In this world, the strongest Conqueror's Haki belonged to the future Red-Haired Shanks. The strongest Observation Haki was wielded by the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. The most durable physique was that of Kaido, the King of the Beasts. The most potent attack belonged to Whitebeard. The strongest Busoshoku Haki was Garp's, and the fastest speed was Kizaru's.
Every powerhouse in this vast sea possessed some weakness, however minor. Whitebeard, with his unparalleled offensive might, lacked exceptional defenses.
His speed was also lacking. Gol D. Roger, with his unmatched Observation Haki, was incredibly fast and skilled with a sword, but his Busoshoku Haki was not the world strongest.
Crocodile, with his Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, possessed remarkable survivability, unless faced with a water-based opponent.
Ian, however, possessed almost no weaknesses. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was a versatile ability, granting him speed rivaling the Glint-Glint and Wind-Wind Fruits.
His attack power matched the Flame-Flame and Magma-Magma Fruits, with the added advantages of freezing, paralysis, and various other properties, such as explosive force, sharpness, and vibrations. His defenses, augmented by Busoshoku Haki and Hierro, were incredibly tough. In terms of both strength and speed,
He was practically flawless. Even among the Espada, each specialized in either speed, attack, or defense. Ulquiorra's abilities were inherently well-balanced.
Now, with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the Explosion-Explosion and Kilo-Kilo Fruits, Paramecia-types that mirrored the abilities of the Flame-Flame and Tremor-Tremor Fruits, he had set his sights on Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit and Daz Bones' Dice-Dice Fruit. He was steadily approaching the pinnacle of power.
Most individuals struggled to master even a single ability, let alone two. But Ian wasn't satisfied with proficiency. He sought to achieve mastery in all aspects of combat.
Jack of all trades, master of none? But if one achieved mastery in all trades, they would become a truly formidable force, shaking the world to its core.
Ian's gaze was fixated on Crocodile, his mind already envisioning a future confrontation with Whitebeard, a clash of titans, where he would unleash his full power, only to be crushed before the might of the world's strongest man. Their encounter was inevitable.
"Come forth, Black-Winged Demon! Unleash your true power!" Crocodile's voice boomed from within the colossal sand giant's head.
"Such a weakling doesn't deserve my Resurrección!"
Crackle, crackle! As Ian's words echoed, a torrent of lightning erupted, engulfing his entire being in a blinding white and blue aura. His body began to expand, growing larger and more imposing with each passing moment.
As the lightning converged inward, absorbed into his very essence, Ian's figure had grown several times larger. He was bathed in a shimmering white and blue aura, a true god of thunder descended upon the mortal realm.
"200 Million Volt… Raimei!" He roared, three large drums strapped to his back.
"A giant? I can do that too!"
Ian scoffed. The samurai-clad sand giant and the bare-chested, drum-bearing lightning giant faced each other, Whiskey Peak, leveled by Ian's previous attack, transformed into their battleground.
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Dark clouds gathered above Ian, while a swirling sandstorm raged around Crocodile, splitting the battlefield into two distinct domains.
"Holy Retribution!" Crackle, crackle!
Ian leaped into the air, a massive bolt of white and blue lightning, as thick as a water spout, descending from the heavens, aimed directly at Crocodile's head. Its destructive power was immense.
Witnessing the terrifying bolt of lightning hurtling towards him, Crocodile shuddered, raising his massive sand blade in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
BOOM! The lightning exploded, engulfing a radius of several dozen meters in a blinding white light, arcs of electricity crackling through the air. Sand soldiers crumbled before Ian's relentless assault.
The two giants clashed, their blows echoing across the battlefield, reminiscent of the legendary red and blue oni battling on Little Garden.
"this mutt's a Devil Fruit user!" Daz Bones scoffed, a hint of amusement in his voice. His captain was still standing, a testament to his resilience, despite his defeat at the hands of the legendary Whitebeard.
Woof! The small dog barked in response, leaping towards Daz Bones, its tiny teeth bared. Daz Bones easily dodged the attack, the dog landing behind him.
In that instant, the dog's body rapidly expanded, its form shifting and growing larger with each passing moment, had activated, transforming the small dog into a colossal beast, rivaling the size of the sand and lightning giants. It raised a massive paw, slamming it down towards Daz Bones. Simultaneously, Tashigi vanished from sight.
The other battle was nearing its end.
Ian stomped his foot, his body launching forward like an arrow, piercing through the sandstorm with unstoppable force. His right hand, enveloped in jet-black Busoshoku Haki, plunged into the sand giant's head.
Crumble! Before Ian's combined Haki and spiritual pressure, Crocodile's defenses were breached. Ian seized his tangible form, yanking him free from the swirling sand. A massive hole appeared in the sandstorm, revealing Crocodile's true form.
Ian's hand clamped around Crocodile's throat, the Warlord's face contorting in pain and disbelief.
The two giants stood side-by-side, their immense forms dwarfing the surrounding landscape. Crocodile had underestimated Ian's strength. He hadn't expected the newcomer to master the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to such an extent, its elemental lightning rivaling his own Logia-type abilities. This man was Powerful.
The explosive properties of Ian's lightning were comparable to Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit, each punch carrying the weight of Whitebeard's legendary blows. Crocodile was unaware that Ian was wielding the power of Many Other Devil Fruits.
The era of dual Devil Fruit users had been ushered in by Blackbeard, but that event was still two years away. Blackbeard was currently biding his time, lurking within Whitebeard's crew.
A deafening roar echoed through the sandstorm, as if time itself had been frozen, before it dissipated, its particles scattering, scorched by the intense heat of Ian's lightning.
The sand grains shimmered like countless white diamonds, their surfaces transformed by the intense heat, reflecting the sunlight like miniature prisms.
"Well then, Warlord, I'll be taking your head. And thank you for the Sand-Sand Fruit."
A figure clad in a black coat, a scar etched across his face, emerged from the dissipating sandstorm. He locked eyes with Ian, the white-clad Vice Admiral, his face pale, a horned skull helmet obscuring his features, distinct tear marks beneath his eyes.
"NANI?" Crocodile's eyes widened in horror, realizing the true extent of Ian's intentions. But Ian gave him no chance to escape, unleashing his full spiritual pressure and Busoshoku Haki, preventing Crocodile from transforming into sand.
Lightning surged through Crocodile's body, paralyzing him, his soul reeling from the assault. Ian tightened his grip, his strength amplified by his powers.
Crack! The sound of bones snapping echoed through the air. Disbelief flickered in Crocodile's eyes as he lost control of his body, plummeting towards the ground. He landed amidst a cloud of sand, his body broken and defeated.
Darkness enveloped him, his consciousness fading. Even in his final moments, he couldn't comprehend how he, a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, one of the most powerful in the world, had fallen to Ian, a rookie Marine.
Images of Gol D. Roger's execution, the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, his own rise to power in the first half of the Grand Line, his challenge to Whitebeard and subsequent defeat… flashed through his mind like a fading dream, before dissolving into nothingness.
His ambitions of world domination, his plans to acquire the ancient weapon Pluton, his scheme to usurp the throne of Alabasta… all vanished before they could even begin.