"P-please! Our merchant ship is about to sink in the storm, the crew is injured... Can you come save us..."
The same old plea. The female marine had it memorized by now, but this time, the response from the other end was different—
"Of course."
A steady young voice answered, as if he had just taken the receiver, asking with concern:
"Don't panic, speak slowly. How many people are still on your ship?"
At the doorway, Akainu, who had already stepped one foot over the threshold, suddenly halted.
"Over a hundred..." The female marine was stunned. She hadn't even brought up the reward yet and hurriedly added, "If you can come, we're willing to offer—"
"What's your coordinates? Any noticeable landmarks nearby?"
The female marine's brain short-circuited for a moment, instinctively replying, "The coordinates are... There's a small island nearby with an old lighthouse that's been abandoned for years..."
"That should be easy to find. It's not too far—we can reach you in a few hours. Hold on, we're heading over right now."
Click. The call ended abruptly.
The female marine turned her head, looking at Duo Er with uncertainty.
"Not Pirates."
Vice Admiral Duo Er pouted in disappointment, lighting a cigarette. "Just purely here to save people... Folks like that are rare in the New World. Call them back and tell them not to bother coming."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
Just as the female marine was about to pick up the receiver again, a rough, powerful hand clamped down on her wrist.
Duo Er looked up, startled. "Mr. Sakazuki?"
"Not Pirates?"
Akainu's expression remained as unreadable as ever, making it impossible to guess his thoughts:
"How could they not be... Duo Er, you've done well. Not only did you actually hook a fish, but you've caught a big one this time."
That young voice...
So familiar, so detestable.
Only half a year had passed—how could he possibly forget?
"Xiano..."
Akainu subconsciously touched the scar on his shoulder, his eyes icy. This time, he wouldn't give the other party any chance to escape!
Onboard the Sunset.
After hanging up, under Xiano's instructions, Nami began comparing the partially drawn nautical chart and directed Jack to steer toward the coordinates mentioned by the caller.
"Boss."
Smoker frowned. "That call was suspicious. I don't think we should take it at face value. It might be Pirates setting a trap."
"But what if it's real? There are over a hundred lives at stake—we can't just ignore them. As for whether it's a trap..."
Xiano chuckled but didn't elaborate, returning to the dining table to grab another sushi roll.
After a moment of thought, Smoker laughed wryly.
Fair point.
Why was he even worrying? Did the Captain need to care whether it was a trap or not?
Even if it was a trap, so what?
The Four Emperors themselves weren't that bored, and the Three Admirals rarely ventured into the New World.
As for everyone else—whether Pirates or Marines—those who tried to bait them would only reap one consequence:
A self-inflicted disaster!
A few hours later.
An old lighthouse covered in moss came into view, standing at the center of a small island no more than a few thousand square meters in size.
Near the coastline, there was indeed a sunken ship, but even as the Sunset closed within a few hundred meters, not a single person could be spotted.
"How strange."
Nami leaned against the second-floor railing, sweeping the area with her monocular telescope in confusion. "There's absolutely no one here?"
Whether it was crew members genuinely in need of rescue or malicious baiters...
There should be someone here, right?
Could that call have been nothing but a prank?
She instinctively glanced at her brother, only to see Xiano paying no attention to the sunken ship at all—his gaze remained fixed on that old lighthouse.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he spoke.
"Stay here for now. I'll go check it out."
With those words, he left the deck, stepping onto the Moon Walk. In just two leaps, he landed steadily on the small island.
...
Inside the lighthouse.
"He's here! He's here!"
A Marine commander nearly jumped in excitement, turning his head to shout, "The guy took the bait after all!"
"Calm down. Why are you shouting so loudly? Maintain stealth!"
A Marine rear admiral frowned and scolded him with a glare.
"It doesn't matter. There's no hiding from that guy's Observation Haki anyway. We're just bait in the end."
Duo Er leaned against the railing with a cigarette between her lips, then turned to the communications officer. "Hey, reconfirm—where are the fleets from G-1 and G-5 Branches now?"
"Reporting, Vice Admiral! Both allied fleets have reached their designated positions. Along with our fleet, they've formed a triangular encirclement and can seal off this area at any time!"
