Chapter 90: Death of the Admiral

'Boom!!!'

A deafening explosion shook the entire Sabaody Archipelago. The island trembled as a terrifying cylindrical shockwave tore through it. Pirates, residents, nobles, and merchants who had yet to flee, hiding in fear after the attack on the Celestial Dragons, screamed in terror, barely avoiding injury.

Trees, buildings, and people in the shockwave's path were ruthlessly torn apart and swallowed, leaving behind a massive, semi-cylindrical trench. Though the trench's diameter was small compared to the island's overall size, it stretched across Sabaody, from the forest ruins on Island No. 2 to the sea, leaving onlookers stunned and horrified.

'Crash, crash…'

Seawater flooded into the trench, forming a river about twenty to thirty meters wide, cutting the dreamlike island in two.

Amidst the destruction, a bloodied and battered figure struggled to rise from the rubble. Black flames surrounded him, giving him the appearance of a demon from hell, terrifying to behold. His face covered in blood, Iron Claw Hark glared at the towering figure relentlessly pursuing him.

"Fallen Angel El..." Hark's voice trembled with both rage and disbelief.

"Tch, tch... An awakened Ancient Zoan ability really is tough to deal with. You can still stand up?" El, with his four wings spread wide and flames burning fiercely behind his head, exuded an overwhelming presence. He looked down at Hark with arrogance and disdain. "But can you keep fighting, Navy Admiral?"

His words, spoken slowly and deliberately, cut deep into Hark's pride. For a man who had risen from nothing to become a Navy Admiral, it was an unbearable humiliation. He had fought for justice, risking his life time and again against ruthless pirates, only to be defeated by a 17-year-old.

"Don't get cocky, you Lunarian brat!" Hark's face contorted in fury, veins bulging across his body. He roared defiantly, "I am Iron Claw Hark! As long as I'm still breathing, I will never back down!"

Without waiting for a reply, he stomped the ground and charged forward with incredible speed. Though his claws were broken, he still had his fists, and if those failed him, he would fight with his legs, his teeth—Hark's justice would never bow to evil.

'Whoosh, whoosh...' The sound of his fists slicing through the air echoed continuously. His punches, infused with Armament Haki, rained down on El like a storm.

'Bang! Bang!' The barrage of attacks was relentless, but El didn't even bother to block. The flames behind his head flared up as he allowed the punches to land on his body. The ground cracked beneath him as Hark poured all his strength into the assault, but no matter how hard he hit, El remained unscathed.

"Your punches are chaotic and lack power, fueled by desperation," El's eyes sharpened as the flames behind his head extinguished once more. His strength, speed, and reaction time surged as he swung his massive Great Halberd, slicing through the air.

'Clang!!!'

Hark's eyes widened in fear, his hair standing on end. Crossing his arms, he barely managed to block the attack, but the sheer force left his arms trembling, as though his bones were about to snap.

"Fallen Angel El!!!" Hark screamed, but despite his rage, he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the ground with a tremendous crash.

'Whoosh!!!'

In the next instant, El's wings flapped, sending out a violent gust filled with countless wind blades that completely engulfed the airborne Hark.

'Boom... boom...' Hark, covered in Haki and struggling, narrowly avoided the worst of the wind blades. But just as he was about to recover, El reappeared behind him like a ghost.

"What!?" Hark's face drained of color as he sensed El's presence behind him. Panicking, he leaped backward in an attempt to escape, but his Observation Haki failed to predict El's movement.

"You can't predict my moves if you've lost your composure," El said coldly. Not giving Hark any chance to escape, he raised the Great Halberd, gleaming with deadly light, and swung it down.

'Slash—'

The air was torn apart as a massive shockwave ripped through the ground, severing trees in its path before continuing into the distance.

'Boom... boom...' Blood sprayed through the air as two blood-soaked claws were severed and flew through the sky.

Iron Claw Hark howled in agony, stumbling backward. Both of his hands had been sliced off by El's brutal strike.

"Damn you, I will hunt you to the ends of hell—" Hark's face twisted in pain, drenched in sweat. With a snarl, he lashed out with a fierce kick.

"Leg Scythe: Dragon Slash!!!"

'Whoosh—' A massive slash, shaped like a roaring dragon, shot toward El.

"Pointless struggle." El didn't even blink. He swung his Great Halberd, effortlessly deflecting the attack. The slash flew off into the distance, crashing into the mainland with a deafening roar.

'Boom, boom…'

El's wings flapped again, sending him flying forward with incredible speed. In an instant, he hovered above the bloodied, furious Hark, who glared up at him with hatred and defiance.

"You said I'd be hunted to the ends of hell?" El's voice was cold and merciless as he looked down at Hark. "Well, you can go to hell first. I'll send your masters down to join you, one by one."

Electricity crackled around El's Great Halberd as he lifted it high, preparing to strike. "Then you can reflect on why you chose to be their dog."

"You fool, you have no idea the true power of the World Government!" Hark shouted, refusing to give up. With a roar, he kicked off the ground, aiming both legs at El in a desperate attack.

"Leg Scythe: Double Dragon Slash!!!"

"Thunder Dragon Flash Strike!!!"

A massive thunderous slash tore through the air, obliterating Hark's attack as it roared toward him.

'Boom, boom…'

"Aaaah… damn it!"

At that moment, a powerful figure, stepping through the air with incredible speed, entered the Sabaody Archipelago. Fleet Admiral Hammons William, having rushed over upon hearing the news of Fallen Angel El's appearance, paled in horror as he spotted a bloody head being severed and flying through the air.

"Hark!!!" he roared.