The moment froze.
The world—
quiet.
Too quiet.
The blazing roar of magma… the trembling ground… even the air itself—
All of it seemed to vanish.
Only one thing remained—
That image.
That final moment.
6
"Merry…"
Jin's voice came out hoarse—barely a whisper.
No response.
No movement.
Nothing.
Just scorched earth… and silence.
His mind began to fracture.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
But violently—
Like glass shattering from the inside.
Fragments of memory surged forward:
"Jin, be my crewmate!"
"Show me your fire style again!"
"Let's spar sometime!"
"My cooking is great, right?! Hahaha!"
"…Jin…"
"…Jin…"
"…Jin…"
And then—
That smile.
That small, warm, gentle smile.
"Jin… we're family. You're not alone."
"…Not alone…?"
His lips trembled.
Then twisted.
"LIAR…!!"
"CRACK—!!"
Something inside him broke.
Completely.
Irreversibly.
6
His pupils—
spun.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster—
Until—
They stopped.
Not as three tomoe anymore.
But something else.
Something deeper.
Something darker.
Something… awakened.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
"锵——!!!"
A sharp, piercing sound echoed—
like a blade being drawn from the depths of his soul.
The air around him distorted.
A suffocating pressure spread outward—
heavy…
cold…
unstable.
Even the ground beneath his feet began to crack.
In the distance—
the towering figure of Akainu stood still for a fraction of a second.
His instincts—
honed through countless battles—
recognized it instantly.
"…Hmph."
"A change in presence."
Not fear.
But acknowledgment.
This was no longer just a "kid."
Back at the shattered ground—
Jin slowly raised his head.
His face—
expressionless.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
But his eyes—
Those eyes told a different story.
They burned.
With grief.
With rage.
With something far more dangerous than either.
"…You…"
His voice was low.
Unsteady.
Like something barely being held together.
"…You took them from me."
A step forward.
The air trembled.
"…All of them."
The Mangekyō spun slowly—
locking onto its target.
For the first time—
Jin wasn't thinking about escaping.
Not about survival.
Not about plans.
Not even about consequences.
Only one thought remained—
Clear.
Absolute.
Unshakable.
Kill him.
The storm had begun.
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