"Good."
A cold smirk curled at the corner of Duo Er's lips. "Today's battle must end in one decisive strike. Not a single one of those pirates—or their ship—will escape!"
G-1, G-5, and G-14.
All three Marine branch bases had dispatched their commanders personally!
With such forces, this operation was nearly on the scale of a Buster Call. Annihilating a small pirate crew would be more than enough!
Honestly, there was one thing that had genuinely surprised her.
It wasn't unusual for the G-1 Branch commander to come personally—after all, he was an old acquaintance of hers, and a single word from her was enough to bring him.
But the G-5 Branch commander, Vergo, was notoriously reclusive. Rumor had it he cared deeply for his subordinates, but to outsiders, he was always a lone wolf, rarely responding to requests from other branches.
Yet this time, the moment he heard the target was the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates, he had been unusually proactive—hanging up the call and immediately leading his forces out in person.
Did he have some past grudge against the Curtain Closer?
But this pirate crew had only been active for half a year—hadn't they never even been to the New World before?
Duo Er couldn't figure it out, and she didn't bother dwelling on it. Right now, her eyes were locked onto that pirate ship in the distance.
As for Xiano himself?
He was entirely beyond her ability to handle, of course. That role would have to be left to...
Duo Er's gaze lifted slightly, toward the top floor of the wooden staircase.
A tall figure cloaked in a "Justice" mantle and wearing a cap stood with arms crossed in the shadows, his cold eyes fixed on the approaching figure outside the window.
...
Xiano pushed open the lighthouse door, the rotting wood letting out a piercing creak.
Dust cascaded down, and the air was thick with the scent of mildew.
He stepped inside slowly, his gaze sweeping across the empty first-floor hall before lifting to the spiral staircase.
"Take him down!"
Duo Er roared, suddenly drawing her sword and leaping down from the second floor. Pitch-black Armament Haki coiled around her blade as she slashed straight at Xiano's face!
A Vice Admiral?
She looked somewhat familiar, too.
Xiano glanced at her but didn't move a muscle, allowing the sword to strike his forehead.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out, sparks flying as the blade was instantly deflected.
Duo Er's pupils constricted in shock.
Her slash could easily cut through steel, yet when it landed on Xiano's forehead, it was as if she had struck the hardest diamond—not even a scratch remained!
How was this possible?
She knew full well she stood no chance against Xiano.
But… even without him using Haki, she couldn't even break his skin?
She barely had time to retreat when Xiano slowly raised his right hand, flicking his index finger lightly—
Boom!
A compressed jet of pure black Haki shot out, slamming into Duo Er's chest.
Her body was sent flying like a Cannonball, crashing hard into the wall. A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Vice Admiral Duo Er!"
Angry shouts erupted.
Over a dozen elite Marines rushed out from the stairs and hidden doors, guns and blades all trained on Xiano, while the Rear Admiral hurried to help Duo Er up.
"As expected, you're just bait."
Xiano didn't even spare the Marines a glance, his eyes shifting to Duo Er. "If the Marines are setting an ambush, you alone are far from enough. Who's hiding up there? Borsalino? Kuzan? Or that old man Garp?"
There was definitely someone else still upstairs.
But from the aura he sensed, it didn't differ much from the other Marines.
Observation Haki wasn't omnipotent—if a strong individual deliberately concealed themselves, they could easily blend into a crowd, making it nearly impossible to detect them even at close range.
Just like how Blackbeard had spent thirty years on a ship, only to be seen as an ordinary crewman.
But there were limits.
The moment killing intent leaked out, or they made a move, hiding from an opponent of similar strength became impossible.
Sure enough.
The instant Xiano spoke, he sensed a ripple of aura from above—the hidden figure had finally dropped their concealment.
The next moment—
Crack!
The ceiling exploded, and a searing magma fist descended from above, carrying an annihilating force as it aimed straight for Xiano's head!
But Xiano, already anticipating this, flickered away like a phantom, vanishing from sight.
Boom!
The magma fist struck the ground, instantly melting a massive crater into the lighthouse's first floor, steam hissing from the molten rock.
