Infinite Anime [194-186] (Patreon)

Chapter 194: Curse

As return time drew near, the chaos among the explorers intensified—calmness was gone.

In these situations, when one person acts, others are swept up by the frenzy.

 If you don't even have the guts to snipe a kill during a free-for-all, you might as well not mix in these spaces.

The boldest explorers tried to ambush Enel, while the more rational targeted explorers from rival spaces, aiming to loot from the Deadman's Chests.

After all, Devil Fruits are easy to identify; if you find one in a Deadman's Chest, it's instant profit.

The dozens of explorers who made it to Sky Island were the elite of this world's entrants—anyone who survived to this point surely had good loot. Getting a Deadman's Chest meant huge gains.

In the melee, Enel lashed out angrily with thunder at those who dared attack him.

But third-tier explorers weren't pushovers—these were all newcomers to tier three, but their base stats were at least 50. Some who had eaten Devil Fruits in this world had stats close to 60.

So they weren't entirely outclassed by Enel. One adventure team leader from the Divine Space, along with two teammates, launched a fierce ranged attack on Enel. As the main tank, he shielded his teammates while they kept firing at Enel.

They were truly skilled and daring. Originally, they intended to kill Enel as soon as they set foot on Sky Island, but seeing the complicated situation and the presence of Body Killer at Enel's side, they held back.

If not for Body Killer, the three of them would've attacked Enel long ago.

Now, with the battle in chaos and Gusion having already wounded Enel, they saw no reason to wait—if they didn't act, Enel might get killed by Gusion at any moment.

"You can block my thunder?!"

Enel was shocked to see the burly three-eyed man block his lightning with an icy crystal tower shield. He'd never seen anyone do that before—not even Gusion, who usually had to dodge his lightning all over the place.

Body Killer also frowned. He recognized the explorer—used to be a second-tier in the previous world, and they'd even crossed paths.

But knowing someone means nothing in them; when interests conflict, there's no friendship. Now that they were enemies, he wouldn't hesitate to kill an old acquaintance.

He hadn't expected that even after teaming up with Enel and fighting so long, they still hadn't taken down Gusion—worse, their own injuries had triggered the other explorers' greed.

Once someone takes the lead, others follow.

Now, explorers from both Divine Space and End Space wanted to kill Enel for the reward, making things complicated.

As Body Killer pondered, a sudden chill struck him. He quickly flapped his wings and dodged, but couldn't fully avoid the black-red blade that severed both legs at the knees.

It was Gusion—he'd seized the opportunity as Enel was distracted fighting others, broke through the lightning blockade, and nearly killed Body Killer.

"We can't go on like this! Enel, initiate the plan!"

Body Killer shouted as he retreated, thinking that the longer this dragged on, the more unpredictable things would get.

Individually, these explorers weren't strong, but if they teamed up against him and Enel—plus Gusion as the main threat—it would be a nightmare.

Enel's face was grim, but he agreed. They were surrounded and desperately needed an overwhelming attack to wipe out all enemies.

He raised his hand, firing thunder into the sky. The lightning seemed to trigger something in the white sea behind his shrine—waves surged.

Among the startled cries of nearby explorers, a massive ark surfaced from below the white sea and soared into the sky.

"Ark Maxim? He has it already?!"

An explorer who had just attacked Enel barely dodged the thunder, and seeing the ark, got chills.

"No, it's not the golden ark. This is a cheap version."

Someone analyzed that the ark wasn't made of gold like in the anime, probably because of material limitations here—Enel had to use copper.

But quickly, someone realized it wasn't about the material. In the original, Enel's Raigo with the ark destroyed his homeland, Birka—wiping out an entire sky island!

In fact, copper conducts electricity better than gold. The later golden ark may not have been as powerful as this initial version.

Remembering Raigo's terrifying power, the explorers who'd just attacked Enel began to retreat in fear.

Now, none of them wanted to try their luck anymore—they just wanted to escape Sky Island, even if it meant jumping off the island.

