Ochoku and Silver Axe were on the verge of cursing their ancestors.
What the hell were those Red-Haired bastards even doing here?
That useless Shanks couldn't even hold on a little longer, and Beckman too. How the hell did he just up and die like that?
Great. They had started four against three, and now it had turned straight into two against three.
After a brief exchange, Silver Axe and Ochoku regrouped, standing back-to-back as they guarded against Issho and Gion.
Silver Axe glanced at Ortoren, who was walking toward them at an unhurried pace, and said,
"Ochoku, you're not planning to ditch me and run, are you?"
Given the situation, Silver Axe knew he had no chance of winning. As a Riki Riki no Mi user, he wasn't built for speed.
Ochoku, on the other hand, might still have hope. His instantaneous movement was incredibly fast. If anyone could escape, it would be him.
Ochoku said in a low voice,
"I already tested that. That guy's Goro Goro no Mi really lives up to being called 'invincible.' He can keep up with me at full speed. How could I possibly get away? So don't worry, I'm not leaving you behind…"
"Idiot…" Silver Axe suddenly laughed, cursing as he spoke. "What I mean is this. We've fought each other for so many years, and in the end, we got nothing. Instead, we're stuck on Hachinosu like two guard dogs. It's boring as hell. But… it feels like I only realized it today. I don't even know when it happened, but I already see you as a real brother. So if there's a chance later, you go. You're always going on about endurance and patience anyway, so you shouldn't feel guilty about it. If you love enduring so much, then run for your life. Live properly for me. When you get the chance, just remember to avenge me…"
Ochoku froze for a moment, a trace of sorrow flashing through his eyes. Then he said,
"You said it yourself. If a chance really comes up, don't blame me for being heartless."
"Hahahaha!" Silver Axe burst out laughing. "I might only be able to create one chance. Don't hesitate!"
At the same time, Ortoren reached the edge of the battlefield. He looked at Silver Axe and Ochoku, then shifted his gaze to Gion and Issho.
"I've suddenly lost interest," he said flatly. "Kill them."
His enthusiasm really had faded. Ortoren didn't quite understand it himself. It was as if, the moment Beckman ended his own life with that single shot, he lost all desire to keep dragging things out with Ochoku and Silver Axe.
The same went for the Red-Haired Pirates. There was no point in tangling with a pack of losers. Maybe that was why he hadn't regretted his decision afterward.
The moment Ortoren finished speaking, Silver Axe's eyes darkened. Without a word, he charged forward, battle axe in hand.
In Silver Axe's mind, Ochoku's judgment made sense. Ortoren's Goro Goro no Mi could keep him locked down, meaning Ortoren didn't hold a decisive speed advantage over Ochoku. As long as Silver Axe could tie Ortoren up and keep him from splitting his attention, the other two Marines wouldn't be able to stop Ochoku.
That would be Ochoku's chance to escape.
And that assessment was correct. Gion couldn't keep up with Ochoku's speed at all. Issho's abilities could restrain him to some extent, but only barely. If Ochoku was truly set on fleeing, even Issho wouldn't be able to stop him.
The moment Silver Axe moved, Issho swung his staff-sword in a powerful arc.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
"Hah!"
Silver Axe didn't dodge at all. His battle axe, wrapped in overwhelming strength and Haki, came crashing down straight into Issho's slash.
Raw power truly cared for no reason or logic. Silver Axe split Issho's attack apart, carving a clear path straight through it. Without sparing Issho a second glance, he kicked off the ground and surged forward. The sheer force of his movement sent him charging straight at Ortoren. The heavy battle axe spun once in midair, then came down with immense momentum toward Ortoren.
Ortoren didn't move to evade either. He raised his hand and caught the axe, Haki surging around his grip.
With a loud crack, two wounds split open across Ortoren's palm, blood pouring out, but he still firmly stopped the devastating blow.
At that moment, a resolute smile appeared in Silver Axe's eyes.
"Idiot. Now's the time!"
As soon as he spoke, he abandoned the battle axe completely. He lunged forward, arms spreading wide as he locked Ortoren around the waist, planting his feet and driving forward with all his strength, forcibly pushing Ortoren ahead.
Silver Axe knew he couldn't think of any clever way to restrain someone with the Goro Goro no Mi. He believed he only had one chance. The moment he showed even the slightest hint, Ortoren would never fall for the same trick again.
So the first move had to be everything.
Catch him off guard. Lock him down in an instant. With his own strength and Haki, Ortoren wouldn't be able to break free immediately.
