The clouds parted, and sunlight poured down.
"ROOOAR!!!"
Gurd transformed into his Groudon Form, roaring at the sky. The tremendous sound waves whipped up fierce winds, sending nearby pirates flying.
His massive claws rose high before slamming down toward Kizaru below!
"This is power!!!"
BOOM!!!
Rocks and debris shot into the air as the ground within hundreds of meters shattered and collapsed. The violent tremors caused numerous buildings to crumble and fall.
It was as if the world itself was shaking!
With just a single strike, an area spanning hundreds of meters was reduced to ruins!
"WAAAHHH!!!"
Screams erupted one after another.
Pirates crawled out from the rubble, staring at the devastation around them and the still-trembling earth with disbelief in their eyes.
"He caused an earthquake?!"
What had just happened was identical to the earthquakes caused by their captain when he used his powers. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they might have mistaken it for their captain fighting.
But how was that possible?!
They had never heard of anyone besides their captain who could trigger earthquakes!
"Kehahaha—HAHAHA!!!"
Gurd laughed wildly as he surveyed the destruction from his full-powered strike. The feeling of being able to crush everything was exhilarating!
Several dozen meters away, a flash of light flickered.
Kizaru appeared atop the rubble, wiping sweat from his forehead as he surveyed the surroundings, exhaling in relief.
"That was close… As expected of the top executive of the Beasts Pirates. You're strong as a monster. This won't be easy, huh?"
This wasn't false modesty—he had genuinely sensed danger. If that strike had landed, he would've been severely injured.
Of course, that was assuming it could hit him in the first place!
"I've never seen a creature like this before!"
Kizaru stared at Groudon, his expression grave.
For now, he could confirm that this was an incredibly rare Mythical Zoan—not only possessing overwhelming physical strength but also a special ability to trigger earthquakes.
"But a big body also means big weaknesses!"
Kizaru raised a finger, aiming at Groudon's head.
A massive frame had its downsides—slower movement, difficulty dodging attacks, and becoming an easy target for enemies.
A headshot was the best approach!
"Biu!"
A light beam shot forth!
"Hmm?!"
In his Groudon Form, Gurd could absorb sunlight, making him highly sensitive to light. He immediately noticed Kizaru gathering energy.
But light was too fast!
The moment he turned his head, the laser struck his face!
BOOM!!!
A massive fireball exploded mid-air!
"Lord Gurd!"
The Beasts Pirates cried out in horror.
Being hit directly by Kizaru's laser was practically a death sentence!
Yet the next moment, Groudon's head emerged from the flames—only minor scratches from the explosion marring his face.
"What insane durability!"
Kizaru's eyes darkened.
Taking a direct hit from his light beam and only suffering minor scratches? Such terrifying defense was rare.
In his memory, the only pirate powerhouses who could tank lasers with sheer physical might were the two monsters—Big Mom and Kaido.
Now, there was one more!
"Damn it, that hurt like hell!"
Gurd roared in fury, locking onto Kizaru standing atop the rubble. His jaws opened as dense light gathered within!
"What's that?!"
Kizaru's pupils shrank.
A laser—bigger and thicker than his own—blasted down at him!
"Solar Beam!"
The scorching light beam tore through the earth, extending far into the distance, obliterating everything in its path.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Thick clouds of dust spread as far as the eye could see.
Kizaru appeared in the sky, gazing down at the cracked earth.
"A laser just like mine!"
Due to his enormous size, the light beam Gurd gathered was not only more powerful but could also sustain continuous emission.
The difference was that Gurd needed to charge his attack beforehand, and his ability wasn't as flexible or convenient to use as Kizaru's.
Each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
But Gurd was a Mythical Zoan!
"Earthquakes, lasers!"
Kizaru's forehead broke out in sweat again.
Just based on the abilities displayed so far, it was clear that Gurd's power ranked among the very top even among the rare Mythical Zoans.
Who knew what other unknown special abilities he might have?
Attack!
They needed to gather as much intel as possible on Gurd's abilities—and if possible, eliminate him here!
Kizaru raised both hands, glowing as brightly as the sun.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
A torrent of light bullets rained down, instantly engulfing Gurd!
"Grrraaahhh!!!"
Gurd roared in pain as he endured the barrage.
Though he could absorb sunlight, he wasn't immune to flames, and the impact and explosions from the light bullets were pure physical damage.
It hurt!
It was like being shot at by a kid with a BB gun—it wouldn't cause real harm, but it stung like hell.
The pain fueled his rage.
"Bastard, have you had enough fun yet?!"
Gurd bellowed furiously, opening his massive maw as the scattered light around him rapidly gathered in his mouth—even the falling light bullets were drawn in.
Solar Beam—no, this was—
"Scorching Sun Breath!"
An enormous pillar of scorching sunlight pierced the sky, visible even from dozens of miles away at sea.
The Pirates on the island paled in horror.
"He's actually fighting Kizaru on equal footing!"
"That's terrifyingly strong!"
"What kind of monster is that?!"
The scene before them defied all expectations. They had assumed the Marine Admiral would crush the Beasts with overwhelming force, but now it almost seemed like the Admiral was being suppressed.
In terms of sheer destructive power, the Beasts' monster clearly had the upper hand!
On the execution platform, Marco's face darkened.
"Damn it, Gurd, what the hell are you doing?!"
He was just as shocked by Gurd's display of power, but right now, he was more concerned about another issue.
He had planned to deal with Kizaru to prevent him from destroying Hachinosu Island—but Gurd's transformed state was causing even more devastation than Kizaru!
Every laser bombardment flattened entire blocks of buildings, and the earthquakes triggered were indiscriminate, large-scale attacks.
If these two kept fighting, the whole island would be ruined!
How was he supposed to explain this to Pops?!
He had to stop Gurd and Kizaru!
"Move!"
Just as Marco was about to act, two figures charged at him from both sides!
A blade and a fist, both infused with Armament Haki, left two gashes in Marco's body, blue flames flickering to life as they healed.
"Your opponents are us!"
Vice Admiral Momonga!
Vice Admiral Dore!
The two Vice Admirals blocked Marco's path, front and back, while behind them, an elite squad of officers moved to rescue Drake and the others.
"Marines!"
Marco's expression turned grim.
Although he didn't particularly care about the lives of the three captives, having them rescued right before his eyes by the navy would be a huge blow to his pride.
Blue flames erupted!
(End of chapter)