Juno raised his right arm. In an instant, the power of the Gas-Gas Fruit surged through him, enveloping his body in a violent whirl of radiant plasma. His figure flickered as the very air around him shimmered, thickening with the density of energy crackling through his form.
His body was no longer solid. The transformation was immediate, as his form slowly dissolved into a swirling, radiant mass of plasma. A low hum resonated in the air, charged particles swirling around him, as if he had become a miniature sun. His body constantly flickered and fluctuated, the glowing plasma shimmering with intense heat. His appearance was like a living storm of energy—his humanoid shape still visible but constantly shifting and rippling with arcs of electric energy.
Juno's eyes burned brightly, the intensity of their glow impossible to look at directly. They were like superheated orbs of plasma, radiating intense light. The surrounding air warped from the sheer temperature, the heat rising from his form making the space around him shimmer in distorted waves. The colors of his body fluctuated between bright yellow, fiery orange, and deep red, before shifting to a cool blue as the energy intensified.
With every breath, he felt a raw, overpowering surge of power. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying. He was no longer tied to the constraints of flesh and bone. He was now pure energy, an unbound force of nature. His body—if it could still be called that—was a swirling mass of charged particles, and as such, he no longer felt the familiar sensation of touch or pain. There was no pressure on his skin, no feeling in his limbs, only an overwhelming awareness of the vast energy that pulsed through him.
His movements were almost instantaneous. It was as if he could move faster than thought itself. The plasma allowed him to bend and flow with ease, changing his shape and direction with no resistance. Every shift in his body felt like an explosive burst of energy, as if he were constantly on the edge of releasing a devastating force with every movement. The sensation was indescribable—the power of a star, burning inside him, just waiting to be unleashed.
"Howl of the Sun"
After that, a flame surged forth that was no mere fire—it was a beast, a ravenous entity with an insatiable hunger that devoured the very air around it. A twisted, infernal glow flickered in the darkness, its orange hue casting a haunting light that seemed to bleed into the shadows like liquid fire. It moved with malevolent grace, its tendrils of flame reaching out, clawing at the earth as though eager to consume all life in its path. Each flicker of its undying hunger radiated unbearable heat, distorting the air in rippling waves so intense the ground trembled beneath it, as if the earth itself quivered before the wrath of the blaze.
The ancient forest, once a place of life, now withered under the oppressive heat. The ground cracked and blackened, as if the very soul of the earth was being seared away, turning to ash with every breath of the inferno. The towering trees, mighty and proud, twisted and screamed in silent agony as the fire swept through them. Their trunks blackened, crumbling into charred husks, while their leaves—once vibrant—were reduced to nothing but cinders, scattering like forgotten memories in the wind.
Then came the roar. A deafening cry, like the howling of a beast unleashed from the deepest pits of Hell itself. A pillar of flame shot skyward, an unholy spear of fire that split the heavens, reaching higher and higher until it seemed to threaten the very skies themselves. The world bent before it. The trees, those silent giants that had stood for centuries, fell in silence, devoured by the furious maw of the flame.
The air thickened with the stench of burning, a bitter, metallic taste that clung to the lungs. Smoke churned through the once peaceful forest, its suffocating presence choking the life from the land. The earth below, scorched beyond recognition, began to crack and split, as if the inferno had reached deep into the bones of the world, breaking it apart piece by piece.
And yet, the flame did not cease. It raged, relentless and unforgiving, sweeping across the forest with the fury of a storm unleashed, leaving nothing but a blackened wasteland in its wake. Nothing could stand against it—not a tree, nor creature, nor even the land itself. All were reduced to nothing more than dust and ash, swallowed whole by the living nightmare that burned like the sun.
It was not just fire. It was annihilation incarnate, a force that consumed everything in its path, and even the heavens themselves seemed to tremble at its wake.
Juno stood silently, looking around at his masterpiece.
The inferno, once raging with insatiable hunger, was now gone, its fiery tendrils swallowed back into the sealed blade, leaving behind only a suffocating quiet. The air, thick with the bitter scent of smoke and burning, hung in the atmosphere like a deathly shroud. The once-dense forest, a sanctuary of life, was now a charred wasteland. The trees, once towering with life and grace, stood as hollow, blackened husks—withered and broken, their trunks cracked and splintered as if the very soul of the forest had been burned away.
The ground beneath his feet had become a cracked, scorched expanse, the earth itself twisted and broken from the wrath of his fire. The once-green foliage now lay in scattered ashes, drifting lazily on the wind, a symbol of the destruction that had come in the wake of his power. The faint, unsettling smell of burned wood lingered, mixing with the acrid bite of smoke that stung his senses.
The sky, too, bore the scar of his flames. It was a sickly shade of orange and grey, the remnants of a firestorm that had stretched too high to be contained. The sun, obscured by the thick veil of smoke, cast an eerie, unnatural light that bathed the land in a ghostly glow, as though the very heavens were mourning the devastation below.
All around him, the forest—once alive with the rustle of leaves, the songs of birds, and the soft whispers of the wind—was now silent. The creatures that had once called this place home had long since fled or perished, and now only the hollow echoes of destruction remained.
