"If we can't figure out a way to break his repelling ability, none of our attacks matter," Sanji said.
His leg was still glowing red, but he didn't dare rush in recklessly.
If his attack was reflected, he would end up like Zoro.
Just as Sanji was thinking about what to do, Jin moved again.
"Water Release—Water Shockwave!!"
"Boom!!"
A torrent of water like a tornado suddenly formed beside Jin, rapidly expanding before crashing toward Kuma like a massive wave!
"I see… testing me with a large-area attack?" Kuma narrowed his eyes.
The boy certainly had some ideas.
But breaking the power of his Devil Fruit wasn't that easy.
At that moment, another thought crossed Kuma's mind.
'This water… is it seawater or fresh water?'
He had clearly seen that the water formed around the boy's body.
Perhaps it was drawn from moisture in the air?
Of course, it could also be seawater summoned from afar.
But there was only one way to find out.
Kuma slowly raised his palm.
"Repel~"
"Bang!"
The repelling force blasted the incoming wave away, carving a massive gap through the rushing water.
However, the water flowing along the ground surged toward Kuma, partially covering his legs.
Feeling the water around his legs, Kuma's muscles tensed.
He prepared to launch himself away if necessary.
But a moment later, he relaxed.
Because he realized—
This wasn't seawater.
"I see."
Kuma immediately understood.
The boy in front of him could indeed manipulate seawater, but that ability could only be used while standing near the ocean.
The Water Release used on land was merely ordinary water.
With that realization, Kuma relaxed completely.
Even as more water flooded the battlefield, he paid it no mind.
As a nearly seven-meter-tall giant, water a meter or two deep posed no threat.
"How arrogant…"
The boy in front of him was even more reckless than he had expected.
But that arrogance had given Jin some information.
Wide-area attacks apparently couldn't be repelled all at once.
Of course, it was also possible Kuma was allowing it deliberately.
But either way—
Jin had already achieved his goal.
Because he hadn't spared his chakra, the battlefield had already become exactly what he wanted.
The flowing water now covered a huge area.
"Nami!" Jin suddenly shouted. "Help me create thunderclouds—make them as big as possible!!"
"Huh?!"
Nami froze for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, I understand."
Although she didn't know why he wanted this, she trusted Jin and immediately began acting.
Looking across the battlefield, Nami muttered,
"This environment is perfect for forming thunderclouds…"
Suddenly, a thought appeared in her mind.
'Is Jin planning to kill him with lightning?!'
From the earlier battle, the enemy repelled attacks by physically touching them with his hands.
Which meant—
If the attack covered a large enough area, he might not be able to repel everything.
Realizing this, Nami's eyes lit up.
"Thunderclouds?"
Kuma glanced at the dark clouds slowly forming above.
"What are you planning?"
Was he going to strike him with lightning?
Or use rain to unleash stronger Water Release techniques?
"Heh… who knows."
Seeing that Jin refused to answer, Kuma didn't press further.
For him, ordinary attacks were meaningless anyway.
After glancing at Nami, Kuma slowly raised his hand, as if preparing to strike her.
"Not happening!"
Jin shouted and immediately launched another ninjutsu.
"Water Release—Water Dragon Devouring Burst!!"
The water on the ground trembled violently before transforming into countless sharp spikes that shot toward Kuma's body.
"Bang!"
The immense impact actually launched Kuma's nearly seven-meter-tall body into the air!
But due to Kuma's overwhelming durability, the attack failed to cause serious damage.
"I'm not finished yet!"
"Boom!!"
The water on the ground began spinning rapidly, forming a massive vortex visible to the naked eye.
In the next instant, the vortex formed the shape of a dragon head, which shot upward and bit fiercely toward Kuma.
"ROAR!!"
"Another attack like this…" Kuma said calmly. "Useless."
"Bang!"
Kuma raised his palm and touched the dragon head.
The power of the Paw-Paw Fruit activated instantly, blasting the dragon away with a single strike.
"Whoosh—"
"BOOM!!"
The impact smashed an enormous nearby tower into pieces.
