"Gailarum, take Naichen and get out of here! I'll hold them off!"
The fishman giant, Sebastian, roared as he entered a berserk state, completely ignoring the gashes that split across his body. Blood soaked through his once-white bandages, painting them crimson as he threw himself into battle against the pursuing Marines.
"You think you can still run? Today, this entire island-ship will sink to the bottom of the sea!"
Vice Admiral Guillotine's massive battle axe swung like a blur, its strikes relentless as he clashed with the towering fishman. His cold, merciless gaze reflected the iron discipline of a Marine officer.
The deep wounds that marred Sebastian's body were, in fact, gifts from Guillotine and several Vice Admirals who had attacked him earlier during the ship's demolition.
"Can you even hold me back, fishman? Cut them down! Kill them all!"
Vice Admiral Tsuchicha bellowed as his fists, wrapped tightly in Armament Haki, pounded against Gailarum's conjured cube walls. The maze-like barriers shattered under his brute strength and hardened will, proving that raw power could break even the most intricate of Devil Fruit abilities.
Tsuchicha and six Vice Admirals attacked in unison, their overwhelming strength tearing apart the corridors of the labyrinth. No matter how Gailarum and Naichen tried to flee, reshaping the walls and corridors in desperation, the relentless Marines smashed through again and again, their pursuit unending.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The middle decks of the Groseadi began to collapse under the chaos. Explosions rocked the ship's metal bones, and the island-ship shuddered violently from the destruction.
Under Guillotine's ferocious assault, the bloodied Sebastian faltered. His bandages were soaked through, fresh blood dripping in steady streams. He was struggling to even hold his ground—let alone fight off Guillotine's unyielding attacks.
"Fishman, you are a true warrior… but you're still a pirate. So you must die."
Guillotine's tone was icy but laced with grim respect. Though he admired Sebastian's courage, his belief in absolute justice would not allow mercy. He was a Marine—his purpose was to destroy evil, no matter the cost.
"Hah… hah… You'd better run while you can," Sebastian rasped between ragged breaths, barely dodging Guillotine's latest killing strike. Dropping to one knee, he forced a grin despite the pain twisting his face. "Because the Kiryuu Pirates will be here any minute now…"
"The Kiryuu Pirates!?"
Guillotine's expression darkened instantly. A shiver of unease rippled through the air.
Could it be that Souta Kiryuu's crew was coming to rescue the Waldo Pirates?
"That's right," Sebastian sneered, standing shakily as crimson dripped down his arms. "The Kiryuu Pirates are already in these waters. If you don't run now, you'll never leave this island alive…"
Guillotine's grip on his axe tightened, his jaw locking with tension.
"Hmph… To die fighting pirates is the greatest honor a Marine can have," he declared coldly. "Then before Souta Kiryuu arrives, I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
His eyes burned with unwavering conviction. Iron-blooded justice did not bend before fear—not even before the most dangerous outlaw in the world.
"You…" Sebastian's pupils shrank in disbelief. He could see it now—he wouldn't live through this day.
"Die, pirate!"
"Marineford Guillotine!"
Vice Admiral Guillotine leapt high into the air, both hands gripping his massive axe. Armament Haki surged along his arms and the blade, turning the entire weapon into a black, ominous executioner's edge.
Sebastian's wounded body trembled as he sensed the killing intent descending from above. He couldn't move in time.
"Captain Waldo… I'm sorry. In the next life… I'll follow you again."
He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes with a faint, peaceful smile—as though reminiscing on his life as he waited for death to claim him.
And then—
BOOM!
A roar of power exploded through the air. A dragon's breath—wreathed in flame and lightning—descended like a divine wrath, smashing directly into Guillotine and hurling him through the air.
"ROOOOAR!!"
"Looks like I'm not too late."
A mocking, thunderous voice echoed across the sky.
Descending through the molten fissure that split the island-ship, Souta Kiryuu appeared—his draconic aura flaring as he landed, his form shifting smoothly from dragon to man.
"Yahaha! Where's that mutt Akainu hiding?!"
Enel's arrogant laughter crackled through the corridors of the magma-scorched maze, while Barrett said nothing—he simply jumped down into the molten depths below, following the magma tunnels straight toward the Admiral's battlefield.
If Waldo was still alive, he'd find him. If not—then he'd avenge him.
"Cunning Marine dog…"
Enel smirked as lightning surged around him, his body transforming into a bolt of pure electricity as he dove into the same tunnel, eager to fight Sakazuki—the Magma Admiral himself.
"Guh—haa!"
Vice Admiral Guillotine's body smoked, his uniform in tatters, skin scorched and blistered. Blood poured from his mouth as he stared in horror and fury at the newcomer.
"Souta Kiryuu!!!"
His roar echoed across the ruined decks. The world's most feared criminal had arrived. And with that realization came despair.
The Marine task force stationed here… was finished.
"The name of Kiryuu isn't something you have the right to shout!"
"Petrification Arrows!"
The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, loosed a storm of pink, shimmering arrows infused with deadly charm. Her beautiful face was cold as ice, her fury divine.
"Admiral Akainu, retreat at once!!"
Guillotine's final shout boomed through the magma tunnels, reverberating into the depths of the Groseadi's labyrinth.
Even the Marines—Vice Admiral Tsuchicha and the Major Generals pursuing Gailarum and Naichen—heard the desperate cry echoing through the molten halls.
"What's going on?! Who's here?!"
"What kind of enemy could make Vice Admiral Guillotine sound like that!?"
But by then, it was too late. Guillotine, still reeling from the dragon's fiery breath, rolled helplessly on the ground for a few seconds before Hancock's pink storm reached him. Countless arrows struck his body—turning him into solid stone. His final expression was one of bitter regret.
"Are you from the Kiryuu Pirates? Please—please, save Captain Waldo and my comrades!"
The battered Sebastian dragged himself forward, collapsing before Souta Kiryuu, bowing his enormous head to the ground as he begged.
"Go tend to your wounds," Kiryuu replied calmly, tossing a single Blood Crystal Dandelion his way—a healing artifact radiant with crimson light. "I won't have you dying at my feet."
"There are still strong presences below," rumbled Bartholomew Kuma, vanishing as he teleported deeper into the maze.
"Papa Bear, wait for me!"
"Fufufu, I'm coming too!"
Jewelry Bonney and Gecko Moria followed eagerly, their faces alight with anticipation.
"Unbelievable," Law muttered as he and Lafitte stood at the edge of the molten abyss. "It's like the entire underground has turned into a sea of magma."
"Anyone whose Armament Haki isn't up to standard," Kiryuu warned, glancing at them with a calm, cutting gaze, "stay out of the way. If you die to the aftermath of this battle, you'll disgrace the name of the Kiryuu Pirates."
With that, Souta Kiryuu stepped forward—and leapt into the blazing depths of the magma world below, ready to test the strength of the Marine's most feared admiral himself.