Chapter 38: Pyramids to Dust

(Khemenu's shore)

"So you're the adored Nico Robin," Sasori raised an eyebrow. "The cyborg will be insufferable with joy."

"Of course," the Straw Hat's Archaeologist giggled, "I'd say a party is in order. Assuming we don't all get broiled alive by the new sun."

"Sun, Quincy, Gods," Sasori listed off, "you have your choice of gruesome ends."

"Hehehehe, what a charming thought," Robin raised both hands to her 'ready' position. "I sense we are bonding."

Sasori most certainly did NOT shudder at being accused of something so heinous as 'bonding'! He was just getting his 3rd Kazekage ready.

"Vollstandig: Toteniel!"

The water in the bay exploded outward, revealing a particularly angry Sternritter. Driscoll Berci had transformed into his race's last resort. Massive wings of pure crimson Reishi flapped as he ascended. They took the shape of two large spears, with small javelins filling out the place of 'feathers'.

"Sklaviel!"

The magic that had once held together Khemenu, along with the lingering fire conjured by Carmilla, began to dissipate. In its place, energy of all colors flew into the air, subsumed into Driscoll's crimson transformation. A sparkling halo grew in size, bathing the ex-Sternritter's face in light, illuminating his snarling rage. His body began to bulge with swelling muscle and pulsating veins, eyes went bloodshot, and the remnants of his tattered uniform fell.

Most distressing, sparks flew off of Sasori's own Chakra strings, heading straight to the glowing Driscoll. Feeling his connection with his puppet wavering, the Ninja snarled before sealing his tool. With a flair of his Akatsuki cloak, Sasori bared his puppet body to the world, earning a mere raised eyebrow from Nico Robin.

"Oh, did Franky find another cyborg?" she tittered. "This Sea really is a place of miracles."

"Don't call me 'cyborg' again," he growled. "Just keep up. After all, I'd hate to be kept waiting in this fight."

"Don't worry," Robin raised her arms. "You won't be disappointed."

"Heilig Pfeil!"

Driscoll, in one deft motion, yanked one of the javelins from his wings and hurtled it at the duo.

Breaking the sound barrier, Sasori and Robin seemed to vanish right before the impact.

A cloud of smoke bloomed from the exploding ground, frustrating Driscoll. As the ex-Sternritter brought a javelin to each hand, he saw the cover begin to part.

"THERE!" The roaring Driscoll flapped his wings, appearing instantly. With a horizontal swing, he heard the shattering of wood. Clattering on the now-clear ground, Sasori's torso had separated from his legs, a blank look in his eyes.

"Dos Fleur: Clutch!"

Two blackened arms had instantly sprouted on Driscoll's arms, and yanked back the man's thumbs all the way back to his wrist. Before he could even react, they had already dispersed in a burst of petals.

"AHH!" the Sternritter howled as his thumbs forced themselves back in place with the Reishi flowing in.

Looking around, Driscoll spotted Robin further down the shore. "YOU'RE NEXT!"

With a flap of his glowing wings, the Quincy instantly crossed the distance. The pirate was ready, crossing her black-sheened arms. Unfortunately for her, it appeared Haki wasn't enough. Driscoll didn't even slow down as his punch pushed her down to the ground.

Instead of that satisfying crunch, he saw her vanish in a flurry of petals.

"Wha…" SNIKT! "Aahhh…" A sharpened cord was now protruding from Driscoll's chest, dripping with blood and poison.

"Hmm…that'd be the air coming out of your lungs," a voice from underground taunted.

The sand parted, revealing the puppet with his cord out, tearing through the Quincy's midsection.

"Mil Fleur! Gigantesco Mano!" A giant leg materialized, covered in that black sheen.

With a grunt of exertion, Driscoll managed to catch the leg, instantly applying Blut Vein to match the Pirate's Haki, sparks flying from the clash.

His wings furiously flapped, launching half-a-dozen javelins at the pair.

Sasori leaped, managing to slip between the first two, but the third severed his stomach cord.

Robin's Observation allowed for a more graceful evasion, while still keeping her arms crossed and maintaining the conjured leg.

With both arms occupied, Driscoll slammed his foot behind the giant knee, relieving the pressure against him. A flash of Hirenkyaku, and the man was behind Robin.

He brought both fists together and slammed straight down, Reishi glowing around the limbs.

WHAM!

Robin's conjured giant leg caught the strike, sparks erupting from the blackened foot and the fists.

"Ahh." The Pirate grunted, the limb dissipating. Her own leg now had a noticeable bruise.

The Quincy gave a nasty sneer while conjuring his bow and arrow.

PSH!

A scroll on the ex-Sand Ninja's back lit up, and two streams of hyper-pressurized air pierced Driscoll's left hand and wrist.

"Tch! PSSHH".

The ex-Sternritter released his bow, the Ransotengai disrupted.

That opening was all Robin needed.

"Cien Fleur: Clutch!"

"AGH!" Driscoll howled, the conjured blackened arms completely shattering all the bones in his limb.

"And another!" Robin kept up the pressure. "Cien Fleur: Gigantesco Mano!" Two more enlarged arms pinned the already-useless limb to the ground.

"DIE!" Sasori flew with his blades functioning like helicopters. He pulled his right forearm off, revealing a seal on the remaining stump. In a flash, a glowing blade imbued with Chakra, and dripping with poison, was now pointed at the Quincy's heart.

"NO!"

Driscoll didn't hesitate. He conjured an arrow, and cut off his trapped arm.

This gave barely enough time for the ex-Sternritter to Hirenkyaku his way away from Sasori's blade.

He reappeared above the puppet, oversized arrow gripped like a javelin.

"Cien Fleur: Gigantesco Mano: STOMP!"

A massive leg, covered in the black of Haki, slammed its heel into Driscoll's side.

"AH!"

The Quincy had been unprepared, his tunnel vision on Sasori costing him. He was sent flying almost all the way to the Wrath of Sparta.

On the edge of the battle, the man assigned to lead Thoth's evacuation paused. His gaze lingered on the final clash on the burning island. His stylized light green hair swayed in the wind.

"Is that…Robin?" the adventurer-scholar Professor Clover looked out in wonder, tears streaming down his newly-youthful face.

On the coast, Sasori and Robin briefly surveyed the ruins of the port town, confirming that they were the last two crewmates left on Khemenu. They put everything into their legs, and leapt for the Cutty Sark. Sasori attached Chakra Strings to his ship's mast. Robin flapped down with a "Cien Fleur: Wing".

"ROBIN!"

And was immediately swarmed by Nami, Usopp, and Brook. Unfazed, she returned the hug. Sanji was too busy going into his greatest 'love-tornado' to date.

"ROBIN-SWAN!"

Franky was simply crying. "I'm sho…so happy to see you again! WAH!"

"Oh, get over yourself, Cyborg." Sasori snidely added as he retrieved a scroll from his room, unsealing spare parts such as a stomach cord. "We're not done yet."

"Grow a heart, Red!"

"Why would I grow an organ for my nonexistent circulatory system?"

"As entertaining as your new friend is, Franky…" Robin interrupted as she ended the group hug.

That got the Ninja glowering at her.

"He is correct that we need to move. After all, it wouldn't do for our reunion to end with being cooked alive."

The archeologist gestured at the ongoing fights, prompting the whole crew to shade their eyes from Sekhmet's sun.

"Oh…your crewmates weren't kidding," Tsu mumbled to herself. "Your head's in some dark spaces."

"If you say so," Robin tittered.

OoOoOoO

"Hurgh!" Driscoll got a foothold in the air, clutching what was left of his stump. Looking around, he realized his position. The Wrath of Sparta was buffeting on the tumultuous surf.

With his halo still active, he was able to leech off the energy from the gods' and those clashing with them.

Steadying, Driscoll re-created an arrow in his hand, readying another throw of the javelin.

"THOOM!"

And just like that, the Quincy was now staring at the new sun moving away from the island, right towards the fight.

The flames were getting closer and closer.

Heat. Heat. HEAT!

"NO!" Driscoll shrieked, and turned away. With a Hirenkyaku, he was back onboard Ares' flagship.

"Mister Berci!" A Demigod jumped in shock, before fumbling with a first-aid kit.

"Heal me later!" The Quincy grabbed an oar, tossing another to Uvogin. "We need to leave, now!"

At the sight of the unusually-panicked Driscoll, Uvogin didn't object as he made to match the Quincy's pace.

With that, the Wrath of Sparta made to retreat, but before it could, a small tornado of sand landed middeck, laying out its single passenger.

"I would speak with the one who freed me," High Priest Imhotep rumbled, his decayed skin fraying from the damage inflicted by the Straw Hats. "For the cost of passage away from here."

"Let…him…in," an extremely haggard voice called out from below deck. The bedridden Carmilla had been moved deep within the ship, to avoid Sekhmet's power. A single blow from the Sun Goddess was one step short of crippling her, but Carmilla had managed to regain consciousness, being second only to Dracula himself amongst their species.

Invited, the Mummy entered the Vampire's domain.

OoOoOoO

2 Pyramids had crumbled. 4 remained.

As Sasori and Robin moved away from the settlement, the residents of Khemenu had come to a final realization. Their old home was gone.

Uncle Chan and Levy McGarden were pulling double-duty as guards and guides for the citizens. Now that the multiple fronts of battle had narrowed down, the duo only had to deflect the stray blasts from a single direction, making their job simpler. On the lead evacuation ship, Professor Clover had taken point. Amakado was flying from ship to ship, making sure each was good to go.

At the summit of an untouched pyramid, Thoth rematerialized from seemingly thin air.

On the opposite pyramid, also untouched, the current bane of his existence touched down, retracting its Lunarian wings, sneering as it got into a stance. Thoth recognized it as from the Bending world.

"No choice," Egypt's Scribe realized to himself.

"RAH!" The Skinwalker slammed a bulked-up fist at the crest of the pyramid.

"THOOM!" A gargantuan ripple emanated from the attack, rumbling throughout the entire island. A shockwave in a perfect circle bloomed out, so intense that Levy, Uncle Chan, and every civilian in Khemenu were knocked off their feet, despite their distance.

"Hmmm," something within the pyramid stirred.

Simultaneously, Thoth put aside any last-minute second-guessing or hesitation.

To clarify, the 'prisoner' beneath him was an oddity as far as Khemenu's 'captives' went. Of the six, this particular creature was the only one incapable of genuine malice. No, it was locked up for its own safety just as much as the rest of the world's. Simply put, Thoth couldn't take the risk of it falling into unfriendly hands, specifically those with the power and will to bring it to heel.

Now though...Thoth needed this creature…before the situation got worse.

Hieroglyphs flowed from the God's hands, landing on the pyramid's outer layer.

'Release'

The stones of the summit parted, right along the mortar holding them together. The light of twin suns broke through the darkness, revealing the sole occupant.

At the sight of it, Thoth hurled another Hieroglyph at the creature.

Slit red eyes blearily blinked as a crocodile's scaled head shook the sleep off. Mighty lions' paws steadied underneath a massively powerful chest. The back feet of a hippopotamus made the island rumble as they rose up.

"Hello, Ammit. Who's a good girl?"

The Devourer of the Dead gazed upon Pharaoh's Scribe. For countless millennia, it had obeyed the Lord of the Underworld, Osiris. Granted, Thoth had been present at every single mortal's Judgment, and the argument could be made that familiarity counts towards Ammit. He could only hope that would be enough.

A low rumbling emanated from Ammit's throat.

'Encouraging,' Thoth thought. He reached out a hand, and scratched between the eyes.

A noise that could only be described as the world's deepest, most dangerous purring was the result.

"Ammit," Thoth pointed at the Skinwalker. "Dinner's served."

THOOM!

With a mighty leap, the Soul-Eater instantly appeared by the Skinwalker.

"NO!" The Skinwalker jumped, but he was just too slow.

Ammit chomped down, and ate a Lunarian wing.

"AGH!" The careening Skinwalker went tumbling. It attempted to regrow the wing, but came up empty.

"Damnation! You've taken what's MINE!"

Yee Naadlooshi howled as it quickly replaced the lost wing with a leathery bat-wing.

At the same time, it's cheeks swelled up. 'Water Style Bullets'.

Ammit was able to easily swallow most of the projectiles, though a few did land on her flank, taking a bit of skin.

The Skinwalker's arm darkened its skin, and pointed at Egypt's Final Judgment.

"CERO!"

"GULP!"

Having had a feeling that the 'Devourer of Souls' would be able to handle a Cero, the Skinwalker had already flown back to the ground, slamming a foot down for the follow-up.

Channeling a fellow Congregationist's ability, a forest sprouted around the Skinwalker, trees and trunks pummeling Ammit wherever she couldn't bite them off.

"HAAAA!" And then the earth rose beneath the new forest, in the form of two gargantuan hands, each the size of the pyramids themselves. When the Skinwalker clasped its hands, the constructs did the same, slamming Ammit.

After a second of hoping for success, the Navajo Nightmare was disappointed when Egypt's Final Judgment burst from the trap, having eaten her way out. She was bruised, but ready to go, very hungry.

"So be it!" The Skinwalker tensed, ready to unleash more of its ill-gotten collection.

OoOoOoO

3 Pyramids remained.

While Ammit continued her pursuit, Thoth took full advantage of the time being bought. For a solid minute, he set the stage with Earthbending, the effects not apparent from the surface. Then, the Scribe assumed the martial art's strongest stance. Simultaneously, Thoth brought his hands up for a sequence of 'signs' of his own design. When complete, he slammed a foot into the ground.

"Earthbending Style: Grand Burial!"

A mighty rumble shook the entire island of Khemenu.

Kicking Ammit away for a brief respite, the Skinwalker took notice. One pyramid was being totally sunk, earning a muttered curse from Cipactli's Lieutenant.

Feeling the abomination's gaze, Thoth hastened his spell. In under a minute, all traces of the pyramid were very earth, sand, and desiccated vegetation was evenly spread over the ground, leaving no clue to the structure's once-glorious presence. To finish off, Thoth threw innumerable glowing Hieroglyphs that phased through the flattened dirt. With that, the Prison of the Chaos-Bringer was sealed.

However, the act of removing one pyramid weakened Thoth's original spell, almost to the breaking point. The two imprisoned deities began to stir, confirming what the Scribe already feared. He could only buy time against one more angry god.

The Usurper or The Lord of the Nile?

Thoth quickly reviewed the odds of his newfound allies surviving either deity. With that in mind, he flew to The Usurper's tomb. Eschewing the other worlds' techniques, the Scribe manifested thousands of Hieroglyphs, transforming them into metal chains. Flung at the pyramid, so many were sent that it was as if a new silver layer had been painted on.

Alas, with one pyramid being stabilized, the other completely failed. The spell broken, all traces of the island-surrounding barrier vanished.

"BWOOM!"

In the blink of an eye, one wall was eviscerated. Where once the bare riverbed suffered under Sekhmet's sun, the banks now overflowed with rich, dark water. Torrents of fresh water swept up literal tons of dust, soil, and debris, instantly turning the water black.

From his vantage point, Thoth briefly saw ridgid scales break the turbulent surface.

"Oh dear."

1 Pyramid remained.

OoOoOoO

(Earlier)

Tia Halibel was not having a good time. Silly her for thinking this day would turn around.

She'd been thrilled with Kisame and Jinbe joining against Ares. Unfortunately, there was now not one, not two, but three rampaging gods. On top of that, Aizen's most loyal Espada had been in tow, making things way more complicated with Grimmjow. Oh, and let's not forget that Ninja Kisame had warned her about as the single greatest Water Style user in history shooting nasty looks at them.

Of course, that only meant so much with the rising second sun weakening everything she, her friends, and this Tobirama could do. Make no mistake, their attacks were still significant, but that ball of fire and gas was getting bigger by the second.

"Cascada!"

"GAH!"

Case in point, the water forcing Sekhmet back a meter.

"Ahh!" The goddess sighed, considering the attack more akin to a refreshing rinse.

The Egyptian's Khopesh aimed a slash at Halibel's stomach, the superheated razor wind just barely being matched by Tiburon's edge.

At the same time, Ares and Athena were moving so fast as to blur to the onlookers.

"You truly have the worst timing," Ares snarled as he swept his sister's legs.

She rolled from his follow-up slash, quickly back on her feet.

Reappearing from a burst of Sonido, Ulquiorra quickly fired off a Cero at Ares' back.

"AHH!"

Ares instantly reacted with a turning slash, so quickly that a retreating Ulquiorra lost a foot.

Athena took advantage, slamming her shield on the back of her brother's legs, forcing him to his knees.

He ducked under a slash at his back, kicking water at his sister's eyes. Briefly spotting the Arrancar's regrown leg, Ares hopped forward, hurtling a fireball at Ulquiorra.

A 'VHOOM' of Sonido, and the pale man was gone.

Keenly feeling his outnumbered situation, Ares pressed forward with an aggression that even Athena herself had rarely seen from him.

"How long have you been Morrigan's dog?!" Athena yelled as she frantically, yet perfectly, matched every thrust and slash. "Do you know…"

"Of course I realize," Ares cut his sister off, an armored foot knocking the breath out of her. "Our father is gone, one uncle is helpless, and the other's gone mad. I had no choice." His tone had gone utterly cold.

"But now," Athena stood up, "you DO have a choice."

"Ah yes," Ares took a deep breath. "A chance to be another cog in some convoluted years-spanning scheme where we'll all be 'better off' in the end. Unfortunately, my progeny have no time for that."

"Perhaps you're right," Athena's head bent down. "Your children needed immediate security, but Morrigan will fall. Mark my words, she will drag everyone down with her if given the chance. So please, Brother…"

Athena sheathed her blade, holding her hand out.

Ares met her gaze for a long while, then turned to the clouds, hand stretching around Khemenu.

"I'm sorry, Sister."

The God of War's blade sang against the Goddess of Wisdom's Aegis.

"So be it." Athena's own blade was drawn again. "Just know that the Navajo Nightmare is here. Make sure you don't take it with you."

Ares' eyes widened, only to refocus on his opponent.

And with that, Brother and Sister engaged, shutting out all other distractions, uncaring as Suns and Water were rent asunder in the nearby clashes.

Back with Sekhmet, the Arrancar and Kisame had rushed the Sun Goddess.

"YARGH!" Grimmjow cried out for a few reasons. One, Sekhmet had kneed him in the stomach, stopping his charge cold. Two, her dual Khopesh had successfully parried both Tiburon and Samehada, knocking the other swordsmen off-balance. Three, she maintained constant eye-contact with him, licking her lips at him.

From beneath Jinbe hurled an 'Ocean Current: Shoulder Throw', the torrent on course.

Sekhmet laughed as she leapt up, landed on Tiburon, and used it as a launch pad. Halibel was sent flying, Jinbe's attack right between them. The Goddess zoomed around before settling on her target, noticing Ulquiorra about to take another pot-shot at Ares.

"Oh no you don't," she growled, gesturing with a finger, unwrapped from her Khopesh.

Noticing, the ex-4th leapt back, in time to avoid the instantly-scalding water.

