Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Phantasm Arlong
Raki, Kalifa, Marianne, and Hina walked down the cave towards the altar with a shiny orb.
"There is another orb ahead," Marianne said.
"Like Ben said, we don't fight Admiral or Yonko," Raki stated.
"Most pirate crews will not give warnings or care for their crew like this," Kalifa said.
"But Ben is different," Marianne remarked.
"He seems to be," Hina said. "But Hina knows you are all right, we need everyone to fight a Yonko or Admiral, even if they are fakes," Hina added. They all nodded once again and walked towards the shiny orb. There were some markings on the floor. The floor around the altar was concrete.
As they stepped onto the concrete, the orb started to glow. Suddenly everyone had a vision of Marianne being born into a loving family on a quiet island. Her mother had a large smile on her face as she held the small baby in her hand. Her father smiled at him. The scene changed to her mother giving the young Marianne a small paintbrush. Her father would paint them together.
The next scene changed to Marianne painting everything she saw. She painted a group of pirates who visited their harbor. The next scene changed to Marianne`s father showing her signs as he drew. Some of them caused a burning sensation, some of them caused the animal to move like he commanded. The next scene changed to her family boarding a ship for a voyage. They all looked happy. Then the scene changed to pirates attacking their ship. Marianne watched in horror as her father shielded her from an attacker, only to be struck down. Her mother, too, fell, desperately trying to protect her. Her mother pushed Marianne onto a boat. Marianne escaped on a small boat.The scene changed to Marianne on an island with her paintbrush. She was hungry and crying. Next the scene changed to Marianne being kicked trying to the ground. She was crying on the ground. She then threw the paint in a pattern on a bird. She directed the bird and it took the bread. She ate it happily. Then it changed to Marianne joining Baroque Works. Marianne and Crocodile joined hands. The scene changed to Ben, meeting Marianne. She found herself smiling again, as if she were back in her parents' warm embrace.
Before they all could respond, the orb started to glow. There was a bright light. From the bright light a figure started to form. A large, muscular, light blue saw-shark fish-man formed. He had a saw-shaped nose and long, black hair reaching down to his shoulders. He had gills located on both sides of his neck. His Sun Pirates tattoo was on the left side of his chest. He wore a short-sleeved, unbuttoned yellow cabana and black shorts. "Phantasm Arlong," Phantasm Arlong said.
Behind Phantasm Arlong another faint light appeared. The light began to coalesce, gradually forming three distinct shapes. As it grew brighter, a figure started to emerge. They saw the Green General, and two Sword Soldiers.
"A fish-man," Kalifa remarked.
"And those robots," Raki added.
"Rocketman," Green General said as he transformed its arms into Rocketman and charged forward while making a train noise.
"That train," Kalifa remarked.
Raki transformed into her beast form. She saw the General General charging towards them.
"Stone Touch," Raki said as she swung her tail and touched to stone. The Green General's hands turned to stone from the contact. It quickly jumped back.
The Sword Soldier came towards Marianne. "Sword Attack," Sword Soldier said as he swung its sword arm down. Marianne put the Impact Dial. The sword swung and hit the dial.
Hina saw the Sword Soldier attacking her. "Iron Punch," Hina said as an iron rod extended from the palm of her hand and struck Sword Soldier in the chest. It got pushed back.
At that moment, Marianne pressed the button. "Impact Dial," Marianne said as the force of the sword swing was sent out as a shockwave. Both the Sword Soldiers were sent back.
"Good idea with the Impact Dial," Raki remarked. Marianne nodded.
"Moonwalk," Kalifa said as she jumped into the air. She kicked the air and flew through the air towards Phantasm Arlong. "Profit Margin," Kalifa said as she cracked Lovethorn in a wide, sweeping arc. The whip glowed faintly. She then whipped and slashed the two Sword Soldiers. The both got huge marks on their armour.
Phantasm Arlong jumped in the air. He came towards Kalifa like a torpedo. "Shark on Darts," he said. Kalifa kicked the air and jumped out of the way and dodged that attack,
"Breath of Basilisk," Raki said as she exhaled a grey mystical breath. The breath reached the two Sword Soldiers and they were all instantly petrified.
"Thank you Raki," Marianne said as she jumped towards the Sword Soldier which turned to stone. "Finger Pistol," Marianne said as she thrusted her index finger and middle finger and penetrated the stone. The stone cracked and shattered. The Sword Soldier turned to light.
Kalifa saw that Marianne had improved a lot with her technique in a few days. She thought once again this was very unusual.
Hina saw Phantasm Arlong on the ground. "Cage Gauntlet," Hina said as she created a smaller, hand-held cage. She punched Phantasm Arlong. The cage expanded upon contact, trapping his right hand.
Phantasm Arlong lunged at Hina with a vicious punch, his jagged teeth gleaming. Hina was faster. She sidestepped gracefully as the punch whiffed past her. The towering Green General, its body partially immobilised with its stone arms, towards Hina. Lowering its massive head like a battering ram, it charged forward.
