OPTT: Chapter 103/104

Chapter 103: Devil Body

Akainu's face turned pitch black. He hadn't actually intended to fight Ron to the death here. His real objective was to stall this unpredictable variable, giving Kaido and Red-Hair more time to wear each other down.

But Ron's power… had clearly exceeded expectations.

"Sakazuki! Stand down!" Sengoku's roar thundered from the execution platform. "Now is not the time for infighting!"

"Infighting?" Akainu didn't even look back. He sneered inwardly. His fists were fully elementalized, black smoke rising from his body as he growled, "Great Eruption!!!"

This time, he went straight for the kill.

A giant lava fist over ten meters wide blasted toward Ron like a volcanic explosion. The terrifying heat caused the surrounding seawater to boil and bubble furiously!

But Ron suddenly smiled.

That smile made even Whitebeard, watching from afar, frown.

Because twenty years ago, whenever that young Marine Vice Admiral smiled like this… it meant someone was about to have a very bad day.

"Perfect…" The purple markings instantly spread across Ron's entire body. "Let me test my new ability on you."

The moment those Devil Fruit-like markings had appeared earlier, an incredible realization had surged through Ron's mind—those markings could actually absorb Devil Fruit abilities!

The lava energy from Akainu's last attack was still circulating inside him in some strange form. Ron could feel it clearly. With just a thought, the absorbed power could be released by reversing the markings!

"This is… the Devil Body?" Ron looked down at his glowing purple fist, his heart pounding. He didn't know yet whether this was the full extent of the body's powers, but just this one function was enough to fire him up.

Absorb. Release. Repeat. That was way too powerful.

Just then, Aokiji suddenly appeared between the two, clearly trying to deescalate.

"Ice Age!"

Freezing cold air instantly swept across the battlefield. Aokiji had planned to freeze the scene and cool tempers, but unfortunately for him… he'd just walked straight into Ron's live testing lab.

"Perfect timing."

The purple light in Ron's eyes flared. The markings on his right arm suddenly reversed flow, turning crimson in the blink of an eye—Akainu's lava power!

Boom!

Ron's fist became molten lava, crashing straight into the oncoming ice wall. The collision of fire and ice exploded with a deafening blast, sending billowing steam across the battlefield.

When the mist cleared, everyone was frozen in place.

Aokiji's massive ice wall had been blasted straight through. A hole nearly two meters wide gaped in the center, melted water dripping from its jagged edges.

Ron's right fist, still steaming, returned to normal. The crimson glow faded. The purple markings slid back under his skin, vanishing without a trace.

Marineford fell utterly silent.

Sengoku's telescope slipped from his hand with a clatter. His face was locked in disbelief.

"Since when did Ron get a Devil Fruit? And that color just now... was that lava?"

Garp's jaw practically hit the floor. He mumbled, "Didn't Ron always say he'd never eat a Devil Fruit? What happened?!"

Even Aokiji was staring at him in shock.

"This… this is impossible…" Akainu's voice was low and cold. His face twisted. "That's my ability!"

Kaido's dragon eyes shrank to pinpoints. "What kind of sick joke is this… what is this guy?!"

Even Whitebeard lowered Murakumogiri, his tone serious for once.

"Gurararara… Looks like this old man underestimated you, Ron. I never expected even you to become a Devil Fruit user."

Shanks rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Interesting… So this is your new trick? No wonder you said you had a way to stop Kaido."

Aokiji retracted his frozen arm. His voice was filled with disbelief. "You… what are you?"

Ron casually shook out his still-hot hand, smiling faintly.

"Seems today's surprises aren't quite over."

As he finished speaking, the purple markings flowed across his body again—this time flashing with an icy blue hue.

Aokiji's remaining ice wall instantly shattered, vaporized into mist. In reality, Ron had absorbed it.

Everyone on the battlefield stared at him, stunned. A chilling truth dawned on them.

The man standing before them… might just be a monster who could copy multiple Devil Fruit abilities.

The entire power dynamic of this Summit War was shifting in ways no one could've imagined.

