"Creed, you're dead for sure!"
Seeing Creed blasted down into the sea of magma, Akainu suddenly burst into a hideous, crazed laughter.
"…Tch?"
A bad feeling surged in Creed's heart—but it seemed he was already a step too late.
Rumble!
The ground beneath his feet shook violently as the very crust split open with a thunderous crack.
In the next instant, countless streams of crimson-violet magma erupted upward, swallowing Creed whole.
This was Akainu's strongest killing move—
Magma: Chishin no Hi (Magma: Earth's Core Fire)!
The earth-core flames, reaching terrifying temperatures of five to six thousand degrees, were dragged out from the depths of the ground by his Devil Fruit ability. At last, everything he'd been building up to came to fruition in a single stroke.
All those earlier eruptions—Magma Hell, that constant barrage of magma—had been nothing more than preparation, paving the way for drawing out the Earth's Core Fire.
One had to admit, when it came to combat experience and battlefield scheming, Akainu was far more seasoned and calculating than a reckless brute like Shiki.
Even though his strength was on the same tier as Creed's, he had not underestimated Creed in the slightest. Instead, he had done everything possible to turn the advantage of "setup" to his side, waiting only for the moment when all conditions were met.
Fwoooosh!
Those crimson-violet earth-core flames had only just broken through the surface when, as if driven by some unseen force, they expanded madly with the wind, engulfing more than a hundred miles of sky and sea in the blink of an eye.
A crimson-violet Magma Hell.
Creed's figure vanished in an instant, completely submerged.
Far away, many top-tier powerhouses who were still watching this battlefield let out cries of shock.
Among those cries, however, the loudest were the cheers coming from the Marines' side.
In stark contrast to their jubilation was the reaction of a few key people among the Shichibukai.
In this all-out offensive, the Shichibukai carried the task of dealing with the division captains under Creed's banner. Because the likes of Moria had already withdrawn, they were currently in the midst of pursuit.
But the titanic clash between Akainu and Creed, as well as Kizaru, Shiki, and the others, had forced them to halt and hurriedly seek safe positions to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
When Hancock and Jinbe saw Creed swallowed by Akainu's Earth's Core Fire, they almost rushed out on the spot—if Mihawk hadn't quietly grabbed them back from behind.
"Have you two lost your minds? That's suicide."
"Lord Creed…!"
Hancock covered her mouth with her hand and turned her head away, unable to keep watching, afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from charging forward.
But in her heart, she still believed Creed would never lose. Akainu would not be his match.
"To think Sakazuki managed to develop his fruit to such an extent… This Magma-Magma Fruit really does have the power to destroy the world…"
The veins on Jinbe's forehead bulged, his thick hands clenched into fists as he forcibly suppressed his emotions.
Creed was the great hero and benefactor of both the fish-men and merfolk. Even if Jinbe had to betray the Marines and abandon the title of Shichibukai for his sake, he wouldn't hesitate.
However, this time he carried a mission even more important than himself, and that forced him to hold back, not daring to act rashly.
"Relax. That guy isn't going to lose. He's the foremost emperor among the Five Emperors."
Mihawk spoke calmly. Having crossed blades with Creed before, he knew all too well how bottomless Creed's true strength was—enough to drive a man to despair.
Sakazuki certainly looked impressive right now, but just based on the sword intents Creed had shown in their duel, those alone were enough to contend with today's Sakazuki.
Not to mention, so much time had passed since then—Mihawk did not believe Creed's strength had stayed in place.
High in the distant sky, on the many massive floating islands Shiki had raised, the senior officers of the Creed Pirates were also watching Creed's battle through telescopes.
The terror of the Earth's Core Fire far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Even though these islands floated two to three hundred miles away from the battlefield, the scorching heat still reached this far, drying their throats and burning their lungs with every breath.
Their faith in Creed was firm, but even so, it wavered for a moment.
Yet they all understood their responsibilities and did not allow themselves to be completely distracted.
The floating islands Shiki had lifted into the sky were Creed's secret weapon—his "surveillance satellites."
As long as those floating islands remained intact, the Creed Alliance would not need to worry about retreat.
Dragon stared down at the situation below and couldn't help but sigh.
"As expected, in the face of absolute power, all strategies are empty talk. Uncle Kong… you really are an old ginger that only gets spicier with age."
"The force the Marines have assembled this time is terrifying. Saying it's seventy to eighty percent of the World Government's total might wouldn't be an exaggeration. In the face of this enormous power, even the plans I laid out with Shiki, no matter how meticulous, were crushed the moment the battle began."
Strategic advantages could only hold in the early stages.
Once the enemy began sending out top-tier powerhouses specifically to counter them, those advantages scattered like dust.
Especially in front of certain assassins so skilled that ordinary strong fighters couldn't even catch a glimpse of their shadows.
Under the hunting of those top killers, the Creed Alliance had already lost several high-level commanders, one after another. Even Cracker, who had people guarding him, had nearly been cut down—losing the devastating weapon that was his Biscuit Soldiers and heavily impacting the overall situation.
"Blood Shadow…"
Dragon's teeth ground together.
If he weren't carrying the responsibility of commanding the entire front, he would have wanted to personally dive into the fray and tear those assassins apart, to avenge the fallen corps commanders.
"Ain, you and Falkor—intercept those two heading for Whole Cake Island. I need you to stall them for half an hour. But remember this: if you truly can't hold on, you must retreat immediately!"
A moment later, Dragon issued his order.
If Blood Shadow was allowed to continue their surprise attacks, then Whole Cake Island—their final line of defense—would definitely be in danger.
"Roger that! Falkor, it's our time to shine!"
Ain drew her sword, Crimson, and her body turned into lightning as she shot downward.
"Ying! Ying! Ying!"
On her shoulder, Falkor was even more excited than she was, baring its claws and fangs at the first opportunity.
However, she had barely begun to close in on her targets when a powerful fist of light blocked her path.
Boom!
It was a strike so strong it rippled space itself. Even with Crimson raised to parry, Ain was still blasted sideways, sent spiraling through the air.
What was most frightening was that the fist light carried an extremely pure Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). Ain couldn't even rely on elementalization to slip past it.
"Teacher Zephyr!"
Steadying herself, she finally realized who had struck at her.
It was none other than Admiral Zephyr of the Marines.
For master and disciple to meet again under these circumstances truly was a knife to the heart. Whether for Ain or for Zephyr, there were no words that could easily be spoken right now.
"Little Ain, when I took you in as my disciple back then and taught you with all my heart, it wasn't so you could go be a pirate… and then turn your blade on the Marines."
Zephyr's gaze was faintly cold.
His entire family had been slaughtered by pirates. His hatred for pirates ran bone-deep.
Ain might not have been his most outstanding student, but she was definitely his most beloved—
even above Creed. He had practically treated her as half a daughter.
Seeing Ain now, he inevitably thought of Creed as well, and the emotions churning in his chest only grew more violent.
His most gifted disciple and his most cherished disciple—both had chosen piracy, and both now stood opposed to the Marines.
The blow this dealt him was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
At times, when he read the newspapers and saw stories of Creed shaking the world, he felt a hint of old-man pride—but the knot in his heart never loosened. The resentment never truly faded.
"Teacher… I'm sorry."
Ain's face was full of apology, but she still held her sword horizontally in front of her, blocking his way.
They now served different masters. There really wasn't much to say.
"Hahaha… Good. You still acknowledge me as your teacher. In that case, let this teacher see just how much you've grown since you left."
Zephyr's entire body was clad in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) as he spoke.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!] [[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]