The explorers were decisive. Except for Snow Wind's group, who were locked in their own fight, nearly everyone else fled for the edge of the sky island, trying to avoid Raigo's range.

Enel blocked Gusion's path with thunder as he flew toward the ark, taking a lightning scepter from the prow and spreading his arms like a god descending to earth.

If not for the blood still flowing from his abdomen, he would've looked even more imposing.

The moment Gusion saw the Maxim, he knew things were bad. He hadn't expected Enel to build it six years early.

He'd underestimated the situation—if he could help Kaido develop, Body Killer could surely help Enel build the ark.

Enel had probably finished the hull long ago, but couldn't figure out the core design. Body Killer helped him fix that.

Gusion searched for a strategy. His teleport was still on cooldown, so he couldn't close in. If he used the Barbarian King's Bow, even if Enel couldn't dodge, Body Killer would block it for him.

If Enel unleashed Raigo, endless lightning would cover Sky Island, ending the battle.

Just as Gusion considered using Dankū to endure the lightning for a desperate attack, a familiar shadow emerged from the ruins beside him.

"Mr. Gusion, don't rush."

A familiar female voice made Gusion instinctively turn his head.

"Black Lily?"

He didn't expect to see his old client here, nor did he understand why she was so calm with Raigo about to be unleashed.

"It's me."

Black Lily nodded. "He can't use Raigo. The first half of the battle is about to end."

Gusion frowned. "Are you sure?"

Time was critical. If Black Lily couldn't guarantee it, he'd have to charge in.

He could survive jumping off Sky Island, but ending the world that way felt too humiliating.

"Watch."

Black Lily didn't explain, just pointed at the ark.

At this moment, Enel stood before the ark, arms spread, scepter in hand, controlling the ark like a remote. He gathered lightning, the clouds flashing and rumbling with nature's might.

Unlike Enel's own lightning, if the ark summoned a real thunderstorm, it would be true divine wrath—hundreds of millions of volts. Gusion would die instantly if struck.

But as Enel prepared to watch the people below scatter and wail, his smile froze.

He realized the ark was no longer responding. After drawing in some storm clouds, nothing happened. The clouds wouldn't listen to him or release lightning.

"What's going on?!"

Enel roared in anger, looking at Body Killer, thinking it was a design flaw. Body Killer had guaranteed the ark could work.

Body Killer was just as confused, but quickly figured it out. He glared at Black Lily standing by Gusion. "Black Lily! It's you!"

Black Lily, petite beside Gusion, pulled at the black bandage on her face and spoke softly, "You shouldn't have messed with me."

She was Black Lily, the Curse Killer. Did they think she'd done nothing all this time?

"A medium?! What did you use?!"

Body Killer really started to panic. Without the ark, he'd be completely on the defensive.

No, it wasn't the ark's fault. The ark was mechanical—no matter how strong Black Lily was as a curse killer, she couldn't curse objects. She had cursed Enel, who was now unable to use his powers.

Without Enel's help, he'd have to face Gusion and the scheming Black Lily alone—there was a real chance of defeat.

"Medium?"

Black Lily's bandage twitched, as if smiling beneath. She echoed Body Killer's earlier words: "Guess."

Body Killer turned sharply to the ark—Enel had been fine until he touched it. Was the ark the medium?

But Black Lily didn't answer, just turned to Gusion. "I'll hold Enel off. He won't appear on the battlefield for ten minutes. Is that enough?"

Gusion grinned, showing white teeth. "Ten minutes? I'll kill him in five!"

"What did you do to me?!"

Enel shouted in anger and fear, finally realizing it wasn't the ark, but himself.

He couldn't use the ark or Raigo—he could barely float, and black marks crawled over his body, spreading.

Despite being lightning, he couldn't resist the curse, which scrambled his energy.

Enel staggered, barely maintaining his form, launching a feeble bolt of thunder far weaker than before.

Luckily, most explorers had already fled in fear of the ark. The fastest had jumped off Sky Island or into the white sea.

