59. Akainu And Luffy's Collision, Swapping Sides

Akainu approached Luffy.

When they were less than two meters apart, Akainu halted.

A Marine Admiral is confronting a Pirate Captain.

At that moment, they locked eyes.

Akainu, towering over Luffy, tilted his head slightly downward, gazing at him with disdain.

Luffy, under his straw hat, met his gaze, determined and sharp.

An unseen energy enveloped them.

Akainu's side radiated dark red, like searing magma.

Luffy's side shimmered with black and red Conqueror's Haki, swirling and impenetrable.

They stared each other down.

Then, in an instant, Akainu's eyes glinted with determination.

His fist, clad in black gloves, rose high, spewing forth endless magma.

With a thunderous boom, the molten fist surged forward.

Luffy's foot, shod in a wooden sandal, stamped down onto the magma.

An invisible clash ensued.

For a moment, the world split into two hues.

A deep, indescribable red engulfed one side, resembling the brink of oblivion.

The other side remained untouched as if repelling the scorching magma.

Heat waves rippled out, marking the aftermath of their collision.

"Run, Admiral Sakazuki is here!" cried out the nearby Marines, fleeing for their lives.

This battlefield was no place for the weak.

Though elite soldiers from various Marine Bases stood around, they had no say in this confrontation.

All they could do was retreat from the clash of titans.

"Straw Hat," Marco yelled, watching the clash between Luffy and Akainu.

Their Admiral couldn't be stopped here.

With another boom, a blaze engulfed Marco, cyan flames dancing around him.

A phoenix, its feathers alight with blue flames, emerged, soaring toward the center of the battle.

"Two sharp spears," a languid voice drawled beside him.

Pfft.

The massive ice spears impaled the phoenix soaring above.

"Captain Marco!" exclaimed the Whitebeard Pirates.

But Marco wasn't gravely wounded.

Retreating from his full beast form, he reached for the two ice spears lodged in his chest. No blood gushed forth, but the wounds smouldered with blue flames.

Almost instantly, the flames consumed them, akin to Logia, and Marco's chest wound vanished completely.

"Marco the Phoenix, is this the power of the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit?" remarked a tall, icy figure radiating a chilling aura.

Though Zoan fruits are typically inferior to Logia, exceptions exist. The Mythical Zoan types rival even the strongest Logias.

Take Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, for instance. His Phoenix Zoan form boasts unparalleled regenerative abilities.

With the flames of regeneration, wounds, no matter how severe, can be swiftly healed, provided there's enough stamina.

In the hands of a formidable user, this ability surpasses even Logia elemental transformations.

While Logia users can be affected by Armament Haki, leaving wounds that persist, injuries inflicted by Haki can be effortlessly mended by the regenerative blue flames of the phoenix.

"Aokiji," Marco addressed the tall, slender man before him with a grimace, recalling his recent interference in aiding the Straw Hat Boy.

"We can't allow that kid to wreak havoc unchecked any longer. He's caused enough chaos," Aokiji lazily scratched his head, casting a serious glance at Luffy in the distance. "Though I'm unsure of their sudden strength, if Mr. Sengoku is concerned, I can't remain idle."

"You Whitebeard Pirates scoundrels, stay put," barked a Marine.

"Jozu, Jinbei, Vista, escort Ace's little brother. I'll handle Aokiji," Marco ordered, brushing off Aokiji's warning.

Ignoring Aokiji's words, Marco gestured to Jozu and the others. "I trust you to handle it, Marco," Jozu responded quietly.

Aokiji simply watched as Vista, Jozu, and the others passed by without intervening.

"It's futile. You're unaware of the Marines' preparations for this war," Aokiji remarked calmly.

Ziiing!

The air crackled as countless slashes streaked toward Jozu and his comrades.

"The Dance of Roses!" Vista gracefully swung his blade, unleashing a flurry of petal-shaped slashes.

The seemingly delicate petals clashed violently with the razor-sharp waves of blades, producing a resounding clash of metal.

"I've heard Admiral Gion, the Marine alternate, is a formidable swordsman. It's rare to encounter a female swordsman of her calibre," Vista remarked as he landed lightly before  Gion, a towering figure wielding a renowned blade.

"Vista, the famed swordsman of the New World. I've longed for a duel with you," Gion declared, her gentle demeanour giving way to a decisive aura.

"Sorry, you can't aid the Straw Hat Boy. It's Mr. Sengoku's orders. Interfere, and we'll make it hard for you," a repugnant figure emerged from the smoke, blocking Jinbei and Jozu's path.

If Kizaru exuded a casual air, this man was the epitome of repulsiveness, from his appearance to his words and actions.

Yet Jinbei and Jozu showed him no disdain.

T Bone, the Marine alternate, stood before them.

"The Marines have high expectations of us this time," Marco muttered, noticing the formidable Marine forces gathering around them.

From Zephyr to the present, renowned Marine powerhouses had converged on this battlefield, encompassing nearly the entire sea.

The Marine veterans, the new generation's Three Admirals, and their successors—all have been mobilized for this war. It's a full-scale effort from the Marines.

