Seeing the danger, the crowd preemptively distanced themselves from the battlefield, retreating to a safe range.
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, are you alright?!"
Sengoku and Zephyr, who arrived late, looked at the weakened Sengoku the Buddha and asked with concern.
"Don't worry, I can still hold on."
Sengoku the Buddha waved his hand, looking at Hajrudin with some apprehension: "I can't believe Hajrudin got the Memo Memo no Mi. Fortunately, he hasn't had the fruit for long; otherwise, I would have already been defeated."
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, the current situation is extremely unfavorable for us. I'm afraid this is beyond salvation." "Perhaps we should retreat!!"
Sengoku looked at the rapidly growing aura of Reno, his face extremely grave. Garp and Sengoku the Buddha were the two strongest among their group of four. Yet, Reno and Hajrudin's power surpassed theirs by a margin. Their own battles (Sengoku and Zephyr) couldn't break the stalemate, and the situation was precarious.
Sengoku the Buddha, who shared the same thought, glanced at Garp, clenched his fist, and said with great reluctance: "Garp and Reno have no retreat. Once this move of theirs is over, regardless of whether Garp gains an advantage, we must leave here immediately." "Inform them to prepare for rescue!!"
Zephyr and Sengoku exchanged a knowing look and nodded slightly.
...
At the center of the battlefield.
Garp and Reno were clearly separated. Garp, in mid-air, was furiously unleashing Armament Haki. Black aura flowed like swimming snakes, filling the entire space. The affected sky had darkened.
Reno, on the ground, was surrounded by three terrifying powers: silver lightning, pitch-black Armament Haki, and dark red Conqueror's Haki. The three terrifying powers were continuously released and compressed under Reno's control!
"Reno, die!!!" "Fist Bone - Collision!"
Garp descended like a meteor, his iron fist, carrying his strongest power, slammed fiercely toward Reno's head.
"A good attack!!" "Divine Electric Light (Shinden Raikō)!"
Reno laughed loudly, and a beam of light compressed from the three energies in his chest shot toward the diving Garp. Almost instantly, it met Garp's pitch-black iron fist.
"Break!!!"
Garp, his face contorted with fury, roared and wrestled with Reno's Divine Electric Light. However, after only a few breaths of stalemate, the Divine Electric Light completely shattered Garp's attack with devastating force. The remaining impact hit Garp's body, sending him directly flying.
Everyone clearly saw Garp's Armament Haki armor on his body being forcibly dispersed. He vomited blood fiercely in the air. Then, his head slumped to the side, and he passed out.
"Garp!!!" "Geppo (Moonwalk)!"
Sensing the danger, Zephyr immediately used Moonwalk, flying into the void to catch Garp.
"What is the situation?!"
When Sengoku the Buddha and Sengoku saw Garp in Zephyr's arms, both of them gasped sharply. Garp was covered in blood, having completely turned into a blood man. The Divine Electric Light had not only defeated Garp's Haki armor but had also broken through his physical defenses. His right arm was fractured, bloody and mangled, with the white bone faintly visible.
The wound on his abdomen was equally horrific. Although his Fist Bone - Collision had neutralized most of the attack, the remaining power was not something Garp could withstand in his current state.
"He only has one breath left."
After sensing Garp's condition, the expressions of the Marines turned extremely grim.
On the other side, Reno's situation was not much better. Although he was not wounded, the long duration of the battle had already consumed a vast amount of his stamina, compounded by the final powerful move. His stamina was completely drained, and his face was pale and extremely weak from exhaustion.
"Boss!!"
Flame Flower, Jess, and the others rushed over immediately.
"Are you okay??"
Worry was etched on Flame Flower's face as she quickly checked Reno's body, fearing any internal injuries.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I just have no strength left." "Stop them. Don't let them escape!"
A weak voice, filled with murderous intent, came from Reno's mouth.
"Kurokage, look after the Boss!!" (Black Shadow)
Kurokage said nothing, supporting Reno and retreating to a safe location.
"You damn Marines, don't even think about leaving today!!!"
"Bogard!!!" "Now is the time!"
Sengoku the Buddha shouted, and Bogard on the warship instantly understood.
"Fire!!!" "Fire!!" "..."
With a single command!
The Marine Vice Admirals on eight warships simultaneously gave the order. Hundreds of dark muzzles spewed fire at the same time, and countless cannonballs poured forth. A dense hail of cannonballs filled the sky, aimed directly at Caster Kingdom.
This was the same tactic they had used during their previous escape—old-fashioned, but effective.
If they directly attacked Jess and the others, their methods would not only fail to hurt them but would likely be counteracted. However, attacking Caster Kingdom was different. Unless they completely disregarded the citizens of Caster, they would surely not stand idly by.
Just as Sengoku the Buddha and all the Marine soldiers believed their plan had succeeded, they noticed that Jess and the others made no move. They continued to swiftly assault Sengoku and the others, allowing the cannonballs to fly towards the territory of Caster Kingdom.
