The next day, Ben, Kaya, Vivi ,Marianne Conis, Raki , Maya Honey, Nojiko, Saphir , Mikita, Zala, Alvida, Robin, Kalifa Hina, Tashigi ,Emeraude and Rubis made their way through the snow. The freezing wind howled around them, biting at their skin.
"It is cold up here," Marianne remarked.
"It is a bit chilly for sure," Nojiko added.
"The weather changes so much up on this island," Maya said.
"It is a strange island," Robin said.
"It is but I don't think we need to be here for too long," Ben commented as Honey and Saphir cuddled with him. All the girls had formed a tight huddle around him.
Alvida had led the way. "We are taking a different path so it should be quicker," Alvida remarked.
"We are lucky that we found this other route," Mikita commented.
"Well Vivi and Kaya spotted it," Zala said.
"They have good eyesight," Nojiko said.
"I see something up ahead," Vivi called out. She could see something in the distance.
They came upon a massive broken statue, half-buried in the snow. It had a roundish shape. There were tubes on the back. It had two arms. The third had fallen off. Its large mouth was broken and on the floor. The group halted in front of it.
Robin adjusted her gloves, stepping closer as she brushed snow off a cracked engraving. "Shushibaruba," Robin said.
Zala crossed her arms. "We had seen drawings of him here in the cave," Zala added as she kicked a loose chunk of stone, watching as it tumbled down into the snow.
Saphir knelt beside the rubble. "Simon wanted this," Saphir said. She thought it brought back bad memories.
Emeraude gripped her spear. "He did it at all costs. Its power could help him take over the world," Emeraude added.
Rubis sighed, exhaling a misty breath. "But what is a statue doing here?" Rubis questioned out loud.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses. "Do you think the people who were on this island also created it? Kalifa asked.
Hina placed a hand on her hip. She had heard about Simon and their adventures against him. Tashigi saw it and it looked like a monster. She looked at Ben. She knew they had the blueprints for that. She was told about it. She wondered if he would unleash it against innocent people. She thought Ben could not.
Mikita smirked, flicking snow off her shoulder. "I think they are. There is something that links these two places. But it was a strong," Mikita added.
Raki looked up at the statue. "It's a machine at the end of the day." Raki remarked.
Alvida smiled. She looked at Tashigi and Hina. "Raki is right, it is a machine. However when we build our one. It will be like the Mech, part of our crew," Alvida stated.
"Yes, she will be kind when she joins us," Vivi confidently said.
"The princess has spoken," Robin said. They all giggled.
Ben finally spoke. "Eitherway, if there is a link, we know it is strong but not invincible. Even the strongest things can fall and we beat it together," Ben stated.
They all nodded. The girls all had more questions. They thought why was it here, what was the link, what was the connection and who were the people who created him.
They all moved on until and then they spotted a shiny orb. "Looks like we are here," Kaya remarked. There were some markings on the floor. The floor around the altar was concrete.
"Again, you have some good eyesight," Nojiko said as she squinted to see.
They got closer. "Everyone get ready," Ben said as he transformed into his hybrid form. They all nodded. As they stepped onto the concrete, the orb started to glow. There was a bright light. From the bright light a figure started to form. They saw a tall muscular young man with jaw-length curly black hair. He wore an open-front shirt and black knee-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt. "Phantasm Ace," Phantasm Ace remarked.
Vivi leveled her Gero Gero Gun at him. "Luffy's brother, we are sorry," she said as she pulled the trigger. A frog-shaped bullet rocketed from the barrel, whistling through the air as it spiraled toward Phantasm Ace. But just before impact, he propelled himself skyward with a burst of heat, dodging the attack. The bullet struck the ground, detonating in a small explosion, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Princess made the first move," Robin chuckled.
"She leads by example," Zala remarked.
"Shave," Maya's voice cut through the chaos as she vanished in a blur. A gust of wind followed her rapid movement as she reappeared in front of Phantasm Ace, her sword already swinging downward. "Cess Slice," she added, her blade flashing in a lethal arc toward his torso.
"Saint Lance," Phantasm Ace countered mid-air, summoning a massive fire spear in his hand. He met her strike head-on, steel clashing against searing flames, sending a shockwave rippling outward from the impact.
