Vice Admiral Doll approached Kizaru eagerly, her eyes scanning the horizon in search of the fleet that normally accompanied an Admiral. Strangely, she saw no additional warships in the distance.
Kizaru noted her questioning gaze and offered a languid explanation. "Don't bother looking, my dear. This was classified as an emergency situation, so I traveled here alone at maximum speed." He adjusted his tinted glasses with casual indifference. "My subordinates will arrive eventually, but it will take some time."
Though slightly disappointed by this news, Doll didn't dwell on it. Compared to the reinforcements Kizaru might have brought, his personal presence on the battlefield was far more valuable. One Admiral could easily turn the tide of battle more than a dozen warships.
Without wasting precious time, Doll quickly briefed him on their current situation, emphasizing Akainu's engagement with Big Mom and suggesting that Kizaru provide immediate support to his fellow Admiral.
The "Yellow Monkey" pursed his lips thoughtfully as he observed Sakazuki trading devastating blows with Charlotte Linlin in the distance. After a moment's consideration, he decisively declined the suggestion.
"Hmm~ I don't believe Sakazuki requires my assistance at the moment," he drawled. "Those ordinary Marines, however, are in truly dire circumstances."
As if to demonstrate his point, Kizaru extended his index finger toward a Beast Pirates vessel that was overwhelming a smaller Marine ship. A concentrated beam of light erupted from his fingertip, piercing through the pirate vessel's hull and igniting its ammunition stores. The resulting explosion sent both the ship and its crew plummeting into the turbulent sea.
"Vice Admiral Doll," he continued, his tone deceptively casual despite the destruction he had just unleashed, "our primary concern should be protecting our rank-and-file soldiers. Let's focus on neutralizing the enemy commanders first, then we can assist Sakazuki if necessary."
"But Admiral Sakazuki is—" Doll's protest died in her throat as she watched Akainu narrowly avoid a lightning strike from Zeus, Big Mom's animated thundercloud companion.
"He'll be fine," Kizaru interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You must have faith in his abilities. He is one of the Marine Admiral, after all."
Without waiting for further discussion, Kizaru leapt into the air, his body transforming into pure light as he streaked toward a cluster of pirate vessels commanded by Charlotte Family officers.
Left with no alternative, Doll refocused her attention on the Beast Pirates leadership. She began rallying nearby Marine units, coordinating a concentrated counteroffensive against their weakening defensive line.
Though Kizaru's strategy of targeting Charlotte Linlin's subordinate commanders might have seemed lackadaisical, it proved remarkably effective. His lightning-fast attacks disrupted the pirates' offensive momentum and provided much-needed relief to the beleaguered Marine forces.
However, his destructive rampage quickly drew the attention of Charlotte Katakuri, Big Mom's most competent son and the Sweet Commander with a bounty exceeding one billion berries. Recognizing the threat Kizaru posed to his siblings, Katakuri mobilized immediately, bringing his brothers Daifuku and Oven to confront the Admiral.
Despite facing three formidable opponents simultaneously, Kizaru maintained his characteristic nonchalance. His light-speed movement allowed him to evade most attacks while continuing to rain destruction upon the pirate fleet. Even with his attention divided, he managed to sink several additional vessels with well-placed laser strikes.
The Sweet Commanders presented a genuine challenge, however. Katakuri's advanced observation Haki, in particular, enabled him to anticipate Kizaru's movements with uncanny precision. Working in tandem with his brothers, he established a defensive perimeter that prevented the Admiral from moving freely across the battlefield.
A stalemate gradually emerged—Kizaru couldn't break past the Sweet Commanders, but they likewise couldn't land any decisive blows against him. From the perspective of ordinary Marines, the situation appeared favorable; Admiral Kizaru had effectively neutralized three of the enemy's elite fighters.
Meanwhile, Akainu found himself in an increasingly precarious position against Big Mom. Though his magma abilities placed him among the most offensively powerful Devil Fruit users in the world, Charlotte Linlin's monstrous strength and devastating homies created a uniquely challenging combination.
The Admiral couldn't help but seethe with resentment as he observed Kizaru's tactical decision. He was locked in mortal combat with an Emperor while his fellow Admiral chose to engage lesser threats instead of providing immediate support. In Akainu's mind, they should have concentrated their efforts on defeating Big Mom first, after which the remaining pirates would be easily dispatched.
His frustration mounting, Akainu unleashed another massive fire breath to repel the persistent Zeus, who had been harassing him with lightning strikes throughout their battle. Deciding to end this confrontation with overwhelming force, he transformed his upper body into magma and prepared his ultimate technique.
"GREAT ERUPTION!" he roared, thrusting both fists skyward.
Massive columns of superheated magma erupted from his arms, shooting high into the atmosphere where they began to cool and solidify into enormous volcanic projectiles. Within moments, the clouds above had been tinted an ominous crimson by the gathering magma spheres.
Big Mom, however, showed no sign of concern at this display of power. Since leaving her ship to battle on the open sea, she had been limited in her fighting style—she needed either Zeus or Prometheus beneath her feet for mobility, which prevented her from using all three homies simultaneously for her most devastating combination attacks.
Nevertheless, with Napoleon in her hands and Zeus supporting her, she remained confident in her ability to overwhelm a "mere Admiral" like Akainu.
"Mamamama~" her distinctive laugh echoed across the battlefield. "What's this, little magma man? Planning to change the weather with a volcanic rain?"
Her massive form shifted slightly as she adjusted her stance atop the thundercloud. "Let's see which proves superior—your magma or my lightning!"
Without further elaboration, she commanded her weather-based homie: "Zeus! Go!"
"Yes, Mama!" the animated thundercloud responded enthusiastically, his cartoonish face contorting into a mischievous grin.
Zeus surged upward into the gathering storm clouds, infusing them with his unique power and manipulating the atmospheric conditions. Lightning began to crackle with increasing intensity throughout the darkening sky.
Akainu's brow furrowed slightly at this development, but he remained committed to his attack. The magma spheres had nearly finished forming above them.
With a downward gesture from the Fleet Admiral, dozens of massive lava meteors began their descent, targeting not only Big Mom but also the pirate vessels unfortunate enough to be within the technique's considerable area of effect.
However, the outcome differed from Akainu's expectations. Though the volcanic projectiles continued their deadly plummet, the sky simultaneously erupted with blinding flashes as Zeus's power manifested in full force.
Bolts of lightning—far larger and more concentrated than natural phenomena—began to intercept the falling magma balls, creating spectacular mid-air explosions as the opposing elemental forces collided.
Though Zeus was an artificial creation formed from Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit ability, his control over lightning rivaled or even surpassed that of many natural-born Devil Fruit users. His mastery of electrical phenomena was so impressive that even someone like Monkey D. Luffy—a formidable lightning wielder in his own right—would have acknowledged his skill with genuine admiration.
As the two overwhelming forces clashed above the battlefield, Marines and pirates alike paused momentarily to witness the awe-inspiring spectacle—a literal battle between heaven and earth that would determine the next phase of this crucial conflict.