Akainu fought Barrett with relentless fury, even as he melted through the walls of the underground labyrinth.
Every strike of his magma-coated fists sent rivers of molten stone cascading through the tunnels.
He wasn't just breaking through the depths—
he was melting the entire foundation itself.
His goal was to collapse the whole labyrinth into the sea, burying everyone with it.
From above, Enel's golden eyes gleamed as he watched the titanic clash between Barrett and Akainu. His fists clenched, lightning crackling around his body.
He wanted to jump in—
to join the battle himself.
Barrett's domineering attitude infuriated him. The man had claimed Akainu as his personal prey, not even allowing Souta Kiryuu to interfere.
Enel found himself hoping Barrett would lose—
then he could face Akainu himself.
After all, with Souta Kiryuu overseeing everything, Akainu wasn't escaping this place alive.
Meanwhile, Souta watched with calm, analytical eyes. His gaze pierced through the haze of heat and fire, observing Akainu's every movement.
The magma had already eaten through the lower layers of the island.
The sea below was close—too close.
Akainu wasn't fighting to win.
He was trying to take them all down with him.
But Souta was no fool.
He'd already seen through the admiral's suicidal plan.
As Akainu's movements subtly shifted—
closing in toward Souta, Enel, and the others—
the corners of Souta's mouth curled into a cold smile.
"So that's your play, huh? Planning to drag us all into the ocean together? You've got a hell of an appetite, Admiral."
At the same time, in the mid-level tunnels of the labyrinth—
Bartholomew Kuma led Jewelry Bonney, Gecko Moria, and several senior officers of the Kiryuu Pirates straight into battle against Vice Admiral Tosa and six Marine rear admirals.
The two sides clashed instantly.
But Tosa had gravely underestimated Kuma's power.
With one crushing Ursus Shock, the compressed paw blast sent the Vice Admiral spinning, blood spraying from his mouth as his consciousness blurred.
Kuma's monstrous speed and brute strength left the Marines helpless. Even Tosa's mastery of Armament Haki couldn't save him—
he was knocked out within a few blows.
Bonney was locked in a fierce duel with a Marine rear admiral, while Moria fought with gleeful madness, his piercing laughter echoing throughout the tunnels.
As the Kiryuu Pirates' officers pushed forward, one by one they stormed the Gloseadi Island-Ship, capturing or defeating every Marine officer who stood in their way.
But not all was silent beyond the battlefield.
A frantic communications officer had already transmitted a distress signal back to Marineford.
When the report reached Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Buddha himself slammed his desk in disbelief, splintering it into pieces.
At the same time, on Sky Island, the Five Elder Saint Marcus Mars—who had been leading a CP detachment to hunt the Kiryuu Pirates—received the news.
His expression darkened.
The Marines had been preparing to ambush the Kiryuu Pirates, and yet the situation had reversed completely—
now Akainu was the one being hunted.
Worse still, Marineford didn't have the manpower—or time—to send reinforcements.
What was meant to be a calculated strike against Bonde Waldo had turned into a catastrophic blunder.
When Marcus Mars received confirmation of Akainu's entrapment, his fury exploded.
Transforming into a monstrous bird—the legendary Yatagarasu—he soared through the clouds toward Heaven's Gate, the entrance to Sky Island.
He had to see the Kiryuu Pirates' base for himself.
If any of Souta's subordinates were still there, he'd slaughter or capture every last one.
But when he reached Angel Island, hovering in the stormy skies above, he found it nearly deserted.
No base.
No pirates.
Just empty skies.
"DAMN IT!"
The Elder Saint's roar shook the clouds as he unleashed his wrath, blasting through buildings and trees, destroying half the island in blind fury.
The Kiryuu Pirates had escaped—again—
and he had no idea where their base had gone.
After venting his rage, Marcus Mars ordered the CP agents back to the sea, then returned to Mary Geoise through the dimensional cube transport.
Another failed strike.
Another humiliation.
