"Did Akainu lose?"
On the deck of the Sunset, Nami froze for a moment before suddenly punching the air in celebration. "That's my big bro for you!"
"Don't celebrate too early—it's never that simple."
Kuina gazed at the sea, shaking her head slightly:
"In this world, no one can defeat a Navy Admiral so easily. If falling into the sea meant losing all combat ability, then most of the top-tier fighters standing at the world's peak wouldn't be Devil Fruit users."
Huh???
Nami's head was filled with question marks.
What could anyone do after falling into the sea?
She remembered that time she'd been napping at the bow and accidentally rolled into the water.
She'd immediately lost all strength and consciousness. If Agin hadn't noticed and jumped in to carry her back, she would have drowned.
Kuina had no words.
How could you compare yourself to a Navy Admiral?
She sighed and was about to explain when she suddenly sensed something, her expression turning grave as she looked into the distance.
"They're here?"
It was nearly dusk now.
In the setting sun's glow.
Due north, southwest, and southeast—naval fleets appeared almost simultaneously from all three directions, each bearing different base insignias on their sails.
The rest of the crew followed her gaze, noticing the scene, their expressions shifting.
"We're surrounded!"
Nojiko eagerly slipped on her Mithril Gauntlets, clashing her fists together as chilling frost spread. "Heh, perfect timing. Didn't get to fight at Fish-Man Island—was starting to feel restless."
"A naval battle, is it?" Robin chuckled. In the past, approaching enemy ships would have been difficult, but now that she'd mastered Moon Walk and could manifest wings with her Devil Fruit, she was formidable even at sea.
"G-1, G-5, G-14."
Smoker exhaled a plume of smoke, drawing his Ten Hand from his back as he muttered, "The naval fleets of the New World's three major branches all mobilized at once. Tch. They're really giving us face."
"Same as before, everyone!"
Nami thumped her chest confidently. "You all handle the troublesome Vice Admirals and whatnot. I, the Flame-Flame Fruit user, will take care of the lower-ranking officers and grunts!"
"Oh?"
Zeff was still leisurely clearing the dining table, bent over. "Let me remind you—you're in the New World now. Even low-ranking Marines know Haki."
"Wha—? That's cheating!"
Nami's face fell instantly. Her eyes darted around before landing on Jack. "Then I'll leave that job to you, Jack! I'll... I'll stay and guard the ship! Make sure no cannonballs land on deck!"
"No problem, Boss!" Jack grinned in response.
"You sure you can handle it alone?" Smoker side-eyed Nami.
"It's fine. I'll stay behind too. Leave the frontlines to you youngsters."
Zeff picked up the last few plates, chuckling.
That was more like it. With Old Man Zeff's legwork, the Sunset would remain unscathed. Smoker nodded, ignoring Nami's furious glare.
"Then it's settled."
Kuina placed her right hand on the hilt of her sword and took a deep breath. "We'll take the initiative and intercept those warships at a distance. Under no circumstances can we let them interfere with Lord Xiano. Is that clear?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Prepare for battle!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures leaped from the deck using Moon Walk, splitting into groups of two or three as they charged toward the warships from three different directions.
...
On the shore.
Duo Er was still staring at the sea. Logically, she should have returned to her own warship by now, reuniting with another vice admiral from G-14 to coordinate the encirclement.
But... what was the point of an encirclement if Admiral Akainu lost his combat ability?
Moreover, she absolutely refused to believe that Akainu was a man who could be so easily defeated...
BOOM!!!
At that very moment, the vast expanse of water near the old lighthouse suddenly began to churn violently.
Just as expected!
A surge of exhilaration flashed in Duo Er's eyes.
In her pupils, the once azure seawater—centered around where Akainu had submerged—began visibly turning crimson at an alarming rate.
Within mere seconds, the sea within a radius of several hundred meters had completely boiled over. The rolling waves transformed into scorching magma, turning the entire area into a blazing inferno!
Whoosh!
A towering column of magma erupted from the sea as Akainu rose atop the molten pillar, wreathed in flames like a crimson demon clawing his way out of hell.
"Not so simple after all, huh."
Xiano spoke leisurely, as if he had anticipated this all along.
For top-tier fighters who had dominated the seas for decades, falling into the ocean was hardly a rare occurrence—they always found ways to cope.
