At the center of the battlefield.
Gurd and Kizaru were still locked in combat.
The massive Groudon stood like a terrifying war machine, spewing lasers that annihilated everything in their path, while Kizaru transformed into a beam of light, darting rapidly around Groudon.
For the time being, neither could gain the upper hand.
But Hachinosu Island was suffering the consequences!
Even the residual shockwaves of their battle had reduced nearly a quarter of the island to ruins, with the remaining areas also sustaining damage. By the time the fighting ended, Hachinosu would undoubtedly require complete reconstruction.
The Pirates on the island watched from a distance, not daring to approach. Whether it was Admiral Kizaru or that red monstrosity, the destruction they wrought was catastrophic.
On the execution platform.
Ulti and Page One stood with their arms crossed, radiating arrogance.
"Page One, Gu Jiang is amazing!"
"Of course he is!"
"As long as the three of us work together, some measly Admiral is nothing!"
"Exactly! The three of us are incredible!"
Though they had been accidentally kicked into critical condition by Kizaru and forced to retreat, the siblings didn't see it as their fault at all.
They had just been careless.
Besides, it didn't even hurt!
"Flap flap!"
Marco flapped his wings and landed on the execution platform, where the view was best for observing the battlefield.
Ulti frowned. "Why'd you come back alone? What about those two Vice Admirals? Don't tell me you let them escape?"
"Yeah, they got away."
Marco shrugged helplessly.
The execution square was packed with Pirates, and with Gurd's battle raging nearby, chaos was everywhere. The two Vice Admirals had fought him briefly before slipping away into the crowd. His attention had been fixed on Gurd's fight, leaving him no mind to chase after the Marines.
Ulti and Page One exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with smug grins as they looked down on Marco.
"Pineapple-head, you're so useless!"
"..."
A vein throbbed on Marco's forehead.
Damn these brats! Couldn't they see the bandages wrapped around their own bodies? How dare they mock him when he was completely unharmed!
If not for Gurd's sake, he'd have taught these two troublemakers who was really in charge here.
"Hmm?!"
Marco's expression suddenly shifted as he turned toward the heart of the battlefield. He could sense the presence of his father—Whitebeard was back!
Marco was overjoyed, but as his gaze swept over the island's ruins, his smile quickly faded.
How was he supposed to explain this to his father?
At the center of the battlefield.
"Is this all a Marine Admiral can do?!"
Gurd laughed mockingly, swiping his claws across the ground, yet failing to even graze Kizaru.
The man was like an electric rat—ridiculously fast.
Kizaru dodged effortlessly, showing no signs of frustration.
"Even if you say that, there's not much I can do. Your shell is too tough—my lasers can't pierce it. How about you undo your transformation and fight me properly?"
"No way!"
Gurd scoffed.
Did he look stupid?
If he reverted to his human form, he'd be flat on the ground in no time. There was no way his current physical strength could withstand an Admiral's attacks.
The only reason he was fighting so comfortably was because Kizaru was a Logia user—one he happened to counter. Though not as perfectly matched as the Flame-Flame Fruit, Groudon's power still allowed him to absorb natural energy.
"Well, then I'm out of ideas."
Kizaru sighed, slipping into his usual half-hearted combat mode.
His task was merely to stall the island's most troublesome combatant and divert firepower from his subordinates. Since a decisive outcome couldn't be reached quickly, he might as well go through the motions.
Calculating the time, it should be about right.
Soon, two rather disheveled figures appeared near the battlefield—Vice Admirals Momonga and Dore.
"Admiral Kizaru! Drake and the others have reached the port. We should retreat now!"
"Understood."
Kizaru inwardly sighed in relief.
After figuring out Gurd's abilities, as long as he was careful, there wasn't much real danger—but the pressure was still considerable.
The opponent's strength was overwhelming. A single direct hit could inflict serious injuries, and there might still be unknown abilities at play. He had to stay sharp.
He had already taken one hit earlier and suffered no small injury. A few more like that, and his old bones wouldn't hold up.
Moreover, this kid was well aware of his defensive advantage, maintaining his transformed Groudon Form the entire time, willingly expending more stamina just to deny any openings.
This was the New World. Whether it was the Whitebeard Pirates or the Beasts Pirates, reinforcements from either side could appear at any moment.
The one who was actually in a hurry... was him!
"Kids these days are terrifying!"
Kizaru gazed up at the red monster, having almost lost count of how many times he'd lamented this.
Fortunately, this kid was only powerful in terms of his Devil Fruit abilities. His mastery of Haki was unremarkable, and he hadn't shown any signs of Conqueror's Haki. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly grow into one of the strongest in the future.
A certain teacher had once admonished him—not to rely too much on his abilities. That lesson applied equally to this brat before him.
Just as his thoughts wandered, Momonga's panicked voice rang out from afar, and a massive shadow loomed over him.
"Admiral Kizaru! Look out!!"
"..."
Feeling the terrifying presence that had suddenly appeared behind him, Kizaru's limbs turned ice-cold in an instant. With great difficulty, he turned his head, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks when he saw who it was.
Whitebeard!
At such close range, even with the world's fastest speed, there was no dodging Whitebeard's attack!
Activating his ability required time—even the briefest instant was enough for an Emperor to seize his tangible form.
Kizaru let out a weary sigh, his wrinkled face forcing a strained smile.
"Oh dear... this is bad—"
"GUOOOOOH!!!"
Before he could finish, Whitebeard's furious fist came crashing down, the Conqueror's Haki and Tremor-Tremor Power wrapped around it slamming Kizaru's upper body straight into the ground!
The next moment—CRACK!
A web of fissures radiated outward from Kizaru, splitting the very air itself!
"BOOOOM!!!"
The earth shattered, the entire island tilting and quaking!
"Waaah! Pops is pissed!"
"Get back!"
"Stay away from Pops!"
Even the division commanders were scattering in all directions.
Gurd, being the closest and in his massive Groudon Form, felt the tremors most acutely—he couldn't even keep his footing.
The very atmosphere was vibrating!
"Holy shit, that's insane!"
Gurd plopped onto his rear, staring wide-eyed at Whitebeard's rampage nearby, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath.
This terrifying quake was at least ten times more powerful than his own seismic attacks, and it was infused with Conqueror's Haki—pure, unmitigated damage. Even an Admiral would be severely wounded by a hit like that.
Thank goodness he'd managed to push Whitebeard off the island back then.
If Whitebeard had stayed, there'd have been no spotlight for him at all. Hell, Kizaru might not have even come ashore in the first place.
The current Whitebeard hadn't yet reached the state where he'd cough up blood mid-battle like two years later. In a one-on-one fight, an Admiral would stand almost no chance against him.
Comparatively speaking, among the Four Emperors, Big Mom was the easiest to bully - the others were all formidable figures. There were still gaps even among the Four Emperors themselves.
And he was still young, his Haki was mediocre, and the Groudon within him hadn't evolved to its complete form yet. Even if he could exchange blows with an Admiral, the gap between him and the Four Emperors remained bottomless.
Stay calm. Don't get too cocky.
Later, he must act obediently in front of Whitebeard!
"Wororororo!!!"
At that moment, the winds shifted and clouds gathered.
An enormous azure dragon appeared in the sky!
Gurd looked up in pleasant surprise.
Ohhh!
Kaido had come to back him up!
(End of chapter)