With a single punch, Sakazuki sent Garling flying. He didn't pursue. Instead, he calmly raised a hand, pulled off his Navy cap with an air of dominance, ran his fingers over his buzz cut, and set the cap back in place.
"So what, this is the strength the God's Knights brag about? Supposedly on par with a Marine Admiral?" Sakazuki said mockingly.
It had only been one punch, so Garling wasn't seriously hurt, but his expression had turned grim.
Gripping the Sword of Judgment, Garling ignored Sakazuki's taunt and charged again in a fury.
Sakazuki didn't bother picking up a weapon. His fists surged with Haki as he met the attack head-on. His punch slammed into the blade, knocking it aside as he growled, "A Marine Admiral has no weaknesses!"
Whether it was raw power, swordsmanship, or close-quarters combat, Sakazuki was proficient in all of it.
Just as he said, this Marine Admiral had no shortcomings.
And yet, Figarland Garling, the supreme commander of the God's Knights, a man rumored to be even stronger than a Marine Admiral, was completely suppressed after clashing with Sakazuki.
On another battlefield, Zephyr-sensei was staring at the figure opposite him.
It was a man in a white suit, his face concealed behind an owl mask. Without question, he was the last remaining top-tier expert of the CP Organization stationed in the Holy Land.
"Long time no see, Zephyr-sensei…" Night Owl greeted softly.
"Sensei?" Zephyr frowned slightly, the cigar clenched between his teeth tilting upward. "I don't recall ever teaching anyone from CP."
"Ah, I forgot I was still wearing a mask…" Night Owl chuckled and removed it.
The face beneath was utterly unremarkable, the kind that would disappear into a crowd without anyone noticing.
"You are…" Zephyr's expression shifted in surprise as he studied the man. After a brief pause, he hesitated and asked, "And you are… who, exactly?"
Night Owl???
A trace of irritation flickered across that already ordinary face, but Night Owl quickly smoothed it over, smiling instead. "That figures. I was so ordinary back then. It's only natural that you wouldn't remember me, sensei…"
Zephyr nodded in agreement. "That's true. At least you're self-aware."
"Hmph!" Night Owl snorted before continuing, "I was in the same generation as Kuzan, studying under you. But in the Marines, I got nothing. Nothing at all. So little, in fact, that even you can't remember who I am. But it doesn't matter. Ever since I joined CP, I'm no longer the person I used to be!"
Those words seemed to stir something in Zephyr's memory. His tone turned reflective as he said, "Got nothing… is that so? So it was you… Kurtler."
"You finally remembered?" Kurtler let out a vicious grin. "Good. Next, I'll make sure you remember me for the rest of your life, teacher!"
The moment the words fell, Night Owl's body twisted and transformed into a massive owl wreathed in black smoke. With a powerful flap of its wings, it shot toward Zephyr like an arrow.
Zephyr's arms were instantly coated in overwhelming Armament Haki. Cigar still clenched between his teeth, he watched Night Owl rush in and said quietly, "The reason I never remembered you is simple. You have no justice, and no conviction. Tell me, what about someone like that is worth remembering?"
As his words ended, Night Owl was already in front of him. The razor-sharp beak, infused with Haki, thrust straight toward Zephyr's chest, aiming for his heart.
But in the next instant, Zephyr's Haki-wreathed heavy punch smashed straight into Night Owl's beak. Both sides appeared to wield terrifying Haki, yet the moment they collided, the difference was obvious. Zephyr's Haki surged forward with unstoppable force, instantly crushing Night Owl's and shattering it completely.
The blow pulverized the beak. A violent burst of power erupted, sending Night Owl's massive body flying.
After throwing that punch, disappointment crossed Zephyr's face. He shook his head and said, "Looks like you were wrong. Even after joining CP, you still gained nothing. Didn't I tell you? Whether there's conviction in your fists is what decides everything."
Before Night Owl could even get back on his feet, Zephyr leapt into the air. Dropping from above, he threw another punch.
After so many years without a real fight, the surging Haki within Zephyr seemed to roar with excitement. In that moment, his entire arm turned pitch black. Black Arm Zephyr was anything but ordinary.
Night Owl, as if driven to desperation, drew out all of his remaining Haki and condensed it into his fist, roaring, "What do you know? Don't think—"
He never finished the sentence.
Zephyr's heavy punch came crashing down. Their fists collided once again, just like before. Night Owl's powerful Armament Haki looked impressive on the surface, but against the Haki wrapped around Zephyr's fist, it was utterly helpless. It collapsed instantly, crushed beyond resistance.
Zephyr knocked Night Owl's fist aside, then grabbed his shoulder with his other hand and slammed him downward. A knee drove straight into Night Owl's chest, sending his body flipping upward. Zephyr gave him no chance to break free. He stepped in close, and in the next moment, a storm of fists erupted.
In almost an instant, Zephyr unleashed over a hundred punches. Every strike carried conviction. Every strike was wrapped in jet-black Haki. The barrage was so fierce it seemed to stain the surrounding air black, savage and violent, yet strangely poetic.
"This attack is called Z!!!" Zephyr roared.
The afterimages of his fists vanished, revealing Night Owl, who had taken more than a hundred blows.
His body was covered in bruises and fist marks, his eyes rolled back. He had already lost consciousness.
Zephyr stood opposite him, unhurried. From a grounded stance, he drove a straight punch forward, landing squarely in Night Owl's chest. A sharp crack rang out as every rib shattered. Zephyr's fist plunged straight into Night Owl's chest cavity. Then the force detonated.
Boom.
The back of Night Owl's white suit exploded outward. The violent shockwave tore through the air for over a hundred meters behind him before finally dissipating.
Zephyr withdrew his fist, removed the cigar from his mouth, exhaled a slow puff of smoke, and shook his head.
"Looks like I'll be forgetting you again soon, Kurtler…"
At the same time, Zephyr seemed to understand why CP's Director hadn't bothered taking this man along when he fled. Most likely… he simply didn't think Kurtler was worth it.
What kind of nobody thinks he's qualified to challenge a Marine Admiral? Without conviction, how could anyone stand above countless Marines and become an Admiral?
On Zephyr's side, the battle ended in overwhelming fashion. Elsewhere on the battlefield, elite Marine commanders like Yamakaji, Onigumo, and Doberman had each found their own opponents and were locked in brutal one-on-one fights with the knights of the God's Knights.
Even Kuzan and Borsalino had entered the fray, each taking on two enemies at once, facing Great Knights marked by white patterns on their shoulders.
Despite fighting two-on-one, neither Kuzan nor Borsalino showed any sign of being pushed back. In terms of technique, experience, and raw strength, they were clearly on an entirely different level.
As these clashes continued, the situation on the battlefield gradually became clear. The Holy Land Guard's defensive line had been torn open, the breach steadily widening as the Marines forced them back to both sides. Right through the center of the battlefield, a road of blood and fire was carved out, leading straight toward the city of Mary Geoise.
…
At the very moment that path was opened, inside the command tent, Ortoren rose to his feet. He draped his mantle of justice over his shoulders and stepped out of the camp.
His gaze didn't linger on the battlefield. It passed straight through it, fixed on Mary Geoise, on the location of Pangaea Castle.
"Let's go," Ortoren said calmly. "It's time we delivered our blessings to this world."
With a wave of his hand, he strode toward the battlefield.
Behind him followed Isshō, Lucci, Dragon, Bartholomew Kuma, Donquixote Doflamingo, and… the little secretary, Hina.
This group entered the battlefield behind Ortoren, showing no intention of joining the surrounding fights. They walked straight onto the newly carved path and headed directly into the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.