Ron glanced around at the stunned faces. The smile in his eyes only deepened.

"This Devil Body is something else. It can actually absorb Devil Fruit power!"

He muttered the words softly, flexing his right hand. He could feel the Ice-Ice Fruit energy flowing within him. It wasn't much, but it was real.

And the best part?

He could control it like it was his own.

The only questions left—was there a limit? Could he absorb more than one ability? Could he steal directly from the user?

If the answer was yes… then he was essentially the natural enemy of every ability user alive.

Drain their power. Leave them useless.

What could they even do in a fight like that?

His gaze swept slowly across the battlefield. The corners of his mouth curled upward.

So many Devil Fruit users… weren't they basically lab rats now?

Akainu with the Mag-Mag Fruit.

Aokiji with the Ice-Ice Fruit.

Kizaru with the Glint-Glint Fruit.

Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Marco's Phoenix Fruit. Jozu's Diamond Fruit.

Even Kaido's Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon form…

He wondered what would happen after absorbing Paramecia or Zoan types. Would he temporarily turn into the same animal?

Another question for the list.

Try it?

Then let's try it!

Ron chuckled softly. He suddenly spread his arms and looked around with visible anticipation.

"So… who's next?"

His voice was bright with excitement.

"I could really use a fun warm-up."

Those words dropped like a boulder into the center of the sea, sending shockwaves through everyone present.

Akainu's face was darker than lava. Magma surged across his fists.

What was this guy?

He could actually mimic his lava?!

"Hmph…"

Aokiji's brow furrowed tightly. Frosty air spilled from his sleeves.

He didn't want to tangle with this monster—not now.

"Arara~ You're still the same as ever. No matter when, he's always got trump cards…"

He sighed softly.

"…makes him impossible to see through."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 104: Cutie

Whitebeard and Shanks remained silent, simply watching as Ron revealed more of his ability.

But the most surprising reaction came from Kaido, the Yonko known as the "strongest in a one-on-one fight." At this moment, he actually took half a step back. A flicker of fear flashed in his dragon eyes.

This guy was a monster.

"What's wrong?" Ron tilted his head, smiling brightly. "Are you all scared?"

He slowly raised his right index finger, sweeping it across the gathered powerhouses.

"Then… I'll choose my opponent."

As soon as the last word left his lips, Ron vanished from where he stood.

In the next moment, he appeared directly in front of Kaido like a ghost. His right hand turned to ice, and he threw a punch straight at Kaido's face!

Once hit, Kaido would definitely be frozen solid.

"Let's start with you, cutie."

That name did it.

Kaido exploded.

Ron's gaze pierced through the massive blue dragon spiraling in the sky like a sharpened blade. A dangerous smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.

The purple markings writhing across his body glowed eerily, like something alive.

"Kaido…" Ron's voice echoed across the sea, casual and chilling. "Let me see your power."

Before his sentence was even finished, Kaido had already opened his enormous maw.

"Heat Breath!!!"

A vortex of searing flame roared toward Ron, carrying the raw, crushing force of destruction. It looked like it could devour everything in its path.

But Ron didn't dodge. He didn't even flinch.

He simply shifted from a fist to an open palm and met it head-on.

A shocking scene followed: the purple markings on his palm surged, accelerating rapidly, shining bright as they devoured Kaido's Heat Breath on the spot!

"What…!" Kaido's pupils shrank to pinpricks. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Ron had taken the full brunt of his dragon breath… and didn't even lose a hair!

What kind of joke was this?

Was his Heat Breath just for show?

And what were those twisted scribbles crawling across Ron's body?!

The purple markings flared for a moment before fading back under his skin. This was a feature of the Devil Body—it couldn't fully hide itself.

Whenever Ron absorbed a new Devil Fruit power, the Texture would surface. Only after the absorption completed could he suppress it.

Right now, the power of Kaido's breath was circulating through his body.

He tried to guide it and found something astonishing—Mythical Zoan abilities could be used too. As long as there was enough energy, he could even channel it throughout his entire body.

However, this single Heat Breath attack wasn't enough to trigger full beast transformation.

