One Piece: I wield thunder and lightning

The Great Pirate Era—

It brought endless chaos to the world.

Human life, already devalued, became even cheaper.

Ordinary people, who were once only oppressed by nobles and the wealthy, now faced a new threat with the emergence of countless pirates. Pillaging and slaughtering became the norm on the seas.

Even though some pirates disguised their actions with ideals of freedom and dreams, they couldn't change the harsh reality that every place they reached fell into disaster.

Of course, there were some exceptions—places powerful enough to force many pirates into compliance. But such places were rare.

The young girl, Maya, was a product of the Great Pirate Era. To her, the happiest time of her life was before she turned four. Back then, her family lived by the sea, relying on fishing for a living. Despite their modest circumstances, she was content with the love of her parents and their carefree life.

But everything was destroyed when the pirates arrived. The home filled with beautiful memories was consumed by flames, her parents were slaughtered, and she, naturally, became a spoil of war, sold cheaply to slave traders.

After that, she was taken from place to place, eventually ending up on a secluded island, where she underwent brutal training alongside thousands of children her age. In the end, only ten, including herself, survived.

She officially became a blade—one with a mind conditioned to obey.

Now, it seemed Fujitora's strike had cut through all the chains that bound her, leaving her lost and confused once again.

...

At the top of the Red Line, dark clouds rolled ominously, pressing down towards the ground.

Continuous lightning spread through the clouds, and streaks of it slashed down onto the Red Line.

Buildings and streets struck by the lightning were reduced to dust without exception.

As the lightning strikes increased in frequency, the once-prosperous Holy Land, Mary Geoise, began to crumble.

What was once a high and mighty, untouchable, majestic Holy Land, now looked like a dilapidated house teetering in a storm from a distance.

The masterminds behind all this chaos were Nicholas and Imu, who were fiercely clashing in the air above.

Their battle had no trace of technique. It was a straightforward contest of sheer power—whoever had the stronger force and more terrifying attacks would win.

When overwhelming strength is in play, techniques meant to maximize that strength become inconsequential.

It was like a beam struggle—whoever had more energy would win. Whoever ran out first would lose.

The position also mattered, as history had shown time and again. Those on the left in a beam struggle tended to lose, though there were exceptions, albeit rare.

To others, this battle of raw power might not seem elegant or evoke the poetic imagery of a masterful duel, but it was undeniably terrifying.

That's why no one dared to interfere. After all, a casual strike from either of them was equivalent to another's fully-charged attack. Rushing in would be suicide.

Neither Imu nor Nicholas had absolute confidence in the outcome of this battle. It could drag on for months, or it could end in an instant.

Every passing second carried infinite possibilities.

"You're at your limit, Nicholas."

Imu relentlessly launched attack after attack at Nicholas.

She had consumed nearly thirty doses of the fierce medicine, and her body's tolerance had almost reached its peak. Any more, and the medicine's effects would diminish to almost nothing.

The power gained from burning her life force, enhanced by the medicine, was being poured entirely into her attacks against Nicholas.

Yet—

After thousands upon thousands of exchanges, she still couldn't find a chance to completely defeat him.

This made Imu increasingly agitated. The longer this dragged on, the more the tide of war would turn against her.

"A man can't admit to that!" Nicholas shouted after clashing with Imu again.

Her strength and resilience had even left Nicholas secretly astonished.

Although Imu had rarely fought anyone in the past eight hundred years, her Haki and physical skills had reached an unprecedented level during that time.

As time passed, her long-dormant combat instincts had reawakened.

Moreover, what Nicholas had discovered about Imu through the planet's magnetic field was shocking. If he didn't defeat her before she completed whatever she was planning, and if she reclaimed her full strength—

Then…

"I might lose."

This thought flashed through Nicholas's mind.

What Imu was attempting seemed almost unbelievable. But because of this, her power was also limited, which was why Nicholas decided to wage war now.

If Imu completed her plan, she would become the true ruler of the world. No one on this planet, not even Joy Boy reborn, could threaten her position again!

Nicholas also understood that if Imu ever left her "throne," then everyone he knew, including himself, would be sent to hell by her.

So—

He could not afford to lose this battle.

Nicholas's eyes gleamed with determination.

Before Imu fully regained her power, he had to do whatever it took to crush her.

He was even prepared for mutual destruction.

"One Strike of the Blade…"

Nicholas suddenly unleashed a burst of power, sending Imu flying.

He then gripped his sword with both hands. In an instant, countless bolts of lightning, accompanied by a cacophony like a thousand birds calling, converged on his sword.

In a flash, Nicholas vanished, leaving behind a massive shockwave in the air.

Seeing this, the retreating Imu quickly prepared to defend herself.

"Sky Burial!" Nicholas roared, slashing out with his sword.

In an instant, the air within a kilometer was vacuumed out.

For a moment, Imu seemed to see a giant dragon with claws and teeth bared behind Nicholas, as if he were standing in the dragon's maw.

With the dragon's roar—

A terrifying aura emanated from Nicholas, engulfing the Red Line below.

That bolt of lightning, like a scar across the sky, reflected in countless eyes.

Encased in the dragon's form, Nicholas appeared before Imu in a blink.

"Come, show me if you can pull me down from the throne!"

Knowing she had been locked on, Imu did not back down. She let out a furious roar and even launched a counter-charge toward Nicholas.

As the two collided in mid-air, time seemed to freeze.

The moment it resumed, unrestrained energy exploded wildly in all directions.