Still, his Luz de la Luna had already formed, so he hurled it at the Goddess. A slash of her Khopesh quickly deflected the spear.

"Flying Thunder Strike!"

Tobirama instantly materialized, only for his blade to be stopped cold by Sekhmet's other Khopesh. In fact, she sliced clean through the blade, cleaving the Ninja in half. She raised an eyebrow at the man 'evaporating' where she'd cut.

At this point, Kisame and Halibel had returned, swinging Samehada and Tiburon in tandem. Sekhmet brought her arms to her chest, and leapt in-between the swinging blades. Unfortunately for her, that left no room for Jinbe's fist to miss.

"7000 Brick Fist!" And so the Fishman's blackened punch nailed the Goddess's cheek, prompting spittle from her mouth. Simultaneously, Samehada and Tiburon turned, and slammed together. Sekhmet's diaphragm was smack dab in the middle, forcing the breath out of her. She could feel the Ninja Blade's scales trying to devour her energy.

While the Goddess was finally still, the real Tobirama had reappeared, reaching an open palm towards her.

It was not to be. Sekhmet had formed a mini-sun beneath her foot, and kicked.

The orb started rotating and spinning. Tobirama withdrew his hand, right before it could be fried. The swordsmen interposed their blades, with Tiburon scorched and Samehada shrieking. Jinbe was grazed at the very edge of the mini-sun's orbit around Sekhmet, a fresh scorch blooming across his chest. His kimono was ripped to the point of exposing his chest and gut.

While these four reeled, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra moved in from opposite ends. Sekhmet intensified the speed of her mini-sun.

"URK!" Grimmjow managed to catch the mini-sun, stopping it dead. Still, one could smell the burnt flesh, even through his Hierro. At the same time, Sekhmet turned around, using both Khopesh to force Ulquiorra's Luz de la Luna to the side, exposing the Arrancar. She quickly lunged, her jaws clamping around his elbow.

"SKRISH!"

Sekhmet yanked the left arm clean out of its socket. Not even flinching, Ulquiorra quickly formed a point-blank Cero with his right hand, blasting the Goddess. He gladly accepted his scorched self tumbling from the blast as the price to pay.

Still, Sekhmet came charging through the smoke, bruised but undamaged.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" A great serpent rose from the water between Sekhmet and Ulquiorra.

At the same time, Grimmjow managed to crush the mini-sun in his claws and dashed forward.

Smirking, Sekhmet sent dual slashes of superheated wind. Confident they'd disperse the Jutsu, she turned to Grimmjow. Then, in a show of superiority, she tossed both Khopesh up into the air, and pummeled the Arrancar. Her fists were a blur as she repeatedly slammed them into his face, laughing all the while his blood splattered around her.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Sekhmet finally noticed Tobirama bearing down, his Water Dragon following him.

Turns out, the 2nd Hokage had 'Substituted' with his Jutsu, his smaller size allowing him to avoid Sekhmet's slash. This also placed him far closer to the Goddess.

Tobirama drew his blade, and threw it.

Sekhmet paused her assault on Grimmjow's face, clasping one clawed hand around his throat. With the other, she pointed a finger and shot a mini-sun. It tore through Tobirama, leaving a perfect hole through his chest, and evaporated the Water Dragon as it continued its trajectory. To cap it off, she easily ducked under the thrown blade.

'POOF! POOF!'

Tobirama vanished in a smoke cloud. And the thrown sword was revealed to be the real Tobirama, too close for the Goddess to dodge. Sekhmet's near-permanently amused expression shifted to confusion.

'SLAP!'

Sekhmet saw a spell of some sort grow under the Ninja's palm as it spread on her bicep, but felt nothing.

Taking advantage, Grimmjow conjured a Bala in both hands, sending both to her shoulder and earning a hiss of pain.

Reacting quickly, she released the Panther Espada, and slapped him into Tobirama, sending both flying. An angry burn in her hand's image was seared into Grimmjow's cheek, opposite his Mask, blood flowing where her claws pierced his cheek.

Ulquiorra reappeared, arm regrown and Cero charged.

At this point, both of Sekhmet's Khopesh had returned to her hand, and she dashed away from the Cero, the green energy hitting the water right behind her.

More and more Ceros pursued the Goddess, the ex-Espada intent on allowing no respite.

Sekhmet combined the heated slashes of her blades with her own breath, overpowering the last Cero and forcing Ulquiorra to dodge.

"Ocean Current Shoulder Throw: Cascading Shark!"

In an instant, Sekhmet was encased, swallowed by the largest shark she'd seen yet. She expunged sheer heat, but the water construct didn't decrease in size. Surprised, she turned, and saw the sole woman fighting her focused on adding more water to compensate. Within the shark, those two blue men were bearing down on her, forcing her to brace herself.

As Halibel constantly replenished their buffer, Jinbe and Kisame gained momentum.

"Vagabond Drill!"

"Water Style: Water Bullet!"

Jinbe aimed at her stomach, Kisame aimed at her eyes. Even when forced to close her eyes, Sekhmet still managed to intercept the Fishman Karate, crossing her Khopesh to intercept.

Then, she began to spin, while also beckoning with two extended fingers.

Heat and light began to intensify around the Goddess, and the sun created when she first awakened hurtled towards the battlefield.

"RAH!" With a mighty Lion's roar, Sekhmet dispersed the encasing water, blasting the Shark Trio back. She quickly kicked Jinbe, dead center over his wounds from Nnoitra. The Fishman crumbled over, coughing blood.

Then, her Khopesh glowing, Sekhmet turned and slashed down.

"GAH!"

Kisame howled, Samehada was sent flying, along with the arm wielding it.

"WHOOM!"

Before Sekhmet had a chance to follow up, a massive burst of golden energy erupted to the side.

"BLAUGH!" And the Sun Goddess was driven to her knees, coughing up blood. The newly-serrated Tiburon had pierced her armor.

"Segunda Etapa: Gran Tiburon Blanca," Halibel growled through her newly-sharpened teeth.

The Lioness's slit eyes met the Shark's black eyes, and Sekhmet smirked at a fellow predator's gaze.

Further back, Ulquiorra's eyes widened more than his fellow Hollows had ever seen.

"HA-HAA!" Grimmjow laughed and barely stopped himself from pointing at his brooding rival.

"Ulquiorra! Grimmjow! Save your strength!" Halibel commanded, her tail whacking Sekhmet's Khopesh to the side.

