Chapter 160

On the Marines' side, the relentless bombardment of the island continued unabated. The Marines watched, awestruck, as the nearby island became a battleground for forces beyond their wildest imagination.

The clash's ferocity was so intense that it sent tremors through their great battleships, even from dozens of miles away. For an hour, the bombardment had raged, yet the intensity of the clash showed no sign of waning. Even the seas seemed electrified, with lightning crackling and surging around them.

On one of the ships, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, known as Akainu, turned his attention to the three evacuation vessels. He had already received orders to send every soul to the afterlife. With a grim determination, he unleashed his attack.

"Ryusei Kazan!" he bellowed, launching a barrage of flaming magma fists into the air. They rapidly expanded, following a deadly trajectory toward the evacuation ships. Each massive fist of magma rained down upon the vessels, which carried thousands of Ohara citizens and hundreds of Marine soldiers who were manning them.

Screams of terror reverberated through the evacuation ships as the inferno approached, and even the Marines on Sakazuki's ship watched in disbelief. Their superior was planning to bury fellow marines alongside innocent civilians.

Just as the magma fists were about to engulf the ships, the sneer on Sakazuki's face turned into a frown. "Ice Age!" A massive dome of ice suddenly encased the three ships, shielding them from the relentless rain of magma. Akainu's face contorted in anger as he saw a tall man step out of one of the evacuation ships and stand defiantly on its railing.

Aokiji's eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth for his fellow admiral candidate. "Sakazuki! Care to explain why you are attacking a civilian evacuation ship?" Aokiji's voice carried over the open sea. The bombardment ceased as the entire island of Ohara burned, with even the famed Tree of Knowledge succumbing to the relentless assault.

"Kuzan! Why are you here? Weren't you given orders to chase the traitor Saul and capture him along with Nico Olvia and her daughter?" Akainu retorted, disregarding Aokiji's question.

"Akainu, you still haven't answered my question! Why did you attack a civilian transport, that also carried fellow Marines on board?" Aokiji roared as ice spread beneath them, freezing the sea and trapping almost all the battleships in a thick sheet of ice.

"Justice needs to be absolute! I suspect there are scholars hidden among the so-called civilians. To ensure that no one escapes, I have to eradicate everyone," Akainu countered, his voice dripping with conviction.

Aokiji couldn't believe the absurdity of Akainu's justification. "Even if you think there are scholars hidden among them, you could have screened everyone to find the real ones hiding. Why did you even target the Marines on board? Tell me, Sakazuki, what difference is there between you and a filthy pirate?" Aokiji's voice was a mix of incredulity and anger.

The tension between the two admiral candidates was palpable. What Aokiji asked was logical—even if Akainu suspected scholars were hiding, a stringent screening process could have uncovered them. Akainu's actions seemed more like an attempt to bury evidence than to serve justice.

Akainu's face twisted in fury at being compared to a pirate. His arm morphed into magma, ready for confrontation. "I have my orders, Aokiji. It is you who is defying orders and impeding my work. If you do not move away from those ships, I don't mind sinking you alongside them," Akainu roared, his voice almost a dangerous hiss. But Aokiji stood unfazed, confident in his ability to face Akainu if it came to a clash.

"Bring it on, Akainu! For trying to harm your fellow Marines without proper cause, I don't mind putting down a mad dog like you!" Aokiji's voice rang out with righteous fury. Akainu's actions had crossed his bottom line, and he needed to prove that the Marines stood for justice. Allowing Akainu to kill innocents would shatter his belief in what justice truly means.

"Dai Funka!" Akainu roared, launching himself toward the evacuation ships using Geppo. But Aokiji was ready. "Ice Punch!" He launched himself forward, not holding back. The two admiral candidates clashed with ferocity, magma meeting ice in a brilliant display. A resounding shockwave pushed the nearby ships away as the figures parted, equally matched. But Akainu could tell he was pushed back first, anger surging through him.

"Inugami Guren!" Akainu bellowed, manifesting a massive magma hound that launched itself at Aokiji. Aokiji countered with his own attack, "Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!" A massive bird made of crystalline ice shot forth, charging at the incoming magma hound. The two constructs, embodiments of raw natural power, tore at each other, trying to gain the upper hand. The elements were relentless, neutralizing each other.

Every Marine and World Government agent watched, shocked and puzzled, as the two admiral candidates went at each other's throats with a ferocity that seemed intent on tearing the opponent apart.

