Chapter 81: Akainu Backs Down, Calls for Help from Aokiji and Kizaru

"Not bad," Kuke said as he stood up, propping himself up with his sword. He casually brushed off the molten rock that was still clinging to his chest.

Across from him, Akainu also rose to his feet, wiping the blood dripping from his chest.

"Not bad indeed," Akainu echoed, glaring at the wound he'd sustained.

Neither of them had much to say after that.

In the next instant, both charged at each other without hesitation.

The battle had already drawn the attention of everyone on the Sabaody Archipelago.

"Have we figured it out yet? Who's fighting the admirals?"

"Is it Whitebeard?"

"No, no! It's Kuke!"

"What?!"

Shockwaves of disbelief rippled through the islands as the news spread like wildfire.

"All three admirals are here to take down Kuke."

"This is an unprecedented operation, and the target is Kuke?"

"This is massive news! We need to report this to headquarters immediately!"

"Do you think Kuke can hold off all three admirals? Can he escape?"

"No way. Not even Kuke can do that. No one could."

"That means Kuke is as good as dead?"

"Exactly."

Everyone who watched the battlefield, regardless of who they were, felt their skin crawl at the thought of Kuke facing off against three admirals. The sheer pressure Kuke was under seemed unimaginable to them.

Major newspapers across the world were going crazy, frantically printing copies to be the first to report on the historic event unfolding on the Sabaody Archipelago.

...

Back on the battlefield, the earth trembled as Kuke charged through Akainu's attacks without bothering to defend, block, or even evade. His only focus was on attacking, relentlessly pushing forward.

"Argh!" Akainu sent Kuke flying with a powerful strike, but he coughed up a mouthful of blood as Kuke's attack, "Yama King Guides the Way," left a gaping wound on his chest. The burns from the magma that had tried to seal the wound only made it worse.

"You're a madman," Akainu muttered, feeling a pang of dread as he watched Kuke charge at him again.

Kuke's battle style was completely reckless—self-sacrificial, even.

"You think I'll let you drag me down with you? Not a chance," Akainu growled. He was more than willing to fight to the death, but not under these circumstances. In a situation where Kuke was doomed, there was no way Akainu would exchange his life for Kuke's.

Quickly, Akainu crossed his arms, covering them in Haki to block Kuke's relentless attacks.

"I don't believe you can keep this up forever," Akainu said through gritted teeth. He was confident that his endurance would far outlast Kuke's.

All he had to do was outlast him.

Kuke's sword, covered in advanced Armament Haki, sliced through everything in its path. The deep cracks spread from the 13th island to the 12th and even the 11th, forming a ravine that connected three islands.

Each time Akainu was slashed open, his wounds would seal with magma only to reopen with the next strike.

"Great Eruption!"

"Ghost Energy: Yama King Descends!"

Akainu cursed under his breath.

Despite Akainu blocking Kuke's strike with his massive magma fist, Kuke had dodged around it, willing to endure Akainu's blow just to land a flying slash on him.

"Why is he going this far?" Akainu thought, coughing up blood from both his mouth and the wound on his chest.

A deep cross-shaped wound now ran across Akainu's face, nearly splitting it in half. He was sent flying by the sheer force of Kuke's strike.

But Kuke was also knocked back, landing hard on the magma-covered ground.

As Kuke rose from the molten pool, his body was coated in the searing magma. His skin glowed red from the heat, and his coat had been torn off, revealing his perfectly sculpted physique.

Casually spitting out a mouthful of blood, Kuke planted his feet on the shattered earth and launched himself like a missile toward the grim-faced Akainu.

The intensity of the battle left Kizaru and Aokiji stunned.

"Kuke knows he's going to die, so he's going all out to seriously injure Sakazuki—or maybe even take him down with him. So terrifying," Kizaru shuddered. He was grateful that it wasn't him who had to face Kuke in battle.

Even just watching made his skin crawl.

"Given no way out, it's normal to go all in on injuring your enemy," Aokiji reasoned. If he were in Kuke's position, he'd probably do the same.

At that moment, Kizaru and Aokiji exchanged knowing glances.

Kizaru spoke up. "Didn't Sakazuki say he didn't need our help?"

Aokiji yawned. "That's right."

Looking at the pitiful state Akainu was in, Kizaru felt a twinge of guilt. "Isn't it a bit too much? We're all comrades, after all."

Aokiji waved off the concern. "This is what Sakazuki asked for. Besides, Kuke hasn't tried to run. Sakazuki hasn't asked for help either. He must be confident in his own abilities. He might look bad now, but he's definitely got this under control. We should trust him."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Satisfied, Kizaru and Aokiji sat back down on their respective trees, watching the fight unfold.

In the middle of the battle, Akainu's eye twitched as he caught a glimpse of his two relaxed comrades out of the corner of his eye. But this was his own fault—he had told them to stay out of it.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to ask for help.

But as the fight dragged on, Akainu realized just how passive he had become. He was constantly on the defensive, evading and blocking Kuke's strikes.

Though he managed to avoid the majority of Kuke's attacks, whenever he did get hit, the damage was severe.

Every time Akainu retaliated, Kuke seemed to grow more excited, often willingly taking Akainu's attacks just to counter with a devastating blow of his own.

This type of fighting left Akainu no room to breathe—his only option was to trade injuries with Kuke.

Akainu gritted his teeth. He was running out of options.

Desperation flickered in his eyes as he decided to abandon defense entirely.

"I'm Sakazuki! I won't dodge anymore," Akainu roared, blocking Kuke's sword with his fist and refusing to back down.

"I'll see if your madness can really kill me!"

Their clash intensified, with neither fighter giving an inch. Blood flew through the air as Akainu's fists and Kuke's sword met over and over, each strike hitting their targets.

The ground beneath their feet sank deeper with every hit, creating massive craters.

Despite the bloody carnage, neither Kuke nor Akainu retreated.

Their feet remained planted firmly, even as the ground around them sank by tens of meters.

The two exchanged blows for what felt like an eternity.

Kuke's sword, covered in Conqueror's Haki, slashed across Akainu's shoulder, sending a torrent of blood splattering across the battlefield.

Akainu's ear was sliced clean off, and the ground behind him disappeared as if it had been erased from existence.

Kuke's sword remained embedded in Akainu's shoulder, blood dripping down its length.

"Huh?" Kuke's bloodshot eyes locked onto Akainu.

He had fully expected Akainu to counterattack. But this time, Akainu didn't strike back.

After so many exchanges, Akainu had finally lost his nerve.

He realized that if this continued, they truly might die together—or worse, Akainu might fall first, leaving Kuke alive.

"Why am I even fighting you like this?" Akainu muttered, grabbing the sword lodged in his shoulder. He instinctively raised his other fist to strike Kuke, but when he saw Kuke's smirk, he knew.

If he attacked, Kuke would strike back with equal force, just like before.

Frustrated and humiliated, Akainu let go of the sword and leaped out of Kuke's range, escaping from the deep crater they had created.

But before he could even catch his breath, Akainu felt the sharp pressure of Kuke's next attack barreling toward him.

At that moment, he finally gave in, turning to Kizaru and Aokiji. "Both of you, help me!"

Kizaru blinked, puzzled. "But Kuke hasn't run yet?"

Akainu's face twitched. "....."