Chapter 266

—

Minutes ago,

Tsumi leapt downwards from beside Aisa and went towards the two Admirals.

Green Bull attempted to strike her down midair with his super-fast vines but two serpentine ice-dragons leapt at the vines from the frozen sea, controlled by Aisa, stopping it from touching Tsumi.

Tsumi took the opportunity to rush to Aokiji who had a frown on his face.

Aokiji stomped on the ground, from where spikes of ice rushed at Tsumi with a shivering sound.

Tsumi didn't try to dodge the technique and instead reached out her hand for the spikes of ice.

Aokiji watched, suspicious and confused, as her gloved palm touched the ice—which dissolved into liquid water in an instant.

'...What?'

For a moment, Aokiji doubted his eyes.

What happened?

'Did her palms even touch the ice?'

His confusion turned into alarm as the situation sunk in his mind.

Stunned, he saw her humane-skin turn pale-white before she pointed her palm towards him.

White icy air circled around her arms, before spikes of ice leapt out of her hand, just as her skin started to return to normal.

The spikes rushed at Aokiji, who tried to command it with his mind, but failed. Frowning, he swiped his hand upwards in the air. Ice rushed out from the ground and clashed with the other haki-imbued ice rushing at him.

Not all Logia Users could control the elements outside their bodies. If not, any wielder of Pika-Pika no Mi would have been able to kill a person standing under natural sunlight. Aokiji was one of those type, however, he could still control the ice that he generated from scratch.

That's why he had expected to control the spike rushing at him, since it did originate from him as far as he understood, but Tsumi seemed to have gained authority over it when she absorbed it. He'd need to be careful…

"That's a great ability, Greed Sin," Aokiji said as Tsumi dropped to the ground. "I thought you had the Cool-Cool fruit, not the Melt-Melt fruit."

Tsumi shrugged her shoulders. "A dead man's assumption matters naught."

Then she rushed at him again.

As an Admiral, Tsumi knew Aokiji must be proficient in hand-to-hand combat, but she also knew for a fact that Logia users were very dependent on their fruits—except for some exceptions—meaning there was not much to bet on this battle, now that she could negate his fruit.

Tsumi unsheathed a sword from her waist. She used to use a sword on every battle back in the day before she got her fruit. That sword was replaced with another that Amon gave, but both were destroyed with Skypiea, however, she now had a new one...

She held the hilt of her sword, Shusui, the legendary black blade that was once used by Samurai Ryuma—whose dead body was found in Thriller Bark.

The blade went towards Aokiji who immediately made a thin sword using his ice, but that was a mistake as Tsumi's devil fruit power flowed through her sword and cut through the ice which turned into water upon contact. Her sword then went towards the caught off-guard Aokiji.

Aokiji couldn’t block the attack and it made a deep cut on his chest, causing blood to gush out from it, as his eyes went wide.

He kicked a few steps back, but Tsumi followed.

Seeing she won’t let him regain his composure back, he covered his body into an igloo of ice to use the time to seal his wound.

But that was another bad mistake just as Tsumi touched the igloo with her sword, causing the ice to become water, causing Aokiji's body to weaken. Tsumi took the chance and then shoved the sword at Aokiji’s heart.

Aokiji’s eyes went wide as his breathing caught. He’s been using this devil fruit for nearly three decades, so all his fighting style was based around it. With that ability handicapped, his fighting prowess was lowered a lot. But he wasn’t expected to be hurt to this degree just because of that…

Tsumi didn’t allow him to think any more than that as she took out her blade from his chest… and drove it into his face.

The legendary black blade went through the space between his two eyebrows, shoving past his shocked eyes, as blood gushed out of Aokiji’s heart and head.

Tsumi heaved a sigh as she took her sword out, at the same time Aokiji’s body fell to the ground face-first.

“Hm,” Tsumi looked down on his body. “Maybe I can ask Kami for his fruit…”

She doubted he’d listen to her though.

—★—

At the same time, with Aisa, the battle was going… Well, it wouldn’t exactly be right to call it ‘smooth’ because there was a lot of ripping and tearing happening.

Aisa, when she got the chance, had made multiple more ice dragons, which tore apart any incoming vines with ease. If Aokiji hadn’t frozen the sea, it wouldn’t have been possible with water dragons, so it was safe to say Aokiji was the one responsible for the disadvantages his fellow admiral was facing.

Though that thought didn’t live well as the majestic ice-dragons twisted before their white form changed into transparent, liquid.

Green Bull seemed pleasantly surprised at that.

Had Aokiji defeated Tsumi, before realising the problems the ice-dragons were causing? That must be why he unfroze the sea, right?

