Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, a technique named after the legendary three sacred treasures that protect the nation, possesses a power that rivals its name.
This method of compressing high-energy light waves into a beam, ultimately forming a weapon, is something that only a user of the Glint-Glint Fruit can accomplish with ease.
Although the Marine Headquarters' chief instructor Zephyr had always criticized this guy for his over-reliance on Devil Fruit abilities, he had to admit that Borsalino had pushed the terrifying power of the Glint-Glint Fruit to its absolute peak.
Even in front of Sakazuki, lasers were still hailed as "the fastest spear," "the most accurate arrow," and "the brightest light."
The photons emitted by a lightbulb are all different and scatter in all directions.
This is a common trait among most light-emitting objects in the world.
However, a Glint-Glint Fruit user could gather and concentrate the free-floating photons around them with just a flick of their hand.
Wherever the laser reached, all would be swept away.
Among the three top-tier Logia users in Marine Headquarters today, the one with the greatest destructive power was not Kuzan, who could freeze a ten-thousand-mile sea in an instant, nor Sakazuki, who could trigger fiery magma eruptions mimicking a volcanic explosion.
It was this sleazy vice admiral who always seemed to be slacking off.
And when he decided that it was time to take things just a little more seriously, he became Marine Headquarters' sharpest spear and keenest sword.
The light sword danced in Borsalino's hands.
Brilliant light surrounded him.
Without any extra movement, he swung lightly from his own position.
The scorch marks on the ground encircled Lindemann in a perfect ring.
A prison drawn with light.
He gripped the ends of the light beam with both hands, assuming a sword-wielding stance.
The trembling, gathering tip of the light sword, still stabilizing, burst forth with brilliance in that instant.
It seemed as if it would cleanse the entire island of all its evil and filth in a single stroke.
The intense light radiated outward from Borsalino, making visibility impossible in its overwhelming brightness.
Jack the Drought simply shut his eyes and expanded the range of his Observation Haki once more.
At the same time, he whipped his hardened elephant trunk upward, just in time to block the humming light sword.
The descending strike had failed to land.
Borsalino immediately switched forms, his stance shifting seamlessly.
Like a master swordsman, he twisted his waist and rotated his body.
Before his sword technique had even fully retracted, a light-speed side kick struck the right flank of the mammoth's massive body.
The moment the Glint-Glint Fruit user's toe touched the ground, he disappeared without a trace, reappearing beside Moria in an instant.
In the next second, the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi swept out with unstoppable force.
The protective shadows around Moria shrank back as if facing their natural enemy, instantly collapsing.
The ruthless light beam tore through them without resistance.
With his left hand, Borsalino brought his index and middle fingers together, and without any buildup, an arrow-shaped laser fired point-blank into his opponent's side.
Watching from the sidelines, Lindemann was drenched in a cold sweat.
For the first time, he was genuinely thankful that Vice Admiral Borsalino was on his side.
The fox had expected a prolonged battle between these three forces.
But in the blink of an eye, the balance of attack and defense had shifted dramatically.
The seven-meter-tall pirate hunched over, clutching the gaping wound where the laser had pierced through his body.
He bit down hard on his lip, refusing to let out a scream.
Just moments ago, the living shadows around him had been writhing and shifting freely, but now, they could only shiver weakly in the tiny patch of ground beneath Moria's feet.
Meanwhile, the massive mammoth was sent flying dozens of meters away, crashing heavily into a distant warehouse.
And all of this—the attacks, the counterattacks, and the decisive reversals—had happened within a single second.
"Yata no Kagami"
A blinding light reflected off the town's streets and alleyways, illuminating Jack, who had reverted from his Zoan transformation.
Although this form gave him more agility, it was not his preferred state.
He whipped around suddenly, lowering both hands.
In those giant hands, he firmly gripped two curved scythes.
Jack's entire body was hardened with Armament Haki.
His crossed arms held up the two blackened scythes, forming an X-shaped defense against Borsalino's powerful downward slash.
But before he could even catch his breath, his Observation Haki warned him of two more incoming strikes.
The light sword, slicing down diagonally, grazed Jack's muscular chest.
Before the attack had fully ended, the blade swung back across from the other side.
Despite his Haki-reinforced defense, the two consecutive strikes forced him to stagger backward.
"Seeing it... doesn't mean you can block it~" Borsalino casually pointed out the flaw.
