A figure slowly rose from the settling dust, flame clouds swirling around his body. There was no mistaking who it was; the familiar monkey mask revealed his identity.
"I-It's Shinko!"
"Shinko of the Twelve Zodiacs is still alive!"
Gaz cried out in shock, and the spectators inside and outside the Colosseum erupted with him. After watching Shinko endure consecutive attacks from the Three Disasters, followed by Saint Pierre's surprise attack with the White Bone Spear, almost everyone had assumed he was dead. But not only was he alive...
"Hey! Look at him!"
"What's that on Shinko's body?!"
Sharp-eyed spectators quickly noticed that something about him had changed. Even Marco, standing among the crowd, couldn't hide his astonishment as the figure on the screen gradually became clear.
Shinko looked completely different from before. The Glory of Victory he had amassed by single-handedly suppressing an entire nation's unrest and winning more than two thousand battles was gone, or rather, it had transformed.
The magnificent golden radiance now formed a suit of golden armor around him. Golden bracers covered his arms, green ornaments decorated his wrists, and a gleaming coat of golden chainmail protected his body, complete with beast-head pauldrons resting upon his shoulders.
A jade belt wrapped around his waist, cloud-treading boots adorned his feet, and atop his sea-beast mask sat an ornate crown with two long crimson plumes fluttering in the wind alongside his scarlet cape.
Most unusual of all were the four openings on the back of his armor, each holding a translucent battle flag. Four symbols were emblazoned across them, characters no one in this world could recognize.
{GREAT}
{SAGE}
{EQUALING}
{HEAVEN}
Boom!
An overwhelming aura descended upon the arena. The ruined ground began trembling once more, while the clouds high above twisted together into a massive vortex.
"What an incredible presence…" Even Marco, who had followed Whitebeard for years and witnessed countless legendary figures of the sea, was shaken.
And he wasn't the only one, all three Knights of God stared gravely at the figure floating toward them. Even Saint Fabian no longer had the attention to spare for his "collection."
"Impossible…" He stared at Shinko in disbelief. That was all he managed to say.
In the next instant...
"?!"
Before any of the three Knights of God could react, Shinko vanished from sight.
"Wha..." Killingham's long beard swayed as his eyes widened. A flash of golden light suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision, and only then did the deafening boom and sonic blast erupt from where Shinko had just been standing.
Killingham had no time to dodge. Shinko's iron staff, coated in Supreme King Haki, came crashing down.
Bang!
Killingham's body shattered instantly beneath the blow. One of his qilin horns snapped off and went flying, his armor burst apart, and blood and bone fragments scattered through the air.
Buzz!
A moment later, his body reconstructed itself, the Deep Sea Covenant on his left arm glowing brightly.
"That hurt… This bastard…" Killingham's qilin-like face twisted with fury and disbelief, but he never got the chance to vent his anger. The moment he looked toward Shinko, he discovered that the man had disappeared again!
"Nightmare Cave: MMA - Unbreakable Wall!"
Without hesitation, Killingham activated his ability. Fragments of dreams surged from his body, forming an enormous pitch-black barrier that completely enclosed him. Only then did he relax slightly.
The Unbreakable Wall was a Dream Creation forged from the dreams of the former soldiers he had enslaved within his castle, an embodiment of their dreams of an absolutely impenetrable fortress on the battlefield.
But then...
Bang!
The relief on Saint Rimoshifu Killingham's face froze.
Crack! A harsh cracking sound rang out as fractures spread across the black wall before him.
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, the creation he took such pride in exploded like fragile glass. An iron staff engulfed in golden flames and black-and-red lightning tore through the barrier and thrust straight into Killingham.
Squelch! He had no chance to resist as his body was blown apart once again.
A moment later, he reconstructed himself, the anger on his face replaced by sheer horror. In such a short time, he had already "died" twice!
"Fabian!" the usually languid Killingham screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Fourth Shot: Tracking Shot!"
Saint Fabian already knew what he had to do. He immediately waved the radiance in his hand, images flickered within the glow before finally locking onto Killingham. With a motion of his finger, Killingham vanished from beside Shinko and reappeared next to Saint Fabian, far from danger.