The Five Elders were losing faith even in themselves.
Soon after, they were summoned by Imu—
and scolded mercilessly.
All they could do now was return to their endless scheming, trying to find a new way to destroy the Kiryuu Pirates.
But Souta's revenge only grew more outrageous.
The bombs hurled at Mary Geoise had become vile—
not just poisonous gas bombs anymore, but filth bombs: explosives packed with sewage and waste.
Kizaru, Gion, and Chaton, who were leading the defense, could barely keep straight faces.
The Celestial Dragons, assaulted by stench and filth, were outraged and disgusted.
Even with the protective dome erected, life in the Holy Land had become unbearable.
Rumors began to spread—
that the Celestial Dragons were considering moving their capital altogether.
Eventually, Imu and the Five Elders made their decision:
Mary Geoise would be rebuilt.
Every palace, every structure would be torn down and reconstructed from scratch, erasing the marks left by the Paw-Paw Fruit's powers.
During the construction of the new defensive shield, the reconstruction began—
piece by piece, palace by palace.
It wouldn't disturb the nobles' daily lives, but it came with a staggering cost.
To fund the massive rebuilding, the World Government increased the Heavenly Tribute once more.
Across the seas, the nations trembled.
···
Meanwhile, back at Marineford, Akainu's fleet had sent out a desperate call for help—
but no aid came.
Silence spread through the headquarters.
A heavy sense of despair hung over the entire Marine force.
If even a Fleet Admiral-level combatant like Akainu couldn't be saved, what did that mean for the rest of them?
Could the Marines survive at all?
Or were they destined to hide, watching their authority crumble?
···
Far below, on the Gloseadi Island-Ship, Akainu's fleet had been wiped out.
Every officer either dead or captured.
Only Akainu himself still fought—deep in the magma world beneath the island.
The entire ship shook violently, cracking apart as magma and seawater collided in explosive bursts.
As Akainu's rage intensified, Barrett's body began to blister and burn.
"Meteor Volcano!"
"Inugami Guren!"
Akainu's blazing attacks struck Barrett head-on, hurling him into the molten sea below.
"Souta Kiryuu!" Akainu roared. "You're coming to hell with me!"
His magma form surged upward, diving straight toward the hovering Souta Kiryuu.
A deep, resonating rumble followed—
and the center of the magma sea began to swirl violently.
A massive vortex opened, sucking everything downward as the magma fell away, revealing a yawning chasm beneath the island.
Barrett's instincts screamed. He shot out of the magma instantly, using Moonwalk to flee into the air.
"That damn admiral! He's insane!"
Moments later, a deafening roar echoed through the caverns—
a hole had torn open in the seabed itself.
Torrents of seawater surged upward, flooding the molten chamber.
The island-ship began to tilt and quake, its base completely melted through.
In seconds, it would sink into the ocean.
"Do you know why I let Barrett fight you for so long?" Souta's voice cut through the chaos.
He caught Akainu's magma-coated fist effortlessly, his cold smile unwavering.
The two clashed in midair as the island trembled around them.
And then—
the island-ship rose.
The massive structure floated upward, tearing free from the collapsing seabed.
The seawater that had rushed in poured back out through the enormous fissure below, cascading like a reverse waterfall.
Akainu froze in disbelief.
"You… you made the whole island float?!"
His carefully laid plan for mutual destruction—
shattered in an instant.
Souta's grin widened.
"So no, Akainu… none of us are going to hell today."
He seized the admiral by the arm, black dragon-like scales crackling with energy as he hauled him upward.
"Let's finish this above!"
With a surge of strength, Souta dragged Akainu from the molten depths to the island's upper deck.
He didn't even give the admiral the chance to die by his own hand.
Akainu was a trophy far too valuable to waste.
Barrett, Waldo, and Enel all ascended moments later, standing side by side as the island floated in the sky.
The hunt for the admiral wasn't over.
The Siege of Akainu had only just reached its climax—
and escape was no longer an option.
...
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