Strange.
Very strange!
Hancock looked at the frozen Kari, yet felt none of the anticipated rage within.
...
Along the way, she had repeatedly imagined what her emotions would be upon meeting Kari.
She had practically burned holes through that photo of him beheading Luo on the burning Holy Ship.
A man who viewed the Celestial Dragons as prey, utterly arrogant, treating Admirals as nothing, radiating an incomparably domineering, self-centered aura from start to finish…
What expression would I wear when facing you?
...
Having received the Marines' summons, she had actually arrived in the vicinity long ago.
But at the first sight of Kari, she didn't rush to act.
The real Kari…
Was he really like this?
His appearance was exactly the same as in the photo, yet her intuition told Hancock that this Kari was different from the man she had imagined.
Though he wielded blazing flames, not a trace of warmth could be felt.
He… was flawed.
Was it because I idealized him too perfectly?
...
Even with her thoughts in turmoil, when Kari was in danger, Hancock still took action.
No matter what, Kari was the man who ended her nightmare—she couldn't remain indifferent.
...
When Griffin's attack was about to land, Hancock's emotions were still intense.
But once the dust settled and the outcome was decided, she found herself less concerned about Kari's predicament.
Instead, one phrase echoed in her mind…
——
"Quite ordinary. I'm not interested."
——
Why did I care about that Marine's words? Why did I care about the nonsense of someone with such poor taste?
After all… a true beauty wouldn't care if others attacked her appearance.
Feeling angry was abnormal.
——
"Kari!!"
It was King who cried out in alarm.
Compared to Hancock, whose emotions were tangled to the extreme, King was far more straightforward.
He had come solely to take Kari away.
Amid his roar, his form underwent a massive transformation—his arms merged with the wings on his back, turning into enormous pteranodon wings, while his lower body shifted toward a pteranodon form.
His legs thickened into powerful dragon limbs, his claws sharp as hooks.
Zoan Type Dragon-Dragon Fruit Ancient Species Pteranodon Form!
Whoosh—
Rumble!!!
The pteranodon's massive wings flapped, abruptly stirring up a fierce gale as his body shot toward the ice coffin like a black streak of light.
Griffin stood right before the ice coffin.
——
Crimson Bow Emperor!!
His black wings gleamed with an unusual luster.
It was Armament Haki!!
The enormous wings swept forth like a scythe of death, poised to reap all life in their path.
...
"Get out of my way, brat!!"
King roared as he struck, the very atmosphere trembling, shaking the ground of Area 1 on Sabaody Archipelago!
Until now, Hawkeye's suppression had prevented the Marines from realizing what caliber of opponent they were facing!
This was a genuine pirate worth over a billion berries—one of the few top-tier powerhouses in the New World!
...
In that moment, the battlefield seemed to grind to a halt.
Hawkeye's raised sword froze mid-air.
It was too late.
Protection had never been his forte; even if he could strike and injure King, he couldn't prevent the residual force of King's attack.
And in a clash of this magnitude, even the aftermath was more than Griffin could withstand.
Hawkeye furrowed his brow slightly, his thoughts racing.
King's target was the ice coffin; Griffin just happened to be in the path.
You awakened Observation Haki during the previous battle—you should be able to dodge this.
Don't die so easily.
Dodge it!
...
The pterosaur's massive wings swept down like a burning black curtain, stirring scorching winds that sent rubble flying like bullets against Griffin's wounds. Fresh blood blossomed where scabs had just formed.
The ground beneath Griffin's feet cracked from the shockwaves, his black hair whipping wildly in the turbulent air.
All the accumulated injuries erupted at once, tearing through him with excruciating pain inside and out.
The more this happened, the faster the tomoe in his Sharingan spun.
He could clearly see King's trajectory, and his brain immediately provided a solution.
Just crouch down—curling up would be safest, the most secure option.
...
Indeed, he could dodge it.
But...
Why should I dodge?!
Didn't I deliberately lure out Hancock precisely because Kari couldn't handle this?
Now that King is doing it, what's wrong with that?!
...
The tomoe spun wildly, nearly forming a continuous circle.
It felt as if something was about to awaken.
—
The Mangekyo—the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan, the origin of the eyes that reflect the heart.
This curse-like power is etched into the Uchiha bloodline, representing the true awakening of the Sharingan.
To obtain this power, bloodline talent is the basic requirement.
Beyond that, it requires a trigger of extreme emotion, particularly witnessing the death of someone important, which pushes emotions to the limit.
...
Every Uchiha who knows of the Mangekyo's existence inevitably thinks about how to obtain this power, and Griffin was no exception.
Witness the death of someone important...
The only person Griffin could consider important was Smoker.
But he would never use Smoker's life to test this.
There was one more thing...
Griffin knew very well—he cared about Smoker, but not that much.
...
From beginning to end, the one I care about most is myself.
I and I are the ones who truly share life and death, joys and sorrows, weathering storms together!
Only I can tolerate my own flaws and wretchedness; only I can sincerely appreciate myself!
The one I love most is me!
—
...
Griffin's body swayed, but the light in his eyes grew sharper, more resolute.
He could see the glint of cold light on King's dragon claws.
The distance was too close—the option to escape was gone.
Griffin spread his arms wide, as if welcoming a long-lost friend, a smile on his face as if embracing the moment.
He could feel it...
His body fiercely resisting his consciousness, a struggle between survival instinct and the will to die!
This is it!!
Understanding love, losing love!
The Mangekyo is such a contradictory creation—a fleeting brilliance blooming between life and death!
...
Griffin could clearly sense special Chakra flooding from his brain toward his optic nerves.
Like cold air spreading into ice, like lava scorching the earth.
Crack—
His gradually mad, twisting smile abruptly froze.
Thump—thump—thump—
The stinging pain in his brain rapidly faded, while a heavy throbbing surged in his chest.
...
Things did not unfold as Griffin had imagined.
He had overlooked one thing.
When emotions reach a certain intensity, it's not just the brain that reacts.
Instinct, in this moment, overpowered will.
The crimson faded from his eyes, and the wolf claws formed by his Devil Fruit Ability returned to normal.
His body had made the choice—now, everything had to be devoted to that power.
The next instant—
—
—
Crack!
A thunderclap erupted from calm ground!!!
Boom———————!!!!!!!
A violent aura exploded from within him, sweeping through the area like a tsunami, distorting and shaking the air!
The ground cracked wildly like dancing serpents, centered around him.
Debris floated in the air, bound by an invisible force.
Large numbers of Marines collapsed to the ground, eardrums bleeding, without even a chance to make a sound.
King, being the closest, bore the brunt of the impact.
His diving momentum faltered slightly, pupils contracting sharply.
In his mind surfaced the immense silhouette of the person he respected most—this suffocating pressure…
…
…
"Conqueror's Haki!!!!"