"Hahaha~!"
"Pirates are evil, and the Navy is righteous..."
"This notion has been rewritten countless times."
"The values of those who've never seen peace differ from those who've never seen war."
"Only those who stand at the top can define good and evil."
"This—this is the only neutral stance."
"Justice will prevail~!"
Gekko Moriah glanced sideways at Doflamingo.
"I'm heading off. Why the long speech?" he muttered. "We'll discuss the deal another time. Things are a little chaotic lately."
With that, Moriah boarded his ship.
Doflamingo simply stared at him, but in the end, made no move.
"…Let's return."
Buzz——
Up above, Hashirama Senju and the other two descended to stand beside Might Guy.
Seeing Guy lying half-dead, Hashirama frowned deeply. "Tobirama, didn't you say…"
Even Senju Tobirama looked uncertain.
But then, something incredible happened.
Might Guy's right leg—charred and disintegrated just moments before—began regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
At the same time, the blackened, burnt surface of his skin peeled away to reveal healthy flesh beneath.
A surge of pure energy pulsed from his heart, flowing rapidly throughout his body.
"…Yes, I did say that," Tobirama muttered with arms crossed, exchanging glances with his elder brother.
Hashirama scratched his head, then broke into a grin.
"Well then—it's our turn."
Meanwhile, Sengoku leapt off the execution platform.
Ace and Luffy stood stunned above, souls nearly shattered at the sight of Garp's broken form.
After shouting, "Grandpa!" in unison, both of them snapped.
That indomitable Iron Fist Garp—the Navy's hero—was just lying there, unmoving?
Sengoku approached Garp, hands trembling.
He gently reached out to check for breath.
Thankfully... Garp was still alive.
His breathing was faint—barely noticeable—but still there.
"Phew—"
Sengoku exhaled deeply in relief.
Then, his expression turned ice-cold.
"Uzumaki Naruto's accomplices… it's your turn."
Garp's condition had clearly ignited Sengoku's fury.
But truthfully, after watching that last battle, even Sengoku wasn't feeling too confident anymore.
After all, three monsters were standing here… alone.
Suddenly, a massive creature swooped in from the horizon—just like the arrogant long-haired man who came earlier.
Upon arrival at Marineford, it began attacking both Marines and pirates indiscriminately.
"The grandson of Hero Garp… the son of the Revolutionary Dragon… and the hero himself…"
"After today, only Dragon—the leader of the Revolutionary Army—will remain."
Akainu twisted his neck and surveyed the battlefield below.
His current mission: prevent any outside interference.
At that moment, several new figures descended from the sky.
"Whitebeard… long time no see."
Whoosh—
A figure appeared behind Whitebeard.
Golden hook in place of a right hand.
"You really never learn, do you?"
Just as Crocodile, former Warlord of the Sea, was preparing to strike with sand surging all around him—
Wham!
A giant sand hand smacked him away.
Pff—!!!
Crocodile narrowed his eyes.
"Sand…?"
He immediately shifted to elemental form, avoiding direct damage.
But then, he noticed something odd—his body felt heavier.
"...Huh?!"
He turned.
A red-haired youth stood calmly atop floating gravel, arms folded.
He drifted toward him silently.
At the same time, the massive Pacifista Bear aimed an energy cannon.
Bang—!!!
But before the blast could fire, a dark foot slammed upward into its chin.
BOOM BOOM——!!!
The cannon exploded inside its own mouth.
Smoke billowed.
The Pacifista fell flat.
Whoosh——
Blue lightning arcs flared as another figure appeared in a flash.
No one had noticed yet, but nine enormous, beast-like figures were steering ships with almost humanlike behavior into the waters near Marineford.
"Niu Gui! Can't you row any faster?!"
"Gaara's already in a fight!"
"Tch! Then you try pushing! You're just a damn raccoon cat!"
"What did you just say?!"
"I said you're a landlubber, you furball!"
"..."
Elsewhere, Bucky the Clown stared at his body—refusing to separate properly.
"Y-You! Who the hell are you?!"
"Why does my body feel so heavy all of a sudden?!"
"…Your eyes… how dare you look at me with such pity?!"
Neji Hyūga calmly stepped forward, hands moving into the Gentle Fist's Baguazhang stance.
"Red-nose. Your ability is body-splitting, right?"
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING RED-NOSE?!" Bucky exploded.
With a shout, his detached arms lunged forward, sword in hand.
But Neji simply glanced calmly, raising his palm.
Buzz——
A burst of chakra flared around him. Neji's hands shifted fluidly.
"Rotation!"
(Hakkeshō Kaiten!)
BOOM—!!!
Buggy's attack deflected cleanly.
Whoosh——
Neji vanished—and reappeared right in front of Buggy.
Buggy's eyes bulged in panic. In desperation, he split his body again.
Nearby, Mr. 3 (Galdino) gasped.
"W-What speed…?! Take this!"
A flood of molten wax surged from Mr. 3's body.
"It's over… At this rate, Mr. Luffy's really done for."
So murmured the so-called King of Deserters (Buggy), crouching nervously behind a wall, peeking at the battle.
"Hehe, caught one."
Click—
Buggy suddenly froze.
His body refused to move.
"Tch. What a pain. Hiding so far away and still trying to stay out of sight."
"Welp~"
"Since we saw him, might as well take care of it."
"Choji," Shikamaru called.
"Yo~!!"
