Chapter 76: Fighting the Marine Admiral

Cherry blossoms drifted like rain, passing between the two.

Within a few seconds.

The blank look on Akainu and Siano's faces faded rapidly.

Both narrowed their eyes at the same time.

North Island, Pier.

Dalmatian was smoking a cigar, urging the Marines to board the ship, when the Den Den Mushi in his pocket suddenly "brrr-brrr" called out.

"Hello?"

Listening to the order coming from the other end of the receiver, Dalmatian's expression changed abruptly: "Yes! Mr. Sakazuki, we will definitely complete the mission!"

Just hung up the phone.

Another Headquarters Vice Admiral, Bumaia, hurried over, full of anticipation: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"The *Rakumu* Pirates are now on the South Island."

Dalmatian turned his head, his gaze fierce, "Mr. Sakazuki is already engaging that Siano, and should be able to take him down soon. We don't need to participate."

"Our goal is to take down all the other companions of the *Rakumu* Pirates. Move fast, not a single one can be let go!"

"Oooooh!!!"

Bumaia suddenly raised her arms and erupted into a near-manic cheer. Her beautiful face was distorted by excitement, and the tip of her tongue licked her scarlet lips:

"Awesome! Long live Mr. Sakazuki, finally there's a fight!"

She turned around abruptly, like a little girl who just got candy, and rushed toward the deck excitedly.

"..."

Dalmatian glanced at her back and shook his head.

He wasn't very familiar with this colleague, but he had heard that she was a moody, crazy woman who always regarded Akainu as an idol and liked to abuse pirates for fun, and her fruit ability was also quite weird.

If it weren't for this mission, he wouldn't have approached her too much normally.

And right now, business was more important.

He suppressed his distracting thoughts, turned his head, and shouted sharply:

"Attention everyone, Marines who haven't boarded the ship, stop boarding! Leave one warship here on standby, all other warships, set sail immediately! Change course! Block the coastline near the South Island pier, and once suspicious figures are found, surround them immediately!"

"Yes! Vice Admiral!"

The roar of the Marines sounded all around.

South Island, in a cherry blossom forest.

"Brother?"

Nami looked at the Den Den Mushi in her hand in confusion, "Eh, strange, why is there suddenly no sound?"

"Go, Nami!"

Siano's low voice came, "Marine Admiral Akainu is on this island, confronting me, and his subordinates have also headed to the South Island to search for you."

"No time to lose, let everyone evacuate immediately!"

Marine Admiral Akainu?!

Nami was stunned, and the others also changed color, looking at each other.

"Hey, can everyone hear me?"

Siano's voice came again, with unquestionable decisiveness, "Make it clear to Nami, don't have any stupid ideas about coming to support. That will only harm everyone and lead to death together!"

"Only when you are safe can I escape with peace of mind, understand?!"

Snap!

The Den Den Mushi was hung up, leaving only dead silence.

"Go!"

Smoker was the first to react, looking in a certain direction, and growled through gritted teeth, "There are indeed several warships rushing this way. Hurry up, now is not the time to hesitate!"

"But my brother is still..." Nami was anxious, just wanting to say something, but was grabbed by Zeff.

"Don't be stupid, Nami!"

The old cook scolded sharply, which was rare, "Didn't you understand your brother's words? That level of battle is not something we can help with. Since the captain said so, he must have a way to escape!"

"Our safe evacuation is the best help. Staying here will only drag him down!"

"That's right!" Nojiko also held her wrist, her voice firm, "Nami, trust Brother, he never does anything he's not sure of."

"But..." Nami looked back toward the stone bridge, still unwilling.

Thump!

A hand chop landed precisely on the back of her neck. Nami rolled her eyes and fell softly.

Kuina withdrew her hand and carried her on her shoulder expressionlessly: "Sorry, but in this situation, there's no time to reason with a child."

"Let's go, everyone!"

She carried Nami on her shoulder, looked deeply toward the north, and took the lead in running toward the pier of the South Island.

The rest of the crew followed closely.

Beside the natural stone bridge.

Akainu and Siano put away the Den Den Mushi at the same time, their gazes colliding again.

"I notified my subordinates, and you also took the opportunity to notify your companions?"

Akainu said calmly, "You're quite loyal, kid, but... wanting to hold me back by yourself to cover their retreat? Isn't this a bit..."

"—Too whimsical!"

Swish!

Before the words fell, Akainu launched a surprise attack without warning.

Almost in an instant, he disappeared from the opposite bank, and when the second half of the sentence sounded, the voice was coming from above Siano's head.

His right hand had suddenly expanded into a huge magma giant fist, whistling down!

Boom!!!

The magma giant fist tore through the air, and the scorching high temperature instantly vaporized the cherry blossoms drifting in the wind, turning them into a rain of fire.

What terrifying speed!

