"Ahhh!!"
Saint Garin roared madly, unleashing the full force of his strength and Conqueror's Haki as he struggled to withstand Souta Kiryuu's devastating Thunder Dragon Descent.
"Old bastard! Die for me!!"
Souta's muscles swelled, his Conqueror's Haki spilling out in torrents as he pressed down, slowly forcing Garin's treasured blade to bend under the pressure.
BOOM!!
The ground beneath Garin's feet sank several meters, and the land for a thousand meters around split apart into fragments, exploding outward.
Zzzzt!
The sleeve of Garin's sword arm burst apart into dust, revealing gnarled muscles beneath. But that arm, wrapped in both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, began to tremble, the muscles twisting unnaturally.
"No!!!"
Garin desperately added strength with his left hand, fighting to hold back Souta's shattering strike.
CRACK!
The sound of bone snapping made Garin's face turn pale.
CRUNCH CRUNCH!
His right arm continued to shatter, bone after bone breaking under the overwhelming force.
In the next instant—
BOOM!!
Garin was smashed into a massive crater by Souta's terrifying power, his treasured blade sent flying. Blood sprayed in torrents across the pit.
"Ehhahahaha!! Victory belongs to me!!" Souta bellowed with savage laughter. He had just defeated a legendary Celestial Dragon head-on. Though it was after Kaido had worn him down, the triumph still thrilled him to the core. He always knew—in a clash of wills, the stronger side prevails!
"Die already!!"
Souta shed his Thunder Dragon form, shifting into his half-dragon body as he lunged into the crater to finish Garin off.
"Wretched experiment—die!!"
At that moment, a terrifying sniper round whizzed toward him, forcing Souta to halt and evade. The bullet radiated deadly menace—it was made of seastone.
Saint Forth stood at a distance, golden dragon-engraved rifle in hand, firing shots that kept Souta at bay and saved Garin from immediate death.
Meanwhile, Saint Conifer continued clashing with King, but Garin's downfall left their expressions grim.
"Ehhahahaha! You can't stop me!!"
Souta exhaled a cloud of violet poison gas, drowning the crater in a lethal mist. Then he vanished within it, rushing down at Garin once more.
But—
Step step step!!
A flurry of sandal-clad footsteps drew near. A razor-sharp slash of Haki-imbued sword energy tore through the poisonous haze, scattering it in an instant.
Souta was forced back, his figure revealed.
"Souta, do me a favor—end this war here!"
Red-Haired Shanks had reappeared on the battlefield, as troublesome and unpredictable as ever.
BOOM!!
Lava erupted as Akainu Sakazuki was hammered back by one of Kaido's crushing strikes, his body exploding into molten magma. Blood leaked from his mouth and nose as he struggled to breathe, forcing himself upright.
"Red-Haired Shanks!!"
Great Vajra Thunder Bagua!!
Kaido, in half-dragon form, greeted Shanks with his most ferocious blow, crackling with supreme lightning and unstoppable force.
Divine Departure!!
Shanks' sharp gaze flashed as he swung Gryphon with overwhelming speed and power, cleaving into Kaido's strike without fear.
The impact of their Haki-laden blows shook the entire land. Souta was flung away, Akainu retreated, unable to withstand the sheer pressure. The ground split apart, scarred as though plowed by titans. Black and red lightning danced wildly as storm clouds above were torn asunder.
"Horrifying!"
"Even more explosive than Kaido's clash with Garin!!"
Watching from afar, Souta's blood boiled with excitement. One day, soon, he too would reach this level.
As the shockwaves faded, the forces on all sides squared off once more.
Cough! Garin dragged himself from the crater, trembling. His right arm hung shattered and useless, his killing intent burning as he glared at Kaido and, especially, at Souta—the lowly experiment who had ruined his arm.
He retrieved his treasured blade, awkward in his left hand, his strength diminished.
"Wurororo!! Souta, you brat—you actually crippled this old man's arm!" Kaido laughed heartily. Seeing Shanks missing an arm and Garin now crippled, he found it almost poetic—like father and son.
"Kaido, with Shanks here, I'm not wasting my time. I can't handle both Akainu and Garin alone." Souta said coldly, then shifted into his full dragon form, soaring skyward. With the battle in this state, it was time to retreat.
If Kaido got tied up with Shanks, Souta would be left to face Garin, Akainu, and the sniper with seastone bullets—a losing situation he had no intention of fighting through.
"Coward!!" Kaido spat, glaring. "And Shanks—you're a damned nuisance."
"King, pull back. I'll fight them one more round!!" Kaido bellowed. Though he knew the war couldn't continue, his hatred for Shanks only burned hotter.
As Kaido charged once again, Shanks and Akainu moved together to protect the wounded Garin. King disengaged from Conifer, taking flight to safety, while Souta slipped away entirely, unwilling to throw his life away here.
Let Kaido rage—Souta would not be dragged down.
Issuing the retreat order to his own Arlong Unit, Souta turned north, toward another battlefield where Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, Golden Lion Shiki, Aokiji Kuzan, Tea Pig Jagi, and Saint Penz were still locked in ferocious combat, none willing to give up the blueprints of Pluton.
Along the coast, the Red-Hair Pirates and the God's Knights bore injuries under the storm of lightning, Saint Pleiezes worst of all—nearly killed by the blast.
Meanwhile, under Dragon's command, the Revolutionary Army had already withdrawn safely, while Fujitora carried civilians away atop floating earth.
At the northern front—
"Ehhahahaha! Big Mom, how about I help you seize the Pluton blueprints? All I ask is a little of your blood in return!!"
A crimson dragon swept across the sky, its overwhelming Conqueror's Haki making Aokiji and Saint Penz grimace. Souta had returned.
The mention of blood reminded Shiki of the sample Souta had stolen before, filling him with rage as he glared upward.
"Mamamama! Souta, bring me the blueprints and I'll marry off a daughter to you." Big Mom's voice rang out, sensing his growing power and trying to bind him to the Charlotte family through marriage.