"Are these guys insane?!" "They'd sacrifice their own country just to deal with us?!" "Heh heh heh heh... pirates are pirates. They truly are scum!" "Since their target is us, everyone prepare to fight!!"
The faces of the numerous Marine Vice Admirals were solemn. They never imagined the enemy would choose such a desperate measure, willing to sacrifice some of their citizens just to take them down.
Just as all the Marines held this thought, and countless cannonballs flew over the heads of Jess and the others,
Rumble! Rumble!
Just then, an anomaly occurred.
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Earth, rocks, and sand violently shook. Eventually, it became difficult for everyone to even stand firm.
A few hundred meters from the port, accompanied by bursts of deafening crashes, the earth within a radius of several hundred meters strangely swelled into massive lumps. Before everyone's shocked gaze, the lumps converged, forming an enormous skull.
And this was just the beginning. In just a few breaths, a fifth of the island's land mass gathered together. In the blink of an eye, a hundred-meter-tall skeletal giant, connected to the entire island, was brought into being, only its upper body visible.
"What... what the hell is that?!" "Holy shit!!" "Is that another Devil Fruit user?!"
The Marine soldiers who witnessed this scene all gasped, their eyes filled with disbelief.
It wasn't just them; even Sengoku the Buddha and the others, who thought they could easily escape, had their faces sink. They finally understood why Jess and the others were so calm and composed.
The skeletal giant slowly raised its right hand. The gigantic, sky-covering palm directly blocked half the sky, intercepting all the cannonballs flying towards Caster Town.
Bang! Bang! Bang!Bang! Bang! Bang!
The intercepted cannonballs exploded in mid-air, setting off a chain reaction. All the cannonballs detonated in a huge explosion. The air became a sea of fire, and waves of scorching heat swept outward. But in the end, they were all blocked by the colossal palm.
"Heh heh heh heh heh... Sengoku, you have no chance left. Go die now!!"
Seeing Luo Feng completely neutralize all the Marine attacks, Jess and the others also breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, they had already dedicated part of their minds to preparing for a rescue at any time. After all, they had never seen the full power of the Island-Island Fruit ability before.
But now, it seemed quite good. With this, they had no more worries.
"Damn it!!"
Sengoku the Buddha's eyes were bloodshot. He never expected Reno to have a subordinate with this kind of ability.
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, what should we do?!"
Sengoku and the others' expressions were more serious than ever. Although the strongest Reno was out of commission, Garp was in the same state, wasn't he? Furthermore, Garp was critically wounded, barely clinging to life.
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha!"
Just then, all the Marine Vice Admirals, including Bogard, used Moonwalk to descend to the ground. The cannon barrage was completely useless, and they had to provide support. Otherwise, Sengoku the Buddha and the others would likely be unable to escape.
"Get Garp out of here first!!" Sengoku the Buddha glanced at Bogard and commanded.
"Yes."
Bogard carefully picked up Garp and prepared to leave using Moonwalk.
"Heh heh heh heh heh... Our Captain said you absolutely cannot be allowed to leave!!" "Today is the death anniversary for you Marines!!" "Little Wind, come out!!"
Flame Flower had a thought, and the Kaze Kaze Homie (Wind Homie), which hadn't appeared throughout the fight, suddenly manifested.
"Let's see how you run now!!" "Tornado Gale!!!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Wind Homie conjured an endless gale, transforming into a tornado storm. However, its target was not Sengoku the Buddha or the Vice Admirals, but the remaining eight Marine warships.
"This is bad, retreat quickly!!" "Turn the rudder, turn the rudder quickly!!!" "Shit, it's coming for us!!"
The rapidly growing tornado storm in their vision, coupled with the loud wailing sound in their ears, filled the eyes of all the Marine soldiers with terror. Their strong will to survive made them control the warships immediately, trying to flee.
But it was too late. The already-formed tornado storm carried a powerful suction force, sweeping all the Marine warships into it. The terrifying tearing force instantly shredded all eight Marine warships!!
The bodies of the Marine soldiers were instantly torn apart, bursting into blood mist. Not a single sound could be heard from them because their voices had long been drowned out by the wailing of the gale.
"You bastards, you scoundrels!!!" "I'll kill you all!!"
The Marine Vice Admirals who witnessed this had bloodshot eyes and were filled with rage, their back teeth grinding. They could only watch helplessly as countless fragments of warships and the scattered remains of Marine soldiers fell into the sea, attracting countless Sea Kings to frantically feed.
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, swim back through the water! Take Garp and get out of here quickly!!!"
Zephyr, in a moment of desperate brilliance, roared and charged directly towards Jess and the other two...
Zephyr's warning brightened Sengoku the Buddha's eyes. Without any hesitation, he immediately gave the order:
"Take Garp, let's go!!!"
In the current situation, a single second could determine their survival. He had no time for any further consideration.
"Damn it, stop them!!!"
The startled Flame Flower's expression changed, and she immediately made her move.