"Wha—?!"
Aike stood there dumbfounded.
That water dragon looked even more terrifying than the previous one.
Yet it was still slapped away with a single strike?
Just how powerful was this Shichibukai?!
"Even Jin's ninjutsu doesn't work… what do we do?" Usopp cried in panic.
Zoro still hadn't returned, and both Sanji and Jin's attacks had failed.
What were they supposed to do?
"Don't panic," Nico Robin said calmly.
"It's not over yet."
"Huh?"
"Look at Jin's expression."
Usopp blinked and turned toward Jin.
The man's expression hadn't changed at all.
It was as if… he had expected this outcome.
Usopp: ???
What did that mean?
At that moment, Kuma landed back on the ground with a splash.
"Boom!"
He glanced at the droplets clinging to his body.
"Any other tricks?" he said calmly.
"Use them."
"Heh. You won't be disappointed."
"RUMBLE—"
The thunderclouds overhead suddenly roared.
Under Nami's control, the clouds grew larger and larger, storing terrifying amounts of lightning.
"That fast?"
Kuma's eyes flashed with surprise.
He hadn't expected the girl to form thunderclouds so quickly.
It had barely been a few minutes.
Yet the sky was already covered with dark storm clouds.
He glanced at the tool in Nami's hand.
"What is that?"
It didn't look like a Devil Fruit ability.
Instead, it resembled… some kind of advanced technology.
'Could that tool have come from Vegapunk?'
If so, it would make sense.
Vegapunk's technology was extremely advanced.
But how had she obtained something like that?
For a moment, Kuma was puzzled.
Under Kuma's gaze, Nami felt tremendous pressure.
But she didn't stop.
She continued forming clouds.
Because she knew—
If Kuma tried to attack her, Jin would stop him.
Just like before.
"RUMBLE—"
A terrifying thunderclap echoed.
Elsewhere on the island, Absalom shuddered violently.
"Not again?!"
Looking back at the dark storm clouds behind him, his face turned ugly.
Earlier, the water-and-lightning dragon that Kuma had repelled had flown directly toward him while he was dragging Moria away.
The attack fell so fast that he had no time to react.
The lightning struck him head-on.
The terrifying current had nearly killed him.
If his resistance to electricity had been slightly weaker, he'd already be lying unconscious.
This made Absalom furious.
He felt like that bastard had deliberately targeted him!
They had already lost.
Why chase them down like this?!
Absalom was enraged.
Behind him, Moria's body twitched as electricity surged through him, smoke rising from his body.
However—
Instead of knocking him unconscious, the lightning shock gradually revived him.
It was as if the electricity had restarted his heart.
"Damn Straw Hat pirates…" Absalom cursed.
He glanced at Moria.
Although they had lost this time, as long as Moria survived, they could rise again someday.
At that moment—
Moria opened his eyes.
He stared at the sky.
This time, his eyes were no longer filled with despair.
Instead—
They burned with life.
"Lord Moria! You're awake?!"
Absalom exclaimed in surprise.
He hadn't even gone to find Hogback yet, and Moria had awakened on his own.
"Absalom…?"
Moria looked around slowly.
"You saved me?"
"Yes," Absalom nodded.
"Tyrant Kuma showed up and started fighting the Straw Hat pirates. That gave me the chance to drag you out of the ruins."
He paused before adding,
"Luckily he showed up…"
Otherwise, even with the Clear-Clear Fruit, he might not have escaped.
That red-eyed man could see through his invisibility.
If he had been discovered—
He might already be dead.
"...Kuma?"
Moria frowned.
He hadn't expected that bastard to still be there.
Why had he stayed?
To mock him?
Moria's expression darkened.
"Did he say anything?"
"Yes," Absalom said angrily.
"He came to invite that ninja to become a Shichibukai!"
"They're shameless! The moment they saw you defeated, they immediately invited the winner to replace you!"
Moria, however, remained calm.
He wasn't surprised.
The Shichibukai existed to intimidate other pirates.
Once defeated, that intimidation vanished.
A loser had no value.
That was simply the rule of the world.
