One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 20: Shoot Her, Shinsō!

"He's fast!" Gion thought, eyes widening in surprise as she watched Claudius' movements. His speed had more than doubled from earlier, catching her off guard. At that moment, Gion was fully convinced that Claudius had finally gotten serious.

In the blink of an eye, Claudius closed the distance between them, throwing a powerful straight punch aimed at Gion's chest. Reacting quickly, Gion stepped back to avoid the hit, thinking she'd successfully evaded the attack. But just as she prepared to counter, a sharp pain shot through her chest. Despite missing her by a hair, the punch carried an invisible force that struck her hard, sending her flying backward.

As Gion was knocked back, realization dawned on her. "So this is the power of his Logia Devil Fruit," she thought, gritting her teeth. Claudius's ability was invisible, colorless, and intangible, making it a serious threat to anyone without strong Observation Haki.

Claudius hadn't even touched her directly, but his ability to manipulate nitrogen gas had extended the range of his attacks, allowing him to hit from a distance without making physical contact. He showed no mercy, and another burst of white smoke erupted from his feet as he shot forward again, closing the gap almost instantly.

Gion found herself on the defensive, struggling to keep up as Claudius launched a series of relentless attacks, using his invisible nitrogen manipulation to disrupt her every move. The pressure he applied was intense, and her momentum from earlier had been completely crushed. Each strike forced her to react quickly, but the unseen nature of his attacks made it nearly impossible to regain control.

As she continued to evade, Gion realized something else. The air around her was getting thinner. She could feel the suffocating pressure building up Claudius was manipulating the air, depriving her of oxygen. If this kept up, she'd be in serious trouble.

"He's using every advantage he can in close combat..." Gion thought, gritting her teeth. The fight had become more challenging than she expected. His powers were more dangerous than she'd anticipated, and his fighting instincts were sharper than she gave him credit for.

Determined not to lose, Gion steeled herself. Armament Haki surged across her body, and she took one of Claudius's punches head-on, using the impact to push herself backward and create some distance between them. She landed smoothly, her breathing steady, but her gaze had sharpened.

"It seems you're worthy of my full effort!" Gion said seriously, her voice carrying a weight of determination.

Claudius blinked in surprise. "Wait, I was just pretending to be serious. Now you're saying you're about to get serious?" he thought, feeling a bit uneasy. He knew Gion would become an Admiral candidate in the future, so he couldn't underestimate her now.

Claudius remained cautious, watching as Gion took a deep breath. "Rabbit!" she whispered.

Suddenly, the air around Gion shifted. Her aura intensified, and Claudius could feel her strength surge to new heights more than double what it was before. But what caught him off guard was her sudden transformation. From her head sprouted long rabbit ears, and a fluffy white tail appeared at her back. Her eyes turned a soft peach color, and strange markings adorned her forehead.

Claudius blinked in disbelief. "A... bunny girl?" he muttered, his voice laced with amusement.

Gion's face turned a bright shade of red. She hated using her Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Mythical Zoan, Rabbit Rabbit Fruit, for exactly this reason. The rabbit ears and tail made her feel self-conscious, and despite her immense power, she rarely used this form unless absolutely necessary. (T/N: I'm not aware of Gion having a devil fruit, but I guess this is one of the author's tweaks. Also, keep in mind this fic was written back in 2020, so you might come across some things that weren't known at that time.)

But seeing Claudius's amused expression only fueled her embarrassment and determination. Without a word, she stomped her feet, launching herself toward Claudius with incredible speed.

Her movement was so fast that Claudius could barely register it. "She's ridiculously fast!" he thought, struggling to react in time.

"Tempest Kick!" Gion called out, her voice sharp.

Before Claudius could defend himself, her foot slammed into his chest. This time, the force was much stronger, and the impact was immediate. Claudius felt a sharp pain radiate through his chest, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His body flew backward, crashing into the wall of the training ground, shattering it on impact.

"Ahh, Gion's angry," Kuzan remarked casually, watching the scene unfold with a grin.

Zephyr, standing nearby, shook his head in mild exasperation but reassured Nia, who looked ready to panic. "Don't worry. Gion isn't cruel. She might be angry, but she knows how to control herself. Of course... Crowe might be in for some pain. He might not be getting out of bed for a few days," Zephyr added with a chuckle.

Claudius groaned as he lay in the rubble, his whole body aching from the blow. "Damn... all I did was call her a bunny girl. Was that really necessary?" he muttered to himself, wincing from the pain.

Despite the pain, Claudius wasn't ready to give up. Struggling to his feet, he pushed the debris away and spotted Gion leaping into the air, preparing to land another devastating attack.

"What is this? Is she going to drop out of the sky and crush me?" Claudius quipped, unable to resist a sarcastic comment even in the face of danger.

His body reacted instinctively, white smoke trailing from his feet as he rolled out of the way just in time. The spot where he had been lying moments before exploded as Gion landed, her fist crashing down with enough force to create a massive crater.

Claudius watched the scene with wide eyes. "She would've turned me into a pancake if that hit me..." he thought, shivering at the thought.

Gion straightened up, pulling her fist from the ground, her eyes still full of fury. Claudius swallowed nervously. "I thought carnivorous Zoan fruits were supposed to be the violent ones. How is a rabbit this terrifying?"

Taking a deep breath, Gion calmed herself, addressing Claudius with a stern tone. "Since you're an opponent worthy of my full strength, I'll tell you. I'm not just a regular rabbit Zoan. This is a Mythical Zoan," she said, her voice steady.

Before Claudius could respond, Gion's figure blurred again as she launched forward with another punch. Claudius barely had time to react, turning his body to gas as the punch passed through him, avoiding damage.

However, elementalizing his body couldn't save him for long. As soon as Claudius returned to his physical form, Gion was right behind him. Her rabbit paw, now transformed into a furry hand, landed squarely on his shoulder.

"I've got you now," Gion whispered, a triumphant smile on her lips.

Claudius was shocked. He could feel the pressure of her Armament Haki locking onto his physical form. There was no escaping this time.

In a flash of desperation, Claudius drew his short sword, Shinsō, intending to strike back, but Gion was one step ahead. She grabbed his wrist, forcing the blade away, and pinned him in place.

"Any last moves? If not, this battle is mine," Gion said confidently, tightening her grip.

Claudius grinned, despite the pain. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hmph, go ahead and try. I'm not afraid," Gion replied, though she remained on high alert.

"Well, I wasn't planning on using this move, but you've hurt my pride a little. So..." Claudius whispered, his tone soft yet ominous.

Gion's grip tightened even more, ready for whatever Claudius had up his sleeve. She wasn't going to let him escape.

"Shoot her... Shinsō!" Claudius murmured, his voice barely audible.

In the next instant, a flash of blood-red light filled the space between them. Gion's eyes widened in disbelief as she felt a cold, sharp pain in her abdomen. Shinsō had extended, piercing both Claudius and Gion simultaneously.

She hadn't anticipated such a reckless move. Shinsō, with its unique ability, had struck both of them, and Claudius had used the blade's lengthening power to surprise her.

Claudius, now free of her grip, took advantage of the moment. He twisted around, grabbing Gion's wrist and locking her in place. With his other hand, he pressed Shinsō's edge lightly against her neck, the blade still dripping with blood.

He leaned in, his voice low and slightly strained. "Looks like you forced me to use this. Now... you've lost."

Gion stood frozen, shocked by the sudden turn of events. She hadn't expected Claudius to have such a trick up his sleeve.