But Leo could see that Akainu, even on the ground, hadn't given up. Magma crackled around the admiral, his ragged breaths echoing through the heat-saturated air.
Akainu lifted his head, his eyes blazing with unquenchable fury. "I… am… justice…" he growled, his voice shaky but resolute. He slammed a fist into the ground, and a wave of lava erupted once more—weaker, but still deadly—rushing toward Mihawk.
The swordsman dodged with a leap, Yoru tracing a horizontal arc that sliced the wave in two. Then, without a word, he advanced, his blade aiming for Akainu's neck. At the last second, the admiral rolled aside, his magma forming a barrier that deflected the strike. He staggered to his feet, one hand pressed against his fresh wound, his gaze still defying Mihawk.
Leo felt a reluctant surge of admiration.
This guy's unstoppable!
But he was also thrilled—thrilled to push Mihawk to a level he'd never seen in the anime or manga.
Alright, Akainu, you're tough, but I'm the world's greatest swordsman!
Mihawk drove Yoru into the ice in front of him, his golden eyes glinting beneath his hat. "Let's end this, Sakazuki," he said, his voice low and sharp as a blade. Akainu roared in response, his magma crackling around him, gearing up for another assault.
Marineford Bay had become a field of smoking ruins, an apocalyptic landscape carved by the titanic duel between Mihawk and Akainu. The ice, once a smooth white mirror, was now a chaotic mess of gaping craters, bubbling pools, and deep fissures where saltwater mingled with cooled lava. Every clash between Yoru and Akainu's magma had left visible scars: entire sections of the frozen platform had collapsed into the sea, swallowing ship wreckage and charred bodies. Steam geysers rose where Akainu's lava had melted the ice, while Mihawk's black energy slashes had carved clean trenches, like the cuts of a giant scalpel. Around them, fighters—pirates and Marines alike—fled screaming, unable to withstand the shockwaves rippling through the bay with each impact.
Meanwhile, Kizaru, perched on a piece of ship wreckage, had been watching the duel for a while, his sunglasses reflecting flashes of lava and black energy. He sighed dramatically, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "Ahhh… Sakazuki's really going all out today," he muttered, his drawling voice at odds with the surrounding violence. "What a mess… And here I just wanted to watch in peace."
He turned his head, his gaze landing on two figures approaching through the smoke and debris: Marco the Phoenix and Vista, the dual-sword commander. Marco's blue flames flickered weakly around him, a sign of his exhaustion after hours of battle, while Vista gripped his bloodstained swords, his eyes locked on the admiral.
Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses, his smile widening slightly. "Oh? Looks like I'll have to break a sweat too. What a drag…" He raised a hand, light particles beginning to dance around his fingers.
Marco planted his feet on the ice, his blue flames flaring brighter despite his fatigue. "You won't stop us, Kizaru," he growled, his voice rough but steady. Beside him, Vista twirled his blades, ready to strike.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed behind Kizaru. Bartholomew Kuma, the silent Shichibukai, stepped forward heavily, his gloved hands poised to act. His mechanical eyes betrayed no emotion, but his imposing presence added a fresh threat to the scene.
The fight erupted in an instant. Kizaru vanished in a burst of light, reappearing before Marco at blinding speed. He fired a concentrated beam—a golden laser that sliced through the air with a shrill whistle. Marco spread his phoenix wings, his blue flames forming a shield that deflected the attack in a shower of sparks. The beam ricocheted, piercing a block of ice several meters away.
Vista leaped into action, his twin swords slashing at Kizaru's flank. The admiral dodged with fluid ease, his body turning to light and reappearing behind the commander. "Too slow," he murmured, launching a glowing kick at Vista's head. But Marco dove in, his flaming talons intercepting the strike in a clash that shook the ice beneath them.
Kuma joined the fray without a word. He extended a hand, and an energy bubble formed at his fingertips—an invisible pressure that exploded into a massive shockwave. Marco and Vista were flung back, tumbling across the ice before steadying themselves. Marco grunted, his blue flames healing a gash on his arm, while Vista drove his swords into the ground to haul himself up.
"We've got to hold them off!" Vista shouted, wiping a trickle of blood from his forehead. Marco nodded, and the two pirates charged again, their movements synchronized with the precision of years fighting side by side.
Marco swooped at Kizaru, his wings beating the air to whip up a storm of blue flames. The admiral evaded by dematerializing, but Vista seized the distraction, his blades carving silver arcs aimed at Kizaru's legs. The admiral blocked with an arm coated in Haki, the metal ringing against his intangible skin, then countered with a barrage of light beams. Vista crossed his swords to parry, but the force shoved him back several meters, his boots skidding on the ice.
Kuma advanced on Marco, his left hand unleashing another energy bubble. Marco dodged with a leap, but the shockwave shattered a chunk of ice behind him, sending razor-sharp shards flying. He retaliated with a flaming claw strike at Kuma's chest, but the Shichibukai blocked with his other hand, his gloves absorbing the impact with a dull crunch.
Kizaru, still nonchalant, reappeared above Vista, a mocking smile on his lips. "You guys are persistent, huh?" He unleashed a volley of lasers, golden beams peppering the ice around the commander. Vista spun, his blades forming a steel shield that deflected the shots, but one grazed him, singeing a strand of his hair. He growled, launching a counterattack—a sharp energy slash that forced Kizaru to dematerialize again.
Marco, battling Kuma, felt exhaustion weighing on his shoulders, but he refused to give up. He flared his flames to their fullest, diving at the Shichibukai with blazing speed. His claws raked Kuma's chest, leaving smoking marks on his body, but Kuma retaliated with a point-blank shockwave that sent Marco crashing into a piece of ship wreckage, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Kizaru sighed, watching the scene unfold. "What a hassle…" But his eyes glinted with amusement as he readied his next move.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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