"Kuzan! What are you waiting for—get over here and help!"
In the burning forest, Akainu clutched the wound on his arm and shouted furiously at Aokiji.
Their battle with Rayleigh had already dragged on far too long, and even the iron-blooded Sakazuki was bleeding.
He had to admit it—at this moment, he was no match for the Dark King.
If he kept fighting alone, he'd only destroy the entire forest... and the one to fall first would definitely be him.
At Akainu's shout, Kuzan finally shook off his hesitation and rejoined the fray.
For a time, the forest became a storm of chaos—sword light, magma, and ice colliding in a deafening frenzy.
The Grand Line — Marine Headquarters, Marineford
At this time, the Fleet Admiral was Steel Bone Kong, not Sengoku.
Sengoku still served as an admiral, and Garp remained a vice admiral.
"'Dark King' Rayleigh… how the hell did he end up on Ohara?!"
Kong frowned deeply at the World Government report that had just landed on his desk.
Ohara—an island of scholars, a sanctuary of learning.
What business could a pirate like Rayleigh possibly have there?
"We don't know, sir," a Marine officer replied. "But both Kuzan and Sakazuki are already engaging him. The situation looks… grim."
"Even the Buster Call might not be enough to stop Rayleigh," another added.
Kong's brow furrowed tighter. He, Sengoku, and Garp all knew Rayleigh's strength too well.
Kuzan and Sakazuki together wouldn't be enough—unless the Buster Call's full might was focused entirely on Rayleigh.
After a long pause, Kong made his decision.
"All Buster Call forces, redirect!" he barked. "New target: 'Dark King' Rayleigh! This time, he must not escape!"
"Yes, sir!"
Back on Ohara's Coast
Three Marine vice admirals aboard the fleet soon received the order and relayed it immediately.
"Turn all batteries—new target located! Move toward the western forest!"
It didn't take long to find them.
The shockwaves from the battle between Rayleigh, Akainu, and Aokiji were visible from miles away.
By now, Kuzan was still injured, and Rayleigh held the upper hand—if only slightly.
"Fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A rain of cannonfire screamed across the sky, all aimed at one man.
Rayleigh's eyes widened. "Damn it—!"
Before he could dodge, the explosions engulfed him in blinding flames.
Seeing the inferno, both Aokiji and Akainu retreated hastily, choosing to let the Buster Call soften their enemy up.
The cannons roared endlessly, pounding the island with terrifying precision.
One after another, shells rained down where Rayleigh stood, giving him not even a second to breathe.
But the warships were far out at sea—too far for him to reach them easily.
If he dove into the water, how could he fend off that unending barrage?
Gritting his teeth, Rayleigh could only fall back, deflecting shells and blasts as best he could.
"Don't stop! Keep firing!" the vice admirals shouted. "We must capture him—don't let him get away!"
Elsewhere—
Saul had already ferried the survivors away from the island on his massive raft.
Clover and Olivia, however, had made their choice to stay behind, leaving Saul no choice but to save whoever he could.
But before they could get far, several Marine warships appeared—surrounding them from all directions.
Spotting the giant's massive frame, one of the vice admirals immediately contacted Sengoku.
"What? You've spotted Jaguar D. Saul?"
"Yes, sir! He's on a raft with several civilians—scholars from Ohara, by the looks of it!"
"I see," Sengoku said after a moment of thought. "Cease bombardment. I'll handle Rayleigh personally. Force those survivors back toward Ohara."
He had a plan.
"Yes, sir!"
Under the fleet's pressure, Saul was forced to turn back, steering his raft toward the island once more.
Soon, the survivors found themselves surrounded by Marine ships and soldiers.
Seeing this, Rayleigh frowned deeply. He knew what this meant—no escape.
"Rayleigh," Clover called, "take your son and Robin and go! I'll hold them off!"
"No," Rayleigh shook his head firmly. "You can't stop them. And even if I flee, how could I outrun a fleet on open water?"
They were trapped.
Utterly trapped.
Then, a Marine soldier approached, carrying a Den Den Mushi.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed.
So—they wanted to talk.
And sure enough, a familiar voice soon came through the receiver.
"Rayleigh," Sengoku's calm yet commanding tone echoed, "I never imagined that after Roger's execution, you'd go into hiding here of all places."
Rayleigh gave a short laugh.
"Hah! I was just hoping for a quiet place to grow old. Didn't expect the Navy to come knocking on my door."
"Enough small talk," he said, his tone dropping cold. "What do you want, Sengoku?"
If Sengoku had ordered a ceasefire, he clearly had something in mind.
"You know as well as I do that you're surrounded," Sengoku replied evenly.
"You and the people behind you have nowhere to run."
"But listen well, Rayleigh—if you lay down your weapon and surrender, I'll personally guarantee their safety under my authority as Admiral."
"Refuse, and perhaps you'll escape... but those people behind you will be reduced to ash under the Buster Call's fire."
Rayleigh's expression didn't change.
He'd expected this. Exactly this.
He turned to glance behind him—at the frightened survivors, and finally, at the boy still encased in ice: Mislanda.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"Have I really gotten old... that I can't even protect my own son?"
He drove his sword into the ground, his mind made up.
Seeing this, the Marines visibly relaxed.
If Rayleigh had chosen to keep fighting, even victory would've come at a terrible cost.
Just as he was about to speak—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust swept across the battlefield, halting him mid-motion.
Rayleigh turned his head—and froze.
A massive tidal wave, dozens of meters high, was racing toward the island like an oncoming mountain.
"Everyone brace for impact! Hold on to something!"
The vice admirals shouted in alarm.
If that wave struck, their ships would capsize for sure.
"Leave it to me!" Aokiji leapt forward, diving into the sea.
"I'll freeze it solid!"
He pressed his hands to the water's surface—
—but before his ice could spread, a battle axe came hurtling down from above, forcing him to dodge aside.
A figure landed hard behind him, swinging a second axe in a wide arc.
Caught off guard, Aokiji barely raised his guard, but the strike slammed into his shoulder, sending him crashing into the dirt.
Through gritted teeth, Kuzan looked up at the attacker and muttered one name—
"Scopper Gaban!"
"Hahaha! Marines—bullying my brothers, are you ready to pay the price?!"
The man—Scopper Gaban, wielding twin axes—stood proudly amidst the chaos, his presence as fierce as ever.
At the same time, the giant wave—unopposed—crashed down upon the entire fleet.
Warships were lifted like toys, tossed onto the island's shores, and flipped upside down by the sheer force of the water.
And behind that wave...
A dragon-emblazoned ship sailed through the foam and smoke.
Standing at its bow, cloak billowing in the wind, was a man with sharp eyes and a calm, stormlike presence.
Monkey D. Dragon.
He had arrived.
~~--------------------------
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