With a smile, he turned his head backwards expecting to see Aokiji.

But he only saw the bloody dead body of his fellow Admiral as his eyes went wide.

'Kujan…'

Green Bull growled as veins popped up on his head as he tried to look for the culprit—just as… he felt something cold pass through his chest.

With caught-up breath, Admiral Ryokugyu turned ahead to meet the cold silver eyes of a brown-haired woman.

“Shouldn’t have turned your head around, mister.” The woman said, smiling softly.

Blood leaked out from the corner of Green Bull’s lips.

“How did you…”

How had she come in front of him, undetected?

More importantly...

“...Haha.”

He didn’t think he’d be killed by a lady… and a beautiful one at that.

“Guess dying like this isn’t that bad, either.”

Then, he slumped down on his back.

Tsumi’s face cringed as she took the blade out. “Weirdo.”

Then she ran over to Aisa, “Hey, Aisa, are you alright?”

Aisa dusted off her hands with a cheeky smile. “It was a battle between my dragons and his vines, so both of us were physically unharmed… until a moment ago.”

Tsumi giggled at that with a proud expression. She had just taken out two admirals, mostly by herself. She will have to thank Yona for the sneaking technique later...

—★—

On the other side of the island, Yamato’s fight was one-sided. There were no flashy moves, no showing-off, and no flashy power-ups. There were only throwing punches and taking them, or once in a ten, dodging them. So it’s not exactly shocking when her eyes went blank before she fell on her face.

Sengoku and Garp were barely scratched, on the other hand.

“Sengoku,” Garp said in a low tone as he looked down on the unconscious head of Yamato. “Crush her skull.”

Sengoku didn’t decline, nor did he give a nod. Instead, he went straight to commit the action. His golden body enlarged and he raised his feet above her head.

However, he couldn’t stomp his leg because a shining hot blade came flying and struck his neck, making an inch-deep cut.

Sengoku was astonished as he lost his footing, stumbling over to the side.

He felt the blade retract from his slightly melted neck as someone kicked over his shoulders and appeared in front of his face.

The tanned man with long reddish-brown hair had a clenched jaw and popped-up veins on his head as he wielded a weapon Sengoku was ever so familiar with.

The deceased Whitebeard’s weapon, Murakumogiri.

It was much smaller now, befitting the Pride Sin’s posture, but it did make some old memories rise inside Sengoku.

Wyper was about to strike again with his stolen weapon, but Garp jumped from below, his fists coated in silver haki as he slammed his knuckles against Wyper’s jaw, who tried to defend but got thrown back metres ahead.

Observing, Sengoku rubbed the cut on his neck slowly. Unlike other Zoans, which had a body of flesh-and-blood, Sengoku’s Zoan form was completely made of gold. That gave him a defence on the same level as Kaido, but his healing worked a bit differently than others because of his body being made of metal. He poured gold from his right finger, which sunk in the cut on his neck and started to fill the gap, while his thick finger thinned a little, though it was barely noticeable.

However, the fact remained that his body was hurt to that degree with a single strike.

Melting his Zoan body wasn’t something anyone could do—in fact, Amon was the only one to do that in Sengoku’s entire life. Even Wyper couldn't do that in the battles they had had before. So he must have drank that oil or whatever he drinks before fighting someone strong.

‘Heh…’ That was amusing... for a dead man’.

With a chuckle, he joined Garp in the battle.

He coated his palm in shockwave before slamming it on Wyper’s back whose body shook as he cried in pain, and at the same time, released a wave of flame by his back. But Sengoku simply slapped his head with his large hands, throwing him flat on the ground away from his weapon.

He picked up Wyper’s body with one palm, and while Wyper tried to attack again, he squashed the man in between his two palms.

The clap of his golden palms made an ear-shattering sound as Wyper only groaned in response.

Sengoku picked up Wyper’s flat, wide-eyed body from his palm before flicking him on the air, where he flipped multiple times as Sengoku took aim with his right palm.

As he shoved the palm forward, a wave of destructive shockwaves, in the form of an ever-going palm, left Sengoku’s hand and engulfed Wyper entirely.

From the outside, Sengoku saw the young man’s body shake, tremble, and quiver violently, as if his existence itself was shaking.

After a long moment, the strike ended and Wyper fell on the ground, his eyes blank and his mouth foaming.

“...I see he got you all worked up,” Garp muttered from the side. “Quite a rare sight.”

Sengoku looked at Whitebeard’s weapon on the side.

“I just didn’t like his choice of weapon.” He said in a chilly tone. "He should have fought with just his fists, like last time."

As Sengoku heaved out a breath, the sky started to darken as lightning started to crackle.

