The one in the very center was unmistakably Akainu's vice-admiral-class vessel.
Akainu stood on the deck, gazing at Ohara before him, his fists clenched tightly.
"Continue to increase the firepower!"
"But Admiral Akainu, didn't the Fleet Admiral order us to probe the situation? If we just—"
Before the nearby captain could finish speaking, Akainu cut him off.
"The Navy's justice must not be tarnished. The very existence of this island is a sin, and it is our duty to purge such evil!"
Akainu's brow furrowed deeply, his entire demeanor growing even more menacing.
The surrounding soldiers said no more.
Since Vice Admiral Akainu had given the order,
they had no choice but to obey.
Shell after shell fired from the cannons, trailing smoke through the air as they arced and whistled before crashing into the defensive wall formed by the roots of the Tree of Omniscience.
Inside the island,
Roya used the Illusion-Illusion Fruit to cloak himself and Weevil in a hooded cape.
The cape concealed their figures and faces.
Roya gently stroked Robin's hair and whispered, "Robin, I'll give you a gift. Let me show you a performance! Study it well—this is a rare experience for you."
With those words, Roya slammed both hands onto the ground.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
The immense life force inherent in Wood Release surged through the soil, nourishing the roots of the Tree of Omniscience.
The roots seemed to come alive, slowly unraveling their bindings and retreating back beneath the earth.
Roya then commanded Weevil, "Weevil, smash every warship in sight. Kill anyone who stands in your way!"
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Weevil charged toward the warships.
Now, the performance began!
On the deck, Akainu watched as the defensive wall receded into the ground, revealing two hooded figures. His heart skipped a beat.
But he quickly took a deep breath, his expression hardening as he stared at the two cloaked figures on the island.
The one with a normal human build was familiar to him—it was none other than the mysterious swordsman who had once defeated both him and Aokiji with a single strike.
The other, a mountainous figure, was someone he had never seen before!
Yet even now, faced with two mysterious opponents,
Akainu showed no intention of retreating.
"The Navy does not retreat! On the path to eradicating darkness, only justice shall endure!"
With that declaration, Akainu leaped from the deck.
His feet rapidly kicked against the air—
Moonwalk!
In an instant, Akainu seized the high ground.
His arms transformed into searing magma as he launched an attack at Weevil, who was charging toward him.
"Come at me! Taste the wrath of Hell Hound!"
Akainu's arms elongated at terrifying speed,
the air itself screeching from the force.
The scorching magma distorted the atmosphere,
a clear sign that Akainu's strength had more than doubled since their last encounter!
But the man he faced now was Weevil—fearless, impervious to pain.
Faced with such a ferocious assault, Weevil didn't even flinch.
His thin legs bent, then kicked off with explosive force—
leaving a crater in Ohara's soil.
The sheer recoil propelled Weevil's body like a massive cannonball,
hurtling straight toward Akainu.In his eyes, it was as if Akainu's attack didn't even exist.
"Boom!"
Two streams of molten lava mercilessly struck Weevil's body, burning two shallow holes into his flesh.
Blood immediately gushed from the wounds.
Yet within mere three seconds, the injuries healed completely.
This terrifying, superhuman regenerative ability made Akainu pause in shock.
Before he could even process what had happened, Weevil had already charged right in front of him!
Armament Haki enveloped his fists.
Though not at Roya's peak-level mastery, it had already reached intermediate proficiency.
Weevil raised both fists and ruthlessly punched Akainu's chest!
However, Akainu had partially transformed his body into magma using Observation Haki in advance, thus avoiding any real damage from Weevil's strike.
"I've endured hellish training! If I got hit by such amateurish attacks, I might as well quit!" Akainu sneered as he unleashed the magma covering his body.
"Ryusei Kazan (Meteor Volcano)!"
Akainu's arm transformed into molten lava again, shaping it into the form of a snarling dog's head before extending it toward his enemy. The magma hounds lunged at Weevil with scorching fury.
"Die already! Let the sea swallow you and your wickedness!"
Akainu pressed his advantage, intent on finishing Weevil off.
But at that moment, a sudden chill ran down Akainu's spine—a primal instinct warning him that he'd been marked by some monstrous predator.
The next instant, Weevil's muscles bulged grotesquely, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying.
With sheer brute force, he shattered Akainu's magma hounds!
Before Akainu could react, Weevil—now even faster—slammed an Armament Haki-coated fist straight into Akainu's skull.
Akainu's vision swam as if struck by a sledgehammer, dizziness overwhelming him.
On the island, Roya watched the scene unfold.
Shaking his head, he murmured, "Same old Akainu—spouting justice, oozing misplaced confidence. His strength is decent, but he's always too quick to grow complacent."
Roya provided commentary from the sidelines while analyzing the battle between Akainu and Weevil.
Beside him, Robin nodded repeatedly, attempting to predict their next moves.
This was high-level combat—an invaluable learning experience for her.
Studying battles of this caliber could save her countless missteps in the future.
Olvia, recognizing Roya's thoughtful intentions, felt deeply moved.
Remembering how Roya had once saved her, warmth filled her heart.
Had he not rescued her back then, she wouldn't be this happy now.
Yes—being able to stay by Robin's side filled Olvia with unprecedented joy.
And, of course, she could still catch glimpses of Roya from time to time...
Above them, Weevil and Akainu clashed fiercely, locked in a relentless exchange of blows.
The soldiers aboard the warships stood frozen, even forgetting to reload their cannons."That guy looks really strong!"
"It feels like he has endless stamina."
"Did you notice? That person on the shore of Ohara hasn't even made a move yet!"
"That must be the boss. I've heard that this guy single-handedly wiped out a Buster Call with just one sword strike!"
"And that was against both Akainu and Aokiji working together!"
"So in this situation, he just can't be bothered to act?"
At this thought, the soldiers couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts!
"Quick, contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"But if we bypass Vice Admiral Akainu and contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku directly, we might—"
"So what? Right now, Akainu is locked in battle with that monster, and that mysterious guy doesn't seem interested in intervening. We need to contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku fast, or we might not get another chance..."