White Fist and Black Cage came in succession.
"A Devil Fruit user...!"
Squard and Fossa hastily raised their blades to block the incoming White Fist and Black Cage.
The over-two-meter-long blades clashed against the barrier-like Black Cage, sending sparks flying, while a fist, billowing with white smoke, struck heavily against the flaming sword.
A sharp screech and a muffled impact resounded simultaneously.
The resulting force forcefully pushed Squard and Fossa backward.
The intervention of Hina and Smoker successfully halted their attack on Maude.
Seeing Squard and Fossa forced back, Blenheim decisively withdrew and repositioned, forming a pincer formation with his comrades.
"A Logia and a Paramecia... They seem quite formidable."
Their expressions remained unreadable as they stared at the unexpected interference from Smoker and Hina.
On this battlefield, rank alone was not a measure of strength.
Thus—
No matter the opponent, they had to fight with everything they had.
Maude, too, turned to look at Smoker and Hina, who had stepped in to assist him.
"I didn't expect this... You two actually helped me?"
"Help you? Don't misunderstand. That would just make me uncomfortable."
Smoker casually rubbed his slightly sore wrist, first glancing at the mildly surprised Maude before shifting his cold gaze to Fossa, who wielded the flaming blade.
Earlier—
It was this man who had blocked his White Fist with his sword.
The high-level Armament Haki he wielded had directly transmitted a shockwave back, slightly straining Smoker's wrist.
After all, he was a division commander under Whitebeard's flag...
Facing such an opponent required abandoning any arrogant notions that "Logia means invincibility."
Hina stepped to Maude's right, plucking the cigarette from her lips.
"Hina fights for the Navy's victory. As much as I hate to admit it, you, this annoying guy... are one of the key combatants in this war."
With that, she extinguished the cigarette.
This action signified her resolve to fight with her life on the line.
"The Whitebeard Pirates likely think the same way, which is why they sent three division commanders after you. If they succeed, it'll be a big problem for Hina."
"A solid reason, but you're so weak. Can you even last a minute?"
Maude shot Hina a sidelong glance, positioning his sword in front of him.
"!!!"
Hearing Maude's blunt remark, veins bulged on Hina's forehead.
But there was no time to argue with him now.
"Smoker, I'm going in first!"
Hina clenched her black-gloved hands and rapidly stepped forward dozens of times.
Shave!
Her figure vanished with the wind.
In the next instant, she reappeared behind Squard.
Black Cage!
Hina thrust out both hands, aiming at Squard's sides.
With her Cage-Cage Fruit ability, a mere touch would instantly generate a series of iron bars, trapping the target completely.
"Woman, you seem... to be underestimating me."
However, Squard reacted in advance, flicking his wrist to reverse his grip on his sword, stabbing backward under his arm, aiming directly for Hina.
Before the blade even reached her, its chilling gleam was already upon her.
"!"
Hina's eyes widened in shock. She quickly changed her hand movement, crossing them over each other as they transformed into jet-black iron rods.
Squard's reverse stab struck heavily against Hina's transformed arms.
Clang—!
Sparks burst from the impact.
The force transmitted through the blade sent Hina flying backward. She skidded over ten meters before finally stabilizing herself.
"Hina was careless."
As her hands reverted to normal, the backs of her palms beneath the gloves were slightly swollen.
If not for her quick reaction—
That stab from Squard would have run her straight through.
"Hina, don't be reckless."
Smoker transformed his lower body into rolling white smoke, lifting himself into the air before swiftly landing at Hina's left.
His timely adjustment in position effectively blocked any potential attack Blenheim might have launched.
However, Hina's reckless advance had already put her in danger.
"Take out the female Marine first."
Squard, Fossa, and Blenheim had no inclination for chivalry, nor would they adhere to any code of honor. They seized the opportunity and attacked Hina together.
Even with Smoker repositioning himself, he couldn't stop all three from overwhelming Hina at once.
"..."
Smoker frowned. He lunged at Squard's group while transforming his right arm into smoke, using it to propel his Jitte through the air, aiming at Fossa.
"You're learning."
Fossa abruptly turned, watching the smoke-driven Jitte fly toward him.
"But even with a weapon, nothing changes."