Still…
He hadn't expected Kuma to personally invite Jin.
Was it the World Government's order?
Probably.
Kuma was extremely loyal to them.
He might even have direct contact with the Five Elders.
'I wonder if they're targeting Jin himself… or his ninjutsu,' Moria thought.
"Lord Moria…?"
Absalom looked at him strangely.
Ever since waking up, Moria seemed different.
As if he had become another person.
Had the blow damaged his brain?
"Should I take you to Hogback?" Absalom asked cautiously.
"My brain is fine," Moria replied irritably.
He understood why Absalom was worried.
His state had changed.
But it wasn't a bad change.
It was a good one.
"Before I lost consciousness… I saw something."
Moria's expression turned complicated.
Jin's genjutsu had forced him to relive the most terrifying memory of his life.
The battle in Wano Country.
The battle with Kaido.
Inside the illusion, he saw his dead companions again.
He relived their deaths over and over.
And each time—
They cursed him.
Until finally—
They cursed him awake.
Back then, he had been a powerful Shadow Demon.
A pirate who could stand against Kaido.
But now…
He had become a coward hiding on this desolate island.
Could someone like that avenge his crew?
Impossible.
Moria finally understood.
If he truly wanted revenge…
He couldn't keep hiding.
He had to fight.
Grow stronger.
Otherwise, defeating someone like Kaido would forever remain impossible.
"…I owe that brat a huge favor," Moria murmured.
He looked toward the darkening storm clouds in the distance.
"Lord Moria?"
Absalom stared at him in confusion.
Why was Moria suddenly sentimental?
"Things are complicated," Moria said.
"But I should thank that ninja."
Absalom: ???
Wasn't Moria defeated by the Straw Hats?
Why thank them?!
Moria ignored his confusion.
Instead he asked,
"Where are Hogback and Perona?"
Absalom hesitated.
Moria's expression darkened instantly.
"What happened?"
"Speak!"
"Hogback is already on our backup ship," Absalom said nervously.
"But Perona…"
"What about her?!"
"I heard from some zombies that she encountered Tyrant Kuma… and then suddenly disappeared."
"…What?"
"They couldn't say more because you took their shadows away."
"So I don't know where she is."
Veins bulged across Moria's forehead.
Absalom didn't know.
But Moria did.
That bastard Kuma had definitely sent his daughter flying with his ability!
"That damn bastard…"
Moria gritted his teeth.
"Absalom."
"Yes, Lord Moria!"
"Take Hogback and leave the island. Wait for me at sea."
"What about you?"
Moria's lips curled into a savage grin.
"Me?"
"I'm going to settle the score with that bastard Kuma."
Anyone who dared send his daughter flying—
Would pay the price.
Meanwhile…
Under Nami's efforts, the thunderclouds had grown enormous.
They now covered almost the entire area.
During that time, Jin continued attacking Kuma with ninjutsu to keep him pinned in place.
Yet something felt strange to him.
It was as if…
Kuma wasn't using his full strength.
'Is it just my imagination?'
Jin pushed the thought away.
He focused completely on the battle.
At that moment, Kuma stood in the center of the flooded battlefield.
"Is it enough?" Nami asked.
The thundercloud was already massive.
She wasn't sure how much longer she could maintain it.
"It's enough," Jin said.
"Everyone move away."
"Got it."
Nami immediately retreated, putting away the Clima-Tact.
Sanji and the others also withdrew, leaving the battlefield to Jin.
Kuma watched them leave.
"So you want a one-on-one fight?"
"Is that a problem?"
"You have courage," Kuma said.
"But…"
"It's not enough."
Before the words finished—
Kuma had already appeared in front of Jin.
His palm slammed down.
"BOOM!!"
The ground exploded into a massive paw-shaped crater.
Jin was smashed directly into the ground.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"...You really don't hold back."
At that moment, Jin felt grateful for his special bloodline.
And the years he had spent strengthening his body.
Otherwise—
That blow would have killed him.
"Jin!!"
"Don't come over!" Jin shouted.
He immediately struck Kuma's palm sideways.
