"So eager to die?" Sakazuki said coldly as he watched Rosen and Hathaway leap onto the Marine warship. The elite Marines around him were already brimming with fighting spirit.
This wasn't just any ordinary Marine unit.
The ships from both sides were still closing in fast. Although confident, Sakazuki had been waiting for the outer Marine forces to complete the encirclement before launching his attack. He hadn't expected the enemy to strike first after seeing he was leading the force.
Rosen glanced around briefly, then launched his attack without a word.
To him, Akainu felt far more dangerous than Kizaru. Maybe it was Akainu's extreme personality, or perhaps Kizaru's easygoing attitude had simply made his battles feel less threatening.
Whatever the reason, from every angle, Akainu was clearly more difficult to deal with—more ruthless and unrelenting. Rosen had anticipated this.
"Black Prison Bullet—Execution!" Thirty-three shots formed a straight line in a powerful burst, like a long spear piercing the void, aimed directly at Akainu's head.
At the same time, Rosen's right arm turned red-hot as sand boiled and condensed into golden grains, violently clashing within—his Disintegration state. Against a top-tier powerhouse, possibly stronger than even most Admirals, Rosen held nothing back.
"Great Eruption," Akainu said coldly. A giant magma fist surged forward, crackling with violent heat and boiling lava, colliding with Rosen's attack.
Boom!
The explosion shattered Rosen's sand bullets, but the massive magma punch kept going, barreling toward him. Just then, Hathaway's prepared Hell Slash struck.
Her blade hummed, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle. Rosen could feel the increased strength in her attack—thicker crimson energy, like blood splashing through the air.
Akainu frowned slightly. This woman's technique closely resembled that of the infamous Crimson Queen, who was currently wanted worldwide. He smirked coldly and said, "So, you've teamed up. No surprise—all dangerous extremists. Today, you'll sleep forever. Super Great Eruption!"
Boom!
The already massive magma fist expanded even more, lava surging inside as if ready to burst.
The explosion from its collision with Hathaway's blade sent shards of sword aura and fireballs scattering in every direction.
Marines couldn't get close. Even the warship began to burn. But as soon as the fires ignited, Akainu reabsorbed the flames and volcanic fragments back into his body, leaving only scorched patches on the deck.
After all, he wasn't going to destroy his own ship—they needed a platform to fight from. Besides, warships were expensive. Better not to waste them.
Then Akainu gave a cold command to a nearby Vice Admiral: "Take them all down. Dead or alive."
"Yes, sir." Vice Admiral Babrus responded without hesitation, leading elite troops from another warship toward the Dawn, preparing for close-quarters combat. He had full confidence in Akainu—taking down these enemies wouldn't be a problem.
"How do you want to die?" Akainu's body was now fully covered in bubbling magma, completely entering combat mode. No mercy. No holding back. He would only stop once both enemies were obliterated.
"Today's not our funeral," Rosen replied calmly. Akainu's power had exceeded his expectations. Just in terms of Devil Fruit mastery, he must have over 1600 points—far beyond Rosen's sand. But it wasn't like they had no chance.
After all, they had numbers on their side.
"You two aren't the main criminals. Surrender, and you might live," Babrus offered as he and his forces boarded the Dawn.
Meanwhile, the Ark was being bombarded, as the Marines prioritized destroying it before it could be used to escape. Chasing an airborne vessel was far harder than pursuing ships at sea.
But each cannonball was precisely shot down by lightning.
After getting scolded earlier, Enel no longer acted rashly. He had expanded his Mantra to cover incoming projectiles, picking them off with deadly precision.
If command of the Ark hadn't been handed over to a woman named Nico Robin, he might have flown down and wiped out the enemy himself—but he had new orders now.
"Cut the crap. Die!" MR.5 shouted as he charged straight at Babrus, his body erupting with continuous explosions.
"Careful, he's a Vice Admiral!" Robin quickly warned, having noticed the insignia on the enemy's shoulder. Daz Bones reacted instantly and joined the fight. The battle erupted in an instant.
No need for pleasantries—Babrus had only offered the surrender line as a formality. Sometimes an Admiral's title alone could shake an enemy's morale, but clearly not with this crew.
This pirate group wasn't easily intimidated. The Marines' standing orders were to take enemies alive when possible, but killing was permitted if they resisted strongly.
"Protect the boss lady," Valentine said, standing at Robin's side as the crew clashed with the elite Marines. Enel floated above the Ark, with thunderclouds gathering above.
He used his Observation Haki to shield the crew, his powers more effective for precise strikes than raw confrontation.
Zap!
A Marine elite who had just defeated a crew member and moved in for the kill was suddenly struck down by a bolt of lightning from the sky.
Two strong Captains, seeing that Robin appeared to be directing the crew, charged toward her once they saw Daz Bones and MR.5 were engaged.
Robin was tense—not out of fear, but because she didn't want to disappoint Rosen's expectations.
She had excellent insight and remained calm under pressure. But this time, they were facing Admiral Akainu, who was even more infamous than Kizaru.
Before leaving, Rosen had left all command responsibilities to her. She directed Enel, Daz Bones, and others to hold off the elite Marines, including a Vice Admiral. She feared the two might not withstand that pressure.
Especially since Enel, once a major combat asset, had already been half-crippled. And their goal wasn't to fight the Marines to the death—it was to escape before the encirclement fully formed.
If they waited too long, they'd be overwhelmed by endless reinforcements, including all kinds of ability users. No matter how strong they were, they'd eventually fall.
That was the true terror of a world-class organization—not just in its top powerhouses, but in its ability to fully mobilize the world's armed forces. A massive war machine.
So Robin instructed Enel to prepare his powerful "Thunder Judgment" attack—to create an opening for escape once Rosen and Hathaway bought enough time.
Because of this, Enel could only offer limited support. He had to stay focused on his main role—Robin's strategy.
"Sea Cow, go help Natalie," Robin ordered. She saw Natalie charge recklessly into a group of Marines, tearing through them with remarkable speed and agility. She'd already taken down over a dozen elites.
She had even defeated a Major by using advanced Observation Haki to predict an attack, taking a minor injury to win.
But now, with the warship docked and hundreds of Marines swarming the Dawn, Robin was seriously worried.
"Stiffening Toxin!" Leah, once a non-combatant, now wielded weapons with surprising strength. Though she had once relied on the Queen's protection as a slave, she had plenty of combat experience.
She had her own unique fighting style—mixing her knowledge of toxins to attack. Several flasks struck elite Marines, instantly stiffening their limbs like they were petrified. Leah then calmly took them down with a custom handgun—one shot, one kill.
A bit late to the fight, but not too late.
(End of Chapter)