One Piece: Wind-Wind Fruit

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"Gya-hahaha!" Arlong threw back his head in laughter at Aero's words, his jagged nose pointed skyward. Then, with a savage grin, he lunged forward mouth wide open, aiming straight for Aero's neck.

Aero didn't flinch. He didn't move. He stood there, calm and unshaken, as Arlong's massive jaws snapped shut.

But his teeth met only air.

It felt like biting into a whirlwind.

Arlong's fangs clashed with a deafening clack, but they couldn't touch Aero's body.

In that moment, Aero's left elbow shot upward fast, sharp, and precise.

"This is too much fun!"

CRACK!

Arlong's head snapped downward from the force of the blow, his face smashing hard into the stone-paved floor.

The ground cracked and cratered beneath him. The whole courtyard trembled.

Aero's counterattack was brutal giving Arlong zero chance to react.

Arlong groaned and pushed himself off the floor, spitting out shards of stone. He shook his head, dazed.

His vision cleared just enough to take in the battlefield.

Nearly all his Fishman subordinates were defeated and scattered.

Only a handful remained, still trying to fight off the two human pirates in the distance: Dylan and Eddie.

Arlong clenched his fists. He was no match for this human.

But his pride as a Fishman clouded his judgment.

He refused to yield. He would not admit inferiority to a human.

Not while his brothers lay beaten at his feet. Not until this human proved himself beyond any doubt.

Blood trickled from his brow. He tasted it, licked it, and it only made him more frenzied.

He knew the advantage of a Fishman.

He also knew the weakness of Devil Fruit users.

Without hesitation, Arlong spun around and dove into the sea.

The remaining Fishmen took one look and followed suit leaping into the water without hesitation.

They knew: underwater was where they truly ruled.

Aero watched silently as the last of them disappeared beneath the surface, dragging their fallen.

Except for a few…

Hachi, still unconscious.

And Chew passed out from the duel with Eddie.

Aero stayed where he was. He couldn't follow Devil Fruit users were helpless in the sea.

And Dylan and Eddie? If they couldn't beat Arlong on land, they definitely wouldn't survive underwater.

The two glanced at their captain.

Aero gave a helpless shrug. "Didn't think he'd just dive into the ocean..."

Still, Aero had one last card to play.

He raised his hand, which faded into transparency becoming one with the wind.

Gales spiraled violently across Arlong Park.

He was preparing a mass-scale wind assimilation.

This wasn't full "Awakening" like the high-level mastery of other Devil Fruit powers but a more focused version.

Instead of transforming matter, Aero harmonized with the natural wind around him, integrating it into his power.

It came at a price massive stamina drain and a long prep time.

Meanwhile, the Fishmen danced through the ocean below, taunting Aero as they surfaced occasionally with mocking grins.

A few who jumped too high never came back up.

After a long buildup, Aero reached his limit. His hands returned to normal.

He turned to the villagers. "Get out of here. As far away as you can."

The Cocoyashi villagers, still stunned by his earlier display of power, nodded and quickly retreated.

Dylan and Eddie followed. This was the first time they'd seen Aero this serious and they knew better than to question him now.

The unconscious Fishmen were left behind; whatever happened next would be decided by fate.

Sweat glistened on Aero's brow, only to be swept away by the growing winds.

If anyone had remained, they'd notice it:

The wind was changing.

The sky darkened. A pressure filled the air. Something was coming.

Aero stepped toward the central pool. His eyes focused on the still surface.

He spoke softly but clearly: "Come up now, and I might let you leave."

There was a pause.

Then—BOOM!

The sea erupted.

Dozens of water droplets, each the size of a cannonball, launched upward with lethal force aimed right at Aero.

But they slammed into an invisible barrier.

A wind wall.

The droplets struck the air shield and instantly vaporized into harmless mist.

Aero remained still. Calm. He didn't care about the attacks. He didn't need to.

As long as the sea didn't touch him, he was safe.

And within this domain of air?

He was king.

This was Aero's true power his Territory.

He had assimilated so much wind into his control, it became a living space of power. A world of his own making.

Within it, his abilities were amplified many times over.

The East Blue was already wind-heavy. Aero's Wind-Wind Fruit simply claimed it all.

It was no longer just him using wind.

Now, the wind itself obeyed him.

At full release, he could cover nearly half an island in his domain.

Anywhere within that range?

He could move instantly.

Control the currents.

Turn the atmosphere into a weapon.

Right now, he was doing exactly that.

All the wind around him gathered at one point swirling violently.

A small twister began to form in front of him.

Not yet fully shaped.

Not yet unleashed.

But its presence was enough to make the air hum with danger.

Only Aero knew what was coming.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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