On the Marine flagship.
"The top executives of the Curtain Closer have all gathered. Such an extravagant lineup is truly terrifying," Kizaru sighed. "Our fleet is surrounded. There's no way to dock now. Hey, Sakazuki, what should we do? Retreat?"
"Do you think that's possible?" Sakazuki's face darkened to the extreme. "The World Nobles are still on the island. If we retreat, how will we explain ourselves to headquarters? We might as well go straight to a court-martial!"
Moreover.
A true Marine would never yield to pirates!
If he had cowered every time he encountered pirates stronger than his forces, how could Sakazuki have climbed step by step to the position of Marine Admiral?!
"Pass my orders!" Akainu crushed the cigar in his mouth, his eyes boiling with killing intent. "Abandon the defenses on both flanks! All warships, concentrate firepower and blast open a path for me!"
"Additionally, have all officers of commodore rank or higher who know Moon Walk prepare to leave their ships and engage in combat. Follow me ashore at the fastest speed possible! At any cost, we must rescue the World Nobles!"
"As for you, Borsalino." Akainu turned to Kizaru, took a deep breath, and spoke word by word: "Drop that attitude of yours. Give it your all—your absolute all! Hold back the Curtain Closer's fleet! Not a single top executive is to get past you!"
"Even if it costs your life, you must delay them! This isn't an order from your commanding officer, but a request from an old friend! Do you understand?!!"
"..."
Kizaru was about to reflexively put on his usual lazy expression, but upon hearing this, his face twitched before he finally sighed.
A request from an old friend? It's been a long time since I've heard those words...
When he raised his head again, he nodded, showing an unprecedented seriousness. "Ah, I understand."
"But, Sakazuki," Kizaru's gaze pierced through the artillery-filled sea, landing on the shore where the situation remained unknown. "Don't make it sound like all the problems are dumped on me. The biggest obstacle is still that man, isn't he? He's waiting on the island right now. Sakazuki, are you really confident you can save those guys from his hands?"
Akainu fell silent for a second before replying expressionlessly, "The outcome is a matter for later. First, we must carry out our superiors' orders to the fullest. No matter what, this is my duty as a Marine!"
With that, he suddenly leaped into the air, his legs transforming into magma and spewing forth, propelling him toward the shore at high speed!
Accompanying Akainu were twenty to thirty Marine officers proficient in Moon Walk.
"Duty, huh..." Kizaru sighed as he watched Akainu's retreating figure. Before turning back, he muttered under his breath, words only the sea breeze could hear: "It's fine to be stubborn, but don't actually die on me, old friend."
...
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The relentless roar of explosions filled the air as the Curtain Closer's cannonfire grew denser, wave after wave without pause.
Among them, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Captain Noah of the Fifth Division.
The white-haired youth, dressed like a jungle native, opened his mouth wide, continuously spitting out pea bullets coated in Armament Haki.
"Ratatatata!" Like a Gatling gun, the rapid-fire barrage alone formed a terrifying web of firepower, shaking the Marine's left flank to its core.
"Hey, your Devil Fruit ability is just too weird," Shiliew, Captain of the First Division, remarked around his cigar, his eyelids twitching. "But this firepower is terrifying—almost half a fleet's worth!"
"Hahaha, of course!" Noah laughed heartily, continuing his relentless bullet spray. "This is a new move personally developed under Lord Xiano's guidance—'Pea Barrage'! It's not much use against strong opponents, but against these Marine trash, it's unstoppable... Hm?"
The corner of his eye suddenly caught a bright flash.
The next instant—
"Swish!"
A blinding golden light illuminated the entire field of vision, making it hard to keep one's eyes open. Kizaru's figure appeared right in front of Noah in the blink of an eye, his hands forming Ama no Murakumo.
"Hm? A newcomer I don't recognize?" Kizaru's gaze flicked over. "Hey, showing off like this right from the start isn't a good idea. You'll get targeted first, you know?"
Before the words even finished, his Ama no Murakumo slashed down at lightning speed!
Shiliew snorted coldly, instantly drawing his blade in a swift iaido slash!
"Clang!!!"
Blades clashed, sparks flying!
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Though Shiliew grunted and was forced back several steps before barely steadying himself, he had managed to block Kizaru's strike.
"Hey, Kizaru," Shiliew growled around his cigar, baring his teeth in a fierce grin. "Attacking my comrade right in front of me... Are you not taking me, Captain of the First Division, seriously at all?"
