As one of the Navy's top combat forces, Admiral Aokiji could take down Perona, Urouge, and Hawkins in mere moments.
Fortunately, the veteran Shakky was there to shield them from Aokiji's overwhelming threat.
However, even with Aokiji momentarily held back, the three seasoned Vice Admirals on the battlefield were far from opponents that Perona and Urouge could easily handle.
Not to mention the hundreds of elite Marines surrounding them, all proficient in Armament Haki. The sheer pressure they exerted was self-evident.
After just a few exchanges—
Perona and Urouge were like lone boats adrift in a raging sea, barely staying afloat.
Had Perona not undergone the hellish training regimen on Thriller Bark, as advised by Maude, she would have collapsed already.
It was only because of the drastic improvement in her physical prowess that she could temporarily hold her own against a Vice Admiral. She even managed to gradually whittle down the enemy's numbers with her Hollow-Hollow Fruit's Negative Hollows.
But that was the extent of it.
The sheer force of the Vice Admiral's direct assaults was driving her further toward the brink.
The time she had spent training was ultimately too short. If not for her Negative Hollows, she wouldn't have lasted long at all.
Meanwhile, Urouge was faring even worse.
In order to maximize the power of his Devil Fruit, which allowed him to convert damage into strength, he had taken several heavy hits head-on.
And nearly passed out as a result.
"I underestimated them…"
That was the only thought running through Urouge's mind after tanking multiple attacks.
He hadn't expected his enemies to be so ruthless, exploiting his lack of Armament Haki.
Nor had he anticipated that attacks imbued with Haki would be so devastating—enough to nearly take him out on the spot.
Yet he endured, activating his Karma Retribution ability to convert the accumulated damage into raw power.
Fwoosh!
Before the astonished eyes of the surrounding Marines, the once-weakened Urouge suddenly underwent a dramatic transformation. His body expanded in an instant, towering like a giant.
"Karma Punishment!"
Urouge's eyes widened with fury. His massive fist, brimming with tremendous force, swung straight at Dalmatian, who was in his hybrid Zoan form.
"So fast…!"
Dalmatian hadn't expected Urouge's punch to be so quick despite his increased size.
"Iron Body!"
With no time for hesitation, he instinctively activated Tekkai (Iron Body) in his hybrid form, reinforcing it further with Armament Haki.
Boom!
Urouge's colossal fist crashed into Dalmatian's chest with a thunderous impact.
The sheer force of the blow sent shockwaves rippling outward, instantly tearing Dalmatian's uniform to shreds.
"Huh?!"
Feeling the immense pressure surge through his chest, Dalmatian's eyes filled with disbelief.
Even with both Armament Haki and Iron Body, he still couldn't withstand a single, unenhanced punch from Urouge?
The question barely had time to form in his mind before a mouthful of blood spewed forth.
Then, with overwhelming force, Dalmatian was sent hurtling backward.
As Urouge sent Dalmatian flying, Vice Admiral Onigumo flashed behind him, gripping eight swords in his many hands.
Eight-Sword Style: Spider Web Slash!
The eight Haki-infused blades slashed through the air with blinding speed, weaving a net of deadly sword auras that sliced into Urouge's massive back.
Shhhhk!
A web-like pattern of deep gashes was carved into Urouge's back, and blood gushed forth like a torrential downpour.
The sheer force embedded within the slashes sent his enormous body staggering forward.
"This… this isn't just an ordinary sword strike…!!"
Urouge, feeling the excruciating pain rip through him, felt the color drain from his face.
It was the most terrifying slash he had ever endured.
Had he not deliberately trained his body's endurance to complement his Devil Fruit ability…
A full-force, eightfold Haki strike like this might have knocked him unconscious instantly.
"You're still standing?"
Onigumo raised a brow in slight surprise.
The big brute clearly didn't know how to use Haki, yet his attack and defense exceeded those who did.
After all, Spider Web Slash wasn't just any ordinary attack—it was a consecutive barrage of Haki-infused slashes.
A surprise attack like this, especially from behind, should have taken down anyone lacking proper Haki defense.
Even those with Armament Haki would have been gravely wounded or killed outright if their defense wasn't strong enough.
Though Urouge remained standing, he was clearly at his limit.
In that moment of crisis, he caught sight of Hawkins—fully restored and standing tall.
Without hesitation, he called for aid.
Hawkins did not disappoint.
Once again transforming into his Demonic Appearance, he forced Onigumo back.
His timely intervention disrupted Onigumo's attempt to finish off Urouge.
Seeing Hawkins drive Onigumo away, Urouge, barely holding himself upright, finally let out a relieved breath.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, his attention snapped to Perona's dire predicament.
At that moment—
She was surrounded by over a hundred elite Marines.
Not only were they adept in Armament Haki, but all of them had mastered Soru (Shave).
Individually, each of these Marines was capable of taking on a pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million berries.
Perona, who had yet to fully mature in strength, stood no chance against such a force.
Were it not for the fear induced by her Negative Hollows—and the sheer number of enemies limiting their attack angles—she would have been defeated long ago.
"Damn it…! These bastards are too fast—my little darlings can't even hit them!"
Feeling the overwhelming pressure from all directions, Perona's heart pounded with anxiety.
Only now did she truly understand why Maude had pushed her so hard to train…
And why he had given her that crucial piece of advice on how to maximize her Hollow-Hollow Fruit's potential.
If she couldn't land her abilities on an enemy, then they were utterly useless.
That's why she had to improve her close-quarters combat skills—to create openings where she could actually hit her opponents.
She had realized this too late.
Cornered with nowhere to run, she found herself at the mercy of Vice Admiral Bastille, who swung his Shark-Cutter Blade down at her exposed form.
"Ah—!"
She saw the blade coming but had no time or strength left to evade. Her face paled in horror.
In that instant—
Urouge threw himself in front of her.
Slash!
The massive blade carved a deep wound into Urouge's body, spraying blood into the air.
Already on his last legs, he let out a muffled groan before collapsing.
"Wha—?! Big guy?!"
Perona's heart clenched as her pupils shrank in shock.
The moment she faltered—
Several Marines closed in, stabbing their Finger Guns into her back.
The piercing force of their attacks made her cough up blood.
Just like Urouge before her—
She crumpled to the ground, motionless.
With both of them down—
Not long after, Hawkins, overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies, was slashed multiple times by Onigumo's blades.
As blood splattered the ground, a single voodoo doll tumbled from his body.
"…Is this where it ends?"
Hawkins glanced at his fallen comrades, then at the opportunity gleaming on the battlefield before him.
Would he seize it—?
Or would he fall here, filled with regret?
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