Chapter 111: Fighting a Marine Admiral

Cherry blossoms drifted down like rain, passing between the two figures.

In just a few seconds.

The stunned expressions on Akainu and Siano's faces rapidly faded.

Both men simultaneously narrowed their eyes slightly.

……

North Island, the dock.

Dalmeccia, a cigar clamped in his mouth, was urging the marines to board when the Den Den Mushi in his pocket suddenly rang, "Buru Buru Buru Buru."

"Hello?"

Hearing the order transmitted from the other end of the receiver, Dalmeccia's expression changed abruptly: "Yes! Mr. Sakazuki, we will definitely complete the mission!"

He had just hung up the phone.

Another Vice Admiral from Headquarters, Brumia, rushed over upon hearing the noise, full of anticipation: "What is it? What happened?"

"The Great Swordsman Siano and his crew are currently on South Island."

Dalmeccia turned his head, his gaze fierce and ruthless, "Mr. Sakazuki is already engaging that Siano; he should subdue him very soon, so our participation is not required."

"Our objective is to capture all remaining accomplices of the Curtain Call Pirates; move quickly, and do not let a single one escape!"

"Ohhhhh!!!"

Brumia suddenly raised both arms, erupting into a nearly manic cheer, her beautiful face contorted with excitement as she licked her scarlet lips with her tongue:

"Wonderful! Long live Mr. Sakazuki; finally, there's a fight to be had!"

She spun around sharply, like a little girl who had just received candy, and eagerly rushed toward the deck.

"……"

Dalmeccia glanced at her retreating back and shook his head.

He was not very familiar with this colleague, but he had heard rumors that she was a capricious madwoman who regarded Mr. Akainu as her idol, took pleasure in torturing pirates, and possessed a Devil Fruit ability that was quite bizarre.

If they hadn't happened to be deployed on the same mission this time, he would never have approached her so closely under normal circumstances.

But right now, the mission at hand was paramount.

Suppressing his stray thoughts, he turned his head and shouted sternly:

"All hands, attention! Marines who haven't boarded yet, stop embarking! Leave one warship here on standby; all other warships, depart immediately, reverse course! Blockade the coastline near the South Island docks; upon spotting any suspicious figures, surround them at once!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral!"

A thunderous response rose from the marines surrounding him.

……

South Island, within a certain grove of cherry blossom trees.

"Brother?"

Nami looked perplexedly at the Den Den Mushi in her hand, "Eh? Strange, why did it suddenly go silent?"

"Let's go, Nami!"

Siano's low voice came through, "The Marine Admiral Akainu is on this island, currently confronting me, and his subordinates have already headed to South Island to hunt you down."

"There's no time to lose; have everyone evacuate immediately!"

Admiral Akainu?!

Nami froze, while the others also changed color one after another, exchanging glances.

"Hey, can everyone else hear this too?"

Siano's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness, "Make this clear to Nami: absolutely no foolish ideas about coming to provide support; doing so will only cause us all to die together!"

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

Snap!

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

"Go!"

Smoker was the first to react; looking in a certain direction, he gritted his teeth and growled low, "Several warships are indeed heading this way; let's move quickly, now is not the time to hesitate!"

"But my brother is still..." Nami cried out in great anxiety; just as she was about to say more, Zeff grabbed her firmly.

"Don't be foolish, Nami!"

The old chef rarely spoke so sternly, "Didn't you understand what your brother said? Battles of that caliber are beyond our ability to assist; since the Captain dares to say this, he must be confident he can escape!"

"Our safe evacuation is the best help we can give; staying here will only become a burden to him!"

"That's right!" Nojiko also grasped her wrist, her voice firm, "Nami, trust your brother; he never does anything without certainty."

"But..." Nami looked back toward the direction of the stone bridge, still unwilling to accept it.

Thud!

A precise knife-hand strike landed on the back of her neck; Nami's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed limply.

Sister Sister Guyina withdrew her hand, picked Nami up with an expressionless face, and said, "I'm sorry, but in this situation, there's no time to reason with a child."

"Let's go, everyone!"

Hoisting Nami onto her shoulder, she cast one last deep glance toward the north before sprinting ahead toward the South Island docks.

The rest of the crew immediately followed close behind.

……

Beside the natural stone bridge.

Akainu and Siano simultaneously put away their Den Den Mushis, their gazes colliding once more.

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

Akainu spoke calmly, "You certainly show enough loyalty, kid, but... trying to hold me back single-handedly to cover their retreat? Isn't that a bit..."

"—Far too fanciful!"

Whoosh!

Before the words even left his mouth, Akainu suddenly exploded into action without any warning.

In nearly an instant, he vanished from the opposite shore; when the latter half of his sentence rang out, the voice clearly came from above Siano's head.

His right hand had already suddenly swollen into a gigantic magma fist, roaring as it smashed down viciously!

Boom!!!

The magma fist tore through the air, its scorching heat instantly vaporizing the cherry blossoms drifting on the wind, turning them into a rain of fire.

What terrifying speed!