"Penalty Clause," Kalifa said as she cracked her Lovethorn whip, its shimmering thorned length snaking through the air. The whip coiled tightly around the Green General's hulking frame like a constricting serpent. She yanked the whip, using her strength and momentum to hurl the General across the cave. The creature soared through the air before smashing into the remnants of a stone wall, the impact shaking the ground as debris rained down.
Hina smiled and nodded towards Kalifa. "Iron Rod Double," Hina said as she extended her hands, Two iron rods extended from her hand. They struck Phantasm Arlong in the chest as he slid backwards.
Marianne then jumped towards the second Sword Soldier which also had been turned to stone. "Finger Pistol," Marianne said once again as she thrusted her index finger and middle finger and penetrated the stone. The stone cracked and shattered. The second Sword Soldier turned to light. Marianne felt her fingers stinging from using the attack. However she wanted to use this attack.
Kalifa twisted mid-air as she gathered momentum in her powerful legs. "Storm Leg," Kalifa said as she launched a compressed blade of air that screamed through the space between them, cutting through the air with lethal speed. The attack struck Phantasm Arlong squarely on the chest. He roared in pain as the blade of air sliced cleanly through his thick skin, leaving a deep, bleeding gash. The force of the strike caused him to stumble backward.
"Breath of the Basilisk," Raki said once again. She tilted her head back and exhaled a swirling, grey, mystical mist. The breath traveled swiftly toward Phantasm Arlong, enveloping him. The moment the breath touched him, an unnatural stillness crept over his body. His hand began to stiffen and turn a dull, stony grey. The transformation spread like a creeping frost, his skin hardening into lifeless stone. Phantasm Arlong jumped back.
Green General rose once again, his body emitting a cascade of ominous green sparks. The damaged fragments of his armor glimmered faintly. "Cage Fortress," Hina said as her arms gracefully sliced through the air. In an instant, metallic bars materialized around Green General, forming a web of iron that spiraled upward. The structure grew rapidly, layer upon layer, transforming into an impenetrable fortress of cages.
Green General thrashed against his confinement, his fists pounding futilely against the encroaching bars. The grinding sound of iron echoed as the walls closed in tighter, the fortress transforming into an unrelenting trap. Hina extended her hands with a fluid motion, the rods responding to her will as they groaned and twisted with immense force. The iron rods collapsed inward, folding and compressing into a crushing force that engulfed Green General entirely. The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air as the fortress constricted, reducing him to a trapped figure within. The Green General let out a distorted roar, sparks flying wildly from his form as the pressure intensified. Cracks formed across his body, green light spilling out from the fractures. With a final, resounding snap, his form shattered, an explosion of light marking his end.
"There is only one left now," Marianne remarked.
"He is looking worse for wear," Raki added.
Phantasm Arlong, then shoved his fist in his mouth and took all his teeth in one hand. He repeats the process with his other hand. The teeth of his mouth grew back. However he now has two pairs of teeth. "Tooth Gum," Phantasm Arlong said. He then charges towards the group of girls.
"Red of Bullfighting," Marianne said as she threw the red paint on a wall. Phantasm Arlong instantly shifted his focus entirely. He charged towards the wall and crashed onto it. His teeth got stuck on the wall.
"Let's finish him off," Raki said.
Marianne gripped her Axe Dial tightly. She pressed the activation button, and with a sharp hiss, a powerful, X-shaped compressed air blast shot out at high velocity. It streaked through the air, striking Phantasm Arlong squarely in the back. The impact was immense, leaving a deep, jagged mark across his back. Blood seeped from the wound.
Phantasm Arlong roared and yanked his teeth out from the wall, turning to face his assailants. However, before he could retaliate, Raki leaped into action.
"Storm Leg!" Raki said as she delivered a devastating kick. The air around her foot condensed into a razor-sharp blade of wind, slicing through the battlefield with deadly speed. Phantasm Arlong attempted to brace himself, but the attack was too swift. The wind blade struck true, severing his stone-encased hand clean off. A spray of blood followed as he let out an agonized cry, the sheer force sending him hurtling backward and crashing into a nearby wall.
Kalifa saw the opening and wasted no time. "Profit Margin," she said as she lashed out with Lovethorn, her whip cracking as it carved a wide, sweeping arc through the air. The whip struck Phantasm Arlong in the side, the sharp impact sinking into his stone-like flesh. The hit sent him skidding across the ground, leaving a trail of disrupted dirt and stone in his wake.
"Iron Maiden," Hina said. She extended her arms, and a cage of iron rods materialised around Phantasm Arlong. The cage began to contract, its interior lined with sharp, menacing spikes. The tightening trap drove deep into his chest, drawing a gush of blood.
Phantasm Arlong let out a guttural scream as the spikes pierced his body. He then collapsed.
Phantasm Arlong levitated from the ground. His body spun around and turned into light and went back into the orb. "We did it," they all shouted.
The orb started to shake and then went into the sky. It left behind several white dresses.
"They are all done now," Raki said as she changed back to her human form.
"Yes, they are," Kalifa added as she touched her glasses.
"What is that?" Hina asked.
Marianne walked towards the clothes. "They are white dresses," Marianne said.
"There are a lot of them," Raki said. "Let's take them," she added.
"We should head back," Kalifa said. They all nodded.