Marvel : Strongest Siblings

Max countered, parrying each strike with swift precision, his eyes locked onto Shiki's every move. "Let's see if you can handle this." He dashed to the side, vanishing briefly, before reappearing behind Shiki, sword at the ready.

"Night Sword Style: Reaper's Descent!" Max whispered coldly, his sword enveloped in dark magic. He swung down, releasing a colossal blade of black energy that slashed across the battlefield, its edge cutting through air and debris with terrifying speed.

Shiki spun, barely raising his bladed legs in time to block. But the impact drove him back, the force pushing him against the ground as he skidded several feet, leaving deep grooves in the rock. Shiki's legs trembled from the shock, but he steadied himself, panting.

"Not bad," Shiki admitted, grinning as blood trickled down his cheek. "But I'm still standing!"

Max lowered his sword, breathing deeply as he fixed his gaze on Shiki. "Then I guess it's time to finish this."

The air around Max began to chill as he raised his hand. "Night Magic: Abyssal Dominion!" A massive wave of dark energy erupted from Max, expanding outward, encompassing the entire battlefield. Shadows surged and twisted, forming massive black chains that whipped toward Shiki, aiming to ensnare him.

Shiki leapt, dodging with acrobatic skill, but one of the chains caught his leg, pulling him down with brutal force. As the chains tightened, Max stepped forward, his gaze steely. "It's over."

Shiki struggled, his Haki blazing as he attempted to break free. But the Abyssal Dominion continued to drain his energy, rendering his efforts useless. Slowly, Shiki's movements began to slow.

Shiki chuckled weakly. "Alright, kid… You win." His eyes gleamed with respect and exhaustion.

Cough!!

Shiki coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he looked up at Max with a weakened smile. "Dereshihihi, kid… do what you want. I've already been defeated."

Max nodded, stepping closer as he declared with a powerful voice, "I, the Night Lord, Max Ryder, offer you immortality and strength beyond what you've ever known. Shiki, will you become my Apostle, to serve me with unwavering loyalty in exchange for this new power?"

Shiki, barely able to lift his head, chuckled softly before nodding in resignation and pride. "Dereshihihi… of course, I accept. I wouldn't have it any other way, even in death."

As soon as he gave his consent, the ground beneath him began to darken, a shadowy circle spreading out in a perfect ring around him. Dark, mist-like tendrils rose, engulfing him in a cocoon of thick, swirling shadows.

Max watched as the cocoon solidified, enveloping Shiki completely. "Now… your rebirth begins," he murmured solemnly, his voice echoing in the silent air.

***

Over a day had passed since Max's intense battle with Shiki, and now he found himself lounging on his island, enjoying a moment of peace. In front of him, however, lay Enel, who was still stubbornly refusing to accept defeat.

"Gods… don't admit defeat!" Enel shouted, struggling to his feet once again, charging at Max with all the arrogance and pride he could muster. Max merely sighed and swatted him away with an effortless flick of his wrist, sending Enel sprawling to the ground once more.

"How long do you think he's going to keep this up?" Max asked, glancing over to Shiki, who was now comfortably seated beside him on his throne, a faint grin on his face.

"Dereshihihi! Hard to say, but I'd wager he's too thick-headed to give up anytime soon," Shiki replied, clearly entertained by Enel's relentless antics. His own subordinates had gathered nearby, laughing as they watched Enel's increasingly desperate attempts to strike Max, only to be sent flying every time.

With a frustrated scream, Enel gathered himself and shot back up, his pride wounded more than his body. "Enough! I am a god! I will not yield!"

Shiki laughed harder as he watched Enel being sent plummeting back down into the dirt. "Looks like he still has a lot to learn about true power," he said, smirking at Max, "but maybe you'll eventually knock some sense into him—if he doesn't knock himself out first, Dereshihihi"

Shiki's transformation was nothing short of incredible. Emerging from the cocoon of darkness Max had summoned, Shiki looked entirely reborn. The once weathered pirate now appeared in his early twenties, with raven-black hair streaked with twilight hues and eyes as dark as the night sky, flecked with piercing violet glints. His aura was enigmatic, giving off a powerful and almost mysterious energy that was leagues beyond his former self.

Max chuckled, half in disbelief, as he observed Shiki's new form. "You really did turn into a handsome guy," he muttered, shaking his head. The change was almost too much, making him question if this really was still Shiki. Yet, when Shiki knelt before him and addressed him as "Master," any doubts faded.

"Let's go back," Max said, getting to his feet as Shiki followed.

Turning to his former crew, Shiki addressed them with a booming declaration, "The Flying Pirate is no more!"

His men stared at him in shock, eyes wide, murmurs spreading like wildfire. "Ehhhhh?" The disbelief was clear on their faces. To them, Shiki—the man who once ruled the skies—was dead. He had neither told them of his transformation nor revealed that he still existed, albeit reborn. They feared whether he would take command over them or perhaps do away with them entirely, unsure if this new "master" would let them remain.

But Max had other plans. As the island had begun descending from the sky during Shiki's transformation, he used his gravity powers to guide it safely down to the Grand Line, where it now rested, awaiting its fate. Shiki, Enel, and Max departed from the island, leaving his former crew behind, their fate ambiguous. The secrets of Shiki's transformation and Max's powers remained concealed, with SIQ, the dangerous research facility, dismantled and erased from memory, hidden away from the World Government's prying eyes.

Max, along with his two new crew members, Enel and Shiki, set his course for Water 7. He had already given instructions to the rest of his allies, allowing them to roam the seas as they wished. Peter and the others had taken to the seas as pirates, forming their own group, the Spidey Pirates, while Bucky and Yulia had successfully infiltrated the Marines. Meanwhile, Max himself was assembling his own crew, bringing together Enel, Shiki, Rize, and Gwen under his command.

Right now, the Spidey Pirates—Peter's crew—were also in Water 7. Max's next stop was there, where he planned to pick up Gwen. Adding to the excitement, his little sister had expressed her desire to join Peter as part of the Spidey Pirates, dreaming of adventures as a pirate alongside him.

***

Support me so that I can buy a Laptop and update faster, at...

patreon.com/boring_world

It's 22 chaps ahead