"Careful Maya," Ben called out. He didn't want her to get burned.
"Shave," Kalifa said as she appeared behind Ace in an instant. Her fingers curled, and with lightning speed, she unleashed her technique. "Bendy Finger Pistol Whip," she added. Her arm snapped forward like a whip, striking Ace's face with brutal force. The added momentum sent him hurtling backward, his body twisting in mid-air before he skidded across the ground.
"Meteor Strike," Mikita shouted as she launched herself high into the sky. She descended, her weight increased exponentially, turning her into a living meteor. The ground beneath quaked as she hurtled toward Phantasm Ace like a force of nature.
Phantasm Ace twisted his body and rolled just in time to evade the impact. The earth shattered beneath Mikita, sending up a massive plume of dust and debris, leaving a deep crater where she landed.
"That was close," Zala said.
"Heat Haze," Phantasm Ace said as he thrusted his palm forward. A concentrated stream of fire erupted from his hand, racing toward Mikita like a flaming serpent.
But before the flames could consume her, a figure leapt into the line of fire. "Inferno Strike," Conis said as she gripped her javelin tightly. She channeled an immense heat into its tip, she thrust it forward, unleashing a fiery shockwave. The two attacks collided in a blinding explosion of fire and force, the battlefield illuminated by the clash of their flames.
Alvida lunged forward, gripping Seraphina tightly. "Kanabo Swing," she said as she twisted her body and swung the weapon with incredible force. The sheer momentum of her strike sent a shockwave through the air as it crashed directly into Phantasm Ace's head.
The impact sent him flying backward, his body spinning through the air like a ragdoll before slamming into the ground. A thin trail of blood streaked through the snow, marking the point of impact.
Kaya transformed into her beast form. "Angel Beam," she said as she raised one hand. Golden energy crackled around her fingertips. A radiant blast of light shot forward, streaking toward Phantasm Ace. The blast hit its mark, erupting in a swirling explosion of black and gold energy. Phantasm Ace was thrown back once more.
"Storm Leg," Rak said as she launched a powerful kick at blinding speed. A razor-sharp blade of compressed wind tore through the battlefield, slicing toward Phantasm Ace.
Phantasm Ace reacted instantly. With a burst of heat, he propelled himself into the air, twisting just in time to evade the attack. The compressed wind blade slashed through the icy ground, leaving a deep, jagged scar in its wake. He landed. Phantasm Ace raised his hands, shaping his index and middle fingers into pistols. "Fire Gun," he said as flames erupted at his fingertips, condensing into searing bullets of fire. He unleashed a relentless barrage of molten projectiles. Each bullet sliced through the air.
Honey stepped forward, her fingers curling into the shape of a gun. "Liquid Bullet Barrage," Honey said as from her fingertips, a stream of glowing purple liquid bullets fired at high velocity.
The bullets clashed mid-air with Phantasm Ace's fire bullets, detonating on impact. Fiery and liquid explosions mixed in a dazzling display of power, the battlefield engulfed in swirling heat and steam as the forces battled for dominance
Marianne narrowed her eyes and raised her Yellow Gun, steadying her aim and squeezed the trigger. A dice-shaped bullet shot forward, whizzing through the cold air toward Phantasm Ace.
Phantasm Ace sidestepped effortlessly, the bullet barely grazing past him before embedding itself into the snow with a soft thud.
"Shōryō no Mizu," Saphir, Emeraude, and Rubis moved in unison, their hands gathering shimmering droplets of water, condensing them into deadly projectiles. With a flick of their wrists, they hurled the water bullets at breakneck speed. The liquid projectiles struck Phantasm Ace multiple times, slamming into his body with enough force to send visible shockwaves rippling through his form. His body jerked slightly from the barrage, his muscles tensing as he absorbed the rapid impacts.
Zala seized the moment. "Stinger Kick," she said as her leg morphed into a long, razor-sharp spike. With incredible force, she swung her transformed limb in a deadly arc. Phantasm Ace twisted his body just in time, barely avoiding a deep wound. However, a thin flicker of blood splattered onto the icy ground from a shallow cut across his chest.
"Demon Abyssal Chains," Ben said as he created black chains coming from the palm of his hands and entrapped Phantasm Ace. "Do it now," Ben said.