Wind howled through the broken rooftop as dust floated in the air. The whole building Noah had destroyed earlier was now nothing but a shattered platform, barely holding together.
Emma stood beside him, blades drawn, her hands trembling—not from fear, but from excitement.
Across from them stood the five CP5 agents. staring at the them like how predators stare at their prey.
Their leader, Kurotsuki, stepped forward. the shadows around his feet rippled like black water.
"Now then," Kurotsuki said. His voice cold and calm. "Let's begin the slaughter."
Noah cracked his neck while Emma spins her blades.
Suddenly the air around them grew heavier. Dark. Rotten.
Kurotsuki raised one hand, his fingers stretching unnaturally long.
"Shadow-Shadow Fruit… Awakening: Abyss Realm."
The ground turned black.
Pitch black. Like tar. Like ink. Like a bottomless pit with no end. A foul, cold mist rose from the new darkness, chilling Emma's skin.
Footsteps echoed even though no one moved.
Whispers came from nowhere and everywhere.
Emma swallowed. "What… is this place…?"
Kurotsuki grinned. "Your grave."
Noah tightened his grip on his sword. "Cool. Mine looks nicer."
The other four CP5 agents stepped forward.
And then everything happened at once.
Tsubaki bones cracked. Skin glowed. Her body stretched and twisted, scales forming across her arms as wings burst from her back.
Her face stretched into a draconic snarl.
A dragon—sleek, red, and terrifying, towered in front of them.
"Model: Crimson Dragon." She exhaled a small flame. "I hope you taste good."
Emma gagged. "What kind of line is that?!"
Tsubaki smirked. "The last one you'll ever hear."
Ranmaru tilted his head back and roared. His arms expanded, his jaw stretched long, teeth sharp like blades. Scales ripped through his clothes as his body shifted into a huge T-Rex.
The ground shook with every breath he took.
"Zoan: Tyrant Lizard King." His voice rumbled like thunder. "I'll crush you."
Emma muttered, "Oh great… a giant hungry lizard."
Hikaru exhaled, and golden fur burst from his body. His muscles swelled. His teeth lengthened into fangs. His roar shook the air.
His eyes glowed bright yellow.
"Zoan: Lion king."Prey," Hikaru said. "Both of you."
Emma shivered.
Ayame didn't roar.
She didn't transform loudly.
She just… vanished.
Her body turned black and thin like smoke. A long, dark serpent tail flicked behind her, and her eyes glowed purple.
She slithered across the ground without a sound.
Emma stepped back. "That one is creepy!"
Noah: "Yeah. Kill her first."
Ayame smiled. "I'll eat you last."
Kurotsuki clicked his fingers.
The shadows on the ground rose like hands.
"Kill them."
The four transformed monsters charged.
The building shook.
Emma moved first, blades flashing as she leaped toward Tsubaki's dragon head.
"Don't blink, Noah!"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Tsubaki swung her giant claw.
Emma jumped, flipping high.
CRASH!
The claw smashed the stone under her, destroying the rooftop.
Emma landed on the dragon's arm and dashed up toward her face.
Tsubaki opened her jaw—
WHOOSH!!
A stream of fire shot out.
Emma crossed her blades.
"Guard Break!"
She cut the fire in half, flames splitting around her body.
She shot forward.
SLASH!
Two cuts across the dragon's cheek.
Tsubaki roared in pain.
"You brat!!"
Emma smirked. "Too slow."
Tsubaki exhaled fire and swung her tail.
Emma jump back as the flame scorched the ground.
Ranmaru the T-Rex rushed Noah, each step cracking the ground.
Hikaru the Lion leapt forward with his claws.
Ayame the Snake flicked her tail, launching black venom spikes.
Noah didn't move.
He just put one hand forward.
"Vector Manipulation—Barrier Shift."
Gravity twisted.
The air pulsed—
The T-Rex stumbled, sliding sideways like someone pushed him.
The lion roared as his leap went crooked.
The venom spikes curved in mid-air and hit a nearby wall instead.
Noah smiled. "You guys are light work."
Ranmaru roared with rage and tried to bite him.
Noah hold out his hand.
"Vector Manipulation- Almighty Push."
BOOM!!
The air exploded.
Ranmaru flew backward, smashing through a pillar.
Hikaru appeared behind Noah, claws out.
Noah didn't look back.
"Vector Manipulation-Ghost Step."
Hikaru's claws passed straight through Noah.
"What?!" Hikaru gasped.
Noah appeared behind him—
CRACK!!
A roundhouse kick slammed into the lion's ribs and sent him skidding across the ground.
Ayame slithered behind Noah and aimed for his neck with her fangs.
Noah caught her head with one hand.
Ayame hissed. "Let go."
"You first."
He slammed her into the floor.
THUD!!
"Enough playing," Kurotsuki said softly.
His shadow grew… stretching… reaching Noah's feet.
Noah looked down.
The shadow rose like black ooze and wrapped around his leg.
"Hm?"
"Shadow Bind."
Noah couldn't move his right leg.
Kurotsuki stepped forward. "Time to die."
He raised his hand. His shadow formed a long spear.
He threw it—
WHOOOOSH!
Noah dodged by shifting gravity—
But the spear split into five smaller shadow spears mid-air.
Noah clicked his tongue. "That's cheating."
The spears stabbed into him—
—or so it looked.
But Noah turned into mist.
"Ghost Step?"
Kurotsuki's eyes narrowed. "No… that was"
Noah appeared behind him.
"Afterimage."
He swung his sword—
CLANG!
Kurotsuki blocked with a shadow shield.
"You're skilled," the CP5 leader said, "but you're still human."
Noah smirked. "Barely."
Ayame reformed behind Emma and wrapped her tail around her waist.
Emma gasped as she was lifted off the ground.
Tsubaki grinned, dragon teeth glowing with heat. "Burn."
FWOOM!!!
A blast of fire shot toward Emma.
Emma crossed her blades but the snake-tail squeezed her stomach, crushing her ribs.
She coughed. "Ah—!"
Ayame hissed, "Die."
Emma felt her bones crack—
Noah turned—
"Emma!"
Emma shouted, "Don't help me!"
She stabbed one blade downward—
Straight into Ayame's tail.
The snake screamed and dropped her.
Emma fell,rolled and got up.
She sprinted toward the dragon again.
She slashed the ground
And launched herself using the recoil of the shockwave.
Emma shot straight toward Tsubaki's head.
"Twin Blade Draw—Phantom Cyclone!"
A spiral of white wind formed around her as she spins.
SLAAAAASHHH!!
The attack cut across Tsubaki's chest, knocking the dragon backward.
Smoke exploded from the wound as Emma landed with a skid, panting hard.
"That… the best you've got?" Emma taunted, trying to hide her pain.
Tsubaki roared, shaking the whole building.
The T-Rex burst out of the rubble and bit down at Noah from behind.
"Vector Manipulation—Gravity Crush."
CRACK!!!!!
The dinosaur's jaw slammed into the ground so hard the stone shattered.
Ranmaru tried to lift his head.
But Noah's gravity pinned him.
Hikaru appeared on Noah's right, claws spinning like saws.
Ayame rushed Noah from the left, fangs dripping venom.
Noah sighed…
And exhaled slowly.
"Alright… enough."
His sword hummed.
Blue cold light wrapped around the blade.
Emma's head snapped toward him.
"Oh no—he's using that—"
Noah stepped forward.
"Vector Manipulation—Glacier Fang."
Frost exploded outward.
The air froze.
The ground cracked.
A wave of ice spread like a beast's roar—
KRSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Ayame's snake-body froze mid-air.
Hikaru's claws froze over.
Ranmaru's giant T-Rex form froze from feet to chest.
Even Tsubaki felt the cold bite into her scales.
Emma shivered. "You're insane…"
Noah exhaled. Frost came out with his breath. "Thanks."
Kurotsuki smiled.
The shadows behind him moved like they were alive.
The shadow rose up behind him…
Bigger…
Bigger…
Growing taller than the building…
Until a giant shadow monster formed behind his back, with glowing white eyes.
"Shadow-Shadow Fruit… Abyss Titan."
Emma's eyes widened. "Nope. Nope. Nope."
The titan's roar shook Enies Lobby.
Noah tightened his grip.
"Round 2 then," Noah said.
Kurotsuki stepped forward, smiling like a demon.
"Yes.
Let's stain this island with your corpses."