*******************

"Lightning Nova!" A blinding flash of light tore through the skies as I unleashed a devastating attack on Hector. Now battered and bruised, he staggered under the assault. Anne, despite having lost an arm, had gone completely unhinged.

Consumed by anger, she leaped back into the thick of the fight time and again, fashioning an arm made of snow to replace her missing limb. Crocodile, however, was a broken man. Nearly every bone in his body seemed shattered, and even his Devil Fruit powers refused to respond to his commands. He lay at the battle's edge, resembling a broken doll.

"Hehehe, Hector! Do you still think you can take my head?" I taunted, slashing Shusui and leaving another deep gash on his massive form. He was completely on the defensive, desperate for a way to escape.

"Winter Wind!" Anne roared, slashing her greatsword with her remaining hand. Her body was already covered in hundreds of wounds. She might have had a chance to survive if she had chosen to escape, but instead, she attacked me relentlessly. Each exchange proved more fatal for her; the snow beneath her feet was stained with her blood.

Shusui streaked through the air, clashing with Anne's massive greatsword. Despite her ferocity, Anne's strength waned with each passing second. My release of Conqueror's Haki put them at a complete disadvantage.

Hector's eyes were wide with desperation, his once-proud form now reduced to a trembling mass of fear. "You... you'll never win," he stammered, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Is that so?" I replied with a sneer, my voice dripping with contempt. "Look around you, Hector. Your allies are falling. Your strength is fading. You are nothing but a shell of the warrior you once were, at least if you had remained defiant till the end, I would have respected you. You simply reek of fear, even Crcodile seems better than you in my eyes."

Anne's attacks grew increasingly wild and uncoordinated; her exhaustion was evident. Each swing of her greatsword was slower and less precise. I easily parried her blows, the force behind them diminishing with every strike. Her snow arm, a symbol of her defiance, began to crumble under the relentless pressure.

"Anne, give up!" I shouted, hoping to break through her rage. "This is a fight you cannot win. Save yourself while you still can. Serve my family; you may still live!"

But Anne's eyes burned with a stubborn fury. "I will never surrender to the likes of you!" she screamed, lunging at me with all the strength she could muster.

I met her charge head-on, Shusui clashing violently with her greatsword. The force of our collision sent tremors through the battlefield, with snow swirling around us like a storm. Despite her determination, Anne's body could no longer keep up with her spirit. Her wounds slowed her movements, and with one final, powerful slash, I disarmed her. Her greatsword flew from her grasp, embedding itself in the snow several feet away.

Anne fell to her knees, breathing heavily, blood pouring from her numerous injuries. I stood over her, Shusui poised for the finishing blow. "It didn't have to end like this," I said softly, almost regretfully.

Hector, seeing Anne's defeat, roared in frustration and fear. He charged at me,, I thought it was in a desperate attempt to save his comrade, but my future sight said otherwise. The guy was truly a coward unfit to be a pirate. The mythical Gorgon fruit was truly wasted on him. Compared to him, I could at least respect Anne and Crocodile, who fought without backing down despite finding themselves at a complete disadvantage. Hector, without consideration for his felow warlords, dashed away in a desperate attempt to survive.

As Hector fled, the battlefield grew eerily silent. The storm of battle had passed, leaving behind a stark, frozen wasteland dotted with the fallen. Anne, though beaten, still glared up at me with defiant eyes. "Do it," she spat, challenging me to end her life.

"Is that what you truly want, Miss Bonney?" I asked her one last time, my voice steady and cold against the howling wind. The snowstorm raged around us, and the battlefield was a frozen wasteland littered with the remnants of our fierce struggle.

Bonney simply spat defiantly, her eyes burning with unyielding rage. "Why, kid? Are you chickening out now? Out on the seas, the strong prey on the weak, or are you going to tell me you haven't taken another human's life?" She spoke with fierce defiance, her words cutting through the icy air. "Take it, it's the victor's spoils. Take my head, you bastard!" she roared, her voice echoing across the desolate battlefield.

I gripped Shusui tightly, its blade gleaming ominously under the dim, stormy sky. Bonney's challenge hung in the air, a testament to her unbreakable spirit even in the face of certain death. She stood tall, her gaze unwavering, prepared to meet her end with the dignity of a true pirate.

The storm seemed to hold its breath as I swung Shusui at blinding speed. The blade cut through the air with lethal precision, and in a single, swift motion, I beheaded the formidable pirate. The clean stroke was almost poetic in its execution, a final tribute to her strength and defiance.