Siano's pupils contracted sharply, his spine tensed, and his body suddenly darted sideways; the molten rock grazed his cheek before exploding at his original position, carving out a massive crater.

"You old fool."

He steadied himself, looking at Akainu who had landed on the opposite side, and grinned:

"Since you started the topic, at least finish your sentence before making a move; attacking the moment opinions differ hardly befits the dignity of a Marine Admiral."

"Dignity? That word does not exist in my dictionary; when the Marines capture pirates, must we still adhere to rules?"

Akainu's expression remained indifferent; this time he raised his left arm as well, magma churning violently across both arms. "You dodged quite quickly, but... how many times can you dodge?"

"Flaming Meteor!"

In that instant.

Akainu's twin fists transformed into countless magma cannonballs, crashing down like a swarm of meteors.

The ground beneath Siano's feet cracked inch by inch; he suddenly stomped and shot forward, displaying the full agility of his Paper Art Form!

Bang bang bang—!

Each magma cannonball that struck the ground erupted into fire waves dozens of meters high; the vast cherry blossom forest surrounding them was instantly distorted and melted by the terrifying heat, turning into scorched earth.

Siano's figure darted through the rain of molten rock like a phantom, explosions constantly whizzing past his ears.

Akainu's assault grew increasingly fierce and relentless, magma sweeping over like a tsunami, yet Siano still managed to evade every single magma cannonball!

The "Soru" and "Geppo," cultivated to their absolute peak, were now being utilized by him to perfection.

Hm?

He actually let this guy dodge them all?

Akainu's eyebrow twitched slightly, a trace of surprise crossing his face for a moment.

Speaking purely of proficiency in the Six Styles, this black-haired kid's realm was even approaching that of himself and Aokiji, surpassing Kizaru by a margin.

But—

Akainu shook his head slightly.

That is as far as it goes!

"Right here."

A flash of red light ignited in his eyes; using Observation Haki to precisely predict Siano's landing spot, his figure flashed forward as his right fist suddenly thrust out with full force!

"Dark Hound!"

This strike was fast as lightning, appearing before him in the blink of an eye.

With nowhere to dodge, Siano crossed his arms to block, instantly pushing Tekkai and Armament Haki to their maximum intensity!

Thud!!!

He held out for merely a few seconds before his Haki began to collapse; the terrifying impact force blasted him flying hundreds of meters, careening like a cannonball and smashing through several rock walls before barely coming to a stop.

"Cough..."

Clutching his somewhat numb wrists, Siano slowly rose from the ruins of the rock wall.

The clothing on both his arms had long been burned through by the magma; although his exposed skin was charred black, the injury had not penetrated deep, and the surface was already healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"..." Akainu narrowed his eyes slightly.

That "Dark Hound" just now, though seemingly plain and unadorned, was one of his close-combat ultimate techniques.

Its penetrating power was strong enough to instantly blast apart the heads of certain famous pirates in the New World.

Yet the opponent had blocked it bare-handed with his arms, suffering only superficial flesh wounds.

Though clearly an ordinary person with no Devil Fruit ability nor special bloodline, this level of physical strength rivaled those thick-skinned fellows from the Beasts Pirates.

It was simply inconceivable...

How exactly did he achieve this?!

"Hey."

Siano's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Is this the extent of your offensive?"

Akainu looked up, his expression unreadable.

There, the black-haired youth across from him casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, twisted his neck until it emitted a series of cracking sounds, and then grinned while staring at him:

"Then my counterattack is about to begin!"

Boom!

As his words fell, the ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded; his entire body shot forward like a bolt of black lightning, closing the distance to Akainu in an instant!

Fist met fist; the entwined Armament Haki rippled in layers, and a terrifying invisible shockwave instantly radiated outward in all directions from the point of impact!

"Six Styles Ultimate Technique: Yamabuki-colored Ripple Dash!!!"

——————

Southern Island, southernmost tip.

"Quick, move faster!"

Smoker lowered his voice to urge them on; everyone, using the cherry blossom forest as cover, quickly moved toward the coast.

Zeff and Smoker cleared the way ahead, with Sister Sister Guyina behind them carrying the unconscious Nami on her back, while Nojiko followed closely.

Ah Yin sprinted along the flank, with Nuomici perched atop his head, vigilantly scanning the surroundings to prevent a sudden Marine ambush.

The journey was smooth and uneventful as they successfully crossed the entire southern island.

However.

When they burst out of the last patch of cherry blossom forest and saw the coast just a stone's throw away,

the sight before them made everyone halt in their tracks, their faces darkening—

Damn it, we're still a step too late!

The dock has been completely blockaded!

Three Marine warships were arranged in a crescent formation, their cannon mouths grimly aimed at the shore, while over two thousand fully armed Marines stood ready for battle.

And right in the center of the dock, two tall figures draped in white coats of Justice gazed coldly at them.

"So you've finally come..."

Vice Admiral Dalmasia spoke lightly, a cigar dangling from his mouth.

He had only just arrived here with his squad.