Akainu's method was brutally straightforward.
—He enveloped his entire body in dense Armament Haki, effectively shielding himself from the seawater.
Then, he activated his Devil Fruit ability to eliminate the surrounding seawater—or rather, convert it into another substance—before resurfacing.
It sounded simple in theory.
But executing it was incredibly difficult.
For Devil Fruit users, complete immersion in seawater brought an overwhelming sense of weakness—no joke at all.
Those with weaker willpower couldn't even muster a trace of Haki, let alone coat their entire bodies to block out the sea.
Only a true monster like Akainu, whose willpower was terrifying in its own right, could erupt with such power in this dire situation, defying the sea's malice and lethal intent toward Devil Fruit users!
"You brat..."
Akainu's expression was icy, yet filled with solemn intensity as he glared at Xiano.
His Justice cloak had been incinerated, revealing a chiseled upper body marked by scars old and new. The freshest wound was on his right shoulder—a memento from the battle at Toll Island half a year ago, left behind when Xiano escaped due to his momentary carelessness.
The other scars were one thing—they were trophies from renowned adversaries. But back then, Xiano had been nothing more than a rookie who had just entered the Grand Line.
And yet...
What utter humiliation!
For the past six months, Akainu had longed for the day he would cross paths with Xiano again. This time, he swore he wouldn't hold back, wouldn't underestimate his foe, wouldn't give him a single chance to flee...
But the one thing he never anticipated was—
After just half a year apart!
Half a year!
Xiano's strength had already reached such heights—nearly standing on the same level as his own!!!
"You cannot be left alive! If allowed to grow at this rate, you might one day become the most terrifying threat on these seas!"
"Betting on the Navy's honor and justice, even if it costs this old man his life today, I will ensure your destruction here!"
Akainu growled in a low, furious voice.
He slowly raised his right arm, magma coiling around it like a living creature, transforming once more into a monstrous molten hound—this time far larger than before—roaring as it lunged at Xiano!
"Dog Bite Crimson Lotus: Infinite Purgatory!"
BOOM!!!
The molten hound instantly split into dozens, madly tearing at Xiano from all directions, sealing off every possible escape route.
The sea below was already a churning mass of magma, the scorching heat distorting the air, staining the sky a dark crimson. It was as if the entire battlefield had become Akainu's domain.
An upgraded version of his technique?
"All flash, no substance!"
Xiano sneered, his figure blurring as he transformed into an afterimage, charging straight into the pack of molten hounds. Instead of retreating, he closed the distance toward Akainu.
Each snarling hound that lunged at him was obliterated with a single punch—brutal and direct. The formless magma splattered through the air before plummeting into the sea.
"It seems..."
Akainu tilted his head slightly, watching the figure of the young man rapidly enlarging in his vision.
"One thing hasn't changed—you still rely on brute strength, recklessly expending your stamina."
His expression darkened like still water as he suddenly swung his right arm. "If you love taking hits so much, let's see if you can handle this one!"
"Meteor Volcano!"
BOOOOM—!!!
The entire magma sea erupted violently. Countless colossal magma fists shot skyward like volcanic eruptions, transforming into a meteor shower of fire, raining down upon Xiano from all directions!
Xiano's brow arched slightly, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his face.
He remembered clearly.
During the Summit War, Akainu's Meteor Volcano against the Whitebeard Pirates had been launched one by one into the sky before raining down from above—its origin tied to his body.
But now, Akainu wasn't even physically touching the magma sea below, yet he could effortlessly wield it as his weapon.
This was the power of a Logia awakening!
Indeed, among the Navy's Three Admirals, whether in physical prowess, Martial Arts, or Devil Fruit mastery, they were all monstrous existences!
But... it didn't matter.
Half a year ago on Toll Island, Akainu had ended their battle with this very technique, forcing Xiano to leap into the sea and flee, barely escaping by using "Sealed Dust Severance Slash" to teleport multiple times in succession.
And now?
Now...
I'm a monster too!!!
Facing the overwhelming barrage of magma meteors, Xiano threw his head back and laughed wildly. Without dodging or retreating, he suddenly raised his right hand, palm open toward the sky.
"God Split!"
HUM—!
A massive black-and-red disc, the size of a wagon wheel, materialized instantly.