"Impel Down's 'Shiliew of the Rain'?" Kizaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I heard you betrayed Magellan and joined the Curtain Closer, but I didn't think it was true... Tsk. Opposing the Marines won't end well for you~"
"As expected of a Marine Admiral, your mental fortitude is impressive," Shiliew exhaled a smoke ring, chuckling darkly. "Instead of threatening me, why not think about how your higher-ups will deal with you once all three hundred Celestial Dragons are dead?"
With that, he erupted with full strength, forcing Kizaru back half a step.
At the same time, Noah seized the opportunity to activate his ability again:
"Pea Storm!!!"
Countless peas wrapped in Armament Haki poured toward Kizaru like a torrential downpour!
"What a pain." Kizaru frowned at the sudden onslaught. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed Shiliew's blade aside and instantly transformed his body into golden particles, scattering them apart.
The dense barrage of Armament Haki-infused peas passed harmlessly through the light particles.
"Hey, Logia types are just too broken!" Noah couldn't help but complain.
"It's not Logia types that are broken—it's this guy! A normal Logia user couldn't dodge entirely like that." Shiliew, feeling the numbness in his hands, tensed and barked, "But the man before you is different. His speed is insane. Stay focused—if you let your guard down even a little, your head might roll!"
"Got it!" Noah's heart clenched.
"Chatting among yourselves, huh? Doesn't matter. Since I've already made a promise to that guy, I don't have time to play around with you two anymore." Kizaru shook his head, his expression turning cold. "This ends here."
Just as Kizaru's body began to glow brightly, ready to finish off the two division captains, a massive shadow suddenly loomed overhead.
"Mr. Fujitora!" Noah cried out in delight.
"Hm?"
Fujitora?
Kizaru paused, instinctively looking up.
"Gravity Sword: Fierce Tiger!"
A deep, resonant voice boomed across the battlefield as Fujitora descended from above, his cane sword swinging down with a dark-purple gravity wave!
"Hum!"
The sheer force of the energy was terrifying!
Kizaru's heart skipped a beat. Not daring to take it lightly, he hastily crossed his Ama no Murakumo above his head.
Yet, the force of the slash still sent him flying backward, smashing through the railing and skidding across the sea's surface, carving a wake dozens of meters long.
"Hm?"
Though unharmed and quickly regaining his footing on the water, Kizaru's expression darkened further as he looked up at Fujitora.
Hey, hey, hey... What kind of joke is this?
Casually unleashing power of this level...
There's no mistake!
This unassuming blind swordsman, with a bounty of just over two billion Berries, possesses strength nearly on par with his and Akainu's!
They might as well be in the same league!
Back on Sabaody, he hadn't thought much of the blind swordsman's display of power, assuming that the only reason he'd held back Marine reinforcements single-handedly was because Teacher Zephyr had grown old, his will weakened, his strength diminished...
But now, it seemed he had underestimated the man. Had he been the one leading the reinforcements that day, the outcome wouldn't have been any different!
"I misjudged you, Teacher Zephyr..." Kizaru's gaze shifted to the distance, where the Curtain Closer seemed to think sending Fujitora to deal with him was enough.
Kuina, Kuma, Jack... These three top executives had already led their fleets to engage the Marines behind him, clearly aiming to finish off the entire Marine fleet before the high-level battle was decided.
Could they do it?
Of course—it might even be effortless. After all, this was a mission in North Blue. With two Admirals present, they should have had more than enough strength.
But the Marine fleet he and Akainu had brought was severely lacking in mid-to-high-tier combatants. Only a handful of veteran vice admirals were capable of putting up a fight.
The gap in strength was simply too vast...
Against these monsters, they wouldn't last long!
"So..." Kizaru scratched his head, his face a picture of distress. "I guess I have no choice but to use that move, huh?"
As he muttered this, he crossed his hands before his chest, then abruptly spread them apart, palms outward!
"Magatama: Multiple Light Clones!"
"Hum! Hum!"
Blinding golden light erupted as countless particles separated from his body, coalescing into over a dozen photon clones identical to the original.
Appearance, build, aura... Every detail was replicated perfectly, with each clone even wielding its own Ama no Murakumo!
