G-1 Branch.
Among all the GL branches, this was the highest-ranked by designation and also the most powerful and well-equipped branch in the New World.
Both the G-5 and G-14 Branches had only two Vice Admirals stationed at their headquarters, with one required to remain on base. Thus, they could only dispatch one Vice Admiral to lead their fleets this time.
But the G-1 Branch?
It boasted a full five Vice Admirals!
This time, they deployed three large standard warships and five medium-sized ones, led by three Vice Admirals, tasked with blockading the northern sea.
At the forefront was the current G-1 Branch base commander, the seasoned and veteran Vice Admiral—Flying Squirrel.
At this moment.
"Vice Captain of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates, the 'Gale Swordsman' Kuina?"
Flying Squirrel stood at the bow of the flagship, gripping the hilt of his sword as his cold gaze swept over the high-ponytailed girl walking through the air. He frowned and spoke:
"Though you're a notorious pirate with a bounty exceeding 700 million Berries, do you truly think you can single-handedly stop the G-1 Branch fleet? Isn't that a bit too arrogant!"
"Whether it's arrogance or not, you'll know after taking one strike from me."
Kuina's expression remained indifferent as her thumb lightly pushed the tsuba, and Wado Ichimonji flashed free from its sheath with a chilling gleam.
"Hmph, don't underestimate us, pirate!"
Before Flying Squirrel could respond, a burly Vice Admiral with a handlebar mustache behind him roared in anger, drawing his own blade and leaping off the deck like a cannonball, charging straight at Kuina. "Let me test your mettle first!"
"Don't be reckless!"
Flying Squirrel urgently tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Swish—!
The blade light flashed like snow. Before the handlebar-mustached Vice Admiral could fully reach the sky, a surge of sword aura, wrapped in raging gales, slashed horizontally across his chest!
Squelch!
Blood splattered. Though the Vice Admiral had hastily reinforced his defense with Armament Haki, the strike still tore through his flesh. With a pained grunt, he crashed onto the deck, sending several Marines flying.
"Vice Admiral Steelers!" The surrounding Marines cried out in alarm, rushing to help him up.
Hearing that name, Kuina's expression shifted slightly.
"What did they call you?"
Her eyes turned icy as she pointed her blade at the Vice Admiral on the deck. "Steelers?"
"What, do you recognize me?"
Steelers clutched his chest as he stood up, scrutinizing Kuina's face suspiciously before sneering. "But I don't recall ever meeting you before."
"..."
Kuina narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for two seconds before shaking her head impassively. "It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that you will die here today."
Hm?
Suddenly, her brow furrowed as if sensing something. Without even looking, she swung her blade sharply toward the rear-right.
Whoosh!
The sword aura howled. The last G-1 Vice Admiral, who had launched a surprise attack from another warship, paled in shock. He crossed his arms to block, barely managing to deflect the strike, but was still sent crashing onto the deck, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
This one's appearance was even more distinctive than Steelers'.
His right arm was a modified steam-powered mechanical limb, his head bald and grotesque, with six chins layered in rolls of fat.
The man was clearly no spring chicken, seemingly a seasoned Vice Admiral, yet he abruptly looked up, unable to conceal his shock.
"Ho, impressive..."
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring intently at Kuina in the air. "Her swordsmanship... is far stronger than the intelligence reports estimated!"
"This isn't the time for astonishment, Red King!"
Flying Squirrel, standing at the forefront, finally drew his blade, its surface wreathed in thick, pure black Armament Haki. He spoke gravely, "And you, Steelers! Acting alone won't get you anywhere. Both of you must coordinate with me! Understood?!"
The other two Vice Admirals had been individually struck down with a single slash each.
What terrifying strength!
But upon reflection, it wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, during the previous Sabaody incident, she had single-handedly stalled Vice Admiral Kaji, a candidate for Admiral, for over an hour.
"Understood!"
The other two Vice Admirals responded in unison. The trio simultaneously activated Moon Walk, soaring into the air to encircle Kuina in a triangular formation—Flying Squirrel leading the assault, with Red King and Steelers providing support.
Three against one?
Kuina remained unfazed, tightening her grip on Wado Ichimonji.
All around her, the sound of white Justice cloaks flapping in the wind filled the air, stirring a faint memory.
Back on Toll Island, she had struggled against Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Dalmatian alone, barely holding her ground with Nojiko's assistance.
