Momonga shook his head indifferently and said,
"It only delayed their deaths slightly, nothing more."
As soon as he finished speaking, another figure flashed onto the battlefield. It was Navy Vice Admiral Onigumo.
The eight blades he wielded still dripped with bright red blood. Moments earlier, several Mink Tribe warriors in their Sulong forms had been reduced to mangled flesh by his relentless assault.
In the original timeline, Onigumo had already been known as a hardliner within the Navy. In this altered timeline, his ruthlessness had only intensified, making him even more extreme.
He cast a cold glance at Huoshaoshan and Momonga, his voice low and sharp.
"Instead of wasting time talking, you two should move and kill those two Mink Tribe leaders causing trouble."
The moment his words fell, Onigumo activated Soru and vanished, reappearing instantly before Sicilian and Pedro, who had just pushed themselves back to their feet.
His Eight Sword Style erupted once more.
Each blade, coated in jet black Armament Haki, sliced through the air like a violent storm, forming a dense and inescapable web of attacks that engulfed Sicilian.
Sicilian reacted immediately.
In his Sulong form, his speed had drastically increased, but even so, Onigumo's swordsmanship came from all directions without flaw. There was no opening to exploit.
Within moments, several blades cut into him, tearing through his defenses. His silver white fur scattered into the air, mixed with streaks of blood.
At the same time, Pedro regained his senses.
The madness in his eyes faded, replaced by grim focus. Lightning crackled between his claws as he lunged forward, launching electrified strikes at Onigumo.
However, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse when Momonga and Huoshaoshan joined the battle.
Facing three elite Vice Admirals at once pushed Sicilian and Pedro into immediate danger.
On this sea, only a handful of individuals could withstand such combined strength. Without power on the level of Admirals or Yonko, survival against them was nearly impossible.
Elite Vice Admirals of Navy Headquarters possessed powerful physical abilities, refined combat techniques, and mastery of both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
Onigumo advanced like a living slaughter machine, his eight blades weaving through the space between Sicilian and Pedro, dragging both of them into his relentless offense.
"Eight Sword Style, Death Spider Web!"
At the same time, Huoshaoshan took a deep drag from his cigar.
The blade in his hand trembled as intense flames ignited along its edge. Seizing the moment when Sicilian and Pedro were locked in Onigumo's assault, he charged forward.
Gripping his sword with both hands, he swung with overwhelming force.
"Crimson Lotus Scorched Earth!"
Boom!
The frozen battlefield shattered instantly, cracks spreading like an erupting volcano. A violent shockwave rippled outward as flames surged from Huoshaoshan's blade, expanding into a blazing sea of fire that swallowed Sicilian and Pedro whole.
Onigumo, already familiar with the attack, had withdrawn in advance, avoiding the blast completely.
Within the inferno, the figures of Sicilian and Pedro flickered faintly.
Their bodies were covered in intersecting sword wounds. Blood poured endlessly from the cuts, staining their once pristine fur.
Even their durable bodies and Haki could not fully withstand the sharpness of Onigumo's blades.
Now, after taking Huoshaoshan's devastating strike, both of them coughed up blood, their conditions deteriorating rapidly.
"Cough... cough..."
Pedro, more severely injured, collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud. The suffocating heat made it difficult for him to even breathe.
Sicilian quickly moved to support him, but before he could speak, Momonga, who had been waiting outside the flames, leaped into the air.
Raising his long sword, he unleashed a cross shaped azure slash.
"Cross Mark, Flying Squirrel!"
The air split apart with a sharp tearing sound as the attack descended instantly into the sea of fire.
In the next moment, the slash struck.
A violent gust dispersed the flames, accompanied by the chilling sound of flesh being torn apart.
Splat!
Momonga landed steadily, his gaze fixed on the scorched and sunken ice field ahead.
There, Sicilian stood motionless like a statue, his arms crossed in front of Pedro.
Pedro's eyes widened in horror.
"Sicilian... Sicilian!"
His voice trembled as he called out repeatedly.
Sicilian's body quivered slightly. He tried to turn and look at Pedro, but the moment he moved, his strength gave out.
His body collapsed like lifeless mud onto the ground.
"Sicilian!!!"
Pedro roared, rushing forward and pulling him into his arms.
The instant he made contact, a sticky warmth spread across his hands.
His body froze.
Slowly, he raised his trembling hand, only to see it drenched in blood.
Sicilian's blood.
Sicilian's arms hung limply. Deep, narrow sword wounds pierced through both forearms, completely destroying the flesh and bone within.
But the most fatal injury was the cross shaped gash across his chest.
The depth of the wound made it obvious that his internal organs had been completely shredded.
No matter how resilient a Mink in Sulong form was, such injuries left no possibility of survival.
Pedro understood this.
He nodded blankly, staring at Sicilian, his lips moving, yet no sound came out.
Blood poured from Sicilian's mouth like a fountain as he struggled to speak.
"Hurry... go find Joy Boy. You... you are the King of the Mink Tribe... you cannot die..."
With the last of his strength, Sicilian suddenly grabbed Pedro's chest fur, his bloodshot eyes wide with urgency.
"Take the Mink Tribe... and live!!!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the light in his eyes vanished completely.
His head tilted, falling lifelessly onto Pedro's knees.
The silver white glow of his fur faded, returning to its original brown.
His life had ended.
In contrast, Pedro's fur shifted.
The silver white transformed into a deep blood red. His claws extended, and a dark crimson line appeared along them.
Pedro stared at Sicilian's corpse in his arms.
His expression twisted, becoming savage, like a beast on the verge of tearing everything apart.
"Navy... die!!!"
His roar echoed across the battlefield.
In the next instant, he became a streak of bloody light, tearing across the frozen ground as he charged directly at Momonga.
Despite his severe injuries, Pedro now moved even faster than before.
Momonga's Observation Haki barely reacted before Pedro slammed into him, sending him flying backward.
Mid air, Momonga adjusted his posture and immediately counterattacked, unleashing multiple slash waves toward Pedro.
But Pedro did not dodge.
He did not evade.
He allowed every slash to strike him directly.
Beneath his thick, blood red fur, his muscles swelled and bulged violently.
Pain no longer registered.
At this moment, there was only one thought left in his mind.
Tear every Navy soldier in front of him into pieces.