Chapter 211

"Did you forget something?"

Sima Di raised the Hyōrinmaru, still laced with golden Conqueror's Haki—his "Divine Slash" had been charging for quite some time.

Since you threw yourself onto the blade yourself......

"Divine Slash!!!"

One slash cleaved out—Sakazuki kneels!

—At close range, the Hundred Percent Empty-Handed Catch-Blade, by proximity, locked directly onto Sakazuki.

The ink-black blade-light, wreathed in golden lightning, became a crescent slash that blanketed a range of over a thousand meters, slamming straight into Sakazuki's palms pressed together—as if he had caught it.

But although he is an Admiral,

Sakazuki leans more toward developing his Devil Fruit ability, so his physical techniques aren't that solid.

Caught off guard and forced to kneel while taking the full brunt of the "Divine Slash," and bound by the rules with no way to escape......

"Don't even think it!"

"Great Eruption!!!"

Sakazuki's arms transformed into volcanic vents, spewing massive amounts of magma to counter the ink-black blade-light. A thick cloud of volcanic ash billowed out, instantly shrouding the two of them, with only the rumbling continuing unabated.

But very quickly,

The ink-black blade-light, bearing Sakazuki with his arms crossed, burst out of the volcanic ash at speed—every Marine along its path was cut clean in two, its momentum unstoppable as it flew toward Xiang Diqi.

Diqi: "!!!"

I kindly invited you onto my ship, and this is how you repay me?

But time gave him no chance at all—he barely managed to gather the Dark-Dark Fruit's power into his arm before being blasted back into the depths of the earth he had just crawled out of.

"Whoosh!"

Sengoku appeared at Sima Di's side, raising his palm to strike!

"Great Buddha Shockwave!"

"Roar—Get out of the way! Leave it to me!" Franky shouted, the energy cannon on his chest lighting up: "Energy Cannon!"

Sima Di dodged with a flash of movement,

The energy beam grazed past him and collided with the Great Buddha Shockwave. The moment they made contact, it fell at a disadvantage, retreating step by step.

Sima Di glanced at the position—Franky was on the left......

Since ancient times, in a beam struggle, the one on the left loses!

But Franky has backup!

"Nami! Hit me with everything you've got!"

The armor on Franky's back opened, revealing an energy converter identical to Iron Man's.

"Got it!" Nami raised her hand and struck a bolt of lightning into the sky: "Maximum output! Heaven's Thunder Strike!"

"Boom—"

A bolt of lightning as thick as an adult's waist crashed down, landing in the energy converter, yet not a ripple stirred.

At the same time,

Franky's energy cannon beam visibly thickened by a small margin, and the trend of step-by-step retreat also slowed.

"Still not enough, huh!"

"Don't worry, this is just the appetizer." Nami said with a smile.

"Boom—"

"Boom—"

"Boom—"

Bolt after bolt of waist-thick lightning struck down in succession, driving the energy converter to full power. The energy cannon's beam swelled like a balloon, and soon reached its limit, deadlocked against the Great Buddha Shockwave.

But!

Franky's side still had plenty of energy, while Sengoku was already somewhat exhausted—he was in his Great Buddha form, not a Beam-Struggle Fruit user!

The Great Buddha Shockwave, lacking follow-up power, was crushed by the energy beam, blasting straight into Sengoku's golden Buddha chest and sending him crashing into the Marine Headquarters buildings.

"Boom!!!"

A dazzling light rose up at Marine Headquarters, and buildings within a hundred meters were blown apart, burying Sengoku under the rubble.

Looking at Franky again,

His entire body was glowing red—metal overheating and giving off heat, wisps of smoke drifting out from the seams.

It seemed the price of blasting Sengoku away was still a bit steep.

"I'm done for, overloaded!" Franky said through gritted teeth: "I'm out of combat for the short term, the rest is up to you guys."

"Go in peace!" Zoro said irritably: "Being able to blast away a Fleet Admiral, Franky, your life is basically...... Who!"

"Clang—"

Wado Ichimonji collided with a light sword, Zoro's face barely a fist's width from Borsalino's.

"A distinguished Admiral resorting to a sneak attack?" Zoro mocked.

"That ship, and that modification technique—both come from the Pluton blueprints, don't they? Hehehe—" Borsalino answered a question with a non-sequitur: "Truly terrifying, worthy of an Ancient Weapon, hehehe—"

Seeing Kuzan, a step late, leapt past the two of them, ice blade in hand, flying toward Franky.

"Your opponent is me!"

Crocus threw a dark punch that shattered Kuzan's ice blade, but his own arm became coated in frost.

Going head-on against an Admiral's combat power, Crocus still fell a bit short.

"I'll help you!"

Vivi swung Lei Shenzhichui and brought it crashing down. Kuzan merely glanced at it, not taking it too seriously—just mid-level Armament Haki.

Then he threw out an ice spear, aiming to instantly kill Vivi.

But Lei Shenzhichui smashed the ice spear directly, surprising Seeing Kuzan; he reformed an ice blade and slashed, intending to end her with a single strike.

Yet he was wrong again!

At the moment of contact,

the unimaginable mass of Lei Shenzhichui shattered the ice blade, then, before Seeing Kuzan's shocked eyes, slammed into his chest. Though Armament Haki was only intermediate level, it still granted Lei Shenzhichui the ability to strike Logia types, blasting him far away!

He stabilized himself quickly and took no major damage.

But...

He had been blasted away by intermediate-level Armament Haki?

This...

Low damage, but extreme humiliation!

Compared to Vivi's surprise attack, Zoro's situation was far more difficult.

Borsalino was a Great Swordsman!

Even with the Nine Swords of Dugu supporting him, Borsalino, intent on capturing Franky, refused to engage in a proper duel.

He simply—

"Light Speed Kick!"

"Whoosh—"

Just as Borsalino's foot was about to finish off Zoro, a bullet shot at the right moment toward Borsalino, forcing him to dodge and abandon the pursuit—Observation Haki told him that bullet was strange!

"D-don't forget, I'm still here!" Usopp said, trembling.

He actually dared to attack an Admiral of the Navy?

This was something he had never dared to dream of before!

Unfortunately...

That bullet was specially commissioned from Franky, with Vibranium as its energy core; not only was its explosive power formidable, but its inner chamber also held several long needles of Sea-Prism Stone, each as thick as Mao Fa.

If Borsalino had carelessly slashed it with his sword just now...

That would have been quite interesting!

"Yo-ho-ho-ho—How can one have an Admiral Showdown without inviting me!" Brook arrived beside Zoro, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Green flames of the Soul Fire ignited on his dual blades, causing Borsalino to frown involuntarily.

Those green flames were strange too!

Damn it!

What is going on with this Straw Hat Pirates crew?