The battlefield of Marineford was a maelstrom of violence, where every strike seemed to shake the very foundations of the world. The fighters' cries, the clash of weapons, and the explosions of devil fruits formed a chaotic symphony. But in the midst of this turmoil, two confrontations of unmatched intensity were about to erupt, while a mysterious presence hovered, ready to tip the balance.
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Naobito vs. Garp
On the bow of the Moby Dick, Naobito Zen'in stared at Garp with a sharp gaze, his usual nonchalance replaced by an unusual gravity. The wind made his worn kimono flap, and his sake bottle, now empty, lay at his feet.
"Tell me, Garp," he began in a severe tone, "what kind of grandfather are you?"
Garp furrowed his brows, his face marked by decades of battles.
"What are you talking about, Naobito?"
Naobito pointed an accusatory finger at him, his voice sharp as a blade. "If you can't protect that kid to the end, you should never have taken on his guardianship! Ace is up there, chained, and you're here playing the Marines' lapdog!"
Naobito's words hit Garp like a punch. His face tensed, a shadow of pain passing through his eyes. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles whitened, the ground under his feet cracking under the pressure of his Haki.
"Shut it, old drunk," he growled, but his voice lacked conviction.
Naobito gave a bitter smile. "That's why I'm going to set you straight, Garp."
With a movement, he leaped forward, his body becoming a blurred shadow, his speed defying comprehension.
Garp, far from being impressed, tore off his cape with a sharp gesture, revealing his knotted muscles and overwhelming aura.
"Come on, Naobito!" he roared, his Armament Haki covering his fists with a shiny black glow.
With a leap, he charged towards his opponent, making the ground shake behind him. The initial impact was cataclysmic. Garp's Haki-charged fist met Naobito's open palm, covered in Haki.
A shockwave swept the surroundings, pushing back the fighters nearby. Naobito, with a smirk, dodged a devastating uppercut, reappeared behind Garp in the blink of an eye, and delivered a Haki-charged kick aimed at his ribs. But Garp, being a legend for a reason, pivoted, grabbing Naobito's leg.
"You're fast, but not fast enough!" he growled, before throwing Naobito against an ice wall several meters away.
The wall exploded into sparkling fragments, but Naobito instantly got back up, a smug smile on his lips.
"Not bad, old monkey! Looks like you haven't lost your touch," he said before charging again.
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Sukuna vs. Akainu
Meanwhile, at the heart of the battlefield, Sukuna advanced confidently towards Akainu. The ground under his feet seemed to crack under the mere pressure of his aura. Akainu, surrounded by a halo of boiling magma, glared at Sukuna with contained rage.
"You pirates are nothing but a bunch of trash! Parasites rotting this world!" he roared, his right fist igniting with a fiery red glow.
Sukuna burst into a guttural laugh, his glowing eyes shining with amusement.
"The way you talk, it sounds like all the world's evils come from pirates. Pathetic."
He stopped a few meters from Akainu, crossing his arms with casual arrogance.
"This world is ruled by the law of the jungle. The weak get crushed, the strong dominate. That's all."
"Justice will defeat vermin like you!" Akainu yelled, his entire body transforming into a torrent of magma.
Sukuna furrowed his brows, a cruel smile forming on his lips.
"A funny way to use the word 'justice.' Well, enough talk. Shall we begin?"
Akainu struck first, unleashing a Dai Funka, a gigantic magma fist that cleaved through the air towards Sukuna. The ground around the attack instantly melted, turning the area into a pool of lava. But Sukuna, with a simple sidestep, dodged it.
"Too slow," he taunted before raising a hand.
"Dismantle," he murmured. A series of invisible blades slashed through the air, targeting Akainu. The cuts were so swift that they seemed to defy the laws of physics. Thanks to his Observation Haki, Akainu managed to dodge most of the blows, but a deep gash crossed his shoulder, spewing magma instead of blood.
"You'll pay for that!" Akainu roared, unleashing a rain of fusion meteors with Ryusei Kazan. Balls of magma rained down on Sukuna, transforming the battlefield into an incandescent hell.
But Sukuna, undaunted, activated Cleave, slicing each projectile into pieces before they could reach him. The ground around him was now a chaos of craters and lava, but he remained unscathed, his smile unwavering.
"Not bad, pile of lava," Sukuna said before leaping forward at terrifying speed. He struck Akainu head-on with a Haki-charged blow, sending the admiral crashing against an ice wall several meters away.
Akainu got up, his body smoking, and retaliated with Inugami Guren, a giant magma dog that charged at Sukuna. Sukuna, laughing like a madman, extended both hands.
"Malevolent Shrine," he murmured. A sphere of destructive energy formed around him, annihilating the magma dog and everything within a two-meter radius. The attack was so powerful that even Akainu, resistant to heat, felt an overwhelming pressure.
He stepped back, his Armament Haki fortifying his body to withstand the assault. The two titans continued their duel, each blow shaking Marineford.
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Meanwhile, as the battles raged on, a figure suddenly appeared on the bow of the pirate ship, unbeknownst to all - except Yaga, who had noticed. Gojo Satoru, dressed in his black headband and a coat fluttering in the wind, stood there.
Yaga, without turning around, murmured, "Looks like you're done with what you were doing, captain."
Gojo gave a sly smile. "Yeah, let's just say I've taken care of some... business."
His voice, though low, carried across the battlefield like a supernatural echo. A cold sweat ran down the spine of every fighter, pirate and Marine alike. The chaos of battle abruptly fell silent, replaced by an oppressive stillness. All eyes converged on him.
What chilled everyone to the bone, however, were the three chains he held negligently in one hand. At the end of each hung a Celestial Dragon, their faces bruised and their clothes torn. The very symbols of the untouchable authority of the World Government reduced to broken prisoners.
A murmur of horror swept through the ranks of the Marines, while the pirates exchanged disbelieving glances. Gojo, his eyes masked by his headband, tilted his head with a cruel smile.
"Did I miss something?" he asked, his voice resonating like a challenge thrown to the entire world.
The battlefield, frozen, seemed to await the inevitable storm that Gojo Satoru's arrival would unleash.