Anne Bonney's headless body, once a fearsome pirate of the New World, hit the snow with a soft thud. Blood splattered onto the pristine white ground, a stark contrast that painted a grim picture of the brutality of our world. Her head rolled a few feet away, her eyes still wide open, reflecting the fierce spirit that had defined her life.

For a moment, the world stood still. The howling wind, the falling snow, and the echoes of battle seemed to fade into silence. I stood over Bonney's fallen form, the weight of my actions settling heavily on my shoulders. She had been a worthy opponent, a formidable force on the seas, and now she was no more.

The snowstorm began to pick up again, and the wind howled mournfully as if mourning the loss of a great warrior. I sheathed Shusui, the blade now stained with the blood of one of the New World's most fearsome pirates. The battle was over, but the memory of this day would linger, a reminder of the harsh reality of our lives on the seas.

As I turned away from Bonney's lifeless body, I couldn't help but feel a pang of respect for the fallen pirate. She had faced her end with courage and defiance, embodying the true spirit of a pirate to the very last. The strong prey on the weak, she had said, and in this brutal world, her words rang true.

I turned my attention toward the broken form of Crocodile. Like Bonney, his eyes held defiance rather than fear, but there was also a hint of a desire to live. He did not want to meet the same fate as Bonney, but neither was he going to plead for his life. He had his own pride as a pirate. With soft strides, I made my way toward Crocodile, who awaited his judgment in silence, too broken to muster the strength for final words.

Meanwhile, the battle between Akainu and Aokiji was reaching epic proportions. Despite holding back out of consideration for the surrounding Marines, Aokiji found himself constantly on the defensive. Akainu showed no such quarter, disregarding anyone and everyone in his path. To him, his orders were absolute.

Suddenly, the transponder snail in Aokiji's pocket rang. He pushed Akainu back with a massive spear of ice, temporarily gaining some distance. Akainu smirked, interpreting the call as a sign of his impending victory. Although he disengaged from the battle, he remained ready to confront his fellow admiral candidate if necessary.

Aokiji picked up the call, a sense of foreboding settling in his gut. Sengoku's voice roared from the other end, "Kuzan! You bastard, are you trying to act like Garp now? Don't you think we have enough headaches with one Marine outlier? Do you want to follow down that same path?" Sengoku didn't let Kuzan explain the situation.

"But, Sengoku-san..." Kuzan started, but Sengoku interrupted him again.

"Shut up, Kuzan! I know everything. Your orders were to capture the traitor Saul and the escapee Nico Olvia. Don't bother with Akainu; I will talk with him," Sengoku commanded firmly.

"But, Sengoku-san, Sakazuki is trying to kill innocents along with the Marines on board. Even if they are orders, there are better ways to handle this matter!" Kuzan countered, his voice filled with frustration.

"Kuzan, listen to me. I will guarantee the safety of the civilians. I will have them escorted safely. You need to focus on your orders. Now!" Sengoku replied, his tone brooking no argument.

"But... Sengoku-san, let me personally escort the ships," Kuzan pleaded. He didn't trust anyone else to carry out this mission properly.

"Kuzan, did you even hear a word I said? Get Saul! I'll personally take care of the civilians on the ships," Sengoku roared, his patience wearing thin.

Finally, Kuzan had to relent. With Sengoku's assurance, he gave one last challenging gaze to Akainu, who responded with a snort of contempt. Reluctantly, Kuzan turned and left in the direction where Saul had fled earlier.

As I reached Crocodile, I could see the flicker of emotions playing across his face—defiance, pride, and a desperate will to live. His body was battered and broken, his Devil Fruit powers failing him in his moment of need. He lay there, unable to speak, awaiting his fate with silent dignity.

"Even now, you won't beg for your life," I said softly, a touch of admiration in my voice. "You still hold onto your pride as a pirate."

Crocodile's eyes burned with a mixture of defiance and resignation. He was prepared to meet his end but refused to show fear.

Just as I was about to end Crocodile's life, my observation Haki picked up Aokiji, moving rapidly in the direction where Saul had escaped on his raft. With a chuckle, I decided to leave Crocodile's fate to the whims of destiny. Turning away, I sheathed Shusui and strode away from the broken pirate, the snow crunching beneath my boots.

Crocodile lay there, his defiant eyes tracking my movements. He seemed puzzled but relieved, a flicker of hope igniting in his gaze. "Leaving me to fate, huh?" he muttered weakly, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.

I paused for a moment, glancing back at him. "Consider it a twist of fate, Crocodile. Sometimes, the strong don't have to prey on the weak. Sometimes, they just walk away."

******

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