Otherwise, seeing Enel so weak, they'd have swarmed him for the kill.

Of course, Gusion wouldn't miss this chance. He used Shunpo, creating sonic booms as he charged upward.

Enel, struggling, fired lightning at Gusion, but missed. Then he felt a force dragging him toward the Maxim.

On the ark, a black spot appeared. Black Lily stepped out, a dark chain at her waist, its other end attached to Enel's navel. The chain pulled him toward her.

"Your opponent is me."

Black Lily smiled at Body Killer and waved goodbye.

Body Killer ground his teeth in frustration. Before he could attack Black Lily, Gusion's blade was already upon him.

Chapter 195: Godly Armament

With Enel out of the way, Gusion shot upward, stepping on spirit particle footholds, leaving rings of air behind, and in a flash was at Body Killer's side.

He didn't know why Black Lily was helping, but it was a perfect chance to kill Body Killer. As for Enel, he'd leave his fate to luck.

If Black Lily could kill Enel in that time, he'd consider it her mercenary fee. If not, he'd claim the kill himself.

He struck at Body Killer's throat with a blade infused with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, golden thunder and crimson lightning swirling around him like a true thunder god.

Body Killer, feeling the threat, didn't dare block directly. He tore a page from his book and crushed it without chanting.

Boom—

A huge light shield appeared, but Gusion's overwhelming slash shattered it instantly.

Gusion's blade continued toward the retreating Body Killer, who used the shield's buffer to judge the attack's path and elementally split himself to dodge.

At the same time, he countered with a light cannon aimed at Gusion's back.

Boom—

A barrier appeared behind Gusion—Kido #81: Dankū. But unlike Enel's lightning, Body Killer's light cannon was better at piercing barriers. The difference in spiritual stats made Dankū last only a moment before shattering.

Both barriers broke in an instant, and neither hesitated—they both turned and attacked again.

"You think you're invincible in melee?!"

Body Killer was furious. He had higher stats and multiple bloodline abilities, yet was losing these exchanges.

With Enel unreliable and the Origin Seed at stake, he had to consider killing Gusion solo.

He gritted his teeth and tore out a golden page. "Holy Word: Divine Armament!"

Just as Gusion's blade reached him, golden light enveloped Body Killer. Suddenly, the Mazuko was blocked by a knight's sword.

Body Killer was now clad in a light-armor suit, wielding a shining knight's sword—an energy construct, not real equipment.

With Divine Armament, his wings beat powerfully, forcing Gusion back and smashing him into buildings below.

After several crashes, Gusion steadied himself and emerged from the ruins, grinning unsettlingly.

Despite his injuries, Gusion showed no discouragement—his fighting spirit was stronger than ever.

"Now this is more like it."

He spat blood, hefting the Mazuko on his shoulder, looking up at Body Killer. "With no one else interfering, let's see what you've got."

His meaning was clear—Body Killer understood and smiled back. "You still don't get it. Even one-on-one, you're not my match."

Divine Armament was Holy Word's trump card—a one-use, short-duration power-up. For ten minutes, his stats soared, and his magic damage doubled.

"Showy."

Gusion stepped onto the sky. "Who's stronger? Only a fight will tell."

He accelerated. Though behind on stats, he was faster—Body Killer knew only two of the Navy's Six Powers and, while flying, couldn't boost speed much. Gusion's Shunpo had no such limits.

Seeing Gusion charge, Body Killer stopped talking. As Gusion said, whoever survived would be the stronger.

Boom—

With a wave, a massive roar shook the sky. At Sky Island's edge, the white sea surged upward like a tsunami, casting a shadow over the coastal houses.

The residents had barely escaped Enel's Raigo and now faced another disaster.

Body Killer's Water-Water Fruit power was dominant wherever water existed. The white sea, being low-density water, was even easier to control.

But because of its low density, it wasn't as destructive as a real tsunami. He didn't expect to drown Gusion—just to obscure vision and change the battlefield.

Gusion charged at Body Killer, who retreated toward the rising white sea. As they moved, a hole opened in the tsunami, letting Body Killer through while the wave crashed at Gusion.

Facing this disaster-like wave, Gusion's gaze was calm and battle-hungry. He spun his blade—water and mist parted, then wrapped around the blade, which shone silver and red, like yin and yang.

He slashed, drawing a red-and-white arc in the air—the boundary between tide and sunset!

Secret Sword Technique: Tidal Sever!

With a tremor, the tsunami was split, the spray turning to fresh rain in the air, then mist from the burning buildings below.

Gusion, wreathed in purple mist and energy, looked like a demon from the underworld, his killing intent filling the sky. He spun and struck again at Body Killer behind the white sea.

With his Soul Devourer's active, Gusion's blade became even sharper.

His movements felt natural—his Soul Devourer's passive triggered, making this strike deal a critical 200% damage!

Boom—

The Mazuko clashed with Body Killer's holy sword. In the shockwaves, Body Killer was shocked—he was being forced back.

Worse, Gusion's blade pressed his sword toward his own shoulder.

At the last moment, Body Killer abandoned the clash, using his wings to retreat and avoid being cleaved by his own sword.

His judgment was correct, worthy of a pioneer, but he still got hit.

A burst of blood erupted from his shoulder—corrosive and stealing energies invaded him, causing significant real damage.

The injury itself was bad enough. Since the first time Gusion cut him, he'd noticed something: being shot by Gusion did nothing, but being cut made his spirit disappear—stolen by some mysterious force.

That critical hit had cost him 10% of his spirit in a single slash.

Body Killer quickly realized it was the blade—the Mazuko could absorb spirit and transfer it to Gusion.

Gusion wasn't about to explain. He pressed his attack—Soul Devourer's true damage triggered with every strong move, even if blocked.

With the active skill on, he could deal 15% of the target's max spirit as true damage per hit, plus the Executioner Ring's bonus and his own power. Even if Body Killer blocked with everything, he'd still lose around 30% per hit.

Gusion's damage was so high that even a heavily boosted pioneer like Body Killer suffered from every blow.

And as long as Body Killer was wounded, Gusion could heal his own spirit via the Mazuko's released power—effectively making him a perpetual motion machine.

Body Killer didn't yet know the details, but he understood that direct melee with Gusion—even with Divine Armament—was a losing game.

It wasn't just a matter of base stats. Every clash meant losing mana—unfair!

Understanding this, Body Killer beat his wings and transformed into a flatworm beastman.

Even in this form, his Water-Water Fruit powers worked, allowing him to elementally dodge attacks. If Gusion didn't use Haki, his attacks would pass through.

In beastman form, his recovery and speed improved, but he avoided fighting Gusion in the air.

Gusion's death god abilities gave him an overwhelming advantage in the air. Body Killer could only use his wings for limited support—on the ground, he could use Shave for speed and pair it with his wings, leveraging his stat advantage.

He dove, dispersing the white sea into dense fog to disrupt Gusion's senses.

He, however, could sense Gusion perfectly via the water mist—he'd learned this trick from Enel.

Enel's Observation Haki wasn't overwhelming, but paired with his thunder, he could monitor all of Sky Island.

Body Killer hid in the mist, suppressing his light, waiting to ambush Gusion with holy light cannons.

Though Devil Fruit bloodlines were strong, nothing matched his main bloodline's potential and versatility.

The Angel's bloodline was especially strong in spirit recovery. Under the right conditions, it was almost limitless.

That's why he could keep using skills after being wounded—now, calm, he figured he could wear Gusion down by controlling the field.

As long as Gusion couldn't get close, he'd be fine. Even being shot by arrows was no problem—his flatworm fruit let him heal quickly. In a war of attrition, he had the upper hand.

Gusion stood in the mist, using Observation Haki to sense Body Killer's location, sneering: "Weren't you hunting me? Why not show yourself?"