At the same time...
"First Shot: Fixed Shot!"
"Second Shot: Close-Up!"
Saint Fabian rapidly manipulated the images in his hand, directing every nearby Den Den Mushi toward Shinko.
"Target locked!" He pressed down with his hand.
Buzz! The same power that had once restrained the Three Disasters descended once more, converging around Shinko.
"It worked!" Saint Fabian roared. "Pierre, he's locked in place and weakened! I'll send you over and enhance you. Get ready to finish him!"
Certain that his ability had taken effect, he waved his hand again. The image within the radiance immediately shifted to Saint Pierre.
"Camera Direction: Actor Repositioning!"
"Close-Up: Leading Role!"
With a downward press of his hand, Saint Pierre appeared beside Shinko as his aura skyrocketed.
"Good work! I'll finish him!" Having long since prepared for his companion's ability, Saint Pierre had already begun charging his attack. Blood mist spread beneath his black armor as countless shards of bone slowly protruded from his body, all aimed at the supposedly immobilized Shinko.
"God-Slaying Spear: Charged Barrage!"
The bone spears erupted forward. But then...
"Not bad teamwork." Saint Pierre heard Shinko's voice. Then he saw it.
"Unfortunately..."
Shinko moved. Golden flames flowed around him, and without even raising his eyes, he simply swept out his cape.
Boom! The billowing cape blocked every last bone projectile Saint Pierre had fired. Then, under Saint Pierre's horrified gaze, Shinko swung his staff.
"Fabian?!" Saint Pierre felt as though his useless teammate had sold him out. Wasn't Shinko supposed to be completely immobilized?!
The next moment, the already battered Knight of God was smashed apart along with his armor. Like Killingham, however, his body instantly restored itself through the power of the Deep Sea Covenant.
Shinko didn't pause; he simply brought his staff down again.
"Save..." That was all Saint Pierre managed to say before the staff crushed him once more.
His body regenerated yet again.
"Save me!"
Just then...
"ROAR!"
A thunderous bellow shook the sky as a colossal beast came crashing down from above. It was one of Killingham's creations, the creature that had briefly appeared at the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Nightmare Cave: Leviathan!"
The monstrous creature appeared above them, so enormous that it almost dwarfed the entirety of Dressrosa. Vast quantities of water gathered within its mouth, condensing into what looked like a gigantic water cannon.
But...
Boom!
In the next instant, the image of a golden staff shot up from below, stretching between heaven and earth as it struck the beast head-on.
The terrifying Leviathan was massive enough to create tsunamis, yet the blow sent it hurtling away like a broken kite, dragging the surrounding clouds along with it. It didn't even have time to cry out before its body shattered into countless Dream Fragments.
"Fabian! Now, get Pierre back here!" Saint Rimoshifu Killingham's pupils contracted at the sight, but he gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Tracking Shot!" Saint Fabian reacted without hesitation, raising his hand as he barked the command. Saint Pierre vanished and reappeared beside him.
Just as when they had first arrived, the three Knights of God stood together once more, but this time they were visibly shaken.
"What the hell is wrong with this guy?"
"The Leviathan couldn't even withstand a single blow…" Saint Rimoshifu Killingham's voice was deathly grave. The Leviathan was one of his strongest Dream Creations, and even with his dream slaves serving as raw material, creating it still consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
Dream Creatures could not truly die, so he could summon it again whenever he wished, but the previous exchange had already proven that there would be no point.
"My God-Slaying Spears couldn't even pierce his cape…" Saint Pierre couldn't understand it either. "And my ability can't reflect his attacks. Even with Supreme King Haki infused into them, they shouldn't be this powerful."
That familiar, ominous feeling returned.
"Fabian, this is your Stage. What the hell is happening?"
"I don't know…" Saint Fabian, who was effectively the commander of the trio, gritted his teeth as he stared at Shinko, who remained perfectly calm before them.
Shinko gazed back, the light of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia gleaming in his eyes.
