"Now, now~ There's no need for Aeridar-sama to worry about that!"
Borsalino smacked his lips and asked in a leisurely drawl, "Shall we continue this fight? You've already taken one of his arms. Why not give this old man some face and call it a day? I'll even bring my subordinates to your territory for a few more 'visits' next time, how about that?"
"D-Dammit...!"
Malha's face was deathly pale as he knelt on one knee. His right arm had been severed clean from the shoulder. He tore off his tattered trench coat with his remaining hand, using the fabric to desperately bind the bleeding stump.
"Is this guy the mission objective? Who is he?" Smoker stared intently at Malha, then glanced at the two swordsmen locked in a fierce duel in the distance. His confusion only deepened.
He recognized those two. One was the Combat Commander and First Division Commander of the Chris Pirates, a world-renowned top-tier swordsman, "Slayer" Oliver.
The other was a defector from Wano Country and a descendant of the legendary dragon-slayer Ryuma: Ryūkawa Jiku!
It was clear that before the Navy arrived, this one-armed man and Ryūkawa had been holding their own against the combined might of "Golden Ring" Aeridar, "Thunder God" Enel, and "Slayer" Oliver until Admiral Kizaru intervened.
Given such staggering power, Smoker couldn't help but wonder about their true identities.
"That swordsman is likely the executioner who massacred the Shigen-ryu Dojo, Ryūkawa Jiku. As for the other one... I'm not sure," Vergo said expressionlessly, surveying the battlefield.
As Doflamingo's mole, Vergo wasn't actually ignorant of Malha's identity; he just didn't understand how Malha had the leverage to summon a Marine Admiral for a rescue, especially at the cost of clashing with a monster like Aeridar.
"Hmph. So what if two Vice Admirals showed up? Even if your entire fleet lands, I can handle them!" Aeridar let out a cold snort and beckoned toward the sky.
"Hmm?!"
Borsalino and the others frowned, looking toward the heavens with wary eyes.
Is this guy carrying another island with him?
Back at Marineford, Borsalino and Smoker had personally witnessed Aeridar levitate an entire island, transforming it into giant earthen lion heads to suppress Whitebeard. Although Vergo hadn't seen it in person, he had certainly heard the reports.
SCREECH—! ROAR—!
Piercing cries of monstrous birds and guttural roars echoed in succession. Countless black dots burst through the high cloud cover—a dense, swarming mass of at least several thousand, blotting out the sun like a dark cloud.
"What are those?"
"Flying statues?"
"A new Devil Fruit ability?"
As the flying creatures drew closer, Borsalino and the others were taken aback. Eagles, giant birds, gargoyles, black dragons, demons… a menagerie of creatures from reality and legend. Their bodies were made entirely of stone and metal; they were clearly Animate-Animate Fruit creations.
"Heh heh heh... Zhurong, let's go!"
Aeridar let out a raspy, sinister laugh and charged straight for Malha.
"Understood, Master!"
With a savage expression, Zhurong's flames flared even higher as he flew forward.
"Vice Admiral Smoker, intercept that fireball!" Borsalino commanded, immediately transforming into a streak of light.
"Got it! White Gale!!"
Though Smoker didn't understand why Borsalino placed such importance on a ball of fire, he obeyed, his body dissolving into a swirling vortex of smoke.
Vergo remained silent. His green bamboo pole hardened under the coat of Armament Haki, turning into a dark purple iron rod. He swung it violently to his right.
Crackle! Spark! CLANG—!
Electric arcs danced and thunderous light flared. The dark purple rod collided heavily with a golden trident. The impact triggered violent gusts of wind, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Thunder God Enel... I've heard much about you," Vergo said calmly to the lightning-clad figure.
"I may be injured, but that doesn't mean I've lost my fighting strength!" Enel hissed, his entire body wreathed in electricity.
Fortunately, Vergo's weapon was bamboo, which, combined with his powerful Haki defense, completely insulated him from the lightning traveling through Enel's trident.
"I'm not underestimating you, you dangerous freak," Vergo's gaze sharpened behind his sunglasses.
In truth, Vergo's strength ranked among the top of all Marine Vice Admirals, otherwise, he wouldn't hold the position of G-5 Base Commander. An injured Enel might not actually be his match. However, as long as Enel utilized his superior speed, stalling Vergo wouldn't be a problem.
As the others paired off, Aeridar took on both Borsalino and Malha simultaneously.
RUMBLE—!
"Lion's Threat: Earth Bind!!"
Aeridar pressed a hand to the ground. The earth surged as if being flipped over; massive amounts of soil, rock, and trees were kneaded together to form three colossal lion heads. They let out silent roars and lunged down to swallow Malha.
"Decomposition: Barrier Style!!"
A transparent green cube manifested in front of Malha.
The cube suddenly expanded, encasing one of the giant lion heads. An intense green light erupted, filling the entire interior of the barrier. A second later, the light faded, and the cube was empty, save for a perfectly square, flat mark left on the ground.
"Ama no Murakumo!!"
Light shimmered as Borsalino manifested his long light-sword. Floating in mid-air, he pointed his finger downward.
Shoo! Shoo!
Light particles gathered at his fingertip. The cross-shaped glint spun, firing two golden laser beams in rapid succession.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two massive explosions followed. Two bowl-shaped energy domes enveloped the remaining lion heads. Searing heat incinerated everything within range, sending visible shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the swarm of animated creatures descended upon Borsalino's group like a blanket, with a portion of them veering off to attack the Marines who had just landed at the base of the strait.
"What are these things?!"
"A bunch of monsters! Fire! Open fire!"
"Form a perimeter! Defend your positions!"
"Rocket launchers ready! Fire!"
The G-5 Marines were momentarily thrown into chaos by the sudden assault of hundreds of animated constructs. However, they proved themselves as elite Navy veterans; even in the face of chaos, not a single man fled. They fought where they stood, firing at the statues swarming the sky.
Under Tashigi's command, a group of Marines formed a defensive circle on the crags below the strait, using every weapon at their disposal to fight back.
"Slicing Shigure!!"
Standing on a massive reef connecting to the shore, Tashigi drew her famous blade, Shigure. She coated it in Haki and slashed upward at a metal gargoyle diving toward her men.
CLANG—!
The blade flashed and sparks flew. The metal gargoyle, with its two-meter wingspan, was cleaved in two, its halves tumbling into the sea.