Chapter 512: The Death of Sengoku
Massive fireballs rose ahead, instantly vaporizing enormous amounts of seawater into scorching steam that shrouded the giant fireball like a cloud.
Violent winds blasted toward them, nearly scattering the cloud Brett had created.
"..."
Brett remained silent.
The terrifying explosion blocked everything before his eyes. The searing temperature felt hot enough to vaporize even him.
In those flames shooting skyward, what could possibly remain?
"You've... got to be joking, right?"
Gion's expression went stiff. She barely forced out those words, her teeth chattering audibly.
"No way. Just like that—"
Ryokugyu's face showed absolute horror. "Marine Headquarters was completely annihilated?"
Had justice's final great fortress, Marine Headquarters at Marineford, truly vanished into smoke just like that?
Vice Admiral Garp's face had turned iron blue. His fists clenched tight, his teeth nearly grinding to powder.
"This may be disrespectful, but now isn't the time for grief."
Brett led everyone in a dive straight toward the ocean below.
Just before entering the sea, he released a bubble that enveloped them all.
Then they plunged into the water with a splash.
Now was not the moment for hesitation. That flying ship was still watching from behind. If they didn't find a way to hide quickly, another bombardment would come any second.
Brett had no intention of fighting that thing head-on.
After all, Imu might be aboard that vessel.
He brought everyone down several hundred meters into the depths in one breath.
The earlier explosion still churned the seawater restlessly. Violent currents made it impossible even for the most skilled swimming fish to maintain balance, helplessly swept away.
Fortunately, Brett's swimming skills were exceptional. He could still move forward leisurely with everyone in tow.
However, he could clearly see ahead where Marineford should have been—the rock beneath the island had been completely flattened, transformed into an enormous depression.
What terrifying power.
Without doubt, this was truly a mighty weapon that could destroy the entire world given just a little time.
"This—"
Admiral Ryokugyu examined the bubble surrounding them with curiosity.
So this was how Brett could move freely in water?
He could release these bubbles at will?
By isolating the seawater, naturally there would be no weakness or loss of strength.
Truly remarkable.
"It's all gone. Everything's just gone?"
Vice Admiral Chaton sat dejectedly on the cloud Brett had created, staring almost blankly at the chaotic current zone ahead.
Seafloor sediment swirled in the turbulence. Directly melted rock and soil had begun solidifying.
It was a scene like the apocalypse, as though heaven and earth had collapsed.
Nothing remained. Only destruction.
Everything was gone. That fortress of justice, that island solid as bedrock, and the people who lived in that fortress island upholding justice.
The bombardment had destroyed it all, leaving these late-arriving Navy forces only despair.
"Damn it!!"
Gion bit her lower lip hard. Bright red blood flowed down almost instantly. "Were we still a step too late?!"
No, it wasn't even about being late anymore. Imu had probably dispatched the flying ship before they'd even emerged from the Red Line.
No matter what, they couldn't have made it in time.
Brett sighed inwardly.
"Hm?"
Brett's brow suddenly furrowed. He'd heard something.
The next second, he brought everyone upward.
Within a few breaths they'd flown back into the sky. He looked back into the distance—the flying ship that brought destruction had already departed.
It seemed to have completed its objective and felt no need to remain.
Probably after the previous chase, knowing it couldn't catch them, it was too lazy to continue pursuit.
"It left?? Whew—whew—"
Caesar, his face full of terror, finally breathed a sigh of relief. "That that that that's the Government's ultimate weapon? It's absolutely terrifying!!"
But no one paid him any attention. Brett only looked at the sky ahead.
Kizaru floated there.
The next instant, he transformed into light and flashed over, landing right on Brett's cloud.
This usually casual man was extremely silent now. He sat on the cloud with his head hanging low.
As a Logia Glint-Glint Fruit user, as long as there was no Haki attached, even that level of bombardment couldn't hurt him.
But that was all. All he could do was avoid injury in that bombardment. He couldn't do anything else.
Vice Admiral Garp raised his hand and patted his shoulder.
"No need for self-blame, Borsalino. That's not a force we can resist."
Brett said nothing.
What Vice Admiral Garp said was indeed correct.
That thing's bombardment power was absurdly immense. During the last chase, all of them together could only barely punch gaps in the barrage.
"Wait!"
Brett suddenly spoke.
He'd heard another sound.
Very faint, mixed in the chaotic currents earlier so he hadn't heard clearly. But as the currents gradually settled, now it was audible.
Brett extended his right hand. Cloud instantly spread out, coiling through the sky like a long dragon before plunging into the sea.
Soon the cloud bounced back like a rubber band.
Two figures were wrapped around the cloud's tail.
"That's!"
Vice Admiral Garp stood up directly, his eyes already wide.
The two people wrapped in cloud quickly came before everyone.
"Sengoku! Tsuru!!"
Vice Admiral Garp had already jumped over.
The ones rolled up from the ocean floor by the cloud were Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Chief Staff Officer Vice Admiral Tsuru.
But now they were almost unrecognizable from their original appearance.
Tsuru was in better condition—her body had simply turned black, just skin and muscle scorched.
Though it sounded serious, at least her life force was relatively stable.
The truly serious one was Fleet Admiral Sengoku. A large section of his back had directly melted. Literally melted.
Most of the rest of his body had nearly carbonized.
He was already dead.
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