At the center of the battlefield.
Countless photons gathered together, coalescing into human form as Kizaru reappeared, bearing only minor scratches.
"He absorbed my Light Orbs!"
This time, he saw it clearly—his Light Orbs couldn't penetrate Gurd's body. Instead, they dissipated and were absorbed, converted into the other's power.
Though hard to comprehend, one thing was now certain: relying solely on ranged attacks wouldn't defeat Gurd.
"How terrifying~"
With another sigh, Kizaru clasped his hands together, pulling out a gleaming blade of light from his palms.
"Ama-no-Murakumo Sword!"
"Hmm?"
Gurd also noticed the glowing sword below.
Damn it!
The guy looked so sleazy, yet his weapon was ridiculously cool!
"Changing tactics?"
The thought barely crossed Gurd's mind when a blinding flash erupted before him—the razor-sharp Ama-no-Murakumo Sword slashed toward his face.
Kizaru!
"Clang!"
At the critical moment, Gurd lowered his head, and the sword struck his forehead, leaving a gash the size of a palm.
Defense breached!
Compared to the earlier laser bombardment, the Ama-no-Murakumo Sword clearly packed more punch—or rather, it was better suited for pinpoint penetration!
But given Gurd's massive size, such a shallow wound was merely a scratch, far from dealing meaningful damage.
Gurd swiftly swung his claws upward, the sharp tips sweeping through Kizaru—yet there was no sensation of hitting flesh.
Preemptive Elementalization!
Even with Haki infused, striking an already-elementalized body was impossible. But that didn't mean he was out of options.
"Roar!"
His maw gaped wide.
Suck it in!
A powerful vacuum instantly engulfed the space within a dozen meters, stirring chaotic gusts of wind!
"Damn it!"
Kizaru felt his body being pulled, especially the elementalized parts, which melted and flowed toward the monster's mouth like liquid.
"Yata Mirror!"
Without hesitation, the Yata Mirror unfolded!
With a refraction of light, Kizaru teleported to the ground, staggering to one knee as he clutched his waist, blood quickly soaking his palm.
A chunk of his body had been bitten off!
"Can't let my guard down for even a second!"
Kizaru looked up—only to see a colossal shadow looming over him.
The monster's stomp!
"BOOM!!!"
The earth quaked again, upheaved soil surging outward like tidal waves, cleansing the battlefield once more.
When the tremors subsided...
Surveying the scene, not a single piece of rubble remained at the center. The land for kilometers around had been flattened.
What a perfect foundation!
A sly glint flashed in Gurd's eyes.
Luring the Whitebeard Pirates, deliberately leaking intel to draw the Marines—all to use the pretext of battling an Admiral and raze Hachinosu Island's structures, then buy the land dirt-cheap.
Hehehe~
This was his demolition-and-land-grab strategy!
Gurd tilted his head slightly, glancing sidelong at the execution platform. As expected, Drake and the other two had been rescued by the Marines and were fleeing toward the port.
The devastation from his fight with Kizaru had left the Pirates too preoccupied to mount an effective pursuit, granting the Marines an escape window.
Now that the Marines had achieved their objective, retreat was their top priority. Kizaru wouldn't drag this out much longer—he'd have to withdraw soon.
Rounding it off, it was as if he had repelled Admiral Kizaru, successfully safeguarding the peace of Hachinosu Island, adding another bargaining chip to his land-grabbing scheme.
Everything was going according to his plan.
Heh heh, he was truly wicked to the core!
"Comma-Shaped Jewel Doppelganger!"
Countless points of light surrounded Gurd, then all transformed into Kizaru, brandishing the Ama-no-Murakumo Sword as they slashed at him!
"So many?"
Gurd's head spun wildly, utterly unable to distinguish the real one, but the intermittent pain from various parts of his body told him the true Kizaru was hacking away at him relentlessly.
Good, time to demolish some more illegal structures!
"Solar Beam!"
"BOOM!!!"
Hachinosu Island, harbor.
Flames spread everywhere.
"Move quickly!"
The officers, battered and exhausted, sprinted desperately toward the docked warships, pursued by a dense swarm of Pirates closing in behind them.
"Take out the Marines!"
"Don't let them escape!"
"Cut off their retreat!"
The Pirates roared!
Though they dared not interfere in the Admiral's battle, dealing with ordinary officers was nothing to fear.
Letting the Marines escape would be a disgrace to the Pirates of Hachinosu!
Pirates poured into the harbor from all directions, quickly forming a pincer movement, trapping the fleeing Marine squad at the center.
The Pirates of Hachinosu were as numerous as the stars, and even the small fraction that gave chase was a formidable force.
Now, only a hundred meters remained to the shore!
"We're finished!"
The officers, having fought their way through, were already covered in wounds, their stamina nearly depleted. Even those last hundred meters seemed an insurmountable distance.
Drake staggered forward, with Kujaku and Grus following close behind, their eyes now clear of any hesitation.
"We'll carve a path through!"
"Drake, you'll die!"
The officers shouted angrily.
They had sacrificed too much to rescue Drake and the others. If Drake died now, the mission would be a complete failure.
"This is my justice!"
Drake growled as he transformed into an Allosaurus!
The three of them had endured brutal torture and were severely injured, but their comrades had risked their lives to save them. How could they hide in the rear now?
"Thirty seconds!"
Drake panted heavily.
In his current state, thirty seconds was his transformation limit. If they couldn't break through in that time, they would all perish.
"Stay close, for justice!"
The Allosaurus roared skyward and charged toward the harbor without hesitation, its massive body instantly drawing the Pirates' concentrated fire.
"Shoot him down!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Arghhh!!!"
100 meters, 50 meters, 10 meters!
The Allosaurus pressed forward through the hail of bullets, charging recklessly until—suddenly—the view opened up. His strained nerves relaxed, and his massive form collapsed heavily to the ground, shrinking back into human form.
But the danger was far from over.
A colossal Whale Ship blocked their path!
The officers paled at the sight of the towering figure standing at the ship's bow, their swords slipping from their hands in shock.
Even the pursuing Pirates halted in their tracks, gazing up at the figure with awe and reverence.
"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate!
The strongest man in the world had returned!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Whitebeard held his naginata and stepped off the ship one step at a time. Each time the naginata struck the ground, the sound made the officers' hearts tremble.
Endless despair surged in their hearts!
"Clang!"
Yet, Whitebeard didn't even glance at them as he passed by, heading inland.
The commanders following Whitebeard also ignored their presence—or rather, didn't consider them worth a second thought.
Watching the departing figures of the Whitebeard Pirates and the other pirates, the officers stood frozen for a long time, eventually forcing out bitter smiles.
"We... aren't even worth as much as ants!"
(End of Chapter)