One Piece; Full Counter!

Chapter 18: The Sin of Wrath, Meliodas

The skies crackled with lingering electricity as the crimson glow of the storm faded, leaving a silence heavier than the destruction itself. The once-bright blue heavens returned to their natural hue, though the air still hummed faintly from the remnants of Meliodas's attack. Around him, the ground bore the scars of battle—a blackened crater surrounded by jagged fractures, smoke curling upward like wraiths reluctant to leave the battlefield.

Elizabeth stood motionless, her greenish-white hair settling as the winds calmed. Her eyes, wide and uncertain, fixed on the smoldering pit where the Cipher Pol Six agents had fallen. Not far from them, the chains binding the villagers clinked as they trembled in stunned silence.

The agents, clad in their tattered blue uniforms, lay unconscious in the massive crater. Their bodies had reverted to human form, the destructive power of Meliodas's Full Counter having overwhelmed their Zoan transformations. They were battered, burnt, and utterly defeated—a victory achieved before the fight had even begun.

The villagers, once shackled and resigned to despair, now stood slack-jawed, their expressions a mixture of awe and fear. Among them, the Celestial Dragon—adorned in an ornate white suit, with a golden bubble surrounding his head—stared at the aftermath with wide, watery eyes. A string of mucus trailed from his nostrils as he struggled to comprehend the events. His whip dangled loosely in his hand as though forgotten.

Slowly, the smoke began to dissipate, revealing the true scope of the destruction. The four Meliodas clones, conjured moments earlier, had vanished, consumed by the sheer intensity of their own power. The crater seemed like a wound in the earth, and the Cipher Pol agents were its broken remnants.

Amid the whispers of disbelief, a sound broke the stillness: the soft thud of boots on scorched soil. Meliodas descended from the sky, his landing as fluid and precise as the strike of a blade. His green eyes burned with a fierce light, and his yellow hair shifted with each purposeful step. He moved with the calm of a predator, the grip on his sword—Lostvayne—steady and unyielding.

The Celestial Dragon finally found his voice, though it wavered with fear. "What... what is this look, huh? Do you think you can intimidate me, boy?!" He gripped his whip tightly, trying to steady his trembling hand. "Touch me, and I'll have every Admiral in the Navy hunting you down! Do you hear me?!"

Meliodas said nothing. His gaze remained locked on the Dragon as he closed the distance between them, unbothered by the insults and threats hurled his way.

"You... you dare—" The whip cracked in the air, slashing toward Meliodas. "You're nothing but a worm! Born to serve us! That's your destiny! Know your place!"

The whip lashed again and again, its sharp snaps echoing across the battlefield. But Meliodas didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. The closer he drew, the more the Dragon's confidence faltered. His shouts grew shrill, his movements frantic.

Finally, Meliodas was within arm's reach. With one swift motion, he raised Lostvayne and slashed. The protective bubble around the Celestial Dragon shattered like glass. Blood splattered across the pristine white suit as the Dragon fell to the ground, clutching his throat where the blade had grazed him.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Villagers erupted into panicked whispers:

"He killed a Celestial Dragon!"

"This is madness!"

"What have you done?!"

"The Navy will destroy us all!"

Their voices blended into a cacophony of fear and despair. Elizabeth, still bound in chains, remained silent, her gaze locked on Meliodas.

Meliodas stared at the fallen Dragon, his expression unreadable. Blood dripped from Lostvayne's edge as he spoke, his voice low and unyielding. "I've reached the height of my wrath, and I don't regret it."

A dark aura emanated from him, oppressive and suffocating. His green eyes, now blazing with hatred, seemed to consume all light around him. The villagers recoiled, their fear palpable.

But amid the chaos, one figure stepped forward. Elizabeth, her movements deliberate and calm, approached Meliodas.

"Princess Elizabeth? Stop! He's dangerous!" a villager called out.

She ignored them, her sapphire eyes unwavering. Stopping just before Meliodas, she spoke with quiet resolve. "Dangerous? This danger is what saved us from becoming slaves." Her voice was soft but firm, carrying a weight that silenced the crowd. "You've done us a great service, warrior. But you know what this means. The world will not overlook the death of a Celestial Dragon. This island will burn."

For the first time, Meliodas looked directly at her. Their eyes met—a collision of fire and ice. Despite her disheveled appearance, her chains, and the mud staining her dress, Elizabeth's grace shone through.

From a distance, a groan of pain broke the moment. The leader of Cipher Pol Six leaned against a tree, her shoulder bleeding as she glared at Meliodas. "You'll pay for this... killing a Celestial Dragon... you've doomed us all," she rasped. Her hand reached into her pocket, but her expression twisted in shock. "The Den Den Mushi... it's gone?!"

Before she could react further, Meliodas tossed the snail communicator into the air and sliced it cleanly in half. "Your fate changed the moment you stepped onto this island," he declared. "You can either surrender or find another way to survive. But you won't win."

One of the chained villagers shouted angrily, "How are we supposed to survive?! You've condemned us to death!"

A sudden screech pierced the air. All eyes turned to the sky, where monstrous birds with pink-and-black plumage circled. Panic spread like wildfire.

"The Matrona birds!" someone screamed. "They're coming!"

Meliodas clenched his fist around Lostvayne. "Drawn by the red light earlier... this is bad."

Elizabeth, her calm unshaken, raised her voice. "Everyone, retreat to the village! The birds won't attack there!"

As the villagers scrambled, the weight of the situation bore down on Meliodas. The battle wasn't over—it had only just begun.

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