Covered in wounds, utterly defeated

The oppressive atmosphere seemed to freeze the entire sky all at once. Man and monkey faced each other in calm silence. One pair of jet-black eyes and one pair of golden eyes met, both brimming with boundless fighting spirit.

A thunderous roar erupted as the monkey bared its fangs, a wild, violent energy radiating from its body. Fury, destruction, brutality—its golden feet stomped the ground, causing the earth to crack and splinter in all directions, and in an instant, the monkey’s form became a blur, hurtling straight at Xuan Ye.

“Well done—hybrid beast form!” Xuan Ye called out in excitement. Flames shot skyward, and a giant bird, half-human, half-beast, let out a piercing cry and soared across the sky.

A golden fist met fiery wings in a mighty collision. Instantly, the ground caved in, and a shockwave of wind and sand swept outward.

Like two streams in flood, man and monkey—two streaks of light—clashed and parted again and again. The whole arena was thrown into chaos, as if ploughed under, wild and disorderly.

The golden monkey howled hoarsely, a flicker of pain crossing its face, for a flaming fist was pounding furiously against its chest.

The monkey’s howls grew shriller. Its slender arm suddenly turned black, and in Xuan Ye’s shrinking pupils, it seemed to ignite the very air as it struck.

“Armament!”

Blood spurted from Xuan Ye’s mouth as his eyes widened. He was hurled backward, his chest caving in from the blow.

“Kuh… kuh…” Kneeling in a crater, Xuan Ye’s face was ghostly pale.

“Armament Haki… This creature’s Armament is unbelievably strong.” Looking up at the monkey, which was still pounding its own chest, Xuan Ye’s heart grew heavy.

“Again!” he declared, standing up resolutely, a smile tugging at his lips. He felt his blood boiling.

“Five hundred thousand degrees Celsius.” His hands became wings, burning with golden-red flames. In an instant, the entire arena was engulfed in a sweltering heatwave.

“Extreme Speed—Shave!”

“Armament—Golden Crow Talon!”

Flames erupted. Xuan Ye appeared beside the monkey, kicking the air with a force that cracked the atmosphere, dashing forward like a streak of light.

The golden monkey roared, its fur bristling, and lashed out with a jet-black kick.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Man and monkey locked eyes midair, then a shockwave burst between them. In the blink of an eye, a hundred meters around them collapsed, flames scattering in all directions.

“Endless Arrows.”

Leaping into the air, Xuan Ye pointed with one hand. Instantly, flames blanketed the world as over a hundred blades, spears, swords, and halberds swept forth like a tidal wave, crashing against the earth.

The golden monkey opened its maw, revealing savage fangs, and its silhouette darted like a flash of light, weaving between the countless weapons.

“Observation Haki?” Xuan Ye was incredulous. He hadn’t expected the monkey to be so strong—not only was its Armament superior, but its Observation Haki was no less impressive.

“Flame Ray.”

He spread his ten fingers, fire coiling around them as ten beams of golden light rained down from the heavens.

Mountains heaved, boulders soared, and a black storm swept forth. In an instant, the entire arena was consumed by rampaging flames.

“Not good.” At that moment, Xuan Ye’s Observation Haki sensed a wild figure silently appearing behind him.

“Armament—Flame Blade!”

No time to turn, Xuan Ye summoned a fiery longsword and swung it backhand without hesitation.

A clash of metal rang out. Xuan Ye felt as if his back had been struck by a mountain. With a crack, a scream escaped him as his body plummeted like a meteor from the sky.

A wild explosion, cracks spreading everywhere. Xuan Ye lay in the depths of a crater, his breath ragged and fierce.

At the same moment, the golden monkey was writhing in pain, blood spurting from its chest, carrying the faint aroma of cooked flesh—obviously a wound inflicted by Xuan Ye.

Propping himself up with both hands, Xuan Ye’s eyes were fierce and his body trembled. That blow had gravely injured him.

In the end, he had underestimated his opponent.

