12 Brontes vs Shiki (Part III)
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"Rumble!!! Rumble!!!"
A cacophony of thunderous roars echoed through the heavens as eight headed serpentine dragon, formed of pure lightning, streaked towards Shiki, their target suspended in the sky. They attacked from all angles, a coordinated assault of electric fury.
"Join you? Over my dead body!" Brontes retorted, his voice a defiant challenge to Shiki's proposition.
His allegiance was to the Marine, and he had no intention of ever donning the mantle of a pirate. Shiki, a formidable overlord in the New World, was a figure few would dare to rebuff.
Yet, Brontes was no ordinary man. His experiences over the past two years had exposed him to the true nature of pirates.
He had encountered the rare breed, the likes of Roger, Shanks, and Luffy, who refrained from harming innocents or indulging in theft. However, the majority were not so noble, unleashing their twisted desires without a thought for the repercussions.
In the name of freedom, they committed heinous acts, burning, killing, and looting without remorse.
Brontes had battled countless pirates in the New World, and had witnessed the devastation they wrought on innocent islands.
The cries of ordinary people, suffering under the blades of these malevolent pirates, had left an indelible mark on him. To Brontes, a pirate was a pirate, irrespective of their moral compass.
Despite his disdain for the World Nobles and the World Government, Brontes was a champion for the weak and a stalwart defender of justice.
He had his own moral equilibrium, and he was unwavering in his commitment to uphold it. Perhaps, within the Marine, he was one of the few who truly understood Garp's concept of justice.
Shiki, with his formidable pirate crew, was a dominant force in the New World. His hands were drenched in the blood of countless innocents, be they from the Marine, other pirate factions, or just ordinary people, all sacrificed for his capricious whims.
Brontes was prepared to fight with the resolve to either win or perish, a lesson ingrained in him by Zed. One could never predict the strength of their adversaries in battle.
To protect his comrades, he would need to lead the charge, absorb the brunt of the damage, and launch a relentless assault on the enemy.
"Roar!!! ZliZli!!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the lightning dragons as they simultaneously raised their heads to the sky.
The sound reverberated through the atmosphere, causing those engaged in battle to pause and look skyward.
"Give him hell, Brontes!" Yoshida, his closest comrade, clenched his fists in anticipation. Sakazuki, Borsalino, and others watched Brontes intently.
Despite the odds stacked against him, they yearned to witness his moment of glory against Shiki.
"Marine, you've proven yourself worthy." Shiki, the Golden Lion, the overlord of the New World, shouted loudly.
"Only a select few have ever earned my respect and recognition. Today, you join their ranks. To honor you, I will employ one of my most potent attacks to end your life."
His voice was serious, but it soon gave way to a sinister laugh.
"Item Hassha!" He bellowed.
This technique allowed Shiki to manipulate and control objects, causing them to levitate alongside him. It was a versatile move, useful for both offense and defense.
With a soft hiss, countless rocks and old shipwrecks, long submerged at the sea's bottom, emerged and began to orbit Shiki. "Tornado!"
He commanded, and the heavy debris began to spin rapidly, forming a formidable barrier before Brontes.
A monstrous tornado materialized within seconds, dwarfing the eight headed lightning dragon.
Brontes, standing before this terrifying spectacle, seemed like an insignificant insect daring to challenge the storm.
"Boom!!! Rumble!!!"
A thunderous explosion echoed through the sky as Brontes plunged into the tornado. Lightning erupted from his body, and the eight headed dragon collided violently with the swirling vortex.
In an instant, the tornado was enveloped in a sheath of electricity, and the eight headed giant lightning dragon re-emerged, circling the storm.
"Roar!!! ZliZli!!!"
With a roar and a rumble, the dragon burst forth from the tornado, halting its rotation, and charged directly at Shiki.
Despite his failed attack, Shiki's expression remained unchanged. He propelled himself towards the oncoming giant dragon.
"Boom!!! ZliZli!!!"
A second explosion detonated in the sky, creating a massive pressure wave. The impact, accompanied by a surge of lightning, churned the sea into a frenzy of violent waves and electric arcs.
Streaks of lightning danced across the bodies of those aboard the marine warship and the pirate vessels.
The discharge was minor, causing only a tingling sensation, but the aftermath of Brontes's attack, though relatively weak, was still potent enough to incapacitate the weaker individuals on board.
They collapsed to the deck, their bodies convulsing in response to the residual electrical energy.
"D-Damn, that was intense!" A recruit aboard the warship gasped, his voice trembling with shock.
"Brontes... he will be fine, right?"
The explosion had obscured their view, making it impossible to discern the situation above.
Yoshida's fists were clenched in readiness, prepared to leap to Brontes's aid at a moment's notice.
But his view was obstructed. As he glanced around, he noticed that Zed had already left the warship.
"Admiral Zed?!" Yoshida was momentarily stunned by Zed's sudden disappearance. But a realization dawned on him, and he quickly scanned the sky.
Sure enough, he spotted Zed soaring towards the site of the explosion using Moonwalk. Clearly, Zed had sprung into action the moment Brontes and Shiki's attacks had collided.
Suddenly, a figure plummeted from the sky. The man, clad in a blue and white uniform, was in a dire state.
Zed swooped in, snatched him by his clothes, and then hurled Brontes towards the warship.
"Not bad, kid. You didn't disappoint me." A satisfied smile graced Zed's face.
Yoshida immediately leapt from the warship, arms outstretched to catch Brontes, before bounding back onto the deck.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!!"
Brontes spat a mouthful of blood, his body wracked with excruciating pain.
"Damn, what a formidable man! He nearly killed me, but it was the most thrilling fight I've ever had, Hhh!" Brontes laughed, his mouth stained with blood.
"You still have the strength to laugh? Your injuries look severe, are you okay?" Yoshida asked, concern etching his voice.
"I'll be fine, just need some time to adjust my breathing. Don't worry about me. We're surrounded by pirates, you should help the other recruits. But first, could you call a medic? I'm in agony." Brontes grimaced, his pain evident.
"You've done more than enough. We'll take it from here." Yoshida assured him, his gaze fixed on Shiki hovering in the sky.
Shiki looked somewhat comical at that moment, his blond hair standing on end from the electricity, his clothes in tatters.
But most notably, a deep gash marred his abdomen where his clothes had been torn open, a clear testament to Brontes's attack.
A rookie marine soldier had managed to wound one of the world's top pirates, a feat of monumental proportions.
"You're getting old, Shiki." Zed taunted, standing before Shiki with a smirk.
"Getting old?" Shiki glanced down at his wound, then towards the warship below where Brontes lay.
"Shihahaha! Zed, I must admit, you've trained a fine student. But whether I'm getting old or not, we'll find out now." He laughed, seemingly unfazed by Zed's mockery.
"So be it!" Zed shrugged off his coat, his hands instantly transforming into a pitch-black hue with a metallic sheen, Armament Haki!
"Let's fight!"