Akainu stepped out from the smoke and dust, slowly raising his head to glare coldly at Xiano, who now stood on the staircase.
Xiano looked down at Akainu from above.
Their eyes locked.
This time, no cherry blossoms drifted between them.
"Had enough of watching the show after all this time?"
Xiano spoke softly, "I didn't expect it to be you who came. It's been a long time since we last met... Sakazuki."
Akainu didn't respond, only slowly raising his right arm.
Magma gathered on his fist, morphing into the shape of a massive dog's head, radiating terrifying heat.
Behind him, Duo Er quickly stood up and led her subordinates out of the lighthouse. Xiano glanced at them but made no move to stop them.
"Half a year ago on Toll Island, I underestimated you, letting you escape by sheer luck. You've been making quite a stir since then."
Akainu waited until Duo Er and the others were far away before coldly stating:
"And from what I just witnessed, your strength has indeed improved significantly. But none of that matters now... because today, this place will be your grave."
So, hiding in the shadows earlier was just to observe the changes in my strength.
"Escape by sheer luck?"
Xiano sneered, "Seems the memory of a Navy Admiral isn't too reliable. As I recall, I gave someone ample time, yet they couldn't defeat me. Instead, they ended up with scars that will never fade."
Akainu's expression darkened, his entire body surging with murderous intent. The magma churned violently, and the temperature inside the lighthouse soared once again!
"Sharp-tongued brat!"
He took a sudden step forward, his right fist launching forward with immense force!
"Dog Bite Crimson Lotus!"
Scorching magma roared through the air, nearly filling the entire first floor. The terrifying heat distorted the surrounding air!
Xiano's handsome face was instantly bathed in a fiery red glow. His pupils reflected the approaching monstrous dog head, and suddenly, he grinned.
Without dodging or evading, he clenched his right fist and casually threw a punch!
Boom!
Two terrifying forces collided mid-air. The intense heat intertwined with the pitch-black Armament Haki before exploding simultaneously, unleashing a violent shockwave!
The old lighthouse, which had stood for who knows how many years, couldn't withstand such an impact.
The entire structure shattered instantly, collapsing amidst a storm of flying debris and dust!
Amid the swirling dust.
Akainu narrowed his eyes at the figure.
He clearly noticed that even under such a powerful shockwave, the other party remained rooted in place, not retreating a single step.
Compared to half a year ago, the progress was truly immense...
Hmm?
Akainu's expression suddenly changed.
Because in his line of sight, Xiano had vanished! And he hadn't even caught the trajectory of the movement.
Swish!
Almost in the same instant, Xiano's figure appeared behind Akainu, his right leg sharp as a blade, sweeping upward with devastating force toward Akainu's back.
Bang!
Akainu's extensive combat experience allowed him to react in time, turning and instinctively raising his arm to block. His magma-coated arm collided with Xiano's leg, producing a deafening explosion.
However, the force behind this strike far exceeded expectations. Akainu was sent flying into the sky!
Before he could even adjust his posture, Xiano had already shot upward like a flash, arriving directly above Akainu in the blink of an eye.
"How did that kick taste, old dog?"
Xiano grinned fiercely as Conqueror's Haki suddenly coiled around his arm. Thick black-red lightning spread in all directions while his right fist came crashing down like a meteor!
"If you're still hungry, have another taste of my fist!!!"
BOOM——!!!
The punch landed squarely on Akainu's chest, the terrifying impact sending him plummeting downward like a cannonball. The sea surface was instantly smashed into a massive crater hundreds of meters wide, sending towering waves soaring into the sky!
Akainu's body sank deep into the ocean depths, the surrounding seawater evaporating from the intense heat and billowing white steam. But soon, more seawater rushed in, completely submerging him within moments.
The sea fell eerily silent, devoid of any sound.
"..."
The marines who had been lying in ambush as bait in the lighthouse had just retreated to the opposite shore. Witnessing this scene from afar, they stood frozen in shock.
"Mr. Sakazuki!"
Duo Er's face turned deathly pale as she screamed in terror.
How could this be...
A Devil Fruit Ability User had fallen into the sea. How were they supposed to continue this battle now?
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