"We were once at odds, but the tables have turned," Marco remarked, facing the formidable Marine presence surrounding him. "Didn't you notice, Aokiji? You've inadvertently strengthened our position."

Aokiji's brow furrowed slightly as he extended his hand, fingers radiating an icy chill, pressing toward Marco. "ICE Freezing Moment!"

A bone-chilling wave of coldness spread out like a spherical shockwave, instantly crystallizing whatever it touched into thick ice.

"Is it a lie? When the Straw Hat Boy reveals his strength, you'll see Aokiji," Marco retorted, blue flames engulfing his body, one eye completely shrouded in azure fire. With wings formed from his arms, he unleashed a torrent of blue flame feathers toward Aokiji.

"Undying Thistle!" The flames clashed with the frigid air, creating a twirling vortex of cyan and white before vanishing into nothingness.

"Beware, those healing flames can also bring death," Marco warned with a relaxed smile, surrounded by suspended cyan flames.

Meanwhile, Vista, Jozu, Gion, and T-Bone engaged in battle. Though not as formidable as Marco, they were still the cream of the crop under the Admiral's command, capable of holding their own in one-on-one combat.

As for Moria, he confronted Jinbei, wielding a pair of shadow-formed scissors. Jinbei, adeptly avoiding the looming threat, faced Moria head-on.

"Give me your shadow, Jinbei. A Shichibukai's shadow is quite valuable," Moria urged, eyeing Jinbei greedily.

"If you can take it, then try," Jinbei responded, focusing his energy as vapour condensed around his palm.

Boom.

The earth trembled under the forceful impact, propelling Jinbei's sturdy frame into the air.

"I'll take your shadow, Jinbie," Moria declared with a sharp grin, commanding, "Scatter the bats!"

With a flick of his wrist, the shadows beneath his feet and his massive scissors transformed into a swarm of black bats, hurtling toward Jinbei.

But Jinbei remained composed, his stance unwavering.

"Fish-Man Karate, Sharkskin Palm Thrust!"

Invisible ripples radiated outward, causing the airborne bats to momentarily freeze in place.

In a flash, Jinbei leapt through the bat-filled air, closing in on Moria.

"Fist."

Boom.

His heavy blow landed squarely on Moria's midsection, the sheer force contorting Moria's massive form into a grotesque shape.

Coughing up blood, Moria collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back.

"Your skills are lacking, Moria," Jinbei remarked casually before continuing toward Luffy.

However, another thunderous boom echoed through the air.

A colossal figure, rivalling Moria's size, crashed before Jinbei, enveloping him in shadow.

A pressure vastly different from Moria's bore down on Jinbei.

"Bartholomew Kuma," Jinbei muttered, his expression turning solemn as he assessed his new opponent.

This adversary was leagues apart from Moria, posing a far greater challenge.

"Hey, Hancock, Doflamingo, are you two still in the game?" he called out.

Both Marines and Pirates had unleashed their ultimate strength, engaging in relentless combat.

The elite Vice Admirals from headquarters, the remaining Whitebeard Pirates' captains, and the formidable New World pirate captains under Whitebeard—all were embroiled in the fray.

There's one undeniable truth: despite the overwhelming numbers of Marine soldiers, they're losing ground in terms of mid- and high-level combat power. The elite Vice Admirals are outnumbered by the formidable pirate captains under Whitebeard's command, who boast strength comparable to, if not exceeding, that of the Vice Admirals. Many of these captains are at the Shichibukai level or close to it.

As Marine casualties continued to mount, the blame fell upon Doflamingo and Boa Hancock. Their considerable strength could have turned the tide of battle, yet they remained inactive.

"Are you commanding the Hancock?" one Marine Rear Admiral ventured to ask.

Boa Hancock raised her head defiantly. "Responding to the Shichibukai's summons doesn't mean I must obey Marine orders," she retorted.

"Difficult indeed. Since it's been brought up, I'll take action," Doflamingo interjected, unfazed by a distant sniper attack. With hands in his pockets, he sauntered arrogantly toward the battlefield.

"Human nature: gentle in slumber, savage in excitement, and drawn to bloodshed. Blood and death are the true entertainments," Doflamingo mused with a sinister grin as he traversed the battlefield.

Suddenly, a pirate lunged at him with a knife, only to freeze in place, along with nearby Marines and pirates. They became mere puppets, manipulated by Doflamingo's unseen power.

"Whose side are you on, Doflamingo?" cried out a Marine amidst the chaos.

Doflamingo chuckled. "Justice," he declared. "But can you truly represent justice, Marine?"

"Pirates evil, Marines righteous? Such concepts have been rewritten countless times," Doflamingo continued, his tone dripping with disdain. He swiftly dispatched a Marine soldier with a stomp.

"Is this place righteous or evil now?" he pondered, his arms outstretched to encompass the blood-soaked battlefield. "Neither. Justice prevails only for the victor."

As Doflamingo revelled in chaos, a steel ball whizzed past, leaving a fresh bloodstain on his face. On the distant Moby Dick, Usopp wielded a massive slingshot, another bullet imbued with Armament Haki.

"Of all the carnage, he still disgusts me the most," Usopp remarked from afar, his keen senses surveying the entire battlefield.

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