Zoan-type Devil Fruits allowed people to transform into animals, and they generally had three forms: human form, beast form, and human-beast form.
After transforming into human-beast form, the user’s physical abilities would increase, and the animal’s unique horns, teeth, claws, fur, tail, and other body parts would all be strengthened.
Beast form was when the user completely transformed into an animal and possessed all of that animal’s traits.
That was why Zoan-types should be the strongest in close-quarters combat.
Although the Meruem form had already tempered Morin’s physique into something as tough as steel and iron, it was still somewhat lacking before Borsalino’s extremely penetrative lasers.
Just now, Morin had merely gained the initiative against Borsalino by using his Observation Haki’s ability to predict the future.
Now that Borsalino was already guarded against that move, Morin’s trick would no longer work.
The attack just now could only be considered a probe between the two of them.
Their real battle was only beginning now.
Morin stood atop a Chimera Ant, and his body began to swell.
At the same time, his appearance also started changing.
In less than a second, Morin completed his transformation.
The current Morin had a crown-like head, blood-red pupils, and long earlobes.
His powerful tail resembled a giant syringe, and his body had turned dark green and bluish-green.
Morin was now half a meter taller than before, and his muscles were filled with a streamlined sense of beauty.
“Is this Lord Morin’s strongest state?
That body really does look powerful!”
Boa Hancock’s small face flushed red with excitement.
“Go, Lord Morin!
Defeat that guy!”
Sandersonia and Marigold also began cheering Morin on.
“Roar!”
The Chimera Ants also cheered for their king.
Although their intelligence was not high, they could feel that their king was very pleased right now.
“The real battle starts now, Borsalino!”
Morin stomped hard on the Chimera Ant beneath him, and the thick carapace of the Chimera Ant was actually cracked by his foot.
Borrowing the force of that impact, Morin’s body shot straight toward Borsalino.
Morin’s speed was incredibly fast, and the sound of him breaking the sound barrier rang through the air.
In just an instant, more than a dozen afterimages of Morin and Borsalino clashing appeared in the sky.
These were afterimages left behind because the two of them were moving too quickly.
Borsalino was the only existence Morin had encountered since arriving in this world who could match him evenly.
No, saying they were evenly matched was not quite accurate.
Relying on his fruit’s speed and his combat experience, Borsalino was suppressing Morin.
Even though Borsalino currently held a slight advantage, he still could not injure Morin.
Morin’s physique was far too abnormal.
On top of that, with the protection of Armament Haki, Borsalino’s lasers could not pierce Morin’s defenses.
As the battle between the two continued, Borsalino also discovered the same problem Strawberry had found.
Morin was growing rapidly in battle, and the speed of his growth was astonishing beyond measure.
Morin was not fighting.
He was learning through his battle with Borsalino!
Borsalino elementalized to avoid Morin’s fist, then separated from him.
“Yata Mirror!”
Borsalino gathered a mirror-like light in his hand.
That beam of light passed around Morin, using it to form a pathway of light.
From a distance, Morin looked as if he had been surrounded by a golden ribbon.
“So you’re finally getting serious?”
Morin was not unfamiliar with Borsalino’s signature ability at all.
Almost the instant Morin assumed a defensive posture, Borsalino’s laser beams attacked him.
Using the path created by Yata Mirror, Borsalino’s attacks poured toward Morin like a torrential rainstorm.
Morin spun in place like a top, knocking away all of Kizaru’s attacks.
Those golden points of light shot into the sea, blasting up waves over a hundred meters tall.
Boom!
Golden points of light fell toward Bone Island like rain.
White bones scattered wildly across the island, and the land covered in bones was blasted into enormous craters.
“Retreat!
Get away from the range of their battle!”
Strawberry struggled to stand and gave the order to the warship.
He had seen the destructive power of Borsalino’s lasers before.
A single golden laser was enough to blow apart a warship.
This battle was already no longer something they could stand by and watch.
If this warship was caught in the aftermath of the battle between those two monsters, it would be a catastrophe for the Marines.
“I really didn’t expect Morin to actually have the strength to match Vice Admiral Borsalino!”
Strawberry looked at Morin in the sky, his eyes filled with shock.
This had clearly only been a small operation to capture escaped slaves of the Celestial Dragons, yet it had actually developed into this!
On Bone Island, under Morin’s command, several massive Chimera Ants shielded the small bodies of the three Boa sisters.
Borsalino had seen through Morin’s intentions.
He no longer fought Morin in a contest of martial arts and instead began freely unleashing the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit.