Boom boom boom—!
The members of the Blackbeard Pirates were blown into the air like rag dolls and fell like dumplings with thud thud thud, creating quite a spectacle.
Blackbeard climbed up from the ground, his face ashen. Furious, he shouted, "You dared ambush me?!"
"So what if I did?" Kaguya twirled a strand of silver hair around her finger, smirking playfully. "What, you got a problem with that?"
Blackbeard's veins bulged on his forehead as he clenched his fists and growled, "So you don't want to cooperate after all."
At that moment, Kaguya walked up and extended her fair hand toward him.
Blackbeard blinked in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"The item," Kaguya said matter-of-factly. "Stop stalling and hand it over, or I'll kill every last one of you."
Realizing he had been tricked, Blackbeard's fury surged—his face darkened like the bottom of a pot. "If there's no negotiation, then I guess I'll just have to—"
"So it was just a Devil Fruit? I was expecting something better," Kaguya said with a look of distaste as she weighed the melon-shaped fruit in her hand.
Blackbeard's pupils contracted sharply. He reached for his chest—only to find it empty.
Yes! That Devil Fruit had been in his coat. When had it gotten into Kaguya's hands without him noticing?!
"If it's just a Devil Fruit," Kaguya said with a faint, unreadable smile, "it's not enough to buy me off."
Seeing her expression, Blackbeard felt as though cold water had been dumped over his head. The fury in his heart vanished, replaced by grim realization—this person was threatening him!
Blackbeard calmed himself, his sharp hawk-like eyes locking onto Kaguya. He said in a low voice, "I may not have it now, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future. If I'm not mistaken, everything you've done so far has been in pursuit of Devil Fruits, right?"
"That's true," Kaguya replied. "But if you think that alone is enough to bargain with me, then you're mistaken."
"This is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Don't overthink it. Cooperation benefits us both. Besides—" Blackbeard's eyes narrowed, "You probably don't want to scour the whole world for Devil Fruits by yourself, do you?"
Kaguya lightly pinched her chin in thought. Just as Blackbeard began to feel a sense of unease, she lifted her gaze and smirked. "Deal."
And so, a surprising scene unfolded. No one knew exactly what was said, but Blackbeard and his crew soon left with little conflict—much to the Navy's relief.
After all, Blackbeard was already immensely powerful, and with Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi, he was even stronger. A full-scale battle would've resulted in heavy losses, even if the Navy emerged victorious.
Meanwhile, the Navy began chasing down the fleeing pirates.
"Hurry! The Navy's catching up!" Jinbei shouted.
"You don't have to tell us!"
"Hey, Zoro, you idiot—you're going the wrong way again! You can't even run in a straight line. What's wrong with your brain?!"
"Shut up!"
"Ahhh! Run! They're gaining on us!"
The Straw Hat Pirates and a few scattered others fled in a panic. Though Fujitora and Gion had held back during the earlier battle, they were still drained of stamina after such a fierce fight.
"Trying to run? None of you are getting away!"
"Meteor Volcano!"
With that roar, countless blazing magma fists plummeted from the sky like meteors!
Boom boom boom—!
Amid a series of explosions, magma crashed onto the ground, shattering rocks and sending molten lava flying. Flames roared to life, blocking the Straw Hat Pirates' path!
"Not good, the path is blocked!"
"Damn it, this is bad!"
The members of the Straw Hat crew came to a halt, their expressions grim. There was no way through the raging fire. If Ace were conscious, he could have cleared it, but he was still unconscious, slung over Chopper's shoulder and unable to help.
At that moment, Akainu emerged from the thick smoke, eyes gleaming with menace and a cold expression on his face.
"You rats scurrying about, give up your delusions of escape. This place will be your grave!"
Zoro turned sharply, drew his sword, and readied himself. "Looks like we've got no choice but to fight. Chopper, Franky—watch over Luffy and Ace!"
"Got it!"
Sanji stepped forward as well, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Perfect. I've been meaning to see just how strong a so-called Navy admiral really is."
"I-I'll cover you from the back!" Usopp was already hiding behind a boulder, pale with fear. If the vice admirals had nearly crushed them, how could they possibly face an admiral now?
What he didn't know was that Fujitora and Gion, who had fought them earlier, were both admiral-level in strength—they had simply gone easy on them. Why they held back remained a mystery.
"You clueless fools really think you can defy the Navy?" Akainu's eyes gleamed coldly. "Then let me be the one to send you to your end!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Akainu stomped the ground, sending cracks through it as he shot forward like an arrow from a bow!
Zoro and Sanji's pupils shrank.
So fast!
In the blink of an eye, Akainu was upon them. He raised his arm and hurled a blazing magma fist!
"Hellhound!"
Seeing the magma surge forward, Zoro lunged with a swift step, raising his blade to meet the attack head-on!
Clang!
Sparks flew from the clash of metal and magma. Zoro was blasted backward, skidding over ten meters before coming to a halt. He looked up, stunned. Such overwhelming force—his hands were numb, and he nearly dropped his sword!
Meanwhile, Sanji had reached Akainu. Leaping into the air, his leg ignited, and he spun into a powerful kick aimed at Akainu's head!
"Diable Jambe!"
But just then, a laser beam shot through the air like lightning, piercing Sanji mid-flight!
