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This explosive piece of news left Sengoku so stunned that he was speechless for a moment.
After a long while, he finally took a deep breath.
"Dispatch the nearest unit for rapid reinforcement. Who's currently stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago? Akainu, is it? Good. Have him head there immediately. Be sure to capture that brazen maniac!"
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi (Transponder Snail), Sengoku didn't stop. He immediately dialed several more calls in succession, quickly issuing a series of commands before finally letting out a long breath.
Even after that, the headache still lingered. He slammed his hand heavily on the desk once more.
"Bastard!"
He hadn't expected this at all, truly hadn't. The man he had always secretly regarded with fear and unease, the one known as Asura of the Blood Eyes, had actually done something this earth-shattering.
Sabaody Archipelago, outside the auction house.
As Madara and the other four stepped out, the auction house was already surrounded on all sides by dense ranks of Marines, each wearing grim and severe expressions.
The leading Marine wore the cloak of justice, and his gaze was as cold as ice.
"First, you went around asking about the whereabouts of the Celestial Dragons, then after defeating a Marine unit, you charged straight into the auction house… and actually dared to kill a Celestial Dragon!"
"I must admit, your courage is something else."
"You must have a death wish!"
By the end, the Marine officer spat the words coldly, and with a fierce wave of his hand,
"Prepare to attack, kill without mercy!!"
For someone bold enough to slay a Celestial Dragon, a world noble, the consequences were obvious. The Marines had no time to take prisoners or inquire about motives.
"Click, click, click!"
The sounds of gun bolts echoed in waves. The Marines aimed their weapons at the five figures standing at the entrance, faces taut with tension.
Ace looked solemn. He knew that his master committing such an act would cause total chaos, and that reinforcements would arrive swiftly, but he hadn't expected them to come this fast.
Right now, those forming a circle in front of them were just the vanguard; more support was arriving by the second.
Ace stepped forward, raising his right hand as flames began to ignite along his arm, ready to fight.
But at that moment, Madara raised an arm to block him.
"I haven't had a proper workout since coming to this world. I'm quite interested… in this world's strength."
Madara's voice was calm and indifferent, but his eyes glinted with a faint trace of excitement.
He began to walk forward, slowly at first. After three steps, he suddenly accelerated and broke into a run.
"Attack!!" The Marine officer saw a lone enemy charging and barked sharply.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In an instant, gunfire erupted. Bullets spun through the air in streams, cutting lines across the battlefield.
Madara narrowed his eyes. In a flash, they turned blood-red, the three Tomoe of his Sharingan spinning rapidly, evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He drew the short blade at his waist in one fluid motion and slashed.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sparks burst out as all the bullets flying toward him were intercepted mid-air. Some were even struck by his blade and deflected back the way they had come.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
In the Marine ranks, several soldiers were immediately struck by rebounding bullets and collapsed with groans.
By now, Madara was just ten meters from the Marine front line. He bent his knees and leapt high into the air.
The Marine officer looked up, pupils contracting.
"Fast, too fast!!"
The enemy's speed… was increasing with every step, and still accelerating.
In the blink of an eye, Madara had already charged into the Marine ranks. With a powerful knee strike, he slammed into the chest of one Marine.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of bones breaking rang out. The Marine was hurled away like a sack of grain, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Kill him!!"
The Marine officer snapped out of his shock, his expression turning crazed.
He hadn't expected the enemy to be so ferocious, recklessly plunging right into the crowd.
Madara's face remained cold and expressionless. His figure flickered and weaved among the oncoming Marines with ease. The short blade had already been returned to his waist, now he fought bare-handed. His fists, legs, knees, and elbows struck in a relentless chain.
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly in his eyes, clearly perceiving enemies attacking from all 360 degrees.
Kicks, punches, knee strikes, elbow blows, every joint in his body became a weapon. His strength was overwhelming; every single hit sent a Marine flying.
Time passed in a blur. Madara moved like a streak of light, weaving through the crowd. No one could stop him.
His sheer combat prowess made him feel like a bulldozer, smashing through all resistance.
The Marine officer stood there, utterly stunned, his eyes filled with terror.
(Note: This chapter was first released on "69 Novel Bar")
In less than a minute, the Marines in front of him had already been knocked down in droves.
"This, this is impossible!!"
"Make way!"
Just then, a towering figure stepped up from behind the officer, shouting in a deep voice.
The officer spun around, startled. When he saw who it was, he gasped aloud:
"Vice-Admiral Saren!"
Vice-Admiral Saren stood at 3.6 meters tall (almost 12 feet), with a massive, muscular build and a square face. He wielded a four-meter-long greatsword and now charged forward, his face grim. Each step made the ground tremble.
The Marines in front of him quickly stepped aside at the commotion.
In an instant, a path opened up between Saren and Madara.
"Mad dog, prepare to die!!"
Saren roared as he raised his massive sword high overhead.
At that moment, Madara was still striking down the five or six Marines surrounding him, he eliminated them in an instant.
Hearing the roar, he turned quickly, his crimson Mangekyō eyes locking onto the new threat.
The greatsword descended just then, accompanied by Saren's bellowing war cry.
Madara stomped the ground fiercely with his right foot, "Crack!", the floor split beneath him. Using the powerful recoil, he launched himself into the air.
In an instant, Madara soared above Saren's head.
At the same time, the greatsword howled through the air, narrowly missing Madara's feet.
"Vmmmm!"
The air shuddered. Behind Madara, an entire building was cleaved diagonally in half, sending up a storm of dust.
But at that exact moment, airborne above Saren's head, Madara brought his right foot down hard.
"Boom!"
Before Saren could look up, a massive force had already landed on the top of his head, traveling all the way down through his legs and into the ground.
The earth shook. Saren's legs sank into the ground, and his neck snapped downward at a gruesome angle.
"Crack!"
With the sound of bones shattering, Saren's bloodshot eyes bulged. His giant sword crashed to the ground.
"Thud!"
Two heartbeats later, his towering frame slammed to the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust.
This scene shocked the entire battlefield. Everyone nearby stood frozen in fear.
The mighty Vice-Admiral Saren had been instantly killed, without even landing a blow!
"Hssssss!"
The sound of people inhaling sharply rippled across the crowd. Those who saw it with their own eyes were left shaken to their core.
Madara landed lightly, his black hair drifting in the wind. He glanced around at the terrified onlookers, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"Not coming at me?"
"Then I guess I'll come to you."
(End of Chapter)