"Super Strength Punch!"
"Bang!!"
The impact forced Kuma's arm aside.
Seizing the chance, Jin dove underground.
"Earth Release—Earth Movement Technique!"
"You can even burrow underground?" Kuma said with mild surprise.
"You have more ninjutsu than I expected."
"Oh, I've got plenty more."
Jin leapt onto a giant rock behind him.
Lightning crackled violently in his hand.
"Try this one, Kuma!"
"RUMBLE—"
The storm clouds above roared.
Within the clouds, a gigantic shadow moved.
"What is that?!" Buckteeth shouted.
Everyone looked up.
Inside the thundercloud—
A massive shape was moving.
"Using the power of nature to attack me?" Kuma said.
"So this was your plan."
Water to restrict his movement.
Thunderclouds to gather lightning.
But how exactly would he guide the lightning down?
With the electricity in his hand?
Kuma shook his head.
"Your idea is clever."
"But defeating me is impossible."
"We'll see!"
"ROAR!!!"
A gigantic lightning beast burst from the clouds.
It roared toward Kuma.
"Kirin?!" Nami gasped.
"Lightning Release—Kirin!!!"
The massive lightning beast descended.
Kuma spoke calmly.
"No matter how powerful a move is… if it can't hit, it's meaningless."
He crouched and slammed his palm into the ground.
"BOOM!!"
The ground collapsed.
He destroyed the clone that had emerged beneath him.
'A sneak attack from underground?'
'Childish.'
But the destroyed clone suddenly exploded—
Turning into blue lightning.
"...?!"
Kuma's pupils shrank.
It was lightning!
The clone itself had been made of lightning!
Electricity surged through the flooded battlefield.
Water conducted the current instantly.
"Zzzzz—"
Kuma's body froze.
Circuits inside his cyborg body short-circuited.
He couldn't move.
'The water…'
'That's why he flooded the battlefield.'
Jin smirked.
"I've been waiting for this."
He swung his arm down.
"Fall!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The Kirin lightning beast descended at unimaginable speed.
It struck Kuma instantly.
Thunder exploded.
Lightning spread wildly across the battlefield.
"BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!"
The scene looked like the end of the world.
Blinding light turned night into day.
The ground shattered.
Towers collapsed.
Explosions roared endlessly.
At the center—
Kuma took the full force of the attack.
Moments later, the lightning faded.
Kuma lay in the crater.
His body twitched like a short-circuited machine.
His glasses were shattered.
His body was burned.
"Terrifying…"
"Is this the power of ninjas?"
"He's like a god!"
Buckteeth and the others stared at Jin with worship.
Only a god could unleash such power.
"Is it over…?"
"Looks like he's finished."
"We won!"
Cheers erupted across the battlefield.
Usopp and Chopper jumped excitedly.
"Nami! That was your combo attack with Jin!"
"That was like divine punishment!"
Even Nami was stunned.
She hadn't expected their cooperation to produce such power.
It reminded her of Enel.
Jin wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Lightning is very effective against cyborgs…"
He had used dozens of ninjutsu and fought two major battles.
He was exhausted.
Rain began to fall.
Jin looked up at the sky.
"Using natural lightning really saves chakra…"
If he had created the thundercloud himself, the cost would have been enormous.
But with Nami helping—
Kirin became far easier to use.
Zoro walked over.
"You were hiding something like that…"
"Terrifying."
Jin looked at him.
"Where did you run off to earlier?"
"Uh… got knocked pretty far."
"I think you got lost again," Sanji mocked.
"You wanna fight?!"
"Bring it on!"
Clang! Clang!
Lola stared in disbelief.
They had just survived two major battles.
And they still had energy to fight each other?
"That's the Straw Hat crew…"
"Scary people…"
Just then—
Jin frowned.
He heard a strange sound.
Like air slowly inflating.
"What's that noise?"
Aike suddenly pointed behind him.
"T-That thing… what is that?!"
From the crater where Kuma lay—
A giant colored gas bubble was rising.
And its shape…
Was exactly like a giant bear paw.
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