Chapter 106: Sabaody Archipelago: Battle with Akainu, Part 7
Those watching the battle between Eric 's pirate crew and Akainu began to ponder deeply.
"Hehehehehe…" Doflamingo let out his signature eerie laugh before Speaking again, "No wonder they dared kill a Celestial Dragon on my turf. They've got some skill, managing to hold their own against Akainu for this long."
"I say, I say, Doffy," said the snot-nosed, unkempt Trebol, "I didn't expect those two to have awakened Devil Fruits like you. But Doffy, you're a natural-born king—they're nothing compared to you."
"Right, Doffy, they made you angry. Next time we meet them, we'll make them pay," said the tall and lanky Diamante, who had watched Doflamingo grow up. If anyone dared mess with Doflamingo, they would've wiped out that person's entire village without hesitation.
"If they die at Akainu's hands, then there's nothing more to say. But if they survive… picking a fight with such a capable pirate crew over something so minor doesn't align with our interests. I have a feeling we'll cross paths eventually," Doflamingo said, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, betraying no emotion.
"Awakened Devil Fruits… and Conqueror's Haki…"
"Trebol, if they survive this, collect every piece of intel you can on them."
"No problem. Leave it to me."
…
On 27GR, the clash between ice and fire made everyone present clearly realize the terror of man-made natural disasters—ones capable of changing terrain, climate, and environment effortlessly.
Akainu's Magma Awakening seized control over half the weather. The massive difference in air pressure between both sides generated cyclones.
"Still not ready to surrender?!" Akainu surged forward on a wave of magma, hurtling toward Esdeath. His crimson magma transformed into an arm. "Hellhound!" He launched it at her.
"Defeat means death!!" Esdeath didn't dodge this time. Her rapier, imbued with both Haki and chilling cold, clashed directly with Hellhound.
The Awakening-powered technique, bolstered by Haki stronger than Esdeath's, easily consumed her blade. The molten fist swept past, burning through her right arm.
"Esdeath!" Eric and the others cried out in alarm and unleashed every attack they had on the now-molten Akainu.
"Annoying pests!" Akainu had intended to strike again and kill Esdeath—who had assaulted a Celestial Dragon—live on global broadcast. But the barrage of Haki-infused attacks forced him to go on the defensive.
Eric blinked beside Esdeath, grabbed her by the waist, and quickly retreated.
"You okay?" he asked with concern.
"It's fine. Just lost an arm. Though… why is it always my right arm?" Esdeath joked through the pain of losing a limb—worthy of even Guan Yu's legendary endurance.
"Hmph, you've lost a whole arm and still have energy to joke?" Kurumi rushed over and glared at her. "Need me to rewind time for you now?"
"No need. The pain is invigorating—it sharpens my fighting spirit!"
Esdeath created a new ice arm using her ability, detailed down to the fingers, ready to rejoin the battle.
At that moment, her Conqueror's Haki leveled up to four stars. How does someone gain Haki from getting injured? Was it literally "leaking Haki"?
"Admiral Sakazuki! We're here to support you!"
The stationed marines of the Sabaody Archipelago finally crossed half the island's blizzard and reached the battlefield.
"Bzzt…" Esdeath, with her newly-upgraded Haki, released another burst of Conqueror's Haki, knocking all the incoming marines unconscious on the spot.
"!!" Akainu's eyes widened—he saw something he wasn't meant to see.
Because Akainu had departed from headquarters toward Sabaody before Esdeath left the Human Auctioning House, and there was no television on the warship, he had not seen her previously knock out marines with Conqueror's Haki.
Already determined to eliminate Eric 's crew, Akainu now burned with even more killing intent.
"If you don't help your subordinates, they'll freeze to death in ten minutes," Esdeath warned. Regular marines collapsed in this freezing battlefield would soon die of exposure.
"Justice comes with sacrifice. Their deaths won't be in vain," Akainu replied coldly. He had no concern for the lives of marines—sacrificing as many as needed to accomplish the mission was justifiable to him.
"Really? So it's not just a matter of opposing powers—our personalities clash too…" Though Esdeath was ruthless and bloodthirsty, she treated her subordinates well and never made needless sacrifices. She loathed Akainu's attitude.
"Hmph, pirate," Akainu sneered. "And now you care about marines' lives? Aren't you the one who's killed so many of them?"
"If we let you escape today, who knows how many more atrocities you'll commit? But it's no use arguing now. Your fates end here!"
Akainu focused his attacks entirely on Esdeath. With awakened Conqueror's Haki in her twenties and an awakened Devil Fruit, he couldn't risk letting her grow further.
"Die! Hellhound!" The same move that had taken Esdeath's arm was launched again—he clearly intended to finish her with it.
"Come on then, Ice Pillar!" Esdeath's ice arm struck out, forming a thick ice column aimed at Akainu.
"Spear is I!" Scáthach's magic spear was infused with Haki. The red spear turned dark crimson, and even the surrounding red lightning dimmed.
Increasing her spear attribute didn't just improve her technique—it enhanced her affinity with the weapon. Now, the magic spear flowed like an extension of her own body.
"I am the spear!" Dark red lightning enveloped Scáthach, merging her with her weapon until she became one with her spear.
"Haa!" Scáthach charged at Akainu with both spears in hand, striking from both sides. The combined force of the dual attack slammed into Akainu, who was still engaged with Esdeath, launching him into the sky.
"Damn it!" Wounded by Scáthach's blow, Akainu coughed up blood mid-air.
"Two Hundred Million Volts: RaiKing!" Eric 's entire body surged with electricity, transforming into a 4–5 meter tall thunder god.
"Lightning Spear!" Just like when he previously defeated Esdeath, he formed a blue spear with his right hand, which turned white due to electrical charge, glowing intensely.
"Lightning Spear!"
"Spear of Deathpierce!"
Both attacks launched simultaneously, one from each side, as Akainu remained suspended mid-air from Scáthach's strike.
The Lightning Spear, crackling white, and the Deathpierce Spear, trailing red lightning, flew as twin bolts of energy, hitting Akainu dead-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Zzzt! Zzzt!
The attacks exploded on Akainu's magma body, thunderclaps rumbling endlessly. Stray lightning arcs splintered the roots of surrounding trees.
Magma shattered into countless irregular chunks, falling from the sky. Some ignited tree roots, others melted frozen terrain.
Audiences watching the battle from their screens were mesmerized by the high-level fight. Seeing Akainu torn into fragments of magma, they were stunned.
"Could an Admiral really be finished off like this…?"
"What are you talking about?! There's no way the Navy's top force goes down that easily!"
'Akainu won't die that easily,' Eric thought. 'He took that devastating hit from Whitebeard and still chased after the Straw Hats like nothing happened…'
Eric used his communicator: "Chiron, how are things on your end?"
"We're heading toward Sabaody now. We've taken out four warships, but five are heading straight for your position, Captain!"
"…I see," Eric thought for a moment. "We have no choice then. Da Vinci, launch the missiles—aim above 27GR. I'm going to use that move…"
"You sure? If you use that, you might not even have a place to land afterward!" Da Vinci said, alarmed.
"It's fine. As long as Esdeath's ice is still around, we'll manage. Since we can't finish Akainu through combat… then we'll have to rely on the terrain."
(END CHAPTER)
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