"Bear Shockwave!!"
With a faint trace of resentment still lingering in his expression, Bartholomew Kuma slammed his massive paw forward, unleashing a colossal transparent paw-shaped shockwave that blasted countless bullets and cannon shells away. The projectiles rebounded, exploding back into the ranks of the marines.
BOOM!!
The violent air cannon detonated, sending scores of marines flying skyward in a storm of fire and smoke. Terrified screams and agonized cries echoed through the streets of Water 7.
"ROOM — Slaughterhouse!"
Trafalgar Law extended his hand, swiftly expanding his surgical sphere. Taking advantage of the chaos, he sliced through the air with a virtual blade, dissecting the marines mid-flight. Their bodies were cut into pieces, falling in chunks like scattered doll parts.
The horrifying scene was too much. The onlookers—civilians and pirates alike—who had been gawking from the sidelines panicked and fled, terrified of being caught up in the carnage.
"Move out, now!"
Capone Bege barked the order, his mafia subordinates disappearing one by one into the fortress within his body after hauling in the last of the heavy sacks of cash.
"Not bad for a marine Vice Admiral," Souta Kiryuu muttered, lowering Jewelry Bonney gently to the ground as his eyes narrowed on the incoming threat—a half-beast dalmatian marine, his claws already hardened pitch black with Armament Haki.
Just as Souta prepared to strike, a towering bolt of lightning split the sky.
Enel had already transformed into raw thunder, launching himself at Vice Admiral Dalmatian.
"Enel! That guy's no pushover—he's a Headquarters Vice Admiral, trained in Rokushiki and both types of Haki!" Souta warned sharply.
This wasn't like the casual spar with Corvus back in the sky. This marine carried genuine bloodlust and fearless resolve, making him especially dangerous. One slip in close combat and Enel, despite his Logia powers, could be fatally wounded.
Dalmatian's eyes hardened. "Logia—Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"
His body gleamed pitch black as Armament Haki spread across his entire form—full-body hardening.
With his defenses maximized, he braced against Enel's relentless thunderbolts. Still, dispersing his Haki weakened the strength of his claws and drained his stamina at a greater rate. Haki wasn't infinite—it needed recovery.
But as a Zoan user, Dalmatian's endurance and recovery far surpassed most. He was built for long, grueling battles.
"Too fast…" he muttered, eyes flashing as Enel's lightning body flickered around him, each strike heavier than the last. Forced on the defensive, he blocked claw after claw, seeking a window for a counter.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit truly lived up to its legend—its speed and destructive force pushed him to his limits. But Enel's arrogance, his lack of physical strength, left an opening.
There!
Enel's golden spear materialized behind him—Dalmatian's pupils shrank. His moment had come.
"Rokushiki Extension—Armed Black Claw!"
His five fingers condensed into razor claws, pulsing with concentrated Haki, and slashed backward with lethal precision.
"SHRIP!!"
The golden spear snapped clean in two. Dalmatian's strike tore across Enel's chest, leaving behind deep, bleeding claw marks.
But Enel's Observation Haki and lightning reflexes saved him from certain death. His body flickered into pure lightning, escaping the follow-up strike that aimed to rip out his heart.
Dalmatian snarled. "Damn it—you phased early. Practicing preemptive elementalization already?"
Enel glanced down at the bloody gash on his chest, his expression darkening. "You actually made me bleed…"
The Vice Admiral had been absorbing punishment the entire time, waiting patiently for a chance. Enel had grown careless. He should've anticipated this.
From above, Lafitte's voice rang out, urgent and sharp.
"Captain Souta! Someone serious is approaching—I recommend a strategic withdrawal!"
Souta's eyes narrowed. He leapt onto a nearby rooftop, scanning the horizon. An icy road was racing across the sea, advancing straight toward Water 7.
"Aokiji…" Souta muttered.
He glanced back at his crew. "Enel—show the world your true power. Kuma, take Bonney and Bege back to the Ark Maxim."
"Understood," Kuma rumbled, nodding as he scooped up Bonney, who was still gleefully toying with marines' ages, much to her father's frustration. Bege, ever pragmatic, stuck close to Kuma without needing to be told twice.
With them gone, Souta had no more reservations. Law, Lafitte, and Enel were more than capable of holding their own.
Law sliced through the remaining marines with cold precision, his "surgical dissections" leaving behind a battlefield littered with dismembered corpses—his grim reputation as the Surgeon of Death growing ever darker.
"More ships are landing!" Lafitte called down, pale wings fluttering as he hovered above. "They're surrounding us from all sides—Captain, I see several familiar faces among them. Headquarters Colonels."
Indeed, Souta spotted them advancing across the streets:
Colonel T-Bone.
Colonel Xialinkul, Wheel-Wheel Fruit user.
Colonel Shuu, Rust-Rust Fruit user.
Colonel Berry Good, Bean-Bean Fruit user.
Colonel Tia, Cage-Cage Fruit user.
The Marines had moved fast. Entire battalions, colonels, and even an Admiral. The Government wasn't taking chances this time. Souta's presence in Water 7 was a threat they couldn't ignore.
"200 Million Volts—Raijin!!"
On Souta's command, Enel slammed his drums, unleashing torrents of divine lightning as his body expanded into a colossal thunder giant. The air itself trembled.
Even hardened colonels like Tia and Shuu faltered at the sight.
The Thunder God of legend—the one rumored to have attacked Dressrosa—was real, and his power was overwhelming.
If Souta's crew escaped today, Enel's bounty would soar beyond imagination.
Souta's gaze swept the battlefield, calculating. "Most of these Paramecia powers aren't worth much. But the Rust-Rust Fruit… the Bean-Bean Fruit… they might be worth taking alive."
They were rare abilities, useful for future projects, though not ideal candidates for the Seraphim program. Still, resources were resources.
But his eyes hardened. Aokiji had arrived, looming behind the advancing Marines, cold mist trailing in his wake.
Any reckless move now would be suicide.