But now, times had changed.
It was these seasoned Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals who deemed themselves outmatched, resorting to teamwork and attrition tactics against her.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Perfectly to her liking!
Swish!
The high-ponytailed girl vanished from her spot in an instant, reappearing right before Flying Squirrel.
Forward Slash!
Under the stunned gazes of the three Vice Admirals, Kuina's blade light transformed into a flawless arc, slashing toward all three of them simultaneously!
...
Meanwhile, southwest direction.
The forces encircling this area belonged to G-5 Branch—a fleet consisting of one large standard warship and two smaller ones, their presence noticeably weaker than G-1 Branch's.
The sea was shrouded in smoke as Smoker, his body in Elemental Transformation form, braved the barrage of Armament Haki-infused cannon fire to land on the flagship's deck.
Behind him, Robin descended under the cover of smoke, the wings sprouting from her sides dissolving into petals.
"There are several Rear Admirals here," she remarked, glancing around with a smile. "I can handle those. As for that rather intimidating Vice Admiral—likely the base commander—I'm no match for him. He's all yours, Smoker."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
Smoker adjusted the cigar between his teeth, brushing gunpowder residue off his Ten Hand before lifting his gaze to the approaching figure.
"Defector Hunter Smoker, once a disciple Zefa held in high esteem. Fresh out of Marine Headquarters's training camp, you were granted the rank of Marine Headquarters Captain at such a young age," the man with sunglasses and a buzz cut spoke coldly. "A privilege many could only envy—I was no exception... And yet, you chose the path of a traitor. What a pity."
"Enough with the rambling!"
Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke and stepped forward irritably. "If you're going to stand on your moral high ground and act all high and mighty, at least wipe that fish cake and chopsticks off your face first! Is the Navy full of guys like you now? It's really going to hell!"
"Ah, thanks."
Vergo gently wiped the food from his mouth. "Seems you still have some conscience left. But since we've crossed paths, I can't just stand by and do nothing. As for the reason..."
He suddenly drew his bamboo staff and swung it viciously at Smoker!
"Sorry, but I'm Navy."
Clang!
Smoker blocked with his Ten Hand, the metallic clash ringing sharply through the cigar smoke as the two sized each other up.
"Hmph."
Smoker snorted again.
For some reason.
Just looking at this guy pissed him off, as if he'd been bullied and beaten by him in a dream... yet he had no memory of it.
Whatever!
Since he was in charge of G-5 Branch, this guy wasn't getting past him!
...
...
At the center of the battlefield.
After sliding over a kilometer across the molten lava, Akainu finally came to a stop.
He knelt on the magma, breathing heavily, a burning pain radiating from his chest.
Looking down, he saw a massive crater the size of a cannon muzzle on the left side of his chest.
This area had once been an intricate tattoo—black swirling clouds and blooming cherry blossoms stretching from his heart to his shoulder and arm.
It held deep personal significance for him.
And now...
Akainu's expression darkened as he attempted to activate Life Return.
No healing whatsoever. Without a doubt, this would become another permanent scar—the largest and most visible one yet.
The tattoo was completely ruined...
His face grew even stormier.
Opposite him.
Xiano, who had taken Akainu's "Dark Hound" head-on, was also sent flying back hundreds of meters before barely steadying himself.
A gaping wound split open across his chest, the edges charred and curled, with a gruesome bloody hole at the center—as if a chunk had been violently carved out by some terrifying force.
But unlike Akainu, after expending a negligible amount of stamina, the wound began visibly healing at an astonishing rate.
So, with just a glance, he dismissively raised his head.
His gaze locked with Akainu's, whose eyes burned with a predatory, icy fury.
"Why so angry? Oh, lost your tattoo, huh."
Xiano's lips curled into a grin as he scanned Akainu's chest. "Not a bad thing, really. That gangster look wasn't doing the Navy's so-called 'justice' any favors."
Damn, that's a huge scar!
Holy hell, you could fit a whole Chopper in there. Even he hadn't expected that.
Come to think of it.
Back on Toll Island, his "Elbaf Spear: Warrior Nation" had only managed to inflict a minor wound on Akainu—and that was after using a Mystical Bean to restore himself to peak condition, catching him off guard with everything he had.
But now, after significantly improving his Martial Arts and infusing it with Conqueror's Haki, the power of his Warrior Nation was on an entirely different level!
