Devon’s innate bravery won out. Parting a final wall of leaves, Devon stepped into a shady grotto at the base of a rocky overhang. Lying on a crude bed of palm fronds was a dishevelled figure. The skinny man was dressed only in tattered shorts, shivering and clearly ill.

Devon's eyes widened in recognition. "Gunz?!" The withered fellow glanced up in alarm. Seeing Devon, he emitted a pathetic whimper and tried scrambling away on all fours. But he was far too weak. Collapsing onto his side, Gunz emitted wretched coughs that wracked his whole body.

Devon stared in shock. The once monstrously powerful criminal now looked frailer than a stray dog. Just days ago, police and even hardened Coco heroes had struggled to contain this brute. What happened to reduce Gunz to this miserable state?

Warily, Devon approached the cringing man. "Gunz, why yuh deh here sick and alone?" He received no response beyond pitiful whines. Sighing, Devon sat cross-legged a short distance away, studying the criminal intently.

"Tell me what really happen, because I know yuh not naturally this frail man," Devon pressed, keeping his voice calm but firm. Still no reaction beyond trembling as Gunz avoided eye contact.

After a long, patient silence Devon asked "Is someone else here?"

At that question, raw terror flooded Gunz' sunken eyes. The reaction told Devon he had struck on the truth. This island was serving as both hideout and prison for the fugitive villain. But who was holding him captive?

"Please, whoever keeping Gunz here, come forward so we can reason this out," Devon called loudly. He turned his senses outward, straining to detect any hidden observer. But no response came.

Sighing, Devon refocused on the shivering man. Perhaps a gentler approach would get through. Softening his tone, Devon shuffled a bit closer.

"Gunz, mi know yuh life seem hopeless now. But redemption is possible if yuh choose it," Devon urged quietly. "Let me help yuh get free from whatever is controlling yuh."

The frail figure hesitated. For a moment desperation and longing flashed across his weathered features. Gunz' mouth opened as if to finally speak. But then his expression went blank again. Slowly, Gunz rose to unsteady feet and turned his back on Devon without a word. He began limping away towards the trees.

"Hey, we not finished here!" Devon called after him in frustration. He started to follow but froze when Gunz abruptly whipped back around. The man's sunken eyes now blazed with fiery intensity. Baring his teeth in a snarl, corded muscles swelled freakishly beneath Gunz' skin again. The timid fugitive was gone, replaced by the familiar mutant beast within seconds.

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"Not this again..." Devon groaned, falling into a fighting stance as dread energy sparked warningly around his hair. He had hoped to avoid a violent confrontation with Gunz. But it seemed a clash was inevitable.

"RAAAUURGH!" Bellowing furiously, Gunz charged like a raging bull. Devon barely leapt clear in time as the juggernaut barrelled past, carving a trench through thick tree trunks like tissue paper.

Landing in a crouch, Devon immediately fired a barrage of stun darts from his dreadlocks. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The electric needles merely bounced off Gunz' thickening hide. The frenzied villain was lost to bestial rage now.

Trees shuddered and cracked from the impacts as Gunz ricocheted wildly around the small clearing pursuing Devon. He had to think fast before being battered or trampled to a pulp.

Spying a large boulder, Devon discharged twin arcs of electricity that sliced it cleanly in half just as the juggernaut thundered by again. The severed slab of stone toppled perfectly to land edge-first on Gunz' foot.

"GAH!" The burly criminal yowled while hopping in pain from the heavy rock pinning his toe. Seizing the distraction, Devon fired off several precise darts into each of Gunz' eyes, hoping to blind his opponent.

"Nyyargh!" Gunz clutched his scorched eyeballs, staggering about and carving furrows in the earth with his claws. "You...suffer for that!" he bellowed in a devilish voice. Clearly the lingering human intellect resided even in this hulking monster form. Eyes already regenerating, Gunz lunged towards Devon's voice.

However, Devon was quicker, always a blurring step ahead of the lumbering menace. He needed to end this fight soon before getting hit by even a grazing blow. Gunz' strength could easily pulverize stone. Devon's bones would shatter like twigs by comparison.

As they skirmished, a daring strategy took shape in Devon's mind. He just required an opening to enact the risky gambit. Darting towards the shoreline, Devon paused atop a flat-topped boulder and whistled sharply.

"Come get me, yuh lazy brute!" Devon taunted, hoping to enrage Gunz into a reckless charge.

"Rrrrgh! I'll flatten you, worm!" Spittle flew from Gunz' jaws as he bulldozed straight at Devon like an angry rhino. Perfect.

Timing his move carefully, Devon leapt straight up seconds before the maddened Gunz smashed into the rock below in an explosion of debris. The strategic boulder had been positioned right at the water's edge.

Gunz' momentum carried him sailing clear over the island's rocky rim. He plunged down towards the churning ocean with a panicked roar, splashing into the depths. For all his terrifying power on land, the water was not his domain.

Wasting no time, Devon fired his Dread Bolts downward. All his remaining electricity discharged at once in a massive surge aimed at the thrashing creature trapped below.

The sea boiled violently as Devon fed everything he had into the currents. Gunz' muted wails could be heard between thunderous crackles. Fish floated up, stunned or killed by the incredible energy pouring into their habitat.

Eventually, the torrent died down when Devon's powers tapped out completely. Panting in exertion, he peered over the rocks to observe the results. The water still roiled from the disruption but no sign of Gunz could be seen. After long moments, the Criminal's muscular grey-furred arm floated up, followed by the rest of his unconscious floating body.

Devon sighed in relief. The full voltage unleashed had overwhelmed even Gunz' monstrous stamina. Now the threat was neutralized.