Through the mist, Body Killer's voice came from all directions: "No point provoking me. Struggle as long as you like."

Gusion counter-slashed, cutting apart the light cannon. "I waited so long, and you're nothing like me after all."

Chapter 196: I Haven't Eaten a Fruit Yet

"Phew—"

Snow Wind exhaled, wiping blood from her armor with a handkerchief before picking up a Deadman's Chest.

"Tough fight."

She looked at the corpses of several explorers. No wonder she once held the title "Arena Unmatched"—as a second-tier, she'd beaten third-tiers.

That was thanks to the training on Kaido's ship—their Haki had improved.

Even so, it was a hard battle. In the end, Snow Cake had to eat a Paramecia Steel Plate Fruit to survive.

Yes, Snow Wind's team had found several Devil Fruits, but hadn't eaten them—they planned to take them out and sell them.

Devil Fruits didn't always mix well with other bloodlines, and their growth limit was unclear. The side effects were minor, but once you chose a fruit, you lost access to other strong bloodlines.

As ambitious spacers, Snow Wind didn't plan to eat a Devil Fruit—unless it was a Mythical Zoan; regular fruits weren't worth it.

But the battle had been too tough. All the third-tier explorers had at least 55 base stats.

So besides Snow Wind, her two teammates had eaten Devil Fruits during the fight.

They couldn't master the fruits instantly, but eating one gave instant stat boosts—tangible combat power.

Snow Cake's Steel Plate Fruit fit his tank role, but their healer, Snow Lily, was unlucky—she ate a Mouse-Mouse Fruit for survival. Not a Mole Fruit, but Mouse—she gained no noticeable abilities, and her animal form was ugly.

Women love beauty—even spacers. Snow Lily was miserable: her bloodline growth was capped, and now she was a mouse girl.

"The fog's so thick—shouldn't we help Brother Gusion?"

Ulti squeezed out of the ruins, worried as she looked at the distant battle.

She'd had a decent time in the Beasts Pirates. After Gusion's advice, she understood that without Kaido's help, she and her brother wouldn't have gotten those fruits.

She felt the crew was a bit of a family, and since Gusion had taken care of them, she was grateful.

She'd thought Brother Gusion, who could kill Navy rear admirals, would dominate Sky Island, but he was in a tough fight now.

"Sis, there's crying everywhere. I'm scared."

Page One cowered behind Ulti.

She bonked him. "Coward. Brother Gusion will beat all the bad guys."

"But we're pirates. Aren't we the bad guys?"

Page One retorted.

Ulti stomped his foot. "How dare you talk back!"

"Ow, sis…"

Page One complained, then pointed at the mist. "Look, Brother Gusion!"

Snow Wind's team looked over—through the parted mist, Gusion was blasted out by a light cannon.

He crashed through a dozen buildings before stopping, a charred hole in his left shoulder.

"Crap, is Boss Gusion losing?"

Snow Cake was shocked. "Sis, should we—"

"Shut up, it's not over yet."

Snow Wind cut him off. They'd already fought hard and were exhausted—helping Gusion now was unrealistic.

If Gusion lost, Body Killer would clear out Sky Island, and the elite explorers would become loot.

If they wanted to run, now was the time—dive into the white sea and survive until return time.

But she didn't want to leave—not out of loyalty, but because she hadn't found the possible Poneglyph or hidden intel in Birka.

Enel hadn't invented Ark Maxim—it came from blueprints found on Birka, meaning the island hid more than it seemed—perhaps more than Skypiea.

They'd theorized that Sky People came from the moon, bringing advanced tech and founding a great kingdom 800 years ago—Birka might hide many high-tech blueprints.

The Ark Maxim blueprints might even be those of the ancient weapon "Uranus!"

They couldn't take Enel's prototype, but they could take the Uranus blueprints. If they could build it in their End Space, it'd be a huge boost for their team.

Even if not, finding the blueprints would greatly increase their world exploration score.

"Sis, are we being too greedy?"

