The battlefield was already in chaos.
Zak Zee Zed stood at the center, his breathing uneven, a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, however, remained sharp—focused, unshaken.
Not far from him, Maria fought alone.
Two hundred and fifty soldiers surrounded her, their numbers overwhelming, yet she moved through them with precision. Every strike she made was calculated, every movement controlled, but the strain was beginning to show.
This was no ordinary fight.
This was war.
—
Minutes earlier…
Zak and Maria had been moving steadily upward through Cyclon Mountain. The higher they climbed, the quieter it became—an unnatural silence that even Zak found unsettling.
Maria glanced at him. "The herb you mentioned… it's on the ninety-ninth floor."
Zak didn't stop walking. "And?"
"There's something most people don't know," she continued. "After defeating the final boss of this mountain, a hidden gate opens… leading to the hundredth floor."
Zak's expression shifted slightly.
"The hundredth floor?"
Maria nodded. "It's different. Completely separate from the rest of the mountain. There are rare herbs there… and a garden. That's where you'll find what you're looking for."
Zak exhaled slowly.
"So the real monsters… are waiting at the top."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
They continued forward.
But something felt off.
Zak frowned slightly. "It's been too quiet. No government attack for this long… that's not normal."
Maria nodded. "I was thinking the same."
And then—
Gunfire erupted.
Zak reacted instantly, pulling Maria aside as bullets tore through the air. Civilians screamed, scattering in all directions as the calm shattered in an instant.
From above, they descended.
Three figures.
And an army.
Three hundred soldiers flooded the area, surrounding them completely. At their center stood a Head—and alongside him…
A and B.
Stronger than Vice Heads.
Stronger than anything they had faced so far.
Zak looked at them, then at the soldiers.
A trap.
"Well played," he muttered. "Now I have to break all three."
He stepped forward.
"Let's begin."
—
The attack came instantly.
A, B, and Weez moved together, their combined assault shaking the ground beneath Zak's feet. For a brief moment, their powers felt equal—balanced.
Then—
The pressure increased.
Zak's movements slowed.
Three elite enemies, all attacking at once. Even for him, this was overwhelming.
A sharp strike landed.
Blood slipped from his mouth.
But he didn't fall.
A and B prepared their strongest attacks, energy gathering rapidly, enough to destroy everything in front of them.
Zak turned toward Weez, ready to counter—
And then—
A gunshot echoed.
The attack was cut apart mid-air.
A voice followed.
"So what should I do first?" it said calmly. "Shoot both your heads… or fill your bodies with bullets piece by piece?"
Zak smiled.
"Finally," he said.
Without hesitation, he launched forward.
A Beast Laser Punch slammed into Weez, sending him crashing across the battlefield. Before Weez could recover, Zak vanished—
Laser Travel.
He reappeared behind him.
A single finger rose.
A flash of light.
And just like that—
Weez fell.
Defeated.
"About time you showed up," Zak said.
The man holding the gun smirked slightly.
Dook.
"You've gotten weaker," Dook replied.
—
Across the battlefield, Maria finished her fight.
The last soldier dropped.
She stood there, breathing heavily, her body covered in injuries.
"My part is done," she said quietly.
She moved toward a nearby structure and sat down, beginning to heal herself.
—
Meanwhile—
The real battle had begun.
Dook faced A.
Zak faced B.
Both sides understood one thing—
This would decide everything.
—
Zak stepped forward, his energy rising like a storm breaking free.
"Is that all you've got?" he asked.
B's expression darkened. "Then let's stop holding back."
Zak launched his Limited Laser Punch.
B responded with Great Thunder.
The two attacks collided—
A massive shockwave tore through the floor, cracking the ground beneath them.
—
On the other side—
A drew his bow.
Dook raised his gun.
Flame against fire.
A released a blazing arrow.
Dook fired a burning bullet.
The attacks clashed mid-air, exploding into heat and force.
Dook stepped forward through the flames.
"My fire," he said calmly, "cuts through yours."
Moments later—
A fell.
—
Back to Zak—
The battle intensified.
Each strike carried more power than the last. The ground beneath them shattered completely, and both fighters dropped—
Crashing onto the eleventh floor.
Zak staggered.
One attack had landed clean.
His body screamed in pain.
But he stood up again.
Slowly.
Steadily.
"Not enough," he muttered.
He closed his eyes for a brief second.
Then—
"Full Body Inner… activate."
Energy spread across his entire body like armor. His defense surged. His power increased.
B stared at him, stunned.
"What… is that?"
But there was no time to think.
B raised his arms, lightning gathering violently.
"Thunder Arms!"
He launched his final attack.
Zak moved forward.
Both powers collided—
The impact shattered the air itself.
The floor cracked. The wind shifted violently.
Then—
Silence.
—
Above—
Dook walked toward Maria.
"How long?" he asked.
"Maximum one minute," she replied, still healing.
—
Below—
The dust settled.
B lay defeated.
Zak stood for a moment longer—
Then collapsed.
Not unconscious.
But unable to move.
His body had reached its limit.
Yet something was changing.
He could feel it.
His body was adapting.
Becoming stronger.
—
Maria arrived moments later.
She knelt beside him and began healing.
Within minutes, Zak could move again.
He stood up slowly.
No words were needed.
Together—
Zak, Maria, and Dook began climbing again.
Floor by floor.
Until—
They reached the thirteenth floor.
—
And across the world—
A name began to spread.
Zak Zee Zed.
A new bounty had been issued.
Three hundred million.
—
Far away, in the southern seas—
Wox stood silently, holding that very poster.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"So… it begins."
He looked toward the horizon.
"This world won't stay the same for long."
—
The world was divided into four great regions.
The East—partially controlled by the government, but still unstable.The South—where the government held no power at all.The West and North—firmly under government rule.
And above them all—
Five rulers shaped the balance of power.
The Government.Wox—the Warrior.The Zong Pirates.Kuaal—the Criminal King.And the Beasts of the Forbidden Island.
Wox folded the poster.
"The second warrior ruler…" he said quietly. "And the sixth ruler of the world…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Is coming."
—
The climb wasn't over.
The real battle… hadn't even begun.
To be continued.