'Does she know? Did Grimmjow attain the same strength?!' the ex-#4 did an admirable job keeping a lid on his shock at the implications.

"Cascada!"

Sekhmet kicked Halibel away, yanking Tiburon out. Simultaneously, she brought the false sun closer to vaporize the charging water. Panting, she transformed her sun into a protective dome, obscuring the goddess from her foes.

Jinbe was slow to get into an upright position, covering Halibel as she knelt by Kisame. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra joined with Sonido. Tobirama reappeared with Flying Raijin, Samehada in tow, which he'd been very sure to handle via Kisame's severed arm. Speaking of which…

The 2nd Hokage tossed both at Halibel, who immediately placed the limb on Kisame's stump, after cutting off all cauterized flesh. While one hand clamped the flesh together, she conjured a Bala at Tiburon's tip.

"It's alright, Samehada," the Hollow cooed. She placed the tip inside the sword's gaping maw, letting the Bala go within.

"Aah," Kisame groaned, just barely avoiding biting his own tongue off, again. "Damn, Samehada's getting slower at that."

"All the more reason to wrap this up," Jinbe steadied himself, ripping off another piece of his kimono to wrap over the wounds from Nnoitra.

"Let's try one more strategy. If that fails, you two should transform like I have," Halibel gazed at Ulquiorra and Grimmjow.

"Like hell the bitch can force that from me," the ex-6th glowered at the retreating dome, eyes meeting the Sun Goddess, hand massaging the now-permanent burn on his cheek.

"Would these humans not be destroyed by our power?" Ulquiorra bluntly asked, no longer seeing a point to his 1st life's secrecy.

"No," Halibel firmly retorted. "They're strong."

"As you say," Ulquiorra bowed his head.

"You really think I'd hang around people not worth a damn?" Grimmjow snarled at his old rival.

"..." Ulquiorra elected not to answer.

"Oh you Motherf…"

"Let's not agitate our 'allies'," Tobirama raised an eyebrow at Ulquiorra. "Especially when the enemy's ready for more."

Sure enough, the dome was almost reformed into a false sun.

"Here's what we'll do," Halibel's regal aura and disposition broke through the uneasy atmosphere as she laid out the plan of action. Tobirama initially would've interjected, but he could find no fault in the idea, on top of seeing Ulquiorra's deference to the Hollow. Plus, she seemed to already have a good idea of his capabilities, the Akatsuki's input no doubt. Nevertheless, he would do his part.

Sekhmet finished dissipating her dome, Khopesh at the ready. With a battle-hungry snarl, she leapt forward. 5 of the fighters flew back. Halibel stayed, matching the power behind both Khopesh with Tiburon.

Water continuously bathed the Hollow Queen's blade, countering the Sun Goddess's heat.

Then, Ulquiorra swooped in from above, dive-bombing Sekhmet with near-constant 'Lanza'.

That, combined with Halibel actually being strong enough to match the Goddess's raw force, was just barely enough to put Sekhmet on the backfoot.

Another mini-sun was kicked up, making Halibel bend her head back. Of course, the mini-sun was still flying up, right for Ulquiorra. The ex-4th sped back, tossing a 'Lanza' to impale and detonate the projectile.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!" Tiburon and Khopesh sang, metal crashing against serrated edge.

Halibel deflected, and sent the tip of her triangular blade into the ocean.

"Hirviendo y Geiser!"

Superheated water and vapor erupted beneath the Goddess, but she didn't move.

"Did you really think heat could hurt me?!"

Sekhmet slashed the surrounding pillar, only to pause when Tiburon matched both her Khopesh with a 'CLANG'.

"No."

"DESGARRON!"

"AHH!" Sekhmet yelled in pain when Grimmjow hit her back with everything he had, leaving ten slashes that had gotten through her armor.

"HUH-RAH!" Halibel grunted and roared with effort as she pushed the Goddess back.

Stumbling, Sekhmet went to a knee to steady herself, crossing her Khopesh to defend against whatever would come.

Sure enough, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra both fell into formation by the Hollow Queen. As one, the Arrancars slit their hands, blood mixing with growing Reiatsu.

Deciding not to give them a chance, she breathed a stream of fire and heat, along with her Khopesh's scalding wind slashes.

"Gran Rey Cero!"

Then, to her shock, all 3 ex-Espada turned right and fired off their combined attack, not even bothering to aim at her.

"Wha…WHISH!"

Tobirama had appeared, hand already on the Goddess via his Seal. Then, they both vanished. As a result, Sekhmet's attack petered out before it could reach the ex-Espada.

When Sekhmet's awareness returned, she suddenly couldn't breathe.

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"

"Fishman Karate: Shark Pack!"

The Sun Goddess had been teleported into the middle of what a Hokage, an Akatsuki, and a Straw Hat had been preparing this whole time.

6 Tobirama and 6 Kisame stood in a perfect circle around the Combined Jutsu. The Hokage himself had to 'volunteer' being trapped, so he could jump to his planted seal, and drag Sekhmet back to his original position. Before the Goddess could retaliate, Tobirama substituted with a Shadow Clone, which 'poofed' from the extreme pressure. In addition, Jinbe was right beneath the 'Water Prison', constantly shooting enough water to counter Sekhmet evaporating it with her sheer heat. Plus, the shark constructs distracting her were hindering her to the point of breaking her concentration.

Annoyed, Sekhmet began building up heat that would surely destroy the 'Water Prison'.

Unfortunately, 1 Kisame, 1 Tobirama, and Jinbe all bolted before she could move her Khopesh, leaving 10 Clones holding the bag as it were.

A 'bag' about to be bombed by a total of THREE Gran Rey Cero.

"Oh damnation."

Gold, Green, and Blue Reiatsu tore through the Prison, landing on Sekhmet's chest.

'BBOOOOOOOMM!'

The resulting shockwave forced even Athena and Ares to take a knee and pause.

OoOoOoO

That earth-shaking attack sent the ocean into a fit of madness, undulating and parting with abandon.

The Cutty Sark expertly made its way out of the harbor. Franky's impromptu helmsmanship combined with Sasori assuming direct control put the ship back near peak performance. Robin raised an eyebrow at the inventors' collab, before turning to the absurd destruction being wrought.

"Glad to see my colleagues already getting along with Jinbe and his friends," Robin gave a satisfied nod, then turned to the rest of the non-Straw Hat crew. "Speaking of friends…"

She conjured an arm in front of every other member of the crew, extending them all for handshakes. Well, Sasori slapped the offered hand away into pedals, but minor details.