Fossa's gaze sharpened. His flaming blade slashed out, drawing a red-hot arc toward the incoming Jitte.
Iron-Cutting Slash!
Shiiing—!
A faint sound accompanied the attack.
The Jitte, touched by the red arc, was severed in two.
"My Jitte..."
Smoker's expression changed as he stared at the broken weapon.
Fossa withdrew his blade, but without losing momentum, he swung another fiery slash directly at Smoker's right arm.
"Logia means nothing! Without Armament Haki, you don't even have the right to stand before me."
Fossa's presence was overwhelming.
If that strike landed, Smoker would undoubtedly lose his arm.
With no time for hesitation, Smoker turned his right hand into smoke.
"Naïve."
Seeing Smoker attempt to evade with his Devil Fruit ability, Fossa smirked coldly.
His red-hot slash continued its path toward the smoke.
At just the right moment, he could imbue it with Armament Haki and land a decisive blow.
Just as Smoker believed he could dodge, Maude moved—sending a Flying Slash at Fossa.
"Hm?"
Fossa furrowed his brows and withdrew his attack to block Maude's slash.
Restraining Fossa for a moment, Maude vanished using Stealth Walk, leaving only ripples of dust on the ground.
At the same time—
Squard and Blenheim reached Hina and unleashed their finishing moves.
"Maelstrom Slash!"
A Haki-infused blade whipped up powerful air currents, slashing at Hina from the left.
"Bull Drill!"
A similarly Haki-coated sword thrust upward, aiming for Hina's chest.
Facing the combined assault of two New World pirates, Hina's pupils shrank, sensing an unprecedented sense of danger.
In this moment, her only choice was to mount a desperate defense.
"Layered Cage!"
She retreated while swinging her arms, extending two black barriers from her elbows, crossing them in front of her.
Squard and Blenheim's attacks landed on the barriers.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted from the impact.
The Haki-infused attacks transferred their force through the barriers, striking Hina's body directly.
Her body recoiled from the impact, and she spat blood.
"So strong..."
Hina struggled to resist the overwhelming force exerted by Squard and Blenheim, looking as if she was on the verge of collapse.
"Blenheim, pierce her!"
Squard suddenly applied more force, pressing Hina down against the black iron bars with his longsword, rendering her immobile.
"Alright."
Blenheim responded swiftly, withdrawing his blade before immediately assuming a thrusting stance.
His gaze, filled with killing intent, quickly swept through the gaps between the dark iron bars.
Only because there were gaps could it be called a cage.
Blenheim's eyes locked onto Hina's vital point through the opening.
"Let's finish one off first."
Muttering softly, Blenheim thrust his sword forward.
But in that instant, a thick black-red blade abruptly appeared, blocking Blenheim's attack.
It was Maude's Shusui.
Clang—!
The longsword that should have pierced through Hina's body was firmly intercepted by Shusui's blade.
Like striking a solid wall, it could not advance even an inch.
Having stepped in at the last possible moment to shield Hina, Maude sighed in disappointment. "I thought you could last at least a minute, but you only managed ten seconds. I overestimated you."
"..."
Hearing Maude's words, Hina bit her lip.
She barely had the strength to resist Squard's blade pressing against her, let alone argue back.
"Bacardi Maude."
Blenheim's sharp eyes fixed on Maude, his voice cold. "You let your guard down."
"Oh?"
Maude feigned surprise.
At that moment, as if to confirm Blenheim's words, Izo, who had been lying in wait, finally made his move.
Bang! Bang!
He raised both pistols and fired two rounds at Maude.
The two Haki-infused lead bullets shot toward Maude from different angles while he was locked in a blade clash with Blenheim.
The gunshots from afar brought a smirk to Blenheim's lips.
In contrast, Maude remained calm.
"Surely, you didn't think… you could restrain me with strength alone?"
Maude's arm muscles tensed as he effortlessly forced Blenheim back.
Blenheim stumbled several steps backward, but instead of responding, he merely grinned coldly at Maude.
Ignoring Blenheim's reaction, Maude's eyes glowed red as he quickly adjusted his stance and swung his blade toward the incoming bullets.
Just as Shusui's blade was about to deflect them, something unexpected happened.