"Urgh—!"
Sanji let out a muffled groan and crashed to the ground with a boom, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Don't forget about me. I'm quite strong, you know."
Kizaru approached from the distance, wearing a lazy expression.
...
Boom boom—!
Two battered figures were sent flying, slamming into a distant wall with a thunderous crash. The already-crumbling wall collapsed into rubble.
Sanji and Zoro now lying motionless among the debris, their faces were pale, blood streaming from their noses and mouths. Their bodies were covered in bruises and burn marks—gruesome to behold.
"Sanji!"
"Zoro!"
The Straw Hat Pirates cried out in shock and rushed toward them. But before they could get close, a blinding laser shot through the air!
"Watch out!"
Boom—!
A deafening explosion erupted. In the blinding flash, rocks shattered and debris flew everywhere!
Caught off guard, the crew was blown away by the shockwave, crashing hard into the ground with a thud!
"You filthy rats sure love to cluster together," Kizaru strolled over lazily, glancing at the group strewn across the ground. "But this works out just fine—I can wipe you all out in one go."
"Sanji, Zoro!" Usopp struggled to his feet, teeth clenched. "Damn it!" He whipped out his slingshot and pulled the string back. A shot flew like lightning!
"Special Attack: Green Star—Phoenix Shuriken!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the projectile burst open in midair, unleashing a flurry of rapidly growing plants. Sharp, serrated leaves spun like shurikens, engulfing Kizaru in a storm of flying blades!
"Oh?" Kizaru lazily looked up, clicked his tongue, and muttered, "How scary." He raised his finger, a dazzling beam gathering at the tip.
But just then, a blazing magma fist tore through the air, slamming into the incoming shuriken storm!
Boom—!
Magma collided with the spinning leaves in a burst of brilliant sparks. The shurikens caught fire and were quickly reduced to ashes!
The magma, still carrying momentum, streaked like a meteor straight toward Usopp!
"What?!" Usopp's face turned pale. He spun around and bolted. "Somebody help me—!"
But before he could get far, the magma was already upon him!
Meanwhile, out at sea—
"To create that much land in an instant… that person's power is terrifying. Just like the legends said. No—stronger," said Lucky Roux, peering through a telescope from a large ship. "But is she really that powerful, Shanks?"
Standing at the bow, draped in a cloak and bearing a scarred face, the red-haired man smiled faintly. "Her… she might surprise you."
"Surprise me?" Lucky Roux looked confused. "Isn't that a bit much?"
"You'll understand when you meet her," Shanks replied with a smile.
"But Boss, why would she betray the Navy? She was already an admiral. It's not like she was lacking anything, right?" Lucky Roux asked.
"She's not someone who can be measured by common sense," Shanks said, gazing into the distance. "And if I'm not wrong… she might be just like us."
"Like us?" Lucky Roux was even more puzzled.
"She's not someone who can be easily restrained," Shanks said with a hint of nostalgia. "If there's a chance, I'd like to cross swords with her again."
"Boss!" Yasopp suddenly called out. "The Straw Hat crew—they might be in trouble!"
"Trouble?" Shanks narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze toward Marineford.
"Should we go help them? Their opponents are Kizaru and Akainu—those two definitely won't let them go," Yasopp said.
"You're not just trying to save your son, are you?" Lucky Roux chuckled.
"Hmph. You think I'm as shallow as you?" Yasopp snorted. "If they can't survive trials like this, they don't deserve to sail the Grand Line."
Just then, Shanks, still watching the distant horizon, suddenly spoke. "Well now, looks like we came all this way for nothing."
"For nothing?" Lucky Roux asked, puzzled.
"Nothing important," Shanks replied, turning to head back into the ship's cabin. "This has nothing to do with us anymore. Let's go."
Yasopp stepped forward in alarm. "We're just leaving? Is that okay?"
"Of course," Shanks turned and smiled. "Don't worry—this isn't our battle to fight."
Boom—!
The battered bodies of Franky and Chopper were flung through the air, crashing to the ground like ragdolls. They rolled to a stop near where Sanji and Zoro lay.
"Franky! Chopper!"
Sanji shouted and tried to run over—but a flash of light streaked past. Kizaru kicked him with tremendous force, sending him crashing into a nearby wall!
"I told you to be careful. Why won't any of you listen?" Kizaru said lazily.
"Sanji—!"
"Damn it—!"
Zoro, bloodied and bruised, clenched his teeth and tried to rise—but before he could, Akainu kicked him aside with a brutal blow.
Boom—!
Zoro was sent flying, tumbling before coming to a stop. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
At this point, the entire Straw Hat crew was on the verge of collapse. Ace and Luffy lay unconscious from severe injuries. Zoro, Sanji, Franky, Chopper, and Brook were all seriously wounded. Chopper's injuries were especially grave—there was a horrific hole in his chest, nearly piercing straight through.
In their current state, they had no strength left to fight.
The Straw Hats were in dire crisis!
"What a bunch of human filth. You're the cancer of this world. I'll cleanse you myself," Akainu growled as he stepped forward, heat radiating from his clenched magma fist. "None of you are getting out alive!"
Just as he charged toward them—
A figure suddenly appeared, blocking his path!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven