Dare to Default?

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"I hate when people threaten me! And I hate looking up at others!"

"Sables ~ Sandstorm!" Crocodile conjured a small sandstorm in his hand and unleashed it toward Kitaro, the sandstorm rapidly growing in size as it hurtled toward both him and Shisui.

"Two mere kids had the audacity to act so arrogant? Whitebeard must truly be past his prime to lose to such brats. And if that was the case, wouldn't it mean I, Crocodile, was even worse than these kids?" He refused to accept that.

In his mind, the solution was simple: eliminate both of them.

CRACK—!!

A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking the sandstorm dead-on.

BOOM—!!

The storm dispersed instantly.

"What?!" Crocodile was stunned. Lightning? Could it be that the other party was also a Logia Devil Fruit user?

Kitaro spoke coolly, "Since he's making the first move, let's just take him down. The Sand-Sand Fruit may not be anything extraordinary, but it's still a Logia-type fruit."

Shisui nodded and transformed into a streak of lightning, charging toward Crocodile at incredible speed.

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

"Admiral, are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, all positions at the bay are secure!"

"Excellent. Commence the operation!"

Many pirates and viewers tuning in to the broadcast were confused.

"Huh? Are they starting the execution?"

"But it's not time yet! Isn't it still far from the scheduled hour?"

Sengoku issued the order, "Cut off the visual Den Den Mushi feed immediately! If the world starts doubting us, it'll be a disaster. The tragedy that's about to unfold would be too much for the peaceful public to handle. There's no need to broadcast everything!"

He continued, his tone decisive, "A few hours later, the only message the world needs to hear is one word: Victory!"

At the same time, outside Marineford, figures began to appear, encircling the area like a giant net.

"Who are they?!"

"W-wait... Kuma?! So many Kumas!"

Ivankov's jaw dropped at the sight of the newcomers—all of whom looked identical to Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"Is this the rumored human weapon developed by the government…?"

Whitebeard, aware of this through hearsay, wasn't surprised. As someone the World Government sought to eliminate, he kept a close eye on their movements.

Standing at the forefront of the Pacifista army was Sentomaru, hefting his double-edged axe. "Alright, lads! Impatient, aren't you? Finally, it's our turn to shine!"

"It's Kuma! Bartholomew Kuma of the Seven Warlords!"

"Wait, why are there so many of him? Can he multiply himself like Kitaro?"

With a commanding shout, Sentomaru declared, "Go! Pacifistas, attack!"

The mechanical soldiers raised their palms, firing laser beams identical to Kizaru's attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions tore through the battlefield, wreaking havoc indiscriminately, even affecting the Marines themselves.

Whitebeard barked an order, "Forget about the enemies behind us! Everyone, charge the plaza directly!"

Pinned from both sides, Whitebeard understood this was the inevitable disadvantage of the Marine's superior numbers. The only solution was to concentrate their forces and break through at a single point.

"RRAAAAAAH!!"

With their retreat cut off, the pirates fought even more fiercely.

Sengoku issued a new command, "All personnel, retreat from the ice field immediately! Do not let them reach the plaza! Once the visuals are cut, activate the encircling walls. Proceed with Ace's execution immediately and capture every last enemy!"

"Yes, sir!"

Moments later, Sengoku asked, "Is the broadcast cut yet?!"

"Not yet, sir. Please wait a moment!"

"What's the holdup?! Stop dawdling!"

"It's not that simple! The last Den Den Mushi is…"

"Where is it? Speak!"

"It's in Uchiha Kitaro's hands!"

Sengoku froze, lifting his gaze toward Kitaro. Sure enough, the Uchiha held a Den Den Mushi, flying across the battlefield while broadcasting everything.

"Ladies and gentlemen! What do you want to see? Whitebeard? Or a Marine Admiral? Just tell me, and I'll show you whatever you want!"

"Uchiha Kitaro!!!"

Sengoku's fury sent his blood pressure soaring.

"You! You again! Can't you give me a break?! Shut off that Den Den Mushi immediately!"

"Nope." Kitaro refused immediately.

"If you don't, forget about receiving the remaining 2.5 billion in payment!"

Kitaro's expression turned icy. "You can try. But if you dare to default on what you owe Uchiha Security Company, I'll make sure Marineford vanishes from the face of this world by the end of today."

"Ugh…"

Sengoku's face darkened. While he wanted to explode, he held himself back. Fighting both the Uchiha Security Company and the Whitebeard Pirates at the same time would cost the Marines dearly.

The Whitebeard Pirates could be dealt with, especially with Ace as leverage. But Uchiha Kitaro? He had no such constraints.

Defaulting might truly result in Marineford's complete annihilation.

"What nerve! He dared to talk to the Fleet Admiral like that!"

"Is Uchiha Security really that powerful?!"

"Even the Fleet Admiral doesn't dare cross them?!"

Across the globe, people watched in awe as Uchiha Kitaro openly defied Sengoku, leaving the Fleet Admiral visibly frustrated and powerless.

"Damn it! Forget it—Akainu, get ready!"

"Yes." Akainu's arms erupted with magma, forming massive fists.

"Meteor Volcano!"

With a roar, Akainu unleashed a barrage of molten fists into the sky, each one falling like meteors, raining destruction as if the apocalypse had arrived.

CLANG!!

A pirate in the bay raised his head, his weapon slipping from his hands as despair washed over him.

"This… is the end of the world…"

The sight of destruction wasn't just overwhelming for one pirate—it left many pirates on the battlefield gripped with despair.

Even those watching through the Den Den Mushi broadcasts were left speechless, staring in shock at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"This is… the power of a Navy Admiral…" someone muttered.

Recently, there had been countless rumors about Uchiha Kitaro taking on two admirals at once, injuring them both, and Uchiha Shisui holding his own in a one-on-one fight with another admiral. Many had started to believe that the so-called "Admirals" were nothing more than glorified measuring sticks.

But watching Aokiji freeze the sea and Akainu summon an apocalyptic Meteor Volcano drove home the reality: the Navy Admirals were indeed the World Government's ultimate weapons.

Or that what the world was thinking right now.

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