That was enough.
That was Ochoku's chance to escape.
At the same time, a determined look flashed through Ochoku's eyes. His figure vanished in a flash.
Gion immediately shouted,
"He's trying to escape!"
Issho's Observation Haki erupted at once, spreading out to envelop the entire island, clearly trying to pinpoint Ochoku's position and block his escape.
But in the next instant, Issho gasped in surprise.
"He didn't escape—it's Ortoren's side!"
Indeed, Ochoku didn't take advantage of the golden opportunity Silver Axe had given him to escape. Instead, in the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Ortoren, landing with both feet on his back. His long sword, infused with powerful Conqueror's Haki, gleamed dangerously in his hands. With a flash of cold determination in his eyes, he thrust the blade downward, aiming straight for Ortoren's heart.
At that exact moment, Ortoren felt the sharp sting from behind. But he didn't seem concerned with Ochoku. Lightning surged through his body, and he braced his waist and abdomen, his arms locking with Silver Axe's in a fierce struggle. With a furious roar, he halted his backward momentum, his forearms bulging with explosive muscle power. The pent-up strength within him burst free, surging outward like a torrent.
His arms shot up, forcibly lifting Silver Axe off the ground, and the blinding lightning reached its peak.
"Lightning Self Bomb!!!"
With Ortoren's roar, Silver Axe's body was whipped forward with incredible force, slamming into the ground!
In an instant, the earth collapsed, creating a crater over a hundred meters deep. The blinding lightning exploded outward, engulfing Ortoren, Silver Axe, and Ochoku.
The next moment, Gion and Issho charged into the crater, one from the left, the other from the right. The air was thick with lightning and smoke. The two different forces collided in the haze.
One was Gion's cutting wind pressure, the other Issho's heavy gravity!
Along with the release of these two powers, two streams of blood erupted from the smoke. Then, the battlefield fell silent.
The dissipating thunder quickly faded, and the smoke cleared, revealing the figures of the three in the deep pit.
At that moment, a blade was embedded in the back of Ortoren's neck—Ochoku's sword. Though it had broken through Ortoren's defenses, it hadn't pierced through his front and back as Ochoku had hoped.
Before him, Silver Axe lay burned and blackened, smoke still rising from his mouth. His waist and hips were embedded in the ground, his arms hanging limp at his sides.
As for Ochoku, he was now pinned by the blades of Issho and Gion at his throat. Issho's gravity was pressing down on him with such force that he couldn't move. Ochoku, who had been relatively unharmed until now, was now in a much more dire state.
A cross-shaped wound bled profusely from his chest—clearly inflicted when Gion and Issho had struck together just moments ago!
Ochoku didn't care about the blades at his throat. His eyes were locked onto Ortoren's figure.
Moments later, Ortoren moved. He reached behind him, grabbing the blade embedded in his neck, and pulled it out with a violent motion. Blood sprayed from the wound.
Seeing this, Ochoku sighed softly. He stopped resisting Issho's gravitational pull, his head thudding heavily against the ground as he collapsed completely.
"Guh…" Silver Axe coughed up black smoke mixed with blood and bits of internal organs. His breath was shallow, but he still managed to struggle and curse, "I told you you were an idiot... yet you... never listened. You had your chance... why didn't you run?"
"You're right, I'm an idiot…" Ochoku stared up at the sky, his voice weak. "I should've run earlier. But where would I go now? Seek refuge with Linlin? Tell her I want to use her power to take revenge on her son? Or throw myself at that bastard Kaidou? Or grovel at Whitebeard's feet? Idiot… There's nowhere for me on these seas. Besides… you said it yourself. All these years, we've been nothing but guard dogs. And when the home's gone, what's the point in running? Dying here with you, you bastard... isn't that just as good?"
After enduring for so many years, Ochoku had finally chosen not to endure anymore.
"Heh… heh heh heh heh…" Silver Axe forced out a breath and burst into laughter. "Who would've thought I'd end up dying with you… Well… it's not so bad."
Had Silver Axe not created that opportunity for Ochoku, he wouldn't have been caught so quickly by Ortoren and slammed with the Lightning Self Bomb. And had Ochoku not been so resolute in his mindset, he might have found another way to escape and not fallen so swiftly.
But they both knew: since escape wasn't an option, why drag things out? Better to settle things with one decisive blow—quick and clean.
It felt noble and dignified!
Perhaps, as Ortoren had said, walking toward one's end with such nobility and composure… was a kind of romance after all.