Tesoro's face turned instantly pale.
He tried to retreat, but Ai was already upon him.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Three punches.
Each punch landed solidly on Tesoro's chest, abdomen, and chin.
Tesoro's body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, tumbling several times on the ground before finally stopping.
He clutched his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"..."
He looked up at Ai, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Ai stood still, looking at him expressionlessly.
Her Armament and Observation Haki were both extremely strong. Even without using the Dark-Dark Fruit's power, she was not intimidated by Tesoro in close combat.
On the viewing platform, Nino, Kaguya, and the others watched this scene in silence.
"Hayasaka-san... back in Dressrosa..."
Nino's voice was a little hoarse.
"Held back."
Kaguya finished the sentence for her.
"She held back a lot, didn't she?"
Ichika shook her head and joked.
Tesoro picked himself up from the ground and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"Heh~"
Ai across from him suddenly let out a disdainful cold laugh.
For some reason, when he saw Ai's laughter, Tesoro seemed to receive some terrible provocation, gritting his teeth and roaring, "Don't laugh! Don't laugh in front of me!!!"
Then, he waved his hands, and golden light surged again.
This time, he didn't coat himself with gold. Instead, he made it surge from the ground, transforming into countless golden spikes aimed at Ai.
Ai dodged easily. The golden spikes exploded behind her, blasting craters into the ground.
While she dodged, Tesoro quickly distanced himself.
"Since that's the case... try this!"
He gritted his teeth, slamming his hands together.
Golden light exploded from within him, dazzling as the sun.
The ground began to tremble violently. Countless gold coins surged from beneath the earth, converging on Tesoro's body like living creatures.
The gold gathered, piled up, and expanded on his body surface.
Within seconds, a colossal golden giant stood on the harbor.
The giant's features were identical to Tesoro's. Golden skin, greenish hair.
The giant stood dozens of meters tall, like a small mountain, casting a huge shadow under the lights.
"..."
Chika looked up at the golden giant, unable to help but marvel.
"It looks quite a bit like Makoto's Susanoo."
Utaha nodded.
Saeko added casually, "Only the appearance though."
Tesoro, controlling the golden giant, looked down at Ai.
"You want my life? It won't be that easy!"
His voice boomed from inside the giant, carrying a hint of hysterical madness.
"I am—"
But before he could finish…
Ai moved.
She didn't retreat but instead charged straight at the golden giant.
"You're asking for it!"
Tesoro roared, swinging the giant's massive fist.
The fist plummeted towards Ai's head like a golden meteor.
Ai sidestepped.
Boom—!
The fist slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater, sending rubble flying and smoke billowing.
Ai burst from the smoke, continuing her charge towards the golden giant.
Tesoro had the giant punch down again and again.
Each punch carried earth-shattering power, blasting the ground into ruin.
The once magnificent New Fish-Man Island was blasted into chaos.
Golden floor tiles shattered, coral lights extinguished.
Chika watched the destroyed streets with a pained expression. "Oh dear... I was hoping to have some fun here..."
She pulled the kanabo from her back, ready to join the fight.
"Fujiwara-san, don't."
Ai dodged Tesoro's attacks while calling back without turning her head.
"This is my first fight as a Devil Fruit user. I want to prove my abilities."
Chika blinked, then put away her club and retreated to the viewing platform.
"Alright, alright, but make it quick."
The golden giant's eyes suddenly lit up.
Two deep purple beams shot from its eyes, sweeping towards Ai like lasers.
"Golden Heavenly Fire!"
Tesoro shouted.
Wherever the beams passed, the ground was carved with a deep trench, and the air filled with scorching heat waves.
Ai dodged continuously under the pursuit of the beams, her figure as nimble as a cat.
"Only able to dodge?!"
Tesoro's voice carried a hint of smugness.
"That inexplicable fruit ability of yours isn't so great either!"
Ai didn't reply.
She suddenly stopped, presenting a feigned opening.
Tesoro's eyes lit up.
"Golden Hellfire!"
The golden giant's right fist rose high, wrapped in golden light and blazing heat, like a sun about to explode, hurtling down towards Ai's head.
The heat radiation alone lit up the entire island.
Ai looked up at the 'sun' falling from the sky.
Her right hand slowly raised, palm facing up.
"Dark Water."
Her fair palm instantly turned pure black.
Black energy surged from her palm, spiraling like a whirlpool, racing up to meet the golden giant's fist.
A praying mantis trying to stop a chariot.
That was everyone's initial reaction.
Yet—
The moment the golden giant's fist touched that mass of black energy, it seemed to lose all its power.
It stopped.
Hovering above Ai's head, completely motionless.
"H-how... is that possible..."
Tesoro's voice trembled.
He could feel his power being devoured wildly by that black energy.
Seeing the petite Ai completely neutralize the force of the golden giant's punch.
Miku, also a Devil Fruit user, couldn't help but remark that it was no wonder Makoto called it the most vicious Logia ability.
Ai's right hand remained upward, blocking the golden giant's fist.
Her left hand slammed down onto the ground.
"Black Hole."
Black energy spread from her left palm, like ink dripping into clear water, rapidly covering the ground.
The black energy emitted a strange attraction, devouring everything around it… rubble, dust, uprooted palm trees.
The lower body of the golden giant began to sink.
"N-no... impossible..."
Tesoro desperately tried to control the giant to break free, but the attraction was too strong, his golden giant unable to resist at all.
His lower body had already been swallowed.
The gold on the upper body began to dissolve on its own, transforming into countless massive golden pillars suspended in mid-air.
"Since that's the case—"
Tesoro gritted his teeth, using the last of his strength.
"Golden Divine Punishment!"
Countless golden pillars rained down like a torrent, each wrapped in black Armament Haki, crashing towards Ai's head with frenzied force.
"Hayasaka!"
Kaguya cried out involuntarily.
"Ai!"
Nao's nails dug into her palms.
Ai didn't move.
She stood still, looking up at the countless golden pillars plummeting towards her.
"Liberation."
Ai uttered that word softly.
The black energy that had been covering the ground surged upwards like a tsunami, sweeping towards the sky in an overwhelming wave.
Darkness and gold.
Two energies of diametrically opposite colors collided in mid-air.
Boom—!!!
The explosion was deafening. The shockwave spread outward, destroying the surrounding buildings.
Golden light and dark undercurrents intertwined, clashing in the sky.
After a few seconds of stalemate—
Darkness swallowed gold.
With one final heavy crash, the smoke and dust cleared.
The harbor was utterly destroyed.
The once magnificent pier was now nothing but ruins.
And in the center of the ruins, Ai stood quietly.
Her clothes were covered in dust, her blonde side ponytail a little messy, but her eyes remained calm.
Ai held Tesoro by the back of his collar.
She walked up to Makoto and let go.
Tesoro fell to the ground with a 'thud'.
"Commander, the items you requested."
Ai said.
Makoto looked at her approvingly.
"Just as expected of the universal maid."