CHAPTER 37

Although he didn't know what Devil Fruit ability Ayr had, Silver Axe understood one thing—no matter how powerful a transformation was, it came at a cost.

Stamina.

The more Ayr pushed his form, the more exhausted he would become.

And that was Silver Axe's strategy.

Drain him.

If he could outlast Ayr, he could win.

"COME AGAIN!!!"

Silver Axe roared, his body coated once more in Armament Haki, the black sheen covering him like a layer of indestructible armor.

His muscles tensed.

His aura flared.

And then, with a single powerful leap, he soared into the air.

"THUNDER SILVER AXE!!!"

This was his ultimate attack—a move he had refined for years, honing it to perfection.

A strike that unleashed his full power!

As he descended, his axe crackled with faint lightning.

Not from a Devil Fruit ability—but from the sheer speed and force of his swing.

The air itself seemed to shatter around him.

Ayr's eyes narrowed.

"Tch… stubborn bastard."

He had already given Silver Axe a chance to back down.

But some people…

Only understood pain.

"Tailed Beast Bomb."

Ayr's voice was calm.

But the air around him twisted violently.

A massive sphere of black and purple energy swirled in his mouth, the raw force warping the space around it.

The surrounding atmosphere trembled.

Wind howled like a hurricane, sending waves crashing violently in every direction.

The Tailed Beast Bomb—the ultimate attack of a Bijū.

The strength of this technique depended on how many tails were unleashed.

Months ago, with only One Tail, Ayr had already been able to injure the legendary Golden Lion.

Now?

Now, he was in Four-Tails form.

Even he wasn't sure how much stronger it had become.

But he had no time to think.

Silver Axe was still coming.

And Ayr had no intention of dragging this fight out.

"Let's end this."

The energy sphere swelled, the pressure growing unbearable.

Pirates stumbled back, their faces drained of color.

It felt like a mountain had suddenly pressed down on their chests.

"T-This…!!"

One of the crew members gasped.

"I remember… Ayr used this move against Captain Shiki when he first joined!!!"

"Yeah! Back then, it actually injured Captain Shiki!!"

"But this—this is different!!!"

"The power is on a whole different level!!!"

"I thought Ayr was just hiding his strength before… but no. He's actually grown THIS much stronger!!"

"What kind of MONSTER have we brought into the Rocks Pirates?!"

The surrounding pirates stared in awe and fear.

Meanwhile, Silver Axe's subordinates panicked.

"Captain Silver Axe! MOVE!!"

"DODGE IT, OR YOU'LL DIE!!!"

"CAPTAIN, JUST SURRENDER!!! AYR IS TOO STRONG!!!"

But Silver Axe wasn't listening.

His pride wouldn't allow him to retreat.

Even if his instincts screamed at him to run.

His fate was sealed the moment he chose to charge in.

"AYYYYYR!!!!"

With a furious roar, he swung his massive axe down with all his might.

At the same time—

"BOOM!!!"

Ayr unleashed the Tailed Beast Bomb.

The energy sphere shot forward, colliding directly with Silver Axe's great axe.

And then—

The axe shattered.

The attack was completely overwhelmed.

Silver Axe's body was consumed, blasted into the sky, sent flying back—

100 meters…

500 meters…

1000 meters…

BOOOOOOOOM!!!!

A cataclysmic explosion erupted, the shockwave tearing through the ocean.

The sea split apart, creating waves hundreds of meters high, rising so tall they could drown Sea Kings.

Even from miles away, the impact could be felt.

The sheer force shook an entire island behind them.

At the center of the blast, the ocean floor was exposed, revealing a bottomless abyss.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then—

"H-HOLY SHIT!!!"

Ayr's attack had been so powerful that entire ships were overturned.

Pirates who had been watching from the decks were blown away, flung into the ocean like ragdolls.

The battlefield was completely destroyed.

And when the dust finally settled…

Only one man remained standing.

Ayr.

Silver Axe had been blasted into the deep sea, his fate unknown.

His crew?

Completely wiped out.

"Damn…"

Ayr exhaled, staring at the destruction he had caused.

Even he was surprised.

This power…

It was far greater than he had expected.

But there was a cost.

The Four-Tails form was draining.

And the Tailed Beast Bomb had nearly depleted his stamina.

90% of his energy… completely gone.

But in the end—

Silver Axe had lost.

Ayr had won.

"TAP. TAP. TAP."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind him.

Ayr turned his head.

Standing there, at the edge of the battlefield—

ROCKS D. XEBEC.

Flanked by his strongest officers.

Whitebeard.

Big Mom.

Kaido.

Captain John.

Shiki.

They had all arrived.

"What… the hell happened here?"

Some of the crew looked shocked.

Their eyes locked onto the enormous beast Ayr had just been.

"What the hell is that MONSTER?!"

At that moment, Ayr released his transformation, reverting back to his human form.

The crew members' jaws dropped.

"D-DAMN IT! IT'S AYR?!"

"What the hell kind of Devil Fruit IS THAT?! A Mythical Zoan?!"

"WAIT, WHERE'S CAPTAIN SILVER AXE?! WHERE'S HIS CREW?! AND WHY IS THERE A MASSIVE VORTEX AT THE EDGE OF THE SEA?!"

Confusion spread among the crew.

They had been fighting the Gertley Pirates on the other side of the island…

But when they returned—

They found this.

They found Ayr, alone.

With no Silver Axe.

No enemy crew.

And an ocean split apart by destruction.

One pirate gulped.

"D-Don't tell me… Ayr was the one who… did all this?"

Another pirate stammered.

"T-That means… Silver Axe lost."

Silence.

And then—

"Impossible…"

No one could believe it.

One of the strongest commanders of the Rocks Pirates…

Defeated.

By a newcomer.

And yet—

There was no denying it.

Because before them stood the only man left standing.

Ayr.

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