"Tsuyu Asui, Juvia Lockser, Emilou Apacci, Hanataro Yamada, Mirajane Strauss…a genuine pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for taking care of my family. You too, Sasori." She conjured another extended hand in front of the Ninja.

The 4 ladies and Hanataro accepted the remote handshakes, but Sasori remained characteristically suspicious. "Oh…you already know all of our names, despite our different origins," he eyed the hand like the scorpions that haunted the edges of his childhood home.

"A combination of Eidetic Memory, and working alongside a Goddess of Intelligence hellbent on getting the edge against the Gods of the Sea," Robin answered casually. "Plus, I made sure your profiles matched your behavior."

Her smile slipped a tad. "Just so I could be sure about a shapeshifter among us."

Nami was instantly downcast. "We know," the navigator slumped down onto a bench. "It was pretending to be my mother."

She shuddered, until Robin sat down and embraced her. "I know it's not alright now, but it will be. At least after I shatter the Skinwalker's vertebrae."

That got a bizarre mix of a chuckle and shudder from Nami.

"But I suppose we should gather the whole crew first, it is a rather nasty being. And besides, you should meet my coworkers."

"Ulquiorra Cifer?!" Apacci gasped once the crew could start making out the figures in the distance. "You're friends with HIM?! Of ALL Hollows? HIM?!"

"And the 2nd Hokage as well," Sasori narrowed his eyes. "Odd company for one of the Cyborg's old 'friends'." One could almost hear the quotation marks around the last word.

"Well, is that the pot calling the kettle black?" Robin's smile became more rigid, reminiscent of her's as Ms. All-Sunday, not shying away from the old Akatsuki.

"Easy, Red, Robin," Franky piped up. "Let's save the standoffs for after all the Gods are away from us."

And with that, they sailed on.

OoOoOoO

The smoke finally began to dissipate. All six of the Goddess's opponents were tense, prepping defenses.

Sure enough, Sekhmet was panting, bleeding over broken armor, but most certainly not out.

"Impressive," she purred as she stood back up to full height. "Now, I shall match in kind."

Now, the false sun was directly over her, boiling the sea.

Pure light took the place of her armor, matching the intensified glow in her eyes.

In both her palms, blinding suns began to rise up. Unlike previous conjured attacks, these two suns grew, and grew, and grew.

Before long, they'd matched the original in sheer size, their combined light blinding the enemy fighters.

"And now…oh, company," Sekhmet's anticipation suddenly switched to annoyance.

'WHOOSH!'

A torrent of dark fresh water poured from Khemenu, replenishing what had been evaporated in the span of mere moments.

Jinbe bent over and started coughing. The fresh water playing hell after he'd originally been using his gills in the salt water. This aggravated his wounds, adding blood to his coughs.

"FRESH MEAT!"

As the river rushed to the sea, a ridge of scales sped towards Jinbe.

Sobek, the God of the Nile, emerged from his conjured water. His open jaws were half the size of the Fishman. The only article of clothing was a loincloth. His scales were a dark bronze, fading to an off-yellow belly already obscured by mud. Black spots and stripes speckled his flanks. His slit green eyes were wide, utterly delighted to be out and about. In fact, the only thing distinguishing him from a Nile Crocodile was the fact that his arms and legs were proportioned like a man's, a mighty man at that.

The Crocodile God breached, aiming for Jinbe's head.

"NO!"

Tobirama blinked, and the Fishman was next to him.

Kisame had taken Jinbe's place. Thankfully, the Ninja was significantly shorter than the Fishman. As such, Sobek sailed clear over Kisame's head.

The ex-Akatsuki swung Samehada up with all his strength, a 'BOOM' resonating as the blade slammed into the God's underbelly.

There wasn't even a scratch.

"Oh damn," was all Kisame had time to say before Sobek's tail whacked him away, the bones in his abused left arm cracking, and just after it had been reattached too.

"What strange magic," the crocodile brought a hand to its chin, before his gaze found Jinbe again. "Then again, supper and entertainment. I always appreciate a challenge."

"Mr. Hokage, we need to buy time against him," Jinbe decided as he gestured at Sobek. "We'll keep our distance so you three can go all out." The Fishman turned to Halibel. "All our attacks would be useless with more suns here."

The Hollow Queen nodded, prompting Jinbe and Tobirama to dash at the Crocodile. Grimmjow's gaze had never left Sekhmet, massaging the burn on his face. Ulquiorra simply raised an eyebrow.

"Are you done?" the Sun Goddess scraped her Khopesh together. "Still, it's fortunate that Sobek didn't want all of you. He's always so incorrigible before eating." She turned her gaze to the three ex-Espada. "Though, I'm glad we can still have our fun. There should be a reward for those who've drawn this much of my blood."

"If you're thinking of my blood," Grimmjow brought his blade up, "think again! Segunda Etapa: Gran Pantera Azul!"

"Segunda Etapa," Ulquiorra had done the same, "Gran Murcielago Negro."

Two gargantuan pillars of Reiatsu engulfed the rival Espada, only separated by Halibel's own presence.

The green pillar was infused with the black of night. From within, Ulquiorra unveiled his new form. His armor and clothes had been shed for a bare chest, Hollow Hole enlarged with the appearance of blackened blood from it. His arms and legs were covered in black fur, ending in sharp, spindly digits. All that remained of Ulquiorra's mask were two massive horns parting his billowing hair.

The blue pillar was torn apart from the inside by the transformed Grimmjow. His hands and feets had fully transformed into black paws. Fur completely covered everything except his head and chest. Blue fur covered his tail, back, and limbs, matching his mane of hair. White fur dominated his lower torso. Along his sides, spots and stripes of black fur alternated, almost resembling tribal tattoos. On his head, black fur in the shape of a crown had sprouted on his forehead, framing his feline ears and glowing blue eyes.

And then, Grimmjow roared, sonic waves booming from him.

Smirking, Sekhmet roared in kind. The Lioness matched the Panther King in presence and noise.

Then, both vanished, instantly crossing the distance between them.

"BOOM!" Sekhmet had an expression of absolute ecstasy when her brute strength was matched.

"SKREEE!" Grimmjow's claws scraped the Khopesh's blades, emanating a horrific screech heard by everyone.

With her hands occupied, Sekhmet saw Ulquiorra and Halibel flanking her, aiming Ceros.