As it spun at blinding speed, thick bolts of black-red lightning crackled outward in all directions, darkening the already twilight sky even further.
Xiano didn't bother looking up at the disc. Instead, his grin widened as he stared down at the endless meteors surging toward him.
His "Energy Disc" had been inspired by the King Baboon's swordplay after his own training hit a dead end—a modified, enhanced version of his own making.
It was formed by countless threads of Conqueror's Haki, intricately woven and intertwined together.
What could gather—
Could also scatter!
A pitch-black ring abruptly expanded outward from Xiano's palm, swelling rapidly in size, then swelling again, with gaps continuously forming within.
By the time it nearly blotted out the sky, resembling the shade of a towering tree, it had already transformed into something akin to a giant mosquito coil.
As Xiano suddenly thrust his palm downward, the ring violently dispersed, splitting into countless sharp black-and-red slashing waves that shot toward the sea below!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every slash formed from Conqueror's Haki struck a magma meteor with pinpoint accuracy, piercing and obliterating them midair, erupting into dazzling bursts of flame.
From a distance, it looked like fireworks blooming wildly in the night, illuminating the entire sea as bright as day.
"Easily neutralized, huh?"
Akainu's expression darkened. The longer the battle dragged on, the more he could feel the extent of his opponent's growth—not just in physical prowess, but in every aspect!
To wield Conqueror's Haki with such mastery, to this degree… Even among the Four Emperors, perhaps only that Haki-renowned Red Hair could surpass him?
"What are you spacing out for?!"
In that instant, Xiano suddenly burst through the smoke of the explosions, his body wreathed in black-and-red lightning, moving at blinding speed as he closed the distance to Akainu in an instant!
Under Akainu's stunned gaze, Xiano threw a punch, baring a ferocious grin:
"Fighting me, and you still have time to zone out?!"
Akainu hastily raised his magma-coated arms to block, staggering back a few steps before retaliating with his own fists, engaging Xiano in close-quarters combat.
THUD! THUD!
Fist-to-flesh clashes lacked the terrifying visual impact of earlier exchanges, but they made the battle purer—and far more likely to ignite tempers.
Their gazes locked tightly onto each other, neither speaking a word, yet the force behind their strikes seemed to follow an unspoken agreement, steadily increasing in intensity, their speed growing faster and faster.
Before the sky had even fully darkened, the two had already exchanged hundreds of blows.
Their physiques were nearly matched, with Akainu even holding a slight edge in raw strength and lethality. But Xiano's fist techniques were too unpredictable—blending hardness and softness—making them impossible to fully defend against.
His chest, abdomen, and shoulders were struck repeatedly, and this was despite him using Elemental Transformation in time to mitigate some of the damage. Yet, numerous injuries still remained, waves of sharp pain radiating throughout his body.
As for Xiano, though he too bore many wounds, his recovery speed was astonishingly fast, his breathing barely showing any signs of disturbance.
This only fueled Akainu's growing frustration. One thing was now certain—Xiano, like the Admirals of their generation, was the type who thrived in prolonged battles: boundless stamina, regenerative abilities akin to an awakened Zoan…
Even if he was confident he could eventually defeat Xiano, it wouldn't happen before dawn… No.
Realistically, it would take days and nights to determine a victor!
And just as these thoughts flashed through his mind, Xiano's foot—right on cue—slammed into his eye.
The area around his right eye instantly caved in, leaving behind an ugly black bruise.
"You damn brat!"
Akainu roared in fury, unable to suppress his rage any longer. Magma erupted from his body like a volcanic explosion as his right fist suddenly swelled, smashing toward Xiano's face.
"Dark Hound!"
I've been waiting for this move!
A fierce light flashed in Xiano's eyes as he made no attempt to dodge. His chest, coated in Armament Haki, took the blow head-on while his right fist drew back slightly, suddenly rippling like flowing water.
What appeared to be a gentle fist technique erupted with earth-shattering force the moment it connected with Akainu's chest!
"Elbaf's Spear... Might Nation·Extreme!"
BOOM!!!
Akainu's chest flesh exploded violently as his body was sent flying like a ragged sack. He spat out a mouthful of blood, tumbling uncontrollably across the molten sea, carving a kilometer-long trench in his wake.
(End of Chapter)