"Dream on if you think you're getting past me!!!"
Zephyr snorted coldly, using external Armament Haki Impact to unleash a shockwave and block Flame Flower.
"Hajrudin, Jess!"
Without her needing to remind them, the two had already rushed towards Sengoku the Buddha and the others at the first instant.
Zephyr naturally wouldn't let them succeed. While delivering the shockwave, his figure continuously shifted. Exploding with all his strength, his movement was extremely fast, appearing directly in Hajrudin's necessary path.
Hajrudin was the strongest person here besides Reno, and the one who posed the greatest threat to them. If Hajrudin was held up, Sengoku the Buddha and the others would never be able to leave.
"Get lost!!"
Zephyr roared, his heavy punch striking directly at Hajrudin's face. Hajrudin had no choice but to temporarily stop and engage in a fierce battle with Zephyr.
Jess instantly swept past the two, heading to kill Sengoku the Buddha. Zephyr glanced over, his heart burning with anxiety.
But he couldn't split himself now.
"Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, hurry and go!!!"
The remaining eight Marine Vice Admirals exchanged a look, and with grim determination, charged out.
"Bogard, let's go!!!"
Sengoku the Buddha glanced back once and then retracted his gaze. He understood the consequences of those eight Vice Admirals charging out now. But as a Marine Admiral, he had to consider the bigger picture. If all of them died here, then it would truly be over!!
Almost simultaneously with the Vice Admirals charging out, Sengoku the Buddha, carrying Sengoku (the Devil Fruit user), and Bogard, carrying Garp, both leaped into the sea. After splashing two huge waves, they disappeared from view.
"Damn it!!!"
Looking at the now calm sea surface, Flame Flower's face was frosty. They actually let those guys escape!
"Since you few fools wanted to hog the limelight, then stay here!!"
Flame Flower no longer hesitated, charging towards Zephyr, joining Hajrudin to surround him.
"Zephyr, you will pay the price for your choice!" "Baisu 'Twentyfold Speed'!" (Multiplication 'Twentyfold Speed'!)
The escape of Sengoku the Buddha and the others also enraged Hajrudin. Although he had the advantage in the fight with Sengoku the Buddha, continuously using tenfold strength and speed was extremely taxing on his stamina, as his own endurance had limits. In his current state, forcefully boosting his speed twentyfold could even cause significant damage to his body.
But Sengoku and the others had escaped, leaving them with no recourse. They absolutely could not allow Zephyr to leave alive.
At this moment, Zephyr's face was gloomier than ever. Every time he tried to find an opportunity to jump into the sea, Hajrudin would preempt him, blocking his essential path. Even if he exploded with his fastest speed, he couldn't match Hajrudin's.
"Heh heh heh heh... Zephyr, don't you like being a hero?!" "Then go die!!" "Screaming Light Cannon (Meikōhō)!"
Flame Flower raised her Fine Grade Sword high. The Hono Hono Homie (Fire Homie) enveloped the lower half of the blade, and the tip of the blade passed through the body of the Rai Rai Homie (Lightning Homie). The three formed an energy ring.
Flame Flower swung the sword, and a laser with immense power immediately shot out from the energy ring, attacking Zephyr.
Zephyr, whose Observation Haki had tracked the attack, felt a sense of dread. Armament Haki armor instantly condensed around his body. As he turned, he crossed his arms, blocking the laser attack from behind.
"Baisu 'Twentyfold Heavy Punch'!!" (Multiplication 'Twentyfold Heavy Punch'!)
Hajrudin, seizing the opportunity, erupted with all his might, instantly increasing his strength twentyfold.
"Die!!!"
Zephyr, whose face dramatically changed after blocking Flame Flower's attack, was about to react.
Bang!
However, in the next second, a heavy punch directly smashed into his temple. A supremely powerful energy shockwave instantly pierced through his brain, passing through his head and out the other side.
"You..."
Zephyr opened his mouth, but after uttering one word, he abruptly stopped. The focus in his eyes visibly faded. The Haki armor around his body gradually dissipated, and his raised fist finally fell powerlessly.
At this moment, he only felt cold all over, and the vitality in his body rapidly drained away. In his last second, Zephyr glanced toward the distant sea, and then his entire body collapsed onto the ground.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr!!!"
The eight Marine Vice Admirals battling Jess were aghast. Vice Admiral Zephyr was dead, truly dead!! Killed by these pirates!!
"Heh heh heh heh... don't worry, it's your turn next!" "Hajrudin, you rest well. Leave the rest to me and Jess!"
Flame Flower said, and then charged out.
"Damn it, let's fight them to the death!"
Knowing they had no retreat, the eight Marine Vice Admirals displayed a willingness to die. They all unleashed their strongest techniques and charged toward Jess and Flame Flower.
"Ants trying to shake a tree! You deserve to die for being dogs to the Celestial Dragons!"
"God's Warehouse - Falling Thunder (Kami no Kura - Rakurai)!" "Mama Raid!!"