"I don't think so," the Goddess muttered as her eyes looked up. As she did, the three false suns began spinning and rolling, like three equal planets around an invisible star. Their speed gained, and gained, and gained. Now, they were going so fast, it appeared to be a massive ring of fire bearing down on the Hollows.

Then, utter pandemonium ensued. The suns rained hellfire on the battle, beams upon beams of pure superheated light vaporizing all water impacted. Both Ulquiorra and Halibel had no choice but evasive action, pushing Sonido to the limit.

"Cúpula de Agua!" Halibel got in front of Ulquiorra, constantly sending more water into her protective dome. To be honest, it was only with Sobek's incoming water that she was able to pull it off. And even then, it was only briefly before the three suns vaporized the shield.

"AH!" Halibel howled as a beam pierced her stomach, driven to a knee. Nevertheless, she'd done her job.

"Lanza del Relampago." Ulquiorra had quickly escalated to his strongest move, hurling the Reiatsu spear at the false suns. His aim was true, timing perfect. The attack pierced the dead center of one of the suns, causing a chain reaction that detonated the target. The resulting explosion sent the other two suns flying away, ending the rain of fire.

All the while, Grimmjow and Sekhmet had been in a brutal hand-to-hand. Most blows were countered, claws and Khopesh singing.

And yet, the blows that got through were adding up.

"AHH!" a burning slash along Grimmjow's arm.

"ERGH!" Sekhmet's abs clawed.

"OOF!" Grimmjow kneed in the stomach.

"GRR!" Sekhmet's throat hit by a Bala.

On and on it went. But eventually, Sekhmet proved to be the stronger. She used both Khopesh to push his arms apart, leaving his body open. The Goddess then kicked the ex-Espada, and blasted him back with her breath.

Turning, she saw Halibel and Ulquiorra approaching. Her Khopesh rose up at the ready.

"They could actually defeat me," Sekhmet sounded more bemused than afraid. "Well, better brace myself." With that, she charged forth.

OoOoOoO

Sobek beheld the mighty warrior charging him, and grinned as the Fishman took control of the God's fresh water, and flung it back at him.

"Ocean Current: Shoulder Throw!"

Jinbe's attack slammed into Sobek's chest, only inching the God back as opposed to blasting him.

"I can't recall the last time my own water was used against me," the crocodile chuckled. "Truly, a wondrous world!"

As he proclaimed his joy, Sobek brought both arms out, raising them to the side. The silty water rose in tandem with the gesture. Tobirama couldn't help but be reminded of the 'Water-Bending' he'd started studying in his free time.

"RAH!" Two gargantuan tsunamis crashed forward. Tobirama saw the Fishman submerge, only to barely go forward as the current pushed against him. Barely able to walk on the surface, the Ninja leaped up, throwing a kunai on a string.

Jinbe caught it, and hurled the Hokage at the God, clear over the water.

After a flurry of hand signs, Tobirama threw a Paper Bomb point-blank, a self-replicating Paper Bomb that completely covered the crocodile.

"BOOM!"

A clawed hand parted the smoke, revealing a totally unharmed Sobek.

Jinbe had dashed through the water, blackened fists ready.

"5000 Brick Barrage!"

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Sobek matched Jinbe, fist to fist.

"BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!"

Both fighters' arms were blurring, every single impact crashing like thunder.

From behind, Tobirama was aiming a Chakra-enhanced blade right for Sobek's…

"NO!"

And with a slap of his mighty tail, Sobek stopped a 'Thousand Years of Death', sending Tobirama stumbling.

"BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!" Sobek didn't even slow down, grinning as he noticed the blood on his opponent's knuckles.

"Water Style: Super Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"

Kisame came roaring back, aiming to slam into Sobek's flank now that his hands and tail were occupied.

"BOOM! BOOM!" The god locked Jinbe's hands into place, and turned his head at the Jutsu.

"RAWR!" With a mighty bellow, Sobek hurled a river from his mouth. Fresh and salt water clashed, strong enough to put a pause in the Ninja's attack.

"IFRIT JAMBE: HELL MEMORIES!"

"What?" Surprised, Sobek felt his body bend around Sanji's fiery kick, and his grip on Jinbe slackened.

"10,000 Brick Roundhouse Kick!" Jinbe slipped his hands out, and spun to combine his strength with his crewmate's.

"AGH!" The god was sent headfirst into Kisame's attack, his whole body consumed by the Jutsu.

"Good timing, Sanji." Kisame sent a relieved smile. "Remind me to show you how Mist Ninja deep-fry crocodile tail."

"I'll take you up on that," the cook smirked as he lit a new cigarette. "We should have a feast to celebrate after all."

"RRAARRGGHH!" Sobek blasted the Jutsu apart with his strength, and gazed upon his foes.

Or he would've, if his vision didn't go black.

"Dos Fleur: Diez Mano!" Conjured hands instantly covered the crocodile's eyes.

"ROBIN?!" Jinbe's smile was wide, eyes watering.

"My, my, still as handsome as ever, Jinbe," their archaeologist called out from the deck, a wink and a stunning smile completing the image.

That got a pause out of Kisame. He turned to Jinbe, then to Robin, and back to Jinbe.

"Is there something you didn't tell me?" He raised an eyebrow and a teasing grin at the Fishman.

"Umm…no time!" Jinbe prepped his attack, prompting Kisame to laugh before doing the same.

"Fishman Karate: Arabesque Brick Fist!"

"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"

"Took you long enough, Robin. Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"Ifrit Jambe: Extra Hachis!"

"Phrase d'Armes: Orchestra!"

"Franky Radical Beam!"

"Thunderbolt Tempo!"

"Pop Green: Impact Wolf!"

"Cero!"

"Water Slicer!"

"Fishman Karate: 2000 Brick Fist!"

"Soul Extinctor!"

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

"WWHHOOOOMM!"

The combination of every remaining crewmate's attacks all coalesced and nailed Sobek in his underbelly, creating a near-cataclysmic explosion of power.

The god had been sent flying, slamming on his back when he plummeted to the water's surface.

"SPLOOSH!"

But Sobek did not fall. Did not stumble. The god rose back to its full height, hind legs steady on the water's surface. He gazed upon his belly, where a chunk of his scales had been flayed off. Blood flowed freely from the wound. Looking back at the warriors that drew first blood, Sobek paused. The bloodlust in his eyes was still present, but it had dimmed. He observed that this crew facing him didn't falter when faced with his resilience (not even that long-nosed fellow with buckling knees), prompting a smirk.

