Chapter 199: Chapter 200: Clashing Devil Fruits
"Jack-sama! We've got trouble!"
"Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, is here!"
"Judging by his expression, he didn't come in peace!"
Hearing Finder's urgent report, Jack furrowed his brows and asked with a hint of irritation,
"Not in peace? What, did he come to throw his life away?"
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the ship. Feeling the tremor beneath his feet, Jack stood up and stormed outside, his face dark with anger.
Rim blocked Marco's attack, his expression stern.
"Marco! What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to reignite a war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates?!"
"War?"
Marco spread his wings, hovering mid-air with a furious expression.
"This island was under Whitebeard's protection! And now you've reduced it to rubble! The Beasts Pirates owe us an explanation!"
"An explanation?" Jack stepped out of the cabin, looking up at Marco, who was flapping his wings in the air. His voice was deep and unyielding. "By the time I arrived, everyone was already dead! So whether or not this was your so-called protected territory doesn't matter anymore!"
Jack then pointed angrily at a hole in his ship's deck, his frustration boiling over.
"But what does matter is my damn ship! Do you have any idea how expensive this thing is?! Do you know how many ivory tusks I had to sell just for this one little section?!"
Marco stared at Jack in stunned silence for a moment before exclaiming in disbelief,
"You're insane! You're more worried about your damn ship than the lives that were lost?!"
Jack scoffed.
"What's there to explain? I already told you it wasn't me!" He cracked his knuckles and smirked. "You wanna fight? Then fight. If not, then get lost."
Seeing Jack's smug expression, Marco finally snapped. He spiraled in the air before diving straight at Jack with full force.
Boom!
"Oho! Not bad, chicken legs!"
Watching Marco ascend into the sky for another strike, Jack grinned.
"Heh... But you didn't really think you were the only one who could fly, did you? Move the ship closer!"
Boom!
Whoosh!
Flames erupted into the sky, catching Rim and the others off guard. Just as a clear cry echoed through the air, Jack's body transformed—red flames engulfed him, and in the next moment, he had taken the form of a massive bird wrapped in brilliant fire.
Since Jack had been recovering from injuries the past few days, he hadn't shown his new ability to Rim and the others. They all stared in shock.
"That's..."
"Jack-sama?! How is this possible?!"
"But humans can't eat two Devil Fruits!"
Jack's transformation into the Suzaku was far larger than Marco's Phoenix form. Compared to Marco's ethereal blue flames, Jack's red blaze radiated an aura of majesty and inviolability. His burning wings shimmered in the sunlight, exuding an overwhelming presence.
"It's... breathtaking..."
"What kind of fruit is that...?"
"I can't believe it... Is this really Jack?!"
Rim and Finder were awestruck. After a long pause, they couldn't help but yell,
"Jack-sama! What kind of Devil Fruit is this?! It's incredible!"
Jack looked down, clearly annoyed. "It's the Chicken-Chicken Fruit! Now quit gawking and put out the damn fire!"
He suddenly panicked. "Shit! My ship's on fire! Rim! Finder! Stop standing around and do something! If my ship burns down, you two can kiss your freedom goodbye—you'll be working as ducks for the rest of your lives!"
...
Marco had been so shocked by Jack's transformation that he nearly forgot to flap his wings and almost plummeted into the sea.
This guy...
As Marco steadied himself and took a closer look at Jack, the heat radiating from him sent chills down his spine.
This form... It's definitely a Mythical Zoan.
Jack's previous fruit was well-known—the Mammoth Zoan. But now, he had taken on a form strikingly similar to Marco's. The flames, the wings, the sheer presence—it all confirmed one thing: Jack had acquired another Mythical Zoan.
And for some reason, just looking at Jack in this form made Marco's blood boil. A deep, instinctual rage stirred within him—an urge to destroy Jack that came from his very soul.
Suppressing the killing intent rising within him, Marco shook his head hard to clear his mind.
Meanwhile, Jack was busy scolding his crew about putting out the fire. Seeing this, Marco's unease deepened.
Among Devil Fruits, the rarest type was undoubtedly Logia. But Mythical Zoans were just as scarce—arguably even more so. And if this fruit granted flight, its value was immeasurable.
Thinking of the Beasts Pirates' ambitions, Marco felt his flames flicker in frustration.
One Kaido was bad enough. Now we have to deal with a flying Jack too? They'll be hounding us nonstop!
Should I retreat for now and report this to Pops...?
As Marco hesitated, Jack suddenly opened his beak and unleashed a blast of fire straight at him.
Boom!
The red flames clashed with Marco's blue regeneration flames, but after a brief struggle, they dissipated. Seeing this, Jack frowned.
"The hell? That was supposed to be 'Destructive Flames'? More like flames of disappointment!" He scoffed. "You didn't even get a scratch!"
Marco's eyes widened. In that moment, he understood where his earlier killing intent had come from.
His flames didn't burn—they healed. They were known as the Flames of Regeneration.
Jack's flames, however, had tried to erase them entirely.
He had once heard a legend... that Devil Fruits possessed their own wills.
If that were true, then Jack's new Devil Fruit was the natural enemy of Marco's own!
"Marco! I don't know why... but just looking at you pisses me off!"
Jack's Suzaku eyes gleamed with bloodlust. Spreading his massive wings, he launched himself toward Marco at full speed.
"So be a good little bird and let me kill you!"
Whoosh!
Marco twisted mid-air, dodging by a hair's breadth. His mind raced.
This isn't good. He's fast...!
Still, Marco wasn't one to back down. Flapping his wings, he locked eyes with Jack and smirked.
"If you think you can, then come and try!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg