Chapter 172: Hellfire Wrapped in Lightning!
The coconut grove on the nameless island rustled in the sea breeze. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, scattering mottled patches of light across the sandy ground.
Luffy stood beside a coconut tree with his hands on his hips, his straw hat tilted crookedly on his head.
His whole posture radiated a relaxed, carefree air—
completely opposite to the tense Sanji standing some distance away.
Luffy glanced at Sanji's clenched fists and tight expression. His eyes suddenly lit up as he raised his voice and shouted:
"Sanji! How did that Devil Fruit taste?!"
His voice drifted across with the ocean wind as he scratched his head.
He could barely remember the taste of the Gum-Gum Fruit anymore. The only thing left in his memory was a vague impression—
so disgusting it made him want to spit out his tongue.
Now he was curious whether everyone else had the same experience.
On the other side, Sanji's already tense face instantly turned the color of an overripe tomato.
The veins at his temples throbbed violently, his features twisting as if he had just relived that nightmare of a taste.
He wiped his face irritably and roared through clenched teeth:
"Have you ever eaten shit? It tastes exactly the same!!"
"Pfft—!"
The shout was so loud that even the surrounding palm leaves trembled.
The moment those words came out, the curiosity on Luffy's face froze.
Then his expression changed completely.
His round eyes widened so much his straw hat nearly slipped off. He took an unconscious step back and pointed at Sanji in shock.
His gaze was filled with disbelief, as if he had just heard the most unbelievable story in the world.
"Sanji! Y-You actually ate shit?!"
He frowned deeply as his brain spun at full speed.
No wonder Sanji reacted so strongly…
Apparently the "bad taste" Sanji experienced wasn't even on the same level as his own!
Luffy looked Sanji up and down, his eyes filled with a strange mix of respect and disgust.
Sanji's really hardcore… he even ate something like that…
I never knew you were that kind of person!!
Sanji nearly choked to death from Luffy's absurd logic. His face shifted from red to green as if he were about to explode on the spot.
Clenching his fists, he stepped forward, the veins on his forehead nearly bursting.
"Can you listen to the important part?!"
"I said Devil Fruits taste like shit!! That doesn't mean I've eaten it!!"
"Ohhhh—"
Luffy dragged out the sound while nodding slowly.
But the confusion in his eyes still hadn't disappeared.
"But Sanji… how do you know what shit tastes like?"
"I—"
Sanji felt his breath catch in his throat, nearly suffering internal injuries from frustration.
Crackle—!!
A sharp electrical screech suddenly exploded above the nameless island.
Countless strands of deep-blue lightning burst from Sanji's body like serpents breaking free from their chains.
They slithered through his clothes, twisting and wrapping around him before gathering at his right leg.
The electricity condensed into a blazing pillar of lightning, illuminating his long leg with blinding brilliance.
Sanji's gaze sharpened like a blade. His tightly pressed lips carried a ruthless edge as the lightning amplified the chilling aura around him.
—WHOOSH!
A piercing sound tore through the air.
His lightning-wrapped leg shot forward like a bolt of heavenly thunder, twisting and tearing through the atmosphere.
In an instant, that destructive kick appeared right before Luffy.
The wind whipped through Luffy's hair as the reflection of blinding blue light filled his pupils beneath the straw hat.
Yet there was not a hint of panic in his eyes.
Instead, a thoughtful glint appeared—as if he were seriously analyzing the technique.
"Sanji, your lightning is too violent. You need to learn how to control it."
His tone was calm, like a chef commenting on a poorly cooked dish.
Before the sentence even finished—
—WHOOSH!
Without any extra movement, Luffy vanished from his spot like a teleporting shadow, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
The next moment, he appeared a thousand meters away, standing beside another palm grove with his hands still on his hips.
BOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion followed.
Sanji's lightning-wrapped kick slammed into empty air, and countless streaks of blue lightning erupted outward.