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Jump—!
Choji's body suddenly ballooned in size mid-air. As he curled his massive frame into a ball:
"Human Boulder!"
BOOM—!
Buggy, hearing the thunderous noise from behind, nearly pissed himself in fear.
But Shikamaru wasn't going to show mercy.
The giant meat tank-like Choji rolled forward, crushing Buggy flat.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He slammed straight through the wall.
Choji, thinking that wasn't enough, halted. His enormous body began spinning rapidly, spikes protruding outward.
Screams rang out.
Buggy's cries didn't last long. In the blink of an eye, he passed out from sheer agony.
Shikamaru calmly watched as Choji rolled past like a war chariot.
He formed a hand seal.
"Since we're already moving, might as well finish the job. Damn troublesome… but deserters like this are the worst."
"Still calling yourself a Navy, huh?"
With a sigh, Shikamaru's chakra flared.
"Shadow Stitching—!!!"
Buzz——
The shadow that had immobilized Buggy suddenly morphed into a jagged shadow blade, piercing straight through his chest.
But it didn't stop there.
The moment it landed, the blade burst—splitting into countless tiny shadow thorns that skewered him like a pincushion.
In a heartbeat, his body was filled with shadows.
The overwhelming pain and internal destruction were too much—Buggy died without even managing a scream.
Shikamaru stood slowly.
"Still too many enemies left… what a drag. If only the Tailed Beasts got here already, they'd wipe the floor with these guys."
Though he complained, his pace was steady. He caught up to Choji, still rolling like a tank.
"Choji!"
"Those with Devil Fruits or Haki—pull back. We'll handle the grunts ourselves!"
"Shine—Clash!!!"
Snap—
Joze's body suddenly shimmered with diamonds.
He kicked off the ground hard, rocketing toward the massive purple giant—the complete form of Susanoo.
Atop Susanoo stood two figures. They sensed the approach from below and glanced down.
Sunlight glinted sharply off Joze's body.
Erzuzhi (Sasuke) narrowed his eyes.
He raised Susanoo's blade and brought it crashing down.
Clang—!!!
The strike connected.
But Joze blocked it.
The force stopped his charge and knocked him back to the ice.
"…Huh?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Diamond… that's a strong defense."
Whoosh—
Before the thought even settled, Joze appeared again—faster this time.
Sasuke watched calmly.
"Shine—Clash!!!"
BOOM—!!!
The impact echoed loudly.
Sasuke didn't even attempt to block. He stood still, letting the diamond brute collide with Susanoo's form.
After a muffled boom, Joze came to a stop in front of him.
Snap—
A crack appeared at the top of Susanoo's head.
Then more.
A network of fractures spread, all the size of Joze's body.
But even then, he couldn't break through Susanoo.
Sasuke raised a hand.
"What a turtle."
Joze: "???"
"…What did you just say?"
Sasuke smirked, lifting his chin with disdain.
"I said you're a turtle."
Then, he dropped his hand.
Susanoo's massive arm responded instantly.
WHAM!
Joze was smacked hard, sent flying backward across the ice.
"Stay there and crawl slowly, turtle."
As Sasuke spoke, he calmly lifted his foot.
At the same moment, his Complete Susanoo raised its massive ethereal foot.
BOOM—!!!
It came down hard.
Sasuke frowned slightly.
"…That shell's tougher than I thought."
Beneath the crushing weight of Susanoo, Joze—his body glistening with diamond armor—gritted his teeth in rage.
Muscles bulged beneath his crystallized skin, but even with all that strength, he couldn't lift the giant foot pressing him down.
Susanoo twisted its ankle a bit, grinding Joze deeper into the ice.
Creeeeak—!
A sharp, cracking noise echoed as pressure built.
Then Susanoo raised its foot again.
"Damn brat!!"
Joze roared furiously.
BOOM—!!!
Without hesitation, Susanoo stomped down again.
Sasuke's voice remained calm, laced with condescension.
"If I remember correctly… your powers come from a Devil Fruit."
"You're one of those so-called 'Devil Fruit users.'"
"And your weaknesses are seawater… and seastone."
He glanced coldly at the battlefield.
"So tell me—what do you think'll happen if I crush you through the ice and into the sea?"
Joze's diamond-coated eyes twitched slightly.
He had been keeping his form solid—pure defense—but he clearly understood the threat.
Sasuke smirked.
"Of course… there's another method."
"You people talk about elementalization—but even that requires stamina."
"You've got defense. I've got time."
"I'll just keep hitting you."
"No matter how hard your shell is, how long can you really last?"
Joze's breath hitched.
He started struggling harder, trying to escape the crater Susanoo had stamped him into—but no good.
"Tch. Dealing with turtle-type Devil Fruit users like you is easy."
"Stop calling me a turtle!!!"
Joze snapped, veins popping with fury.
Heh…
Sasuke crossed his arms, mocking smile still lingering.
Then raised Susanoo's foot again.
But this time—
CRACK—!!!
Joze suddenly burst free from the pit with a roar, shaking off Susanoo's foot.
He glared up at Sasuke, rage written all over his diamond-plated face.
Almost immediately, he resumed his elemental transformation, body once again sparkling like a living gem.
"Come on! Let's go another round!"
"If you can even scratch me—I'll call you grandpa!"
He bellowed defiantly.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open.
And in that moment—blood trickled from his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Joze: "...…"
...
TN:
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