"Hmm?" Akainu slowly lifted his head, his brow furrowing as he looked at Marco, who had just delivered a heavy kick to his torso.
"You don't actually think teaming up will help you win, do you?"
Sizzle...
Akainu's entire body began to liquefy into bubbling magma. Sensing the rising heat, Marco immediately somersaulted backward to create distance.
BOOM!
As if detonating, a massive spray of molten rock erupted from Akainu, showering the area in all directions. Faced with this "Magma Rain," both Kenshin and Marco wore expressions of extreme gravity.
Marco was relatively safe; his Blue Flames of Resurrection could mitigate the damage from the molten splashes. Kenshin, however, was in real danger—a direct hit from that magma would result in a debilitating injury.
Despite his lack of Haki, Kenshin wasn't defenseless. Lightning surged around him, condensing into a shimmering "Thunder Armor." He focused the highest concentration of electricity into his hands, forcing the current to flow at a high frequency that generated a searing, white heat.
"Great Eruption!" Akainu roared, launching a punch at Kenshin.
Kenshin didn't back down. His blade hummed with high-voltage energy. "Lightning Web!"
A massive grid of electricity poured from the sword's edge upon impact, acting as a shield to intercept the magma. As the two elements clashed, Kenshin's body sank, his feet carving a deep crater into the ice. The pressure of blocking an Admiral's direct strike was immense.
VROOM!
Marco prepared to strike from the flank, but a fist of magma suddenly coalesced from the residual puddles on the ground, slamming into his ribs. Marco crossed his arms to block, but the raw kinetic force sent him tumbling across the plaza.
However, Marco's specialty was aerial combat. Before he even touched the ground, he unfurled his wings and rocketed back toward Akainu.
WHOOSH!
The speed of his flight generated a series of sonic booms. Seizing a gap, he delivered a spinning kick to Akainu's temple. The Admiral's head snapped to the side, but his expression remained unchanged; the strike lacked the force to bypass his Logia defenses effectively.
BANG!
Simultaneously, Kenshin parried the magma fist away and lunged forward, his blade aimed straight for Akainu's heart.
"Thor's Piercer!"
A concentrated beam of lightning, moving like a shooting star, streaked toward the Admiral. Akainu didn't dodge; he simply met the lightning with a heavy magma punch.
The collision sent shockwaves through the harbor, scattering rubble as the weight of the magma began to overwhelm the lightning. Marco dove in, interposing his flames to absorb the blow for Kenshin.
While Marco and Kenshin struggled in their two-on-one fight, Drake slowly opened his eyes, his mouth twitching. In his mind, he had already cursed every ancestor of the System. The "System Mall" wasn't built for mortals—a single Senzu Bean cost 100 million Berries!
That's not shopping, that's highway robbery!
Currently, the combined funds between him and Kenshin totaled a meager 300,000 Berries. How was he supposed to buy anything?
For the record, nearly all of that 300,000 belonged to Kenshin. Drake's pockets were cleaner than a washed plate. After being fished out of the sea by Kenshin, he basically only owned the clothes on his back. While he now had a System Inventory, he didn't have a single coin to put in it.
He browsed the items: high-tier blades, modern weaponry, specialized tools—the selection was incredible. There were even Devil Fruits, but the ones currently available were mostly mediocre abilities. Despite their low utility, the price tags were staggering; nothing was listed for under 10 million.
For a guy with 300,000 Berries, he was essentially a pauper in a luxury boutique. With a sigh of resignation, he abandoned the dream of buying a Senzu Bean.
Elsewhere, 'Flower Sword' Vista had reached the fallen Blackbeard.
"Teach..." Vista's eyes sharpened as he crossed his twin blades, preparing to execute the traitor. "Today, I avenge Thatch."
CLANG!
Just as the execution seemed certain, an impossibility occurred. The Blackbeard Pirates had been tied up by the Marines; without Sea Prism Stone, their strength was their only cage. If a prisoner suddenly blocked an attack, it meant one thing...
Vista slowly lifted his head. Blocking his twin blades was the long, blood-stained nodachi of the former Impel Down Head Jailer, Shiryu of the Rain.
"Shiryu..."
"Oh? You recognize me, Fifth Division Commander Vista?" Shiryu held back the twin swords with one hand. With the other, he calmly produced a cigar, put it in his mouth, and lit it.
"You were faking it..." Vista's heart sank with a dark premonition.
"Zehahahahaha... Commander Vista, you're as observant as always." Blackbeard's voice rang out, clear and mocking.
Vista watched as Blackbeard casually shredded the ropes binding him. "Teach..."
"Hahaha... cough... hack...!" Teach's laughter was cut short by a fountain of blood as he gasped for air. Even if he was faking his "incapacitation," the damage from Whitebeard's earlier strikes was very real. After Kizaru's lasers hit, he had made a split-second decision to play dead. Otherwise, the Blackbeard Pirates would have become the joint target of both Whitebeard and the Navy—a crisis they couldn't survive.
"It's a pity Marco didn't come instead," Blackbeard muttered, his face pale but determined. "Alright, everyone, we're pulling out!"
At his command, the "captured" members of the Blackbeard Pirates all stood up simultaneously.
"What... how is this possible!?" The nearby Marines stared in horror. Seconds ago, these men were defeated captives; now, they were standing as if they had just woken up from a nap.
The crew's expressions were sour. This trip had been a total loss. They had gained nothing and were covered in wounds. For Blackbeard, even standing up normally required every ounce of his willpower.
He had hoped Marco would be the one to come for him; then, the whole crew could have ambushed the Phoenix together. If one of them could steal the regenerative power, they would have a way to heal their injuries and keep fighting. But it was Vista—a pure swordsman. There was nothing to steal.
Frustrated and broken, retreat was their only option.
SHING! Vista parried Shiryu away and lunged directly for Blackbeard. He unleashed a Two-Sword Style shockwave infused with Armament Haki.
"Ah!" Blackbeard's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected Vista to ignore Shiryu and go straight for the kill.
He tried to scramble back, but it was too late. Vista's blade carved a massive "X" into Blackbeard's chest, sending a spray of blood into the air.
"ARGH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!!" Blackbeard collapsed again, howling.
FLASH! A cold light glinted in Vista's eyes. He swung a killing blow toward Blackbeard's neck.
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