"Well," the God of the Nile hummed in his low bellow of a voice. "Even if all that was for a drop of blood, you have my respect. But now, I still HUNGER!"

Sobek charged forth, the entire river following him, carving through the salt water. He leaped up, maw wide open.

"You know," Kisame sighed before raising Samehada, "starting to really hate crocodiles."

OoOoOoO

Professor Clover finally took a breath. The first evacuation ship had managed to lock onto the prearranged course with little issue, the residents long prepared for catastrophe. In the distance, he could see the rear of their fleet finally clear the harbor, leaving only the Gods and their enemies remaining on Khemenu.

Clover brought out a snail. "Clover to Chan, our course is set."

"HA-CHA! All copies of research safely collected."

"McGarden to Clover, minimal casualties from the evacuation itself. I'll present the names of those KIA or MIA to Thoth once we're clear."

"Amakado to Clover, can confirm no residents remain at Khemenu. Fleet formation is stable."

"And then we shall…", Clover cut himself off, eyes turning to the battling gods. "Raise shields!"

On each ship, the assigned magician/sorcerer/energy-user slammed a hand on the main mast. Hieroglyphs lit up from the hands to the crow's nest, the topmost symbol emanating a shield of golden light around each individual ship.

"THOOOM!" The outer beams shot from Sekhmet's three suns made their way to the fleet.

With one beam, a shield would shudder. With the second, it shattered.

"Raise them again!"

"TOO LATE!" Amakado saw a third beam hurtling at her ship, and prayed for salvation.

"Pop! WWHHOOOOOMM!"

Thoth had teleported above the fleet, instantly conjuring another shield. It lasted just long enough to wait out the attack, once the ex-Espada took care of the source.

"Brace the foreyards, hard rudders!" Egypt's God of Wisdom called out to all ships. "Full speed to the Land of Tuath. And Clover, I promise you'll have the chance to speak with our new allies, but we have to move. NOW!"

"Aye-aye!" As the ships followed his orders, Thoth cast a worried look at the island, and turned to Amakado. "Please prepare our fastest Ibis…I have a final message for the Cutty Sark crew." His order given, he proceeded to draw a circle on deck.

As Thoth was mid-task, something shifted, and it made him realize, "my seals are failing."

The very air itself was weighed down, to the point that even the gods, Egyptian and Olympian alike, and their opponents, stopped all fighting.

Sobek paused, eyes wide in the direction of the island. "Father?", he asked in a trembling voice as his raging river subsided.

A solid majority of Khemenu's citizens were either knocked out or on their knees, despite their growing distance from the main island.

The more heavily injured fighters on the C.S. and Wrath of Sparta struggled to remain conscious.

Within Sasori's mind, the old Akatsuki could only think one thing.

'Run.'

Even the Skinwalker and Ammit felt a bit of sweat, pausing their game of 'cat-and-mouse', suddenly feeling very vulnerable as the last fighters present on the island.

For the entirety of Khemenu's sand had arisen! And it had begun to swirl around the final standing pyramid.

All the Morrigan's clouds had been blasted away far beyond the horizon.

Sekhmet's suns had dimmed.

The feeling of utter fear extended far beyond the island.

All over the Sea of Second Chances, existential dread crept into the minds of certain individuals.

A man with a hook for a hand broke out in a cold sweat, assorted criminals waiting for new orders.

A normally-stoic young redhead frantically looked around for the source of his anxiety, his filled gourd tingling.

A Princess took formation beside him, blue hair blown from the same direction her friend was now staring at.

A chosen King nervously paced before he was supposed to give an address, his grandfather/minister watching on.

A dirty-blonde fan-wielder clutched her husband's hand in a vice-grip.

Ninja Puppet Masters held their creations close.

Those who'd lived their whole lives in the unforgiving desert, more than anyone else, could sense the true measure of this new entity, even if they'd never heard of him. For what had awakened, was the very first being to command the vast wastelands of dust. He, who'd bent all the sands in existence to his will. He, who'd been the first deity in recorded history that killed his own brother. He, who'd been known as Pharaoh of the Gods. He, who'd singlehandedly matched the power of Chaos itself every night.

Set, Egypt's God of the Desert, had returned.

In a matter of minutes, no more pyramids will stand on Khemenu.

A.N: So…finally got back to writing. Been in a slump, but I finally graduated with Masters', and am on a job hunt while 'Subbing'. Rest assured, if life does get too much, you WILL be informed if I stop this story, which I have no plans of doing. And will admit, the endings of 'My Hero' and 'Jujutsu Kaisen' drained a lot of enthusiasm from me, but I found my joy in this again!

Alright, original plan was to finish Khemenu in one chapter, but things kept ballooning, so I had to split what was left in two, putting all the 'Hype up Egypt's Gods' stuff here. Rest assured, next chapter is the end of Khemenu. And even then, this is the longest chapter I've ever written…yikes!

Now, I do believe that's the most people I've ever put in a combined attack with that move against Sobek…holy moly. That was just one page of attack yells and the resulting boom!

Anyway, a few things…finally confirming most of the remaining Egyptian threats. Sobek…because I just couldn't stop myself from attacking my sharks with crocodiles. And fun fact, one of my original ideas was for Sobek to be the first 'Big Bad', but then I ran across Cipactli when researching, and the rest is history.

Ammit…the odd one out…only sealed because it's an incredibly powerful animal that will always listen to either Osiris, his closest relative, or the STRONGEST deity. And there's no Osiris or family around in the SoSC yet. Other words, the 'Gods of the Sea' would've instantly brought it to heel, and they'd have a soul-eating monstrosity.

Set…nuff' said. And yes, those folks all feeling that existential dread at his presence in the world, totally justified.

On Grimmjow…felt that it makes sense he'd get a 'Segunda Etapa', if I was already giving Halibel one. Lot of inspiration from that 'Brave Souls' design, along with me adhering to that 'more bestial' trend for Segunda Etapa. And if Sekhmet pummeling his face sounded familiar, recall his first 'fight' with Ichigo…what goes around comes around! LOL!

As for Driscoll, I felt I should at least give him a shot with Vollstandig. Admittedly, Toten comes from Google telling me what 'Kill' is in German, with 'iel' being the 'of God' that shows up in other Vollstandig forms…I probably am horribly butchering the German language…oh well! I know he's the closest thing to a throwaway character by Kubo, but I still wanted to see what I could get out of him!

But for real, it was SO GOOD to finally have Robin reunite with the Straw Hats so far! And to start her interactions with all their 'new friends'!

Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!