Reborn as Marco phoenix after loss to Blackbeard Pirates

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As Marco swooped down with a blazing spear in hand, the crowd of watching pirates held their breath, realizing that this climactic clash between two vice emperors had entered its final stage.

"Will anyone die?" someone asked, their voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and fear.

"I think Drought Jack is going to die!" another answered, convinced of the mammoth's imminent defeat.

"But it's not that simple!" a seasoned sea thief cut in. "How many years has it been since we've truly witnessed the full strength of Drought Jack? Don't underestimate the power of the animal-type fruits!"

"I wonder... what happens when an animal fruit user awakens their ability?" a pirate mused aloud, his curiosity mirrored by many around him.

Meanwhile, in the chaos of the battlefield, the ground trembled violently under the force of the titanic blows being exchanged. Deep craters marred the earth, turning the landscape into a scarred, broken wasteland.

SHOUT~~!

Marco, descending at tremendous speed, had transformed his sledgehammer into a massive flame spear. As the air around him whistled with the sharp sound of his dive, the blue flames from his weapon traced streaks across the sky. His strike was like thunder from the heavens, aimed directly at Drought Jack with deadly precision.

Zheng~~!

Drought Jack, eyes blazing with fury, unleashed all of his latent power. His massive scythes, now coated in top-tier Armament Haki, crossed in front of him to meet Marco's flame spear head-on.

Two immense slashes tore through the air as Jack swung, but to his horror, Marco's flame spear cut through them like butter, splitting the slashes into four pieces. The shattered remnants of Jack's attack rocketed skyward, slicing through the clouds as if the very sky had been rent asunder.

From a distance, the onlookers gaped in awe. The sky seemed to crack and fall apart as if torn by the gods themselves. The clash between Marco and Drought Jack shook the heavens, sending powerful shockwaves rippling across the island, tearing apart everything in their path.

Boom~!

In an instant, Marco's flame spear connected with Drought Jack's scythes. The two warriors, both covered in Armament Haki, created a cataclysmic force at the point of contact. The impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield, and a deafening crack echoed as the earth beneath Jack's feet gave way, shattering and crumbling under the immense pressure.

Click~!

Drought Jack, despite his overwhelming strength, felt the ground beneath him split as his feet sank deep into the earth. The fury in his eyes flared as Marco's attack nearly forced him into the dirt.

"Ang~!" Jack roared with renewed fury, channeling every ounce of his strength. His muscles bulged, his veins pulsing with raw power as he managed to block Marco's strike, halting the spear's deadly momentum.

Marco, sensing the shift, pulled back swiftly, flipping in mid-air before landing with perfect grace.

Suddenly, Drought Jack's body began to change. His immense form, already towering, grew even larger. His skin turned red like molten iron, radiating heat, while his muscles seemed to stretch and tear as they expanded, hardening into a metallic gray. White smoke billowed from his body as if he had become a living furnace, radiating an aura of destruction.

His face contorted into something monstrous. Jagged, shark-like teeth jutted out from his mouth, gleaming in the sunlight, making him look like a beast straight out of a nightmare.

"Is this... the awakening of an animal-type fruit?" Marco muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of Jack's terrifying transformation.

The pirates watching from afar were just as shocked.

"This... is this the awakening of the animal fruit?" one pirate asked, his voice trembling in awe.

No one answered. It wasn't clear if this was truly an awakened form of Jack's Zoan fruit or something else entirely. What was clear, however, was that no one had ever seen Drought Jack pushed this far before.

Despite his monstrous transformation, two gaping wounds still poured blood from Jack's chest, a grim reminder that even in this awakened state, he was not invincible.

Marco, though shocked, steeled himself. This was the final test of strength between them, and he knew that Drought Jack, though now more dangerous than ever, was not unstoppable. He had already drawn so much blood, and Jack's energy had to be waning. The battle between them was about to reach its most brutal and decisive moment.

In his awakened state, Drought Jack was a fearsome juggernaut, radiating an aura of devastation that struck terror into anyone who witnessed it. His immense power, however, came with a severe cost. The longer he maintained this monstrous form, the more his muscles began to atrophy, and his strength waned. The toll was evident in every titanic movement he made, as his body strained under the pressure of sustaining such overwhelming power.

"Just looking at it, I feel my scalp crawl! How terrifying is Drought Jack in this state?" murmured the watching pirates, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear.

The hierarchy of Devil Fruits had always placed the Zoan-type fruits in a lesser position compared to the Logia and Paramecia types. Yet, in this moment, no one dared to underestimate the power of Drought Jack's Elephant Elephant Fruit. The sheer destructive capability of this awakened form was enough to make even the most seasoned pirates reconsider their views on Zoan fruits.

Downing Drought Jack was no small feat. Even with his current state of continuous decay, killing him would be an enormous challenge. Marco, however, was determined to see it through. His focus was unyielding: to finish the fight and end Drought Jack's reign of terror.

"Marco~~!"

Drought Jack's roar echoed like rolling thunder across the island, shaking the very clouds. The sound of his fury was so powerful that it seemed to tear through the sky itself.

Rumble!

Without hesitation, Drought Jack hurled a colossal punch. His fist, wrapped in dense smoke and radiating destructive force, collided with the ground with the force of a thunderclap.

Marco, ever vigilant, dodged the attack with practiced ease. His enhanced Observation Haki allowed him to anticipate the punch, and he evaded it effortlessly. The punch itself, however, had devastating consequences. It obliterated a mountain, sending debris and earth flying in a dazzling, explosive display.

The strength of Drought Jack's punches was immense, capable of crushing even the most resilient of opponents. But Marco had a plan. As he soared into the air, his flaming wings spread wide, propelling him upward.

Shout!

Drought Jack, not to be outdone, tried to grab Marco with his massive hand, still wreathed in smoke. His attempt was powerful, but Marco's agility and flight allowed him to dodge narrowly, evading the grasp with a swift tilt of his wings.

The tension among the watching pirates was palpable. They could hardly breathe, gripped by the thrill of the fight.

"Don't let me catch you! I will smash you to pieces, leaving not a single bone intact!" Drought Jack's roar of rage reverberated across the island.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you!" Marco's voice, calm yet filled with deadly intent, rang out from above. "Because… I will kill you here completely!"