"So that's how it works…" The purple light in Ron's eyes deepened. "Fish-Fish Fruit. Mythical Zoan. Azure Dragon Form…"

In the next moment, the Texture on his right arm reversed.

"Here, have it back!"

A blast of Heat Breath shot from Ron's palm, even hotter than Kaido's original!

The flames were tinged purplish-black, warping the air and boiling the sea beneath them.

ROAR—!!!

Kaido quickly countered with another blast of dragon breath. The two collided in mid-air.

But this time, the shockwave clearly tilted in Ron's favor. It shoved Kaido's massive body backward across the sky, pushing him hundreds of meters before he regained control.

Seeing this, Ron burst into hearty laughter.

"As expected of a Mythical Zoan!"

He charged forward without hesitation!

In an instant, Ron leapt onto Kaido's neck, grabbing both of his dragon horns. Kaido tried to snap at him with his huge maw, but Ron dodged expertly.

"Let's see if I can absorb straight from the source."

With that—

His hands lit up with glowing purple patterns, crawling with demonic symbols. But just then, he realized something.

Nothing was being absorbed.

"…So that doesn't work."

Ron gave up and was flung off as Kaido thrashed violently.

But he landed without harm, still wearing his relaxed smirk.

Up close, Kaido's eyes were brimming with fury. His maw glowed again, preparing another breath attack.

This time, Ron didn't let him.

He extended his hand straight into Kaido's open throat—and pulled.

The violent Heat Breath was instantly absorbed!

The purple markings on Ron's arms shifted wildly. Faint dragon-scale textures began appearing on his skin.

Even more jaw-dropping—his pupils turned into vertical slits.

Just like Kaido's.

"…Is this next?"

Ron suddenly let out a primal roar into the sky. A bolt of purplish-black lightning struck down from above!

Kaido's signature move, now perfectly replicated by Ron, and even more powerful!

Kaido was completely stunned.

He instantly shifted back into his human form and slammed his kanabo, Hassaikai, into the deck.

"What a joke… How could you…"

"Surprised?" Ron descended slowly onto the ocean's surface, each step leaving purple ripples in his wake.

"Every one of your abilities? I can use them now."

He lifted his right palm. Purple energy flickered across it, shifting between roaring Heat Breath and swirling Bad Breath.

"It seems…" Ron clenched his fist. A dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes. "I can even use Mythical Zoan powers."

The entire battlefield fell into a stunned silence.

Everyone realized the terrifying truth—Ron wasn't just copying abilities. He could replicate Mythical Zoan transformations too!

And this ability didn't seem to have a limit. He had already mastered Kaido's powers completely!

"Wanna keep going?" Ron tilted his head and smiled, his voice light and casual, like they were chatting about snacks.

Only he knew… while he could mimic the moves, the energy he'd absorbed so far still wasn't enough to fully transform into an Azure Dragon.

Still, it was more than enough to get the job done.

Kaido's dragon mouth twitched. His massive pupils were filled with disbelief.

"What a joke!" His voice boomed like thunder. "How do you know my moves?!"

His clawed fingers flexed restlessly.

"Did you eat the Copy-Copy Fruit?!"

Ron didn't answer. He just smiled.

He casually flicked his right wrist, letting the purple Texture shimmer across his palm like a flowing stream.

If they wanted to misunderstand, let them.

It was perfect.

"Heat Breath!!!"

Enraged, Kaido let out another full-force blast. This time, he used nearly all of his power.

Ron just stood there.

He extended one hand lazily. The purple Texture on his palm spun rapidly, forming a miniature vortex that completely absorbed the attack.

"Thanks for the meal." Ron licked his lips. The glow in his eyes intensified.

He could feel the dragon energy inside him growing. Still not enough for full transformation… but getting closer.

Kaido's whiskers trembled violently. The Yonko who had dominated the New World for decades… was being toyed with like a child.

He thrashed his tail furiously, sending up massive waves.

"DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY!!"

But Ron was grinning ear to ear. With each breath, he could feel the Devil Body becoming stronger.

(To be continued.)