"Enough of your insolence!" Akainu snarled. "A mere Pirate has no right to speak of justice!"
Akainu slowly rose to his feet, his arms once again engulfed in molten lava. As the magma churned, his aura surged once more. With a low growl, he declared:
"What, did you think this level of strength could defeat me? Far from it!"
Whoosh!
Before his words even faded, Akainu's figure vanished abruptly.
The next instant, he appeared directly above Xiano, his right fist transforming into a colossal magma fist that descended with devastating force.
"Magma Blast!"
His speed and strength showed no signs of slowing or weakening—almost indistinguishable from his peak condition at the start of the battle.
A stark contrast to what Rayleigh had experienced when clashing with him.
"Is this the power of a top-tier fighter still in his prime?"
Xiano looked up, his vision instantly flooded with blinding crimson. Yet, he remained utterly unfazed, grinning wildly as he channeled all his Haki into his right fist once more. Black-red lightning crackled violently around it.
"Just took a heavy hit and immediately gets back up like nothing happened—terrifying! Fine then, let's keep going! Let's see whose fist is harder!"
Their fists collided again, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The magma sea erupted into towering waves, and the clouds above were blasted apart.
BOOM—!
Amid the deafening explosion, both figures were sent flying backward, but they quickly regained their footing and charged at each other once more.
"Xiano, you brat!!"
"Sakazuki!!"
Their roars erupted almost simultaneously.
————
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Morning.
A beam of sunlight streamed through the window, accompanied by a gentle breeze. The pleasant weather should have made for a cheerful day.
Yet...
Inside the office beneath the plaque bearing the words "Absolute Justice," Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed his fist onto the desk with a thunderous crash.
THUD!
Pens, documents, and ink bottles were sent flying. The violent impact made several nearby clerical officers flinch and lower their heads—only the goat remained unperturbed, leisurely chewing on something.
"What did you say? What did you just say?!"
Sengoku's face was livid. "That bastard Sakazuki actually mobilized forces from three branches without even notifying Headquarters—just to hunt down Xiano?!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral," the Lieutenant before him wiped sweat from his brow, rarely having seen Sengoku this furious. "It was an emergency, and Mr. Sakazuki had no choice. But rest assured—three branches, five large warships, and five Vice Admirals were deployed. Aside from the firepower allocation, it's practically a Buster Call in scale. It should be more than enough to—"
"Enough my ass!"
Sengoku nearly grabbed a chair to hurl at him but restrained himself. Clenching his teeth, he paced back and forth, hands behind his back.
"What do you mean 'no choice'? Was he so pressed he couldn't spare a second to inform Headquarters?! Sakazuki—that damn fool! What gives him such confidence? How dare he act so recklessly!"
"Xiano now—no, the entire Falling Stars Adventure Pirates—are no longer a threat a single Admiral can handle alone. Doesn't he understand that?!"
The Fleet Admiral... actually regards Xiano with that level of caution already?
The Lieutenant was momentarily stunned.
He was somewhat of an admirer and follower of Akainu. In this world, apart from the Four Emperors, he didn't believe there was anyone Mr. Sakazuki couldn't defeat.
"Of course."
Seated on the sofa was Headquarters Chief of Staff Tsuru. She seemed to have read the Lieutenant's thoughts and sighed before speaking softly:
"I know many of your generation of young people tend to look down on those from the older era who have already left the stage—like Rayleigh, who was defeated by Xiano... But don't forget, Borsalino also went after him alone, not once but twice, and still failed to capture him."
That was true, but surely Mr. Sakazuki was stronger than Admiral Kizaru, wasn't he?
The Lieutenant was clearly still unconvinced but didn't dare argue back against Tsuru.
"So, you may not be aware, but after this bounty increase, we old-timers have been discussing whether to grant him the same treatment as the Four Emperors."
Tsuru continued, "In other words, unless there's a direct order from the Holy Land, even an Admiral cannot act against the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates without Headquarters' approval. Otherwise, if the operation fails, it would damage the entire Navy's reputation."
"Kuzan, you're listening too, aren't you?"
She glanced at the Den Den Mushi on the table. "Keep this in mind. Among the three of you now, you're the only one who hasn't faced Xiano alone yet, so I have to remind you especially."
"Uh..."
The Den Den Mushi narrowed its eyes, smacked its lips, and made a gesture as if scratching its head, but ultimately held back and said nothing.
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