“Is he finally coming down?” Garp asked, before shaking his head. “Meh, it’s that annoying girl.”

Then, a serpentine dragon came from far with its eyes burning golden.

“What the fuck did you two do to Wyper and Yamato?” the dragon grunted out.

Garp cracked his knuckles. “Let me handle her.”

Sengoku shook his head. “It’s better if we both do it. She has more than one devil fruit, after all.”

Garp grunted but nodded nonetheless as Sengoku raised his hand in the air and did a clasping motion. Immediately, purple ropes made of haki materialised on the air and wrapped around Raki’s entire gigantic body.

She grunted, and struggled before she realised she needed to shrink her size to get out.

—★—

The world outside wasn’t in chaos unlike usual. It was silent, so silent that even the falling of leaves could be heard.

People from all over the world watched on big screens as the remaining Marines and Enherjars fought.

Everyone, even the kids, knew this battle will decide the fate of the world.

There were World Government soldiers even if the Marines were defeated, people knew that. But they also knew those soldiers were just for show. Heck, none of them were even as strong as an Admiral—the same Admirals who Amon’s Sins could catch off-guard and kill in a single strike.

“M-mommy?” A little boy from east blue, looking to be 4 years old, asked his mom who stared at the big screen. “What would happen… if the Pirates win?”

His mom, a young woman whose husband was a Marine soldier fighting right on that screen, held back her tears as her voice shook.

“I-I don’t know, don’t ask me.”

At her words, the kid stared at her. He noticed the droplets of tears on the corners of her eyes, as his own eyes trembled before he suddenly started to cry aloud.

The entire world was in such a state. To general people, Pirates were evil, the government was good. So it was obvious, very obvious, that they were scared, frightened, and terrified to their core as they took in the tragic possibility that after today, the world might become a slaughterhouse ruled by a tyrant Pirate.

Not like it’s not been like that since the past year, just that, the blood stayed in Grandline, and never reached the blues—which only a few of them knew, was because Amon himself didn’t let it reach.

—★—

The marines fighting on Hina’s island knew how the entire world depended on them, too. They were pressured since last week knowing they’d have to face literal monsters in a battle to the death, more so knowing people’s hope on their weak and fragile shoulders.

Hina, however, wasn’t one of them.

Having been brainwashed by Amon almost 5 years ago, she was simply following orders even right now.

She was fighting by Marine’s side, up until Wyper was defeated. She then received a Telepathic order—that it was time to show her true colours.

“V-vice Admiral?!”

A marine soldier yelled as Hina’s arm passed through his torso, black metal forming around him, locking and caging him in the process.

Her Cage-Cage fruit worked like a charm when used to subdue people.

Before the soldier could even fall on the ground, Hina took out a gun and shot him on the head as he simply stared ahead with a shocked expression.

Hina puffed out a cloud of smoke from her cigarette as she looked over the soldiers who were suddenly surrounding her. Though their faces gave off their frightened states.

“I-is that still you, Vice Admiral?” A soldier, who had a Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to shoot out his bones in the form of bullets, said as he pointed his finger at her shakily.

There were dozens of people with devil fruits around her, too. Seeing this, Hina dropped her gun and raised her arms in a surrendering motion.

“Careful, soldiers. It’s still Hina. The guy Hina just shot was a spy from Enherjars.” Hina said, breathing in from her cigarette.

“What’s your proof?” A vice-admiral wielding a gun said in a rough voice. “For all we know, you might have been a spy since the start. I recall you had chemistry with the Sky Emperor when he was but a bounty hunter.”

Hina sighed deeply. “You guys…” She shook her head with closed eyes before a grin emerged on her face. “...Are not wrong.”

The vice-admiral felt an immediate danger from her and shot his bullet immediately. However, the bullet simply passed through her body and came out encircled by a black cage.

The bone-devil-fruit user from before then shot out his finger bones one by one, which regenerated immediately, but the bones also came out from the other side of her body, encircled in a cage.

“A… logia?”

Hina chuckled at that question. “It’s a simple awakening.”

Then, she spread her arms wide as a circle of black rods, shaped like a wheel, left her waist and imprisoned everyone. It even stopped the devil-fruit users, the rods imitating sea stones to a degree.

Without a stop, Hina picked up her gun and started to shoot everyone one by one, too.

After killing them all, as Hina filled her muzzle, still smoking, she heard a clicking sound, as if a sword had been sheathed as she looked behind her with a frown.

“More Sins are coming towards this island,”

She saw the back of a bald old man…

“It's time for us to move."

...Before her severed head dropped to the ground.

The Five Elders have joined the battlefield.

**

**

**