It looked like thousands of meteors falling simultaneously, releasing a blinding flash that was impossible to stare at.
Electric currents spread wildly, forming a massive lightning network that engulfed the entire area.
The air shrieked like thousands of birds crying at once, the piercing sound rattling everyone's ears.
The ground was blasted open into a crater dozens of meters wide.
The rock at the bottom had melted into magma-like liquid, bubbling with scorching heat.
Violent shockwaves surged outward, kicking up massive clouds of sand and dust.
Even the distant ocean waves recoiled several meters under the sheer force.
Standing a kilometer away, Luffy's clothes fluttered wildly in the aftershock.
He raised a hand to block the blowing sand and looked toward the devastated battlefield.
Then he grinned.
"Wow—! That's really powerful!"
"But Sanji, you're going to blow the whole island apart like that!"
Sanji landed and withdrew his leg.
The lightning around his right leg gradually faded, while beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Controlling such violent power clearly consumed a lot of energy.
He exhaled heavily and wiped the sweat from his brow, though the sharpness in his eyes remained.
"Shut up! I'm still getting used to it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, faint sparks of electricity crackled around him again.
It was obvious he was still experimenting with how to control this new power.
Luffy stared at the lightning surrounding Sanji.
His dark eyes gleamed brightly.
A pure fighting spirit curled onto his lips.
Suddenly he wiped his face and shouted loudly:
"Come on, Sanji! Attack me with your strongest move!!"
His voice carried firmly through the sea breeze.
Everyone knew that Devil Fruits could develop in completely different ways depending on the user.
Even though Logia-type fruits didn't allow as many bizarre abilities as Paramecia, their development paths could still diverge greatly.
For example—
Enel turned lightning into long-range destructive bombardments like a spell-casting mage.
But Luffy had always preferred direct, fist-to-fist combat.
Deep down, he was a warrior who believed in overwhelming strength through raw clashes.
This challenge was simply to see how Sanji planned to develop his lightning abilities—
and maybe help him avoid a few wrong turns.
"In that case… watch out!"
A resolute gleam flashed in Sanji's eyes.
He didn't hesitate.
He knew the gap between himself and Luffy was enormous—
but that very gap made Luffy the perfect testing stone.
Before his words even finished—
CRACKLE—!!!
The electrical roar exploded again, even more violently than before.
Countless strands of deep-blue lightning surged out of his body like boiling magma.
They wrapped densely around his limbs, eventually forming a massive lightning cage around him.
Sanji inhaled deeply.
He raised both hands forward, palms facing each other. His left foot rooted firmly into the ground while his right foot lifted slightly.
Using his left foot as a pivot—
he began spinning at incredible speed.
In an instant, fierce winds erupted, sweeping sand and rocks into the sky.
The previously clear sky churned as the rotating air currents dragged dark clouds overhead.
His rotation accelerated faster and faster.
Under the force of centrifugal power, the lightning spread outward, forming a gigantic lightning storm dozens of meters wide.
It shot upward from the island straight into the sky—
connecting with the storm clouds as if tearing heaven and earth apart.
Even more astonishing—
his black leather shoe rubbed violently against the air during the rotation, igniting eerie blue flames.
Unlike ordinary crimson fire, these flames carried a cold and sinister aura—
like ghostly fire burning from the gates of hell.
Lightning and flame intertwined within the storm.
Sanji's figure flickered in and out of view at its center, radiating the terrifying pressure of a demon god descending upon the world.
Even the air trembled.
"HYAAAH—!!"
—WHOOSH!
The air seemed to collapse inward.
A kick infused with the power of lightning and hellfire blasted toward Luffy.
Space itself appeared to tear open, leaving behind a black scar.
Wherever it passed—
the earth collapsed and vegetation turned to ash.
Only that beam of lightning and flame remained, piercing through heaven and earth as it rushed toward Luffy with world-destroying force.
"Demon God Wind Kick — Hellfire Thunder Kick!"
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