"Bastard..." Jack gritted his teeth.
In the distance, that fox—still standing inside the light-drawn circle—was grinning ear to ear, waving cheerfully in their direction.
But right now, Jack had no time to worry about the Marine spy.
The slightly wretched-looking Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters gripped the sword hilt with one hand, ensuring a continuous energy supply, and casually stabbed the cross-shaped lightsaber into the ground.
His hands rested at the end of the hilt, and with a lazy tone and a peculiar smile, he looked at the two great pirates—one near, one far.
"Those who dare step into the circle—die."
Moria reacted first. His shadow instantly stretched out but darted in the opposite direction.
He stared intently at the Navy Vice Admiral, not even daring to blink. He feared that in the brief moment of closing his eyes, the opponent would once again defy reason and appear beside him in an instant.
Meanwhile, the reckless and fearless Drought had a grim expression, as if he could squeeze out water from his face. No matter how his body changed, he was being completely restrained by this high-mobility, high-agility bastard.
Jack activated his Observation Haki to the fullest and slowly retreated.
Though reckless, he was not foolish. If he relied solely on his robust physique and the exceptional recovery ability unique to Zoans to engage in a prolonged battle, his chances of victory against an opponent wielding such a terrifying weapon as lasers would not exceed ten percent.
Both pirates chose to back down simultaneously. The earlier battle, where Borsalino fought two against one and still nearly crushed them, had shattered the resolve of these two formidable pirates.
Between experts, combat relied on comparing Haki, physical prowess, and Devil Fruit mastery—hard conditions that determined victory.
Yet, the subtler psychological contest was the true deciding factor in whether a warrior could persist.
Moria and Drought lost—not just in battle, but in mindset.
Borsalino, the cunning Vice Admiral, had seized the initiative immediately, using his overwhelming Devil Fruit ability to exert immense psychological pressure on the pirates.
"Let's go, Rear Admiral Lindemann." Borsalino patted the other man's shoulder. "I left behind the conscription mission in Elbaf Village of the New World to come reinforce you."
He waved toward the navy warship slowly approaching the shore in the distance. "Before you return to Sakazuki, you don't mind me borrowing you for a bit, do you? Your old friend Dorry has been talking about you for quite some time."
"Do... do I even have a choice, Vice Admiral Borsalino?"
With a face of utter resignation, Lindemann followed the Pika Pika no Mi user on a journey toward the land of giants.
———
Sakazuki gently set down the Den Den Mushi. As expected, Borsalino had not disappointed him.
Listening to the fox on the other end of the call wailing, complaining, and throwing a tantrum, begging to return to headquarters, Sakazuki offered a heartfelt piece of advice:
"Foolish! Being able to follow Borsalino and learn something—do you know how many people dream of such an opportunity?"
Only then did the fox begrudgingly accept his fate.
Sakazuki strode out of the captain's quarters and looked at the officers and marines busily working on the deck.
Taking a deep breath, he commanded, "Announce to the entire fleet—Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral and Second-in-Command of this ship, Lindemann, has been successfully rescued."
"Justice will prevail!"
"Justice will prevail!"
Even Onigumo, who was observing through a telescope from the lookout post, couldn't help but let a rare smirk creep onto his lips.
"Vice Admiral, we can already see Marineford!"
For the marines aboard the ship, this was a double celebration. Having spent months beneath the sea at Fish-Man Island, they felt as if seaweed was about to grow on them!
The officers leaned against the railing, eagerly anticipating their return to the naval port, where they would finally be able to drink a refreshing pint of ale.
Gion steered the ship, the corners of her lips unknowingly curling upward. "Tsuru-san, did you see that? I brought him back."
However, Sakazuki's good mood did not last long.
Onigumo leaped down from the lookout, performing several agile maneuvers before handing a single-lens telescope to Sakazuki, who stood at the bow.
As the warship approached the port, he could see more clearly the lineup of high-ranking officers awaiting him.
His former superior, Sengoku, had a broad smile. His mentor, Zephyr, raised his thumb high without hesitation.
And then there was that old bastard—holding a little brat perched atop his biceps.
With his exaggerated facial expressions, Garp accurately conveyed a clear message to Sakazuki, who stood at the ship's bow:
"Hey, brat, you did it! Got yourself all banged up coming back to headquarters, huh?~ Nyeh nyeh nyeh~"
Sakazuki crushed the single-lens telescope in his hand.
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