straw Hats, couldn't stay out of trouble I see."
"S-Shakky!"
"That shocked face, its rather cute on you Luffy," Shakky giggled as before turning around to face Major Viller. "I'm afraid I can't let you kill the young ones here; Rayleigh has taken quite a shine to them."
"You're the infamous-!"
"Ah ah, that'll be enough of the fanboying from you, Mister Major," Shakky grinned, cutting the man off quickly. "You three should go and help the others against that Kuma duplicate, this man is an opponent you are not yet ready to face I'm afraid."
"B-but Miss Shakky," Sanji stuttered only for the woman to turn around and flash them all a sad smile.
"I'll be quite alright Black Leg; this isn't my first time having to scrap against an upstart Officer of the World Government."
"U-upstart!"
"Oh, you would believe yourself to be anything different, Mister Major?"
"Stop calling me that," Viller snapped which only earned him more giggles from the veteran Pirate.
"Go on now, your friends will need you much more than I will," Shakky said in a gentle tone that had Zoro already moving toward the other battle, Sanji following reluctantly behind him. "What is it, Luffy?"
"We owe you and old man Rayleigh for this …"
"Perhaps, perhaps not," was Shakky's only reply as Luffy also ran off in the direction of the Pacifista battle leaving Shakky alone with Viller. "I'd much rather see Pirates like you and your friends faring the seas … Monkey D Luffy."
"And that's exactly why you're still a wanted criminal," Viller spat, bringing Shakky's focus back onto the battle before her. "You think interfering here will change anything, that those brats will somehow miraculously survive all of this!?"
"Did you know, Mister Major, that back in the time of Roger these things would happen all the time? You likely have no clue as to what I'm referring to, but make no mistake that what is happening on this island right now, a similar incident occurred many years ago and despite the odds … the Roger Pirates persevered."
"You compare the Straw Hats to the likes of the Roger Pirates," Viller snarled in disbelief. "Are you mad!?"
"Perhaps," Shakky replied with a small smirk. "Then again, perhaps it is you who is the mad one?"
Viller simply roared in anger and charged Shakky who simply coated both her legs in Armament Haki, the smirk never once leaving her face.
/Ahnkseram's POV/
"His power is STILL rising, even after being sealed off in this subspace!"
"Of course it is," Ahnk snorted in response as he crossed blades with the Shinigami once more. "He's a legit Death God, he wasn't just gonna keel over from being tossed into a separate space!"
"Is there any way we can do damage to this guy!?"
"Without Natsu coming back with enough power to fill his core back to full, we're probably fucked."
"So … not even a sliver of a chance?"
"I can think of one," Ahnk hummed after several moments of thought, his body moving to cross blades with Kenpachi again and again, the force behind the strikes enough to crack the space around them.
"So, these are the fabled techniques of the First Hybrid Ahnkseram," Kenpachi laughed as he jumped back and cleared some distance. "I'd heard you were able to manipulate Time and Space to a degree, but seeing it for myself is awesome!"
"Awesome he says," Ahnk muttered darkly. "Damn bastard!"
"Show me more techniques," Kenpachi laughed as he began to release the same yellow Aura from earlier, bringing his Zankupato out to the right. "I want to see MORE!"
"Shit-!"
"Elder God's Aura: Shikai – Buster de mil libras!"
Swinging his Zankupato, Kenpachi fired the Aura at him in a monstrous wave that almost eclipsed the entire section of the space they were fighting in. Thinking fast, he gripped the sword in his hand and willed his own Aura into it.
"Elder Hybrid's Aura: Infernalis Corpus Magia – Maledictus unda De colligare Asmodeum Benedicite imber!"
The blade was coated in a Pitch-Black Aura as he slashed the air in front of him, ripping a hole in Space-Time to open up what appeared to be a void of sorts. Kenpachi could only laugh as it fired out a blast of Pitch Black to match his own attack.
"Good, keep showing me more," Kenpachi roared as he charged into his own attack with Ahnk doing the same moments after.
The two began exchanging vicious blows within their attacks, the dimensions of the space around them being twisted and warped as the two powerful attacks struggled for dominance whilst also trying not to be destroyed themselves by the combatants within them.
"Hehehehehe … HAHAHAHAHAHA! MORE!"
Ahnk grit his teeth as he placed his free hand on the flat of his blade, Kenpachi hammering away at his guard with a sadistic grin. Fortunately, the two attacks decided to detonate at this moment, blowing a hole in the subspace he'd created as the rest of it began to collapse all around them.
This momentary act was enough to give Ahnk an opening as he vanished from Kenpachi's front and appeared behind the man, his blade coated in Elder Hybrid's Aura. Coming in with a downward slash, Ahnk was shocked when the yellow Aura flared up again and blocked the attack, blasting him away with a pure blast of raw energy.
"What the fuck!?"
"What is that yellow stuff, is it sentient!?"
"I don't believe so," Ahnk groaned as he smashed into one of the islands of the Archipelago, folding it in half with the two halves falling in on top of him. "It definitely is his Elder God's Aura, yet it is also something else entirely … I haven't seen many variations of Aura like that in my time. Only Lord Michael and Lord Lucifer's Aura acts differently than the rest from what I've seen."
Gritting his teeth, Ahnk was about to rip apart the two islands when he felt the sudden appearance of two people before him. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Rayleigh holding onto a grim faced Natsu.
Being underwater with two halves of an island currently crushing him, Ahnk was certainly surprised that they managed to find him so easily, but the Blood Red glow of the Dark King's eyes was all the answer he needed as he reached out to the mini Natsu's mind.
"Are you ready?"
"I picked up more than we needed, Rayleigh was warping me all over the Archipelago so I've got an abundance of power!"
"Good," Ahnk smirked as he freed his right hand from under part of a rock. "When you re-join with us, we'll send you everything that happened."
Mini Natsu looked back toward Rayleigh and nodded, the Dark King giving him a thumbs up before vanishing on the spot. Looking back toward Ahnk's hand, Natsu linked his own with that of his main body, both beginning to glow brightly.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi had dived underwater to find where Ahnk had gone, his senses being momentarily dulled due to the sudden shattering of the miniature Space-Time they'd been fighting in.
Landing just before the folded in island, Kenpachi paused as a bright light began to shine through the cracks. It only took the Shinigami a moment to realize what this meant as the upper half of his body began to darken.
Suddenly, the two halves of the island began to shift along with the sea around it. Raw power was forcing back both the sea and the two halves of the island as his foe stepped out of the raw pillar of power.
Emerging from the pillar was Natsu, his height inching higher as his clothes began to shift. Gone was his casual getup and instead he now bore the appearance of a man ready for war. Black combat pants and boots that perfectly matched that of Nobu's coat flamed into existence along with a proper dress shirt to match. This time, the coat had lengthened to match his exact height with Natsu actually properly wearing it instead of draping it over his shoulders.
Extending his arms outward, Natsu's hair flicked upward as he entered his Demiurge form, the air around him releasing red sparks of Lightning, black fire erupting from the ground behind him as the two halves of the island were seemingly dragged behind him by the power of his Gravity Magic.
Kenpachi's eyes met Natsu's own, one eye being Pure White with flecks of Aqua Blue strewn throughout it. The other however was slowly opened to reveal a Pitch-Black Void rather than an actual eye. It was obvious that the eye itself was missing however in its place was a golden dot that seemed to signify an eye.
Kenpachi's gaze then moved upward to look at Natsu's Hybrid's Aura which, although not Elder Class like what Ahnk's was, was still formidable enough to match his own. His grin widened as the shadow of a strange woman began to form behind him in what appeared to be a praying motion, though it was obvious to anyone who could see it that the woman definitely was sin incarnate, her two devilish horns and sinister smirk all the information anyone would need.
Having released his power, surprised at just how drastically overcharging his core had propelled him, Natsu was shocked to see the shadowed form of Kenpachi grinning. The man was as still as a statue, only his teeth and glowing Midnight Blue eyes visible through the darkness around him.
It was then that he felt the shift as yellow puffs of flame began to ignite all around their location. Looking back to Kenpachi, the man's grin never once faded as the yellow Aura returned, his own power being unleashed as it further began to push back the ocean with even the other islands being pushed back as a result of the pair.
The yellow Aura manifested a skull behind Kenpachi, said skull being filled to the brim with power Natsu was all too familiar with. Death.
"Ahnk, what are our chances here?"
"With this kind of power, we have an even chance," the First Hybrid responded as Lightning began to strike the ground in-between the pair, a storm having been generated from the power generated by the two. "Keep in mind that he is a Death God though, his Death strikes won't affect us but he will possess techniques like the ones Aava and I sent to you. Beyond that however, this is uncharted territory even for me. The Shinigami I fought a long time ago was powerful, but he never possessed strange Aura like this nor was he so monstrously powerful in his base form."
"Understood," was Natsu's only response as Kenpachi placed his massive Zankupato over his shoulder and dropped into an offensive stance. "Let's do it!"
So, you all wanted a full power Natsu vs Kenpachi so here you go. In case any of you guys are curious, all of Ahnk's attack names except for the one related to the Neutral Arts are in Latin and all of Kenpachi's are in Spanish, just in case any of you wanted to see what they mean. Also, there is a reason why Ahnk's stuff was done in Latin but I won't spoil that.
Anyway I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!