{Devil Fruit user "Jaygarcia Saint Fabian" detected.}
{Devil Fruit identified as the Paramecia-type Director-Director Fruit. Analyzing and recording it in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.}
{Devil Fruit ability: Designates a chosen area as a "Stage" and controls the shots within it.}
{Abilities by level:}
{LV3: Grants access to all basic Devil Fruit abilities. The user may designate an area as a Stage in advance. After giving everyone inside a ten-second countdown, the user can announce the start of filming. Any living creature that remains on the Stage becomes an "actor," subject to the Director's control alongside everything else within the area. The Director can influence and attack actors through different camera shots. Unlock cost: 1.8 billion Berries.}
{The Director must be able to observe the entire Stage while controlling it. The more closely the Stage is observed, the stronger the control over it becomes.}
{LV4: Advanced Devil Fruit development. Grants access to several different shots, allowing the user to mark actors and apply various effects to the Stage. Unlock cost: 3.8 billion Berries.}
{There are four standard types of shots:}
{First Shot - Fixed Shot: Actors marked by this shot are immobilized.}
{Second Shot - Close-Up: Actors marked as "leading roles" are strengthened, while those marked as "villains" are severely weakened.}
{Third Shot - Tracking Shot: Allows the Director to freely reposition actors.}
{Fourth Shot - Cut Scene: Allows the Director to edit anything that has happened since the Stage was established. Events may be accelerated, split, or replaced, thereby altering the condition of both the Stage and its actors.}
There was no doubt that the Knights of God had made extensive preparations for today's operation. The most critical part of their plan was Saint Fabian's Devil Fruit. Attack, defense, control, weakening enemies, strengthening allies, given sufficient preparation, his ability was undoubtedly one of the finest support-type powers in existence.
That was how they had defeated the Three Disasters so easily. Saint Fabian established and controlled the Stage, Saint Rimoshifu Killingham's Dream Creations helped him monitor everything within it, and Saint Pierre provided immensely destructive vector-based attacks. The three abilities complemented one another extraordinarily well.
But against Shinko in his current state, none of it mattered.
Boom!
Shinko swung his staff without warning. The speed and angle of the golden staff were utterly impossible to react to, and the upper bodies of all three Knights of God exploded at once.
The staff continued sweeping outward without losing momentum, unleashing a raging gale. Everyone watched in horror as the blow scattered every cloud in the sky. Even the Birdcage closing in around them shattered section by section under the remaining force, only slowly repairing itself afterward.
The spectators were stunned, and so were the Knights of God. Even Doflamingo, seated upon his throne, raised an eyebrow.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… What incredible power."
{Battle-Battle Fruit, LV5: After gathering four Fighting Seals, the user may transform into the God of War Stance. The more victories accumulated before transforming, the stronger the transformation becomes.}
{The user may freely alter their size and appearance, become immune to all control and negative effects, and receive an immense increase to every physical attribute. Every attack deals tremendous damage directly to an enemy's true body, regardless of conditions or defensive abilities. While the God of War Stance is active, all allies receive a massive enhancement. When the user faces multiple enemies alone, all the above effects are further amplified.}
Indeed, the four battle flags behind Shinko represented the four Fighting Seals he had gathered. He had barely stopped fighting since entering Dressrosa, so naturally, all four seals had already been completed. And before stepping into the arena, Shinko had accumulated an astonishing total of more than two thousand victories.
Together, those two factors had created his present form and granted him power unlike anything he had ever possessed before.
{Battle God Stance: Great Sage, Equal to Heaven}
"I heard the Old Boss mention you lot. You're called the 'Knights of God,' aren't you?" Shinko felt limitless power surging through his body. Even he couldn't say exactly how strong he had become, but there was at least one thing he knew for certain.
"I also heard you fancy yourselves as gods."
He twirled the iron staff in his hand, then pointed it at the three regenerated Knights of God, whose faces were still filled with alarm.
"What a coincidence." A grin spread across his face. "Because there's nothing I enjoy beating to death more than so-called gods like you!"
(End of Chapter)
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