"Excellent!"
Before the words even finished, his right hand had transformed into a Magma Fist, slamming hard into Moria's abdomen.
Boom!!!
The intense heat of the magma instantly scorched through flesh and blood!
"Pfft—!!!"
Moria spewed a mouthful of blood, flying backward like a ragged sack.
He smashed through three broken walls in succession before finally embedding into a half-collapsed building, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
At that moment—
Crocodile closed in!
He instantly turned to sand and appeared behind Akainu, his right hand transforming into a Sand Blade as he slashed down fiercely, while his left-hand golden hook aimed straight for Akainu's throat!
This was a certain-kill strike!
Yet Akainu seemed to have eyes on his back.
He swiftly turned, his left arm swelling abruptly as he threw a Magma Fist.
It struck Crocodile square in the chest!
"Pfft—!"
Crocodile spat out a mouthful of blood, sent flying backward. He tumbled over a dozen times on the ground before finally crashing into a wall and coming to a stop.
"Combat between Logia Type users..."
Akainu strode forward step by step, molten magma flowing all over his body.
"...is about the superiority of Devil Fruit suppression."
He stood not far in front of Crocodile, looking down at him:
"Your sand will only turn to glass before my magma."
From the rubble, Moria struggled to his feet.
He clutched his abdomen, where the flesh was charred black and mangled.
"Bastard!"
He roared, slamming both hands onto the ground!
"Shadow Box—!"
The darkness on the ground surged like a living thing, instantly enveloping Akainu!
It formed a massive black cube, completely sealing Akainu inside.
"Hahaha—!"
Moria laughed maniacally, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth, his laughter bordering on insanity:
"Suffocate in my shadows!!!"
Crocodile frowned, watching the black cube.
Something's wrong.
This move... won't hold him.
Sure enough.
The surface of the black cube began to glow red.
At first, just a few faint points of light, then more and more, growing brighter and brighter—
Crimson light seeped through every crack.
"Great Eruption · Implosion."
A muffled voice came from within.
The next moment—
Boom!!!!
Magma erupted from every crack!
The black cube was blown to pieces, countless shadow fragments scattering like falling snowflakes.
Akainu stood at the center of the explosion, molten magma flowing all over his body, his eyes like demons crawling out of hell.
"Shadow Gathering Place!"
Moria absorbed all the surrounding shadows into his body.
Shadows from the ground, the rubble, the fallen pirates in the distance—countless dark figures surged from all directions, drilling into him.
His body began to swell several times over!
Strength, defense, attack—
All-round improvement!
He lifted his foot and stomped down!
Boom!!!
The ground cracked with countless fissures as if struck by a meteor.
"Die—!"
He leaped up, throwing a massive punch downward!
The fist was larger than Akainu's entire body, wreathed in pitch-black Armament Haki, carrying immense force.
Akainu looked up.
His right arm began to swell, rapidly transforming into a magma fist several meters in diameter, and he threw a punch upward!
"Great Eruption!"
BOOM!!!
Two fists collided!
The Shockwave swept outwards, tearing up three feet of ground and completely flattening the surrounding ruins.
"Argh—!"
Moria screamed in pain!
The recoil sent him flying backward, crashing through one ruined building after another.
Akainu merely took three steps back.
He shook his hand and coldly stared in the direction where Moria had disappeared.
"Trash."
At that moment—
A shadow of sand emerged behind him.
Crocodile.
He had somehow circled behind Akainu unnoticed, his right hand pressed against the ground.
"Erosion Cycle—!"
As the words fell, the earth instantly dried up and cracked!
Centered on Akainu, all moisture within dozens of meters was violently sucked away.
The ground cracked, crumbled, and turned into quicksand.
Akainu's footing gave way, sinking one leg into the quicksand.
Simultaneously—
"Scattering Bats!"
Countless shadow bats surged from the ruins, swarming toward Akainu like a tidal wave!
They gnawed at his body, tore at his magma, and frantically obstructed his vision.
"Now!"
Crocodile's right hand transformed into a massive Sand Blade, thrusting fiercely toward Akainu's back.
This strike concentrated all of his power.
The Sand Blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle—
Less than ten centimeters from Akainu's back!
"Pathetic."
Akainu's voice rang out as his body suddenly expanded.
"Volcanic Eruption!"
This was a move he rarely used—
Instantly releasing all the magma in his body in every direction!
BOOM!!!
A terrifying torrent of lava erupted from him!
It was a true Volcanic Eruption!
Magma shot skyward, reaching dozens of meters high!
The Shockwave spread outward like a nuclear explosion!
Everything within a hundred-meter radius was instantly vaporized, melted, and destroyed.
The shadow bats evaporated the moment they touched the magma!
Crocodile's Sand Blade melted away, and he was sent flying by the magma Shockwave.
Moria, who had just climbed out of the ruins, was swallowed by the magma wave.
BOOM—!!!
When everything settled, a massive magma crater over thirty meters in diameter scarred the ground.
The pit bottom flowed with scorching magma, emitting a pungent sulfur smell.
Akainu stood at the center of the crater, magma dripping from his body, his eyes as cold as a demon from hell.
Crocodile and Moria lay in the ruins, charred black and severely injured.
"It's over."
Akainu strode toward them.
"You will become stepping stones for the Marines' rise."
His right fist gathered magma once more.
Just then—
A violent explosion sounded in the distance.
Akainu glanced back.
That direction was another street.
He frowned and turned his gaze back.
"First, I'll finish you off."
He raised his fist.
But at that moment—
"Sandstorm!"
Crocodile mustered his last bit of strength, whipping up a sky-blotting sandstorm.
Yellow sand blotted out the sun, instantly enveloping the area.
Akainu's vision was obscured, and by the time he dispersed the sand, the two were gone.
...
Meanwhile, on another street.
Shanks and Buggy were running frantically.
"Waaah— Captain! The captain's dead!"
Buggy cried as he ran, tears and snot covering his face.
He remembered all the times Roger had taken care of him, that man who was always laughing heartily, and his grief was unbearable.
"Buggy, stop crying!"
Shanks was also weeping, but he clenched his teeth, struggling to stay calm:
"This is no time for grief! We need to escape the Marines' encirclement!"
"I know, but I can't help it! Damn it!"
The two dashed through the streets, desperately running toward the harbor.
However—
"Whoosh—!"
A beam of golden light descended from the sky!
Boom!!!
The golden light struck the ground not far ahead of them, shattering the pavement and sending dust billowing into the air.
As the dust settled, a tall, slender man in a yellow-striped suit appeared before them.
He tilted his head, hands in his pockets, wearing his signature sly expression.
"My, my…"
Kizaru tilted his head, lazily eyeing the two youths before him.
"Look what I've found? Apprentice crew members of the Pirate King."
"Dangerous sparks must be snuffed out in the cradle."
He raised his right hand, lightly tapping the air with his index finger.
Golden light gathered at his fingertip.
"We're done for! We're done for!"
Buggy's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground!
Shanks gritted his teeth, his hand gripping the sword at his waist.
He knew he was no match for this man.
But he couldn't give up.
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