“Full Beast Form—One Million Degrees—Endless Fire Domain.” Rising to his feet in fury, Xuan Ye struck the ground with both hands. In a flash, a golden-white thread streaked out, and a massive dome of fire a thousand meters wide enveloped everything.

The golden monkey grimaced and growled, anxiety etched on its face. Surrounded by flames and tormented by the scorching heat, it grew increasingly agitated.

The giant bird circled overhead, exuding divine might. Xuan Ye, transformed into a Golden Crow, beat his wings and vanished in an instant.

The golden monkey, now wreathed in a strange energy, howled in rage.

Fist and wing collided, darkness flaring, every blow shaking the heavens and the earth.

A golden flash, Xuan Ye spat blood, hurled backward once more.

Lying on the ground, Xuan Ye stared in disbelief at the figure emerging from the golden light.

“Three heads and six arms! How is this possible?”

He didn’t even wipe the blood from his lips; every hair on his body stood on end. Before him, the monkey had grown two extra heads and four more arms—three heads and six arms in total, shattering everything Xuan Ye thought he knew.

A more violent energy radiated than before. Xuan Ye felt as if he faced an ancient behemoth, a force utterly beyond his present strength.

“Devil Fruit.” That was the only explanation Xuan Ye could conceive, for the opponent could not possibly be the Monkey King himself.

“High Temperature—Vacuum State.” Gritting his teeth, Xuan Ye drew in a deep breath and drained the air itself.

At that moment, a shadowy figure appeared out of thin air.

A jet-black fist, gleaming with explosive force, lunged for Xuan Ye.

“Armament—Extreme Speed.”

Startled, Xuan Ye’s feet turned black, flames bursting beneath him as he prepared to unleash his fastest speed.

The ground shattered and erupted once more. Xuan Ye’s face flushed red—he hadn’t expected his opponent to keep pace with him even at such speed.

Worse yet, the other had three heads, six arms, and two legs, utterly overwhelming Xuan Ye.

Moreover, the opponent’s Armament and Observation Haki were every bit as powerful as his own. From the very first exchange, Xuan Ye was at a disadvantage.

He had never before lost in close combat, but now, he had been defeated.

Furthermore, the other was withstanding both high heat and vacuum. Had that not been the case, Xuan Ye could scarcely imagine what would have happened.

“No, this can’t go on.” Forced onto the defensive by the relentless and powerful assault, Xuan Ye was in dire straits.

Taking a blow head-on, he still couldn’t evade two powerful punches. He felt his organs shatter, and as if struck by a train, his body became a trail of fire crashing to the earth.

Blood sprayed forth, and Xuan Ye’s eyes dimmed. He knew he was no match.

“High Temperature—Stormfire.”

Struggling upright, Xuan Ye unfurled four blazing wings and spun violently. In an instant, a whirlwind of fire surged into the sky like a natural disaster.

A violent roar rocked the heavens and earth, the entire scene thrown into chaos.

After unleashing his final strike, Xuan Ye, bloodied and battered, turned into a streak of fire and vanished beyond the horizon.

Yes, Xuan Ye had fled. For the first time, he had lost to an equal opponent and escaped in utter disgrace, like a drowned rat.

Dozens of minutes later, Xuan Ye appeared on the shoreline, his battered state stunning the marines in training.

“Pakas, unless I give the order, no one is to disturb me. You all continue your training.”

His words were strained and cold as he vanished into the ship’s cabin.

“Yes, sir.” Suppressing questions and worry, Pakas and the others returned to their practice.

Late that night, hundreds of navy soldiers whispered among themselves, all speculating about what had happened to the major general—how he could have been so grievously wounded after only a few hours away.

Meanwhile, Xuan Ye was recovering in his cabin.

Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, he alternated between human, hybrid, and full beast forms, his body always shrouded in golden-red flames.

Visibly, his wounds were healing rapidly in this state.

The next morning, the entire warship buzzed with activity. People hurried back and forth, each carrying food to and from the deck.

For their major general was hungry—so hungry he needed five hundred portions of food.