Seraphim in Punk Hazard

The more Bang beat Samael, the more Samael adjusted to Bang's movements. Despite only fighting for a few hours, Samael was able to match Bang for at least a few minutes before being defeated. This growth was faster than when he fought Apachai, where it took three weeks before he could last even a few minutes.

The longer Samael lasted, the more intense the despair and pain became. Yet, it also tempered his will, as though he were being tested—to give in or persevere. Every time Bang blocked his strikes, intrusive thoughts of surrender crept in, like a depressive episode trying to drag him under. It piled up with each passing second. The pain became unbearable, and despair gnawed at his heart. He almost gave up—until a flash of memory hit him.

His past life resurfaced—dull, painless, and painfully repetitive. Every day was the same. A soul-crushing job, lost passion, his only escape being anime and daydreams of another world.

'What am I thinking? How could I forget the countless days I dreamed of being in this place? How could I just give up now?' Samael thought. Everything he ever wanted was now in front of him.

Then, a surge of will burst from within, clearing away every trace of despair. In its place, passion blazed—unyielding and absolute. He was determined to carve his name into the One Piece world.

"I would give my life if it means becoming part of the new generation and chapter of the One Piece story!" Samael declared in the VR battle arena.

At that moment, his Conqueror's Haki burst forth. Samael didn't even notice—his focus remained locked on Bang, who now wore a rare expression of surprise. For the first time since their sparring began, Bang charged at him, taking the initiative.

"Piercing Fang," Bang called out as he launched one of his signature techniques.

"Water Stream Encampment!" Samael countered immediately, using Bang's own technique to block every strike. Though they shared equal strength, Samael was still facing Bang's martial arts mastery. Pain seared through his body, but it didn't matter. He fought on.

What began as one-sided domination had now become a true battle of skill. Samael was no longer overpowered—he matched Bang, blow for blow. Their fight raged for hours… or maybe days inside the VR battleground.

Eventually, Samael landed a full-strength Piercing Fang to Bang's temple—and Bang's head exploded, his body dissolving into particles.

[CONGRATULATIONS ON MASTER FOR DEFEATING BANG!]

Nano's voice rang out.

Samael let out a victorious yell, overwhelmed by disbelief.

'I defeated Bang in just one day?' Samael thought in shock.

[The host did not defeat Bang in a day. It's been several months. You simply didn't feel time passing because it was all in your brain. While your physical body experienced only one day, your brain was overclocked to operate at 100 times normal capacity. That means for every hour outside, you experienced one hundred hours in the VR battlefield.]

Samael was stunned. It had only felt like a few hours.

"How did I spend months fighting when it felt like just a few hours?" Samael asked.

[Because of your intense focus. The host achieved a state where nothing else mattered except your opponent. It's called the Flow State. That focus allowed me to push your brain's processing to its limits.]

"Flow State? Is that what I think it is?" Samael asked.

[Yes.]

"So, I won't have to spend a full month training again, like I did with Muay Thai?"

[Not anymore, Host. I can now induce the Flow State directly, based on your brain pattern recordings. Also, congratulations—you've unlocked Conqueror's Haki.]

"When did that happen?" Samael asked, confused—he had no memory of it.

[Playing memory file of the Conqueror's Haki awakening…]

Nano replayed the moment Samael unleashed his will, and Samael watched in awe. The memory was blurry when it happened, but now he understood. Nano then uploaded all the muscle memory Samael had gained from his fight with Bang—ensuring none of it went to waste.

With mental exhaustion setting in—something once thought impossible with Nano's enhancements—Samael finally drifted off to sleep.

-----------------

The next morning came, and Samael woke up feeling significantly better. It seemed that when Nano finished uploading the muscle memories he had accumulated during the fight, it triggered intense muscle fatigue. To compensate, Nano had rapidly repaired his muscles—resulting in Samael's strength and physical capabilities becoming even greater than before.

Samael threw a punch into the air and immediately noticed something: he no longer needed to exert much effort to unleash his full power. Even without momentum, his punches and kicks now carried the same devastating force as if he'd fully wound up. Recognizing this, he resumed his training routine. Nano hadn't retracted the pain amplification from his sparring matches, so he trained with the same brutal intensity.

Mid-routine, however, Samael suddenly noticed a shift in temperature inside the research lab. It had gotten much colder—abnormally so. Confused, he considered the possibility of someone activating the lab's air conditioning but quickly dismissed it; no one should be here.

Cautious, Samael opened the lab's entrance and slipped outside, sensing someone might be approaching the area. He decided to leave the Third Research Institute altogether, carefully ensuring that no one saw him as he exited.

Once outside, he was stunned—the entire landscape was frozen.

Then it clicked. This was that moment in Punk Hazard—the legendary battle between Admirals Aokiji and Akainu for the Fleet Admiral position. A historic confrontation never fully shown in the original series.

Without hesitation, Samael summoned his wings. Surprisingly, they were grey instead of black, but he didn't dwell on it. His focus was on witnessing this secret event—a battle hidden from the fans—and giving Nano a chance to scan and analyze their powers.

He launched into the sky, flying high above the island until he spotted them: two titanic figures locked in combat. One wielded magma, the other commanded ice—Akainu and Aokiji, clashing with all their might, using their most powerful techniques in a deadly duel that would reshape the entire island.