The two lead bullets, meant to target Maude's vitals, collided in midair before reaching him.
Clang!
The impact produced a crisp metallic sound, causing both bullets to deviate from their original trajectories.
Maude's slash passed cleanly between them, missing both.
One bullet dropped harmlessly to his right, while the other whizzed past his left and continued toward an unknown target.
Although he failed to cut down the bullets, neither struck his body.
"You're done for, Bacardi Maude!"
Despite the bullets missing Maude, Blenheim, having retreated a few meters, declared his downfall with absolute certainty.
"Hmm?"
Feigning delayed realization, Maude turned sharply toward the stray bullet flying behind him.
It was heading straight for the location of one of his shadow clones, who was in the midst of gunning down pirates.
As Maude's gaze locked onto the scene, the Haki-infused bullet penetrated the clone's chest.
The sudden impact caused the shadow clone to momentarily freeze, a fist-sized hole appearing in its chest.
That hole was right where the heart should be.
At the same moment the clone's heart was pierced, Maude's body trembled violently. His empty left hand clutched at his chest, as if enduring excruciating pain, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Fossa.
"You… from the very beginning… you were targeting my shadow…"
"Hahaha, you didn't expect to die like this, did you, Bacardi Maude?"
Blenheim, as if having accomplished something of great significance, grinned with excitement. Laughing heartily, he continued, "To think that a Warlord would expose such a fatal weakness just to save a female Marine."
"Izo's 'Double Tap' is as deadly as ever."
From a distance, Fossa forced Smoker back with a swing of his blade before turning toward Maude, laughing triumphantly. "Taking a Haki-infused bullet to the heart… there's no surviving that, Bacardi Maude."
"..."
Lowering his head, Maude stood in eerie silence, as if welcoming death.
Pinned down by Squard, Hina looked on in disbelief at Maude, whose entire being exuded an aura of impending death.
Biting down hard, her bloodstained teeth bared, she struggled to speak. "You… idiot… You're a pirate… yet you… saved Hina… Hina… won't accept this kind of death…"
"They figured out Maude's weakness… and used everything at their disposal to exploit it."
Smoker's gaze darkened as he looked toward Izo.
Given their strength, neither he nor Hina could contend with the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders.
As Fossa had said—without Haki, they didn't even qualify to fight.
If we hadn't come to assist Maude…
Smoker shook his head.
What's the point in thinking about it now?
Fossa's booming voice made it clear to both Marines and pirates alike that Izo's bullet had struck Maude's heart.
Many eyes turned toward Maude, whose presence now reeked of death.
"Even a Warlord as powerful as Maude… couldn't withstand the combined assault of three division commanders and a fleet captain…"
"Is Bacardi Maude really dead?"
"Unbelievable…"
In the distance, dust filled the air.
Izo remained composed, his gaze piercing through the haze, landing on Maude's shadow clone, whose body was beginning to disintegrate.
The collapse of the shadow signified Maude's fading life force.
"Bacardi Maude, you were truly strong. In a one-on-one, I couldn't have beaten you…"
From the moment Whitebeard had sent Blenheim, Fossa, and Squard to reinforce him, the outcome had been clear in Izo's mind.
Thus, even having personally taken down a Shichibukai, Izo regarded it as nothing noteworthy.
"Now, onto the next—"
As he shifted his gaze toward the remaining Warlord, a sudden, searing pain erupted in his chest.
At the same time, a sharp sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed in his ears.
"Ugh—?"
Izo's body trembled, his pupils constricting as he slowly looked down, his eyes widening in shock at the bloodied blade protruding from his chest.
It was—
The Wano national treasure, Shusui.
The sight, coupled with the excruciating pain, filled Izo's eyes with disbelief.
"Im… impossible…"
"I never said that was my shadow."
Maude's voice came from behind him, cold and devoid of emotion.
Leaning in, he whispered, "In truth, I have six hundred of those disposable shadows stationed there."
"!!!"
Izo's eyes widened in horror.
With a swift flick of his wrist, Maude cruelly tore his blade through Izo's body, sending a spray of blood into the air.
The sudden reversal left Fossa and the others utterly dumbfounded.
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