Akainu's expression was grim. The battle had raged on, and he still hadn't taken down even one of them.
By all accounts, these two hadn't known each other long, yet their coordination in battle was flawless.
If this kept up, capturing them would take far longer than expected—and the longer it dragged on, the more unpredictable things could become. Ideally, he needed to finish this immediately and not waste any more time.
As the fight intensified, Akainu realized these two couldn't be allowed to escape. He had to stop them at any cost. Their combined strength was too much—even a Vice Admiral might not be able to handle them solo.
Together, they might even stand a chance against a Buster Call fleet without an Admiral, meaning they had destructive power on a national scale—and that could not be tolerated.
With the Four Emperors already stretching the Marine Headquarters thin, another crew with that kind of potential could shatter the balance of power at sea.
"How's your injury?" Rosen's chest was severely burned, and both hands were scorched from repeatedly blocking Akainu's magma attacks.
But the worst injury was on his left side—a molten finger gun had pierced straight through. There was no bleeding, as the high heat had cauterized the wound, cooking the flesh.
It had been excruciating, but at least he wasn't bleeding out, or things would've been far worse.
Gasping for breath, Rosen occasionally glanced toward the Dawn, which was still holding out. Everyone on board was wounded.
Enel's Thunderstorm's Wrath was slowly taking shape. If not for his injuries and his need to protect the crew, he could've finished it much earlier.
But his arrogance had cost him—Akainu had nearly destroyed him at the start. If he hadn't been taken down so quickly, the three of them might have stood a real chance.
But there were no "what ifs" in reality.
"I'm fine," Hathaway replied. One arm was unusable, but most of the damage had been absorbed by Rosen, who had taken on Akainu's full force. She had only supported him from the side.
As for Akainu, aside from a few minor cuts on his arm, he was practically unscathed.
"Surrender now, and I may consider sparing your lives," Akainu said after forcing both of them back with a blazing magma blast.
He didn't expect them to surrender, but if even one of them wavered, their teamwork would falter—and then he'd be able to finish the fight more easily.
"Oh?" Rosen looked at him calmly. He had thought he was almost at Admiral level himself, but facing a true top-tier Admiral revealed just how big the gap was. So how powerful must the Four Emperors be?
While deep in thought, the weather suddenly changed.
Rain poured down without warning—typical of the Grand Line, but also partially influenced by Enel. Dark clouds blotted out the sun, torrential rain fell, and gales whipped across the waves.
"Sakazuki! Reinforcements are here—it's Vice Admiral Garp's ship, along with several Marine warships from nearby bases!" a voice called from a nearby vessel.
Akainu nodded slightly, showing little reaction. He could win without backup—but with it, the victory would be absolute.
"Garp?" Rosen heard it too, and his heart sank. Garp was coming? Was today the day he would die at sea? Just his luck.
Garp—the Marine hero with a glorious legacy—had his own code, but he was still a Marine. He wouldn't spare them. Even when Ace was sent to the gallows, he hadn't been able to stop it.
Because, in the end, he had his own duty. He was a Marine.
"What's wrong?" Hathaway noticed Rosen's face shift.
She swung her blade to block Akainu's approach, but her sword clashed with a magma fist and was repelled. The backlash sent her flying back to Rosen, blood trickling from her lips.
"This is bad. Enel, now! Release the attack," Rosen shouted.
Akainu paused. Did they still have a plan?
"Thunderstorm's Wrath," Enel responded instantly. Twin lightning bolts shot from his hands into the sky.
"Sakazuki! Look at the sky!" a Marine suddenly yelled. Amid the storm, a massive lightning sphere formed in the clouds—enormous, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
Crackling bolts danced within it, sending shivers down spines.
The Thunderstorm was massive, discharging lightning strikes that lashed the sea, raising towering waves—each blast rivaling a heavy artillery shell.
"That lightning man?" Akainu's face hardened. Most attacks didn't matter much to him, but this level of technique couldn't be ignored—especially with so many of his own troops in the area.
"It's coming down!" someone shouted.
At the same time, the Dawn prepared to sail again. Though it still had Marines on board—including a Vice Admiral—it was still better than staying trapped by Akainu and the reinforcements.
They hadn't fled earlier because turning their backs to Akainu would've left them open to constant bombardment—escape would've been impossible.
But now, with Akainu occupied by Rosen, he couldn't focus on the Dawn. He wasn't going to abandon capturing Rosen and Hathaway just to chase the ship. He knew his priorities.
"Go!" Rosen told Hathaway. The storm's timing was perfect. The raging sea would hinder the Marines' pursuit.
"Are we going to die?!" a Marine on a still-intact ship shouted, staring at the descending lightning sphere that looked like a falling island. No one except Admiral Akainu could stop it.
But would Akainu abandon the pursuit of Rosen and Hathaway just to save them? That was unclear—he was notorious for zero tolerance toward criminals.
Akainu looked up at the Thunderstorm with a grim face. He hesitated for a moment—Rosen and Hathaway had already left the warship.
Rosen carried Hathaway through the sky with Moonwalk, heading for the Dawn.
"Don't let your guard down. He may abandon his troops and come after us. We originally hoped to use the Thunderstorm to injure Akainu and then retreat—but now Garp's coming too!" Rosen quickly explained.
"He's just a Vice Admiral. Is that really such a big deal? I've heard he's a Marine hero, but does that mean his strength is that terrifying? We had a real shot just now at taking Akainu down," Hathaway said, puzzled.
"He's no weaker than Akainu. He might even be stronger," Rosen replied. That old man hadn't grown weaker with age—and that alone made him someone to fear. If Garp and Akainu teamed up, no matter how strong they were, they'd be doomed.
"Got it." Hathaway trusted Rosen's judgment. It was just a shame they'd missed such a good opportunity.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Akainu shouted, stepping into the air to give chase.
After a brief hesitation, he abandoned his own forces. They were only part of his troops. If he could kill the enemy, it would all be worth it.
(End of Chapter)