Snow Lily, petite but well-endowed, was still shaken from the last fight and wanted to run after seeing Gusion wounded.

"Greedy? If you're not greedy here, you'll die sooner or later."

Snow Wind said coldly. "Besides, I trust him—he's beaten me before."

She signaled the others to follow. With most explorers gone, the island was relatively safe outside Gusion and Body Killer's battle—the perfect time for some looting.

"Aren't we going to help?" Ulti asked anxiously.

"No need—he can handle it."

Snow Wind replied. "That wound's nothing."

She'd fought Gusion in the arena before, and even with a huge stat advantage, he'd managed to wound her. She knew how absurdly tough he was.

As if to prove her right, Gusion walked out of the ruins, and the gaping hole in his shoulder healed before their eyes.

"Kaido? You really are a proper shinigami."

Body Killer, watching from the mist, smirked. With the battle nearly over, he spoke more freely.

With all the chaos he'd caused in this world, he wasn't planning to return—if the world government investigated, he'd be a wanted man.

"So, how many more can you eat?"

Gusion stared into the fog as Body Killer attacked.

Body Killer's light cannons were powerful—Dankū couldn't fully block them, only buy a moment.

It wasn't that Dankū was weak; Body Killer's attacks had a piercing property, great against energy barriers.

If Gusion predicted accurately, wrapping his blade in Haki, he could cut the light cannon and stay unscathed.

He'd been wounded earlier because Body Killer's spiritual stat had increased, making his light cannon faster and stronger.

At this point, he doubted Body Killer had any more tricks—his stat boost could only be from eating another Devil Fruit.

Devil Fruits, as bloodline items, gave instant stat boosts upon consumption.

"Stop pretending. You're no match for me now."

Body Killer tried to undermine him, though he was actually annoyed—he'd been forced to use his last slot on a Devil Fruit.

He'd wanted to save that slot for the Rumble Rumble or a mythical thunder fruit.

Gusion's Observation Haki was unexpectedly strong—he could always react to the light cannon even in the mist, forcing Body Killer to boost his power further.

He'd used a Dream Fruit he'd meant to sell. He didn't know its full abilities, but the identification said it gave +4 spiritual stat, so he ate it.

With higher spiritual stat, his magic attacks grew stronger—hence Gusion's wound.

Gusion blocked part of it with the Mazuko, but still took a hit to the shoulder. A full hit would have killed him.

"Pretending?"

Gusion's face darkened with rage. "You know what you've done?"

Now it was Body Killer's turn to be confused. He'd just eaten a fruit—he'd hurt Gusion before, and Gusion hadn't been this angry. "Looks like you've seen your own defeat."

Crimson Conqueror's Haki crackled around Gusion, mixing with golden lightning, turning his hair into a raging mane.

"You dare eat my fruit!"

Gusion roared and charged, his blade swirling, drawing in the endless mist and dispersing it behind him.

He dashed forward, Body Killer staring in shock as he came.

Boom—

Body Killer had to block with his holy sword. The shockwaves cleared the mist, revealing the fight to Sky Island's residents.

Gusion, face furious, slashed relentlessly, draining Body Killer's health and spirit with each attack.

Body Killer beat his wings, splitting the mist with water streams to separate them.

He wanted to retort—"What do you mean your fruit? Are you a bandit?"

And did Gusion really think he could loot his Deadman's Chest?

Wounded and drained, Body Killer was frustrated.

As they parted, he fired another light cannon, forcing Gusion to dodge.

At this power, Gusion didn't dare block with the Mazuko—he'd risk injury and damage to the blade.

Gusion paused, tilting his head at Body Killer. "Is that all you've got?"

Body Killer's composure cracked with rage. He didn't understand how Gusion remained calm—he outclassed Gusion in stats, had the field advantage, and was landing hits. Yet Gusion was unfazed.

That taunt drove Body Killer into fury. As pioneers from different Spaces, only death could determine who was stronger.

Gusion saw the anger and calmly said: "I haven't even eaten a fruit yet."