The solid ice encasing Kuzan drifted across the turbulent sea like rootless duckweed, carried helplessly by the monstrous waves left in the wake of the Star of Destruction. The overwhelming pressure of the ocean did not merely push it along; it actively crushed at its structure, forcing cracks to spread across its surface like spiderwebs. Kuzan had to constantly pour stamina into reinforcing the ice, or it would have shattered entirely under the violent currents.
Even while struggling to maintain the ice's integrity, Kuzan continued moving through the sea currents at high speed, carrying Kong with him as he distanced himself from Shiki's attack range. The situation forced him into an exhausting balance, as he not only had to stabilize the freezing structure but also ensure Kong's body remained secured. Kong was half-submerged in the chaotic seawater, and Kuzan had to grip him tightly, especially his right arm, to prevent him from being swept away.
The entire exchange had turned into a desperate struggle of endurance. If Kuzan were alone, escaping from this situation would have been simple, but the burden he carried made every movement significantly more difficult. Time itself had become an enemy, as Kong's condition deteriorated the longer he remained exposed to seawater, even with Kuzan's efforts to mitigate it.
Shiki, observing from a distance, quickly noticed a long, serpent-like shadow moving beneath the surface. That was Kuzan's position, concealed within layers of ice and drifting deeper into the sea as he attempted to escape. The ocean currents, ironically, assisted Kuzan's retreat by accelerating his displacement away from Shiki's immediate reach. However, reaching the surface alone would not guarantee safety, especially in the aftermath of the Star of Destruction, where the battlefield itself had become unstable and hostile.
With the allied forces nearly annihilated and the catastrophic aftermath still reshaping the battlefield, Shiki's presence stood out like a beacon of chaos. Two Devil Fruit users had already fallen into the sea, and even though Kuzan possessed methods to resist seawater to some extent, Shiki now controlled the battlefield conditions. Whether they could truly escape from this maritime graveyard remained uncertain.
If Kong were to die here, the World Government would suffer a devastating blow. The Marines would also be shaken to their core, particularly since Kong was the former Fleet Admiral. Yet everything that unfolded had happened within mere moments, each development chaining into the next without pause.
Shiki's swordsmanship was terrifyingly precise, refined to a level that could make even elite swordsmen admire its execution. Combined with his Observation Haki, he was capable of locking onto targets even from a thousand meters away, unleashing hundreds or even thousands of slashes in an instant. Golden arcs of blade light filled the sky and sea, leaving Kuzan and Kong with no room to breathe. Every strike was aimed directly at Kong, forcing Kuzan into constant evasive movement.
At such a critical juncture, Kuzan could only continue dodging while carrying Kong, positioning himself at the very edge of the ice structure. Their drift had already carried them deeper into the ocean's central collapse zone, where currents were strongest and stability weakest. The sea itself seemed to be dragging them toward a natural abyss formed by the battlefield's destruction.
At that moment, two figures moved simultaneously to intercept Shiki's pressure: Arest and Vulture.
Vulture suppressed the grief boiling within him, grief that had been stirred by Bear's death. Despite their rivalry, they had fought on the same side, and the loss of a fellow Army General weighed heavily on him. White Ghost had already sacrificed himself, Bear had fallen without even leaving a proper corpse, and now Vulture stood as the last remaining General of the Land Forces. Their forces had been devastated in the Golden Sea, reduced to a fraction of their original strength, with nearly all elite units wiped out. The responsibility of what remained now rested entirely on his shoulders.
The Land Forces had suffered catastrophic losses, their strength reduced to less than one-tenth of its original capacity. Even the remaining soldiers stationed on the Red Line could no longer influence a battlefield of this scale. Meanwhile, the surviving allied forces scattered across the battlefield were already being hunted by opportunistic pirates such as King, Katakuri, and others. Allied were engaged in desperate last stands, but their defeat was only a matter of time.
Despite this, Vulture and Arest understood that saving Kuzan and Kong was the higher priority. Arest moved first, transforming into a blazing comet of speed and impact as he charged directly at Shiki. His attack carried immense destructive force, aiming to disrupt Shiki's control.
Shiki responded instantly, evading with a sharp movement while simultaneously releasing a counter slash. Arest twisted mid-motion to avoid the blade, maintaining momentum without slowing down. Vulture arrived shortly after, his sharp claws tearing through the air toward Shiki. However, the strike was cleanly blocked by Shiki's sword, the impact producing a metallic resonance that echoed across the battlefield.
Arest followed up again, and the three entered a rapid exchange of high-speed combat. All of them were already exhausted from prolonged warfare, their stamina depleted from days of continuous fighting. In contrast, Shiki remained in peak condition, his strength and sharpness exceeding theirs even under equal conditions.
Their objective was not victory but delay. Every second they gained was a chance for Kuzan and Kong to escape the sea's grasp.
Above the battlefield, Kuzan finally felt the pressure of Shiki's slashes lessen. Using the brief opening created by Arest and Vulture, he pushed upward with the ice, carrying Kong toward the surface. The frozen structure rose slowly but steadily, breaking through the last layers of turbulent water.
Kuzan emerged first, dragging Kong along with him as they broke through the surface of the sea. The moment they surfaced, however, a presence appeared behind them without warning.
Teach had already arrived.
His voice carried a faint, almost casual amusement as he spoke, Observation Haki and Future Sight already locked onto the situation for a long time. Everything had unfolded exactly as he had seen.
Without hesitation, his arm surged forward in a brutal strike.
Eight Maidens erupted in a dark burst of destructive force, tearing through the air at point-blank range. Kuzan barely had time to react, instinctively reinforcing his body with Haki while attempting to shield both himself and Kong. The attack still broke through his defenses, carving a deep wound from shoulder to abdomen and forcing blood to spill instantly.
The strike was powerful enough to expose bone, while Haki penetrated deep into Kuzan's body, compounding the damage from within.
Even so, Kuzan remained alive. Teach immediately shifted his attention toward Kong.
At the same instant, the dark claw tore through Kong's right arm, crushing bone and muscle before ripping it away entirely. The attack continued without pause, driving straight toward Kong's heart with lethal intent.
Kong's instincts triggered at the final moment. His body twisted slightly under sheer survival reflex, shifting the angle just enough to avoid instant death. Teach's claw pierced through his chest instead of directly destroying his heart, emerging from his back in a spray of blood.
Teach withdrew immediately after the strike, rising into the air the moment he sensed danger approaching. Despite landing a successful hit, he did not press further. Kong had narrowly survived, and although his heart had been damaged, it was not destroyed. His monstrous vitality and recovery ability allowed him to remain alive, especially as his Haki and physical strength returned at the last instant.
Had Teach lingered, the situation could have reversed. A dying top-tier powerhouse like Kong still possessed unpredictable countermeasures, especially at point-blank range. Kuzan was also nearby, and the sea below offered no escape route if things went wrong.
Even without Kong acting, Teach's Future Sight had already shown him the risk. The outcome was too uncertain to gamble further.
Although Kong survived, his condition had been reduced to near collapse. One arm was completely gone, and the other severely crippled. His chest wound remained critical, and even his breathing was unstable. Kuzan quickly moved to support him while remaining wary of further attacks from Teach.
Above them, Shiki and the others had already reacted to the sudden shift in battlefield conditions. Arest and Vulture immediately understood the severity of the situation, their expressions changing as they witnessed Kong's condition. Shiki, however, only laughed coldly, clearly satisfied with the outcome unfolding before him.
Elsewhere, the world watched in silence through projection Den Den Mushi, fully aware that what they were witnessing had crossed into the level of absolute destruction.
The battle had only just entered its final phase.