"I may be lazy by nature, but when it comes to promises made to old friends..." All the Kizaru clones spoke in unison, their overlapping voices booming like thunder across the sea. "I won't cut corners!"
Multiple Light Clones!
This was his ultimate trump card as a Marine Admiral!
Each clone was only slightly weaker than the original, their terrifying combat prowess placing them near the pinnacle of the seas!
Among the Three Admirals.
If Akainu boasted the greatest destructive power, and Aokiji the most fearsome battlefield control...
Then Borsalino, aside from being the fastest...
Was the only one capable of becoming an army unto himself!!!
The Curtain Closer's four top executives were indeed formidable.
But after staking everything—his very life—he might just be able to hold all four at bay alone!
Meanwhile.
Akainu's landing force finally broke through the artillery blockade and set foot on the sandy shore.
But the first thing that greeted them was the sight of dismembered Celestial Dragon limbs strewn across the beach, their blood staining the sand a dark crimson.
"This... this..." Many of the younger officers paled at the sight. Just how many World Nobles had died here?!
"Mr. Sakazuki!" A rear admiral, barely containing his horror after a quick survey, reported in a trembling voice, "We... we're too late! The Celestial Dragons... they've probably..."
All dead?
Akainu's expression turned grimmer than ever, but he remained silent, fists clenched so tightly that magma seeped between his fingers, sizzling as it dripped onto the sand.
Just then.
From the northern woods came a piercing scream, followed by gunfire—then silence.
"Wait, there are survivors!" Akainu's head snapped up. Extending his Observation Haki, his eyes blazed with intensity. "Quick! Everyone, follow me! To the northern woods!"
Without another thought, he transformed into a jet of magma, streaking across the beach and leaving a trail of scorched earth behind.
The Marine officers behind him suppressed their nausea and activated Moon Walk, hurrying after him.
The deeper they ventured into the northern woods, the thicker the stench of blood in the air became.
When they finally emerged from the last stretch of trees and reached a valley, the sight below the slope made every Marine freeze in shock.
The last few dozen Celestial Dragons, battered and broken, were fleeing like panicked livestock across the valley floor.
Pursuing them were the Curtain Closer's younger executives—those who hadn't appeared on the frontlines.
"Stay back! Don't come near me!"
"Damn peasants! Marines! Where are the Marines?! Protect me! Waaah—!" A beautiful female Celestial Dragon with exquisite makeup collapsed to the ground, her mind shattered as she wailed, "I'm only nineteen! Nineteen! My wonderful life has only just begun! It can't end like this! It can't—!"
"Why can't it?" A mocking voice cut in. "Weren't you just bragging about slaughtering an entire village—men, women, and children—when you first got off the ship? Did you ever stop to think about why their lives had to end for you?"
The woman's cries cut off abruptly as she looked up in terror.
The next instant—
A blade flashed.
Her head soared into the air before being stomped into the dirt, half her face buried in the mud.
"Not a single one of these scum is innocent," Zoro spat on the ground, then suddenly seemed to sense something and looked up at the slope.
"Well, well. Finally showed up, huh?" Zoro grinned. "Hey, you're a bit late, aren't you? There aren't many left—here to collect the bodies?"
"M-Marines?!" The remaining Celestial Dragons finally noticed Akainu's group and, like drowning men clutching at straws, began crawling toward them, weeping. "You're here! You're finally here!"
"Quick! Get us out of here! These lunatics! They're insane! They're—!"
But before they could get far, a calm voice interrupted from behind:
"What nonsense are you spouting, Mosshead? 'Not many left'?"
"Whoosh!" A black leg wreathed in flames lashed out, and in an instant, the crawling Celestial Dragons were reduced to charred lumps.
"There aren't any left at all, got it?" Sanji stepped leisurely from the trees, cigarette dangling from his lips, and crushed the neck of the last breathing Celestial Dragon underfoot.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Zoro, he blew out a lazy smoke ring and smirked up at the stunned Marines. "Actually, I'd say you came at just the right time. Leaving this trash here would pollute the forest. Why don't you do us a favor and haul them back to the World Government?"
"Wouldn't call it a favor," Zoro snorted, shooting Sanji a sidelong glance. "They're all non-recyclable waste anyway. No need to sort them—just pile 'em up."
"Boom!"
Akainu took a thunderous step forward, the volcanic fury in his eyes finally erupting.
"You animals... ANIMALS!!! None of you will leave here alive today!"