Just when he was about to speak, a wave of weakness surged through his body, leaving him sore and trembling. His muscles felt like they were made of lead, and before he could react, his legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed onto the scorched earth, his body feeling as if it was slowly falling apart from the inside.
"Shit, I really shouldn't have used this move... I feel like I'm dying," Juno muttered through clenched teeth, his voice strained as he tried to push himself up. But his strength failed him, and he fell again, this time hitting the ground face-first, the rough surface scraping against his skin.
His mind was clouded with frustration, his thoughts swirling like the chaos he had just unleashed. Just when he was about to curse in frustration, the ground beneath him shuddered violently. The island groaned, the once-sturdy earth cracking and splitting as if it were unable to bear the consequences of his power.
"Fuck... I destroyed the island... no, no, I shouldn't think about that, I'm going to sink," Juno gritted out, panic creeping into his voice as the island began to collapse around him.
Then, with a sharp breath, he forced himself to focus. "Tera! Call Father! Tell him this is a five-star situation!"
Before he could even brace himself, the sea surged upward, crashing against him with unrelenting force, water splashing across his face and filling his mouth. The cold saltwater burned against his skin, dragging him further into the chaos.
"Tera, can you open a door under me and let me fall?" Juno gasped, his words barely audible over the roar of the water and the crumbling island around him.
"Yes, sir," Tera responded calmly.
"Do it," Juno commanded, his voice strained but firm, as he held his breath, desperately trying to prevent the sea water from flooding his mouth.
Far away in the South Blue, Vegapunk stood before a large diagram, deep in thought. Judge, standing next to him, broke the silence.
"Vegapunk, with this success, should we begin human experimentation?"
"No," Vegapunk replied immediately, shaking his head. "Even with our current level of research, if we conduct human experiments, about 80 percent of the subjects will die."
Judge's persistence didn't waver. "But there's still a 20 percent chance the subject will acquire a steel-like skin, enhanced immune system, and regenerative abilities—all that without eating a devil fruit. That's worth it. And with the data we gather, we'll be able to improve the next batch."
"Many will die," Vegapunk reiterated, his voice soft but firm.
"For humanity, that's worth it," Judge countered, his belief in his cause unwavering. "I feel more and more that, despite your brilliance, Vegapunk, you're too soft. A scientist shouldn't be like that. A scientist should pursue the truth at all costs, no matter the sacrifice."
Vegapunk's gaze hardened, but he knew that arguing with Judge would be futile. "It seems this team should be disbanded," he muttered to himself. "I've already gotten what I need and Vita is ready."
Just as Vegapunk was about to suggest they end for the day, a space opened in front of him. Before he could react, a body, soaked with seawater, plummeted to the ground, landing with a loud boom.
Vegapunk blinked in surprise and rushed to the figure, immediately recognizing Juno, who was wet and unconscious on the ground.
"Juno!" Vegapunk called, rushing to examine his son. Aside from exhaustion and some wounds on his face, everything seemed normal.
He sighed in relief and turned to the gathered crowd. "Alright, everyone, go back to work."
With the tenderness only a father could show, Vegapunk carried his son to his room. He gently parted Juno's lips and poured the medicine into his mouth. Then, he retrieved a syringe from the drawer, carefully held his son's arm, and pressed the tip of the needle against his skin before administering the injection.
Afterward, he laid Juno on the bed.
Before Vegapunk's eyes, his son's wounds began to heal.
Two hours later, Juno's eyes fluttered open, and before he could even comprehend where he was, a punch landed on his face.
It was enough to nearly knock him out again.
"I told you, idiot!" Vegapunk yelled, his voice filled with frustration. "Did I not warn you that your body isn't ready for that mode? You don't have the energy for it!"
Juno, now more awake, attempted to sit up, his muscles still weak. "I thought I…"
"What did you think?" Vegapunk snapped, his anger evident. "Is there anything to think about? I told you not to do it, you idiot!"
Juno struggled, but his body refused to cooperate. Vegapunk, seeing his son's pain, moved to help him.
Seeing the concern in his father's eyes, Juno's voice softened. "I'm sorry, Father."
Vegapunk saw his son like this and felt his heart ache. What could he say? Blame it on hormones?
"It's fine," Vegapunk said with a sigh. "But tell me—did you enter that mode?"
As Juno spoke, the strength he thought he'd lost began to return. "Yes, and the power... It's even more powerful than we imagined. I destroyed an island, about 17 square kilometers in size, with just one move."
"Then you were about to die?" Vegapunk said, his voice cool but with an underlying concern.
Juno thought back to the moment. He hadn't felt that way even when his Visionary Device had drained him completely—he didn't even feel like he had enough strength to breathe.
"Okay, rest now," Vegapunk instructed, his tone softening. "Tomorrow, we'll start the official move to Vita."
As Vegapunk turned to leave the room, a small, proud smile crept onto his face. His son had the power to destroy an island—small as it was, at 17 square kilometers—but still, it was an island. Vegapunk couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, even if it came with worry.