Fortunately, he had decisively ordered the Marines who hadn't boarded the ships to stay behind and set off immediately; otherwise, this group would have truly escaped.

He hadn't faced a worthy enemy in a long time; he hoped these pirates wouldn't disappoint him.

Beside Dalmasia, Vice Admiral Bomaia licked her lips with a grin:

"So it's only these few people? Hey, Dalmasia, how about you let me have those two male pirates? I love hearing men scream..."

As she spoke, her entire right arm had somehow transformed into a thick metal syringe, its needle tip gleaming with cold light.

A Paramecia-type Syringe Fruit user.

Over the past years, countless enemies had screamed and wailed under her needle tip, wishing for death but unable to find it.

And now, it seemed there were a few more excellent test subjects.

"Tsk, what a hassle!"

Smoker frowned and looked at Sister Sister Guyina. "We'll stay behind to cover you. You carry Nami and rush onto the ship; once she's settled and the ship is started, we'll fight our way out."

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Sister Sister Guyina glanced at him as if he were a Bai Chi:

"The dock is surrounded like an iron bucket. If we don't defeat these guys, how do you plan to sail the ship away? Besides, Nami is combat power at a time like this; how can we waste her?"

While speaking, she grabbed Nami and shook her vigorously.

The previous palm strike hadn't been very forceful, so Nami's unconsciousness was shallow; after just a few shakes, she slowly came to.

Huh?

Nami looked around in confusion, not yet realizing what was happening, when Sister Sister Guyina patted her shoulder and said in a deep voice:

"Just like before, leave those grunts to you, Nami!"

"Oh, okay..."

Although Nami was still groggy and hadn't grasped the situation, she nodded instinctively.

"And there are two Rear Admirals... Although the top-tier combat power is much more luxurious than Zoro's guard squad, the mid-tier combat power seems even worse. But it's possible some were left behind on the northern island."

Sister Sister Guyina scanned the encirclement below and continued to distribute tasks methodically:

"Ah Yin, these guys are your responsibility. You must go all out this time; no problem, right?!"

"Awooo—!"

Ah Yin immediately threw his head back and let out a roar.

Nuomici was eager to join the battle but was casually stuffed into Sister Sister Guyina's waist pouch by her, the zipper pulled shut.

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

Sister Sister Guyina looked at Smoker again. "Smoker, do you know them? Which one is stronger?"

"... What is with this sudden display of acting as a vice-captain?" Smoker looked at her in confusion.

"Is this the time for nonsense!"

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

Smoker shook his head slightly. "But that Dalmatian is very strong and has deep seniority. Compared to Zoro, they are about equal."

"Understood."

Sister Sister Guyina lightly pushed the tsuba of her sword with her thumb and slowly drew Wado Ichimonji.

"In that case, the Dalmatian is mine. Nojiko, you'll assist me in pinning him down. As for that female Vice Admiral, Smoker and Uncle Zeff will deal with her!"

"No problem."

Zeff grinned.

The Rear Admiral he fought last time in Loguetown was too weak; he was kicked into a disadvantage in no time, which was far from satisfying.

This time, he could finally test how much stronger a newly promoted Headquarters Vice Admiral actually is.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Nojiko also put on her mithril gloves, slammed her fists together heavily, and battle intent rose in her eyes.

Since there was no way to avoid it, they had to carve a bloody path through...

Then let's fight with all our might!

After more than a month of bitter training,

compared to the time in Loguetown, everyone had mastered Armament Haki, and their strength had increased by a notch.

Isn't now the perfect time to verify this progress!!!

"In short, do not get bogged down in prolonged fighting; breaking through the encirclement is the primary objective."

Sister Sister Guyina took a deep breath and issued the final order in a heavy voice:

"We must kill our way out of this encirclement and get far away from this island as quickly as possible; only then can the Captain break free without any worries. Does everyone understand clearly!"

"Understood!"

The crowd around responded in unison.

"Charge!"

Amid the clear shout, Sister Sister Guyina rushed out first, while the gunners, long ready, fired simultaneously the instant Dalmecci lightly waved his arm!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of heavy cannons fired in unison; amidst flickering orange flames, pitch-black cannonballs poured down like a rainstorm, and gunpowder smoke instantly enveloped the entire coastline.

"Goose Wild Goose!"

Wado Ichimonji traced a snow-bright arc as massive sword qi roared forth, actually intercepting every single cannonball and slicing them in two.

"Well done!"

Smoker let out a low cry, his form suddenly turning into smoke; he surged through the Marine formation like a giant white python, charging straight at that female Vice Admiral. "My turn next!"

"Stop him!" a Marine Colonel roared, drawing his sword, but the very next second—

"Soru!"

Smoker's figure suddenly flashed before him, and the jitte coated in Armament Haki smashed down viciously!

Crack!

The blade shattered; the Colonel spat blood and was sent flying backward, knocking over an entire row of soldiers, actually fainting on the spot.

"Although we are both Headquarters Colonels, it seems our strength isn't even on the same level."

Smoker glanced sideways at his opponent, bit down on his cigar, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

(End of Chapter)