Sakazuki roared, slammed both fists toward the heavens, and a barrage of colossal lava fists erupted skyward.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom.
Blazing magma collided in the air, painting the horizon blood red.
A world-ending wave of heat bore down.
The island shuddered. In a heartbeat, stifling heat flooded everything.
Above, lava masses crashed together, spitting blinding sparks.
Bang.
Magma boulders, wild as meteorites, burned and plunged.
The molten storm howled, tearing the air. Steam hissed in sheets.
Akainu had thrown out his limit break. This was his most terrifying technique.
Giant clots of magma bloomed overhead, scattered, and rained down like a fiery monsoon toward Rakuya.
A killing blow, and the strongest one he had.
Zephyr's face tightened. He used Soru to flash clear of the impact zone. Borsalino shot him a sidelong, jealous glance, then became light and slipped away.
The move was a bug in reality. Lava from the sky with crushing force to match.
Scale and destruction left anything prior in the dust.
It was overwhelming.
"Is this still human power?"
"The scope is insane. Akainu is this strong?"
Marines stared slack jawed at the lava front rolling across the sky.
Under every eye, the red boulders hammered down on the barrier around Rakuya.
One, two, three.
Then a deluge. Five-meter magma stones paved the earth and pounded it to powder.
When the lava slammed into the barrier, its force did not slacken. It ground on until it guttered out, cracked, and burst into sooty grit.
Thunk.
Even the ground outside the barrier could not bear it. The ring of earth sank under the shock.
An unseen shockwave flipped dozens off their feet. The air rippled. Gunsmoke tainted every breath.
"Is he dead?"
"Dead?"
Hearts across the field clung to the hope. With a bombardment like that, neither Marines nor pirates believed Rakuya could live.
Even Zephyr felt a cold weight in his chest for the kid.
"Yo yo yo, did Borsalino get him?" Kizaru tilted his head, curious.
The smoke peeled away and showed what the Meteor Volcano had done to the land.
The ground had split open and slumped more than ten meters, a vast ring-shaped basin. At its center stood a thick pillar. Atop it lay Rakuya. His barrier was crazed with hairline cracks and, with a brittle sound, it finally shattered.
The jolt woke him.
Rakuya blinked, dazed. "Wasn't I fighting a second ago? How did I fall asleep?"
[Beep] "Apologies, Host. A system update just now put you to sleep," the system replied matter-of-factly.
"You put me to sleep?"
Rakuya's temples throbbed. "Maybe update at a different time, or warn me first? I was in the middle of a fight. What if I got killed? I trust my barrier, but that kind of irresponsible timing is not cool."
He ignored the stunned crowd and haggled with the voice in his head.
"Sorry, Host. It will not happen again."
"Not happen again? There is a next time? Unless you compensate me, I am not letting this slide."
"…How about five hundred points?" The system caved.
"Five hundred? Fine. I will let it go. Next time, warn me so I can brace."
"Understood, Host."
Sakazuki saw Rakuya standing there safe, eyes a little unfocused, and his fury spiked.
"Is defense all you can do? Hiding in a turtle shell like a coward. Trash that does not dare to fight back."
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