Siano's pupils shrank, his spine tightened, and his body dodged to the side violently. The magma grazed his cheek, exploding a huge pit where he had originally been.

"Old thing."

He stood firm and looked at Akainu, who had landed opposite, grinning:

"You started the conversation, at least finish your sentence before moving. Attacking sneakily without a word is beneath the style of a Marine Admiral."

"Style? That kind of thing doesn't exist in my dictionary. Do Marines have to follow rules when capturing pirates?"

Akainu's face was indifferent. This time, he raised his left arm as well, magma surging violently on both arms, "You dodged quite fast, but... how many times can you dodge?"

"Fire Meteor!"

In an instant.

Akainu's fists turned into countless magma cannonballs, crashing down like a meteor shower.

The ground under Siano's feet cracked inch by inch, and he stepped out violently. The flexibility under the Paper Art Martial Body form was fully displayed!

Bang, bang, bang—!

Magma cannonballs smashed into the ground, each one exploding into a wave of fire dozens of meters high. The large cherry blossom forest around was instantly distorted and melted by the terrifying high temperature, turning into scorched earth.

Siano's figure shuttled through the magma rain like a ghost, and the sound of explosions kept passing by his ears.

Akainu's offensive became more and more fierce, continuous, and magma swept over like a tsunami, but he still dodged all the magma cannonballs!

The "Shave" and "Moon Walk" practiced to the peak were brought into full play at this moment!

Hmm?

He really dodged them all?

Akainu raised his eyebrows slightly, a bit surprised.

In terms of proficiency in the Six Styles, this black-haired kid's realm was even close to his and Aokiji's, and he was even better than Kizaru.

But—

Akainu shook his head slightly.

That's as far as it goes!

"Over here."

Red light flashed in his eyes, Observation Haki accurately predicted Siano's landing point, his figure flashed, and his right fist slammed out with all his might!

"Hellhound!"

This blow was as fast as lightning, appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye.

Siano had nowhere to dodge, crossed his arms to block in front, and instantly activated Iron Body and Armament Haki to the maximum intensity!

Thump!!!

It only lasted for a few seconds before the Haki began to collapse, and the terrifying impact force blasted him hundreds of meters away, crashing through several rock walls along the way before barely stopping.

"Cough..."

Siano covered his slightly numb wrists and slowly stood up from the ruins of the rock wall.

The clothes on his arms had long been burned through by the magma, and although the exposed skin was scorched, it didn't hurt the depths, and the surface was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"..." Akainu narrowed his eyes slightly.

That "Hellhound" just now, although it looked simple, was one of his close-combat stunts.

Its penetrating power was strong enough to instantly blast the heads of some well-known pirates in the New World.

But the other party blocked it with his arms, and only suffered some skin injuries.

Clearly just an ordinary person without Devil Fruit ability or special bloodline, but this physical strength was comparable to those thick-skinned guys in the Beasts Pirates.

Simply unbelievable...

How did he do it?!

"Hey."

Siano's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Is your offensive only to this extent?"

Akainu looked up expressionlessly.

He saw the black-haired boy opposite, casually wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, twisting his neck, making a series of crackling sounds, and then grinning at him:

"Then my counterattack is about to begin!"

Boom!

As the words fell, the ground under his feet exploded, and he shot out, turning into a black lightning bolt, instantly approaching Akainu!

Fists collided, the intertwined Armament Haki rippled, and the terrifying invisible fluctuations instantly centered on his fist, surging in all directions!

"Six Styles Ultimate Technique·Mountain-Blowing Wave Ripple Dash!!!"

——————

South Island, southernmost tip.

"Quick, move faster!"

Smoker lowered his voice and urged, and the group moved rapidly toward the coast under the cover of the cherry blossom forest.

Zeff and Smoker opened the way in front, followed by Kuina, carrying the unconscious Nami on her back, with Nojiko following closely.

Gin ran wildly on the flank, Mochi sitting on its head, constantly scanning the surroundings vigilantly to prevent the Marines from suddenly sneaking an attack.

The journey was safe, and they successfully crossed the entire South Island.

However.

When they rushed out of the last cherry blossom forest and saw the coast close at hand.

The scene in front of them made everyone pause, and their faces darkened—

Damn it, still a step too late!

The pier had been completely blocked!

Three Marine warships were lined up in an arc, their muzzles aimed coldly at the shore, and over two thousand fully armed Marines were already waiting here.

And in the center of the pier, two tall figures wearing white justice cloaks were watching them coldly.

"Sure enough, they came..."

Vice Admiral Dalmatian had a cigar in his mouth and said lightly.

He had also just arrived here with his team.

Fortunately, he decisively ordered the Marines who hadn't boarded the ship to stay behind and set off immediately, otherwise, he really would have let this group of people escape.

He hadn't faced a decent enemy for a long time, and he hoped these pirates wouldn't let him down.

And beside Dalmatian, Vice Admiral Bumaia licked her lips with a smile:

"It turns out there are only these few people. Hey, Dalmatian, leave those two male pirates to me, okay? I, I like hearing men scream the most..."

While speaking, her entire right arm turned into a thick metal syringe at some point, the tip shining with cold light.

Paramecia-type Syringe Fruit ability user.

Over the past few years, she didn't know how many enemies had screamed and wailed under her needle tip, wishing they were dead.

And right now, there seemed to be a few good test subjects.

"Tsk, troublesome!"

Smoker frowned and looked at Kuina, "We'll stay behind to cover, you carry Nami and rush to the ship. Once you're settled and start the ship, we'll retreat while fighting."

"What are you talking about?"

Kuina glanced at him like he was an idiot:

"The pier is surrounded like an iron bucket. If we don't defeat these guys, you still want to sail the ship away? And Nami is also combat power at this time, how can we waste it?"

While speaking, she grabbed Nami and shook her violently.

The hand chop hadn't been used with much force, and Nami's unconsciousness was very shallow, so she woke up leisurely after a few shakes.

Hmm?

Nami looked around blankly, not yet reacting, when Kuina patted her on the shoulder and said in a deep voice:

"Still the same as before, leave those miscellaneous soldiers to you, Nami!"

"Oh, okay..."

Although Nami was confused and didn't understand the situation, she still nodded subconsciously.

"And two Rear Admirals... although the top combat power is much more luxurious than Ghost Spider's guard team, the mid-level combat power seems to be worse... but it's also possible that a part was lost and left behind on the North Island side."

Kuina scanned the encirclement below and continued to distribute tasks in an orderly manner:

"Gin, leave these guys to you. You have to give it your all this time, no problem, right?!"

"Awooo—!"

Gin let out a roar without hesitation.

Mochi also wanted to participate, but was stuffed into her waist bag by Kuina, and the zipper was pulled up.

"As for those two Headquarters Vice Admirals..."

Kuina looked at Smoker again, "Smoker, do you know them? Which one is stronger?"

"...What's with this sudden display of vice-captain demeanor?" Smoker looked at her in confusion.

"Is this the time for nonsense!"

"I don't know the woman; she's probably a Headquarters Vice Admiral who was just promoted recently."

Smoker shook his head slightly, "But that Dalmatian is very strong, and his seniority is also very deep. Compared to Ghost Spider, they are about half a catty to eight taels."

"Understood."

Kuina pushed the sword guard with her thumb and slowly drew Wado Ichimonji.

"Since that's the case, leave the Dalmatian to me. Nojiko, you cooperate with me on the side to contain him. As for that female Vice Admiral, leave her to Smoker and Uncle Zeff!"

"No problem."

Zeff grinned.

The Rear Admiral he fought last time in Loguetown was too weak, and he was beaten into a disadvantage in a short while, not satisfying at all.

This time, he could try how much stronger a newly promoted Headquarters Vice Admiral would be.

"Rest assured, leave it to me!" Nojiko also put on her mithril gloves, her fists hitting each other heavily, and a fighting spirit rose in her eyes.

Since it's unavoidable, they must fight a bloody path...

Then go all out to fight!

After more than a month of hard training.

Compared to Loguetown, everyone had mastered Armament Haki, and their strength had also risen a notch.

Right now, isn't it the time to verify this progress?!!!

"In short, don't be too obsessed with fighting, take breaking out as the first goal."

Kuina took a deep breath and gave the final order in a deep voice:

"We must break out of the encirclement as soon as possible and stay away from this island. Only then can the captain escape without any worries. Does everyone hear me clearly!"

"Understood!"

The crowd responded in unison.

"Let's go!"

In the clear shout, Kuina rushed out first, and the gunners who had been ready for a long time fired simultaneously as Dalmatian waved his arm lightly!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of heavy cannons fired simultaneously, and amidst the orange firelight, black cannonballs poured down like a rainstorm, and smoke instantly shrouded the entire coast.

"Broad Goose!"

Wado Ichimonji drew a bright arc, and a huge sword aura whistled out, actually intercepting all the cannonballs and cutting them in two.

"Well done!"

Smoker growled, his figure suddenly turned into smoke, like a white giant python passing through the Marine formation, rushing toward the female Vice Admiral, "Next is my turn!"

"Stop him!" A Marine Colonel roared and drew his sword, but the next second—

"Shave!"

Smoker's figure suddenly appeared in front of him, and the Jitte covered in Armament Haki smashed down heavily!

Crack!

The blade broke, the Colonel vomited blood and flew backward, crashing into a whole row of soldiers, actually fainting directly.

"Although they are also Headquarters Colonels, our strength seems to be completely on different levels."

Smoker glanced at the other party, bit his cigar, and spat out a puff of smoke.