The battlefield was pure chaos, the sky painted with streaks of rising sunlight and crackling thunder in the far distance. The Angel Pirates moved forward as one, cloaks whipping in the wind, their eyes fixed on the figures of Marine Vice Admirals gathering along the shoreline.
"Looks like we've got our dance partners," Escanor said, his booming laugh echoing as he strode ahead of the others, Rhitta slung across his right shoulder. His presence alone seemed to heat the air and melt the snow beneath his feet, the morning sun feeding into his veins with every step.
Erza twirled her swords, crimson hair fluttering behind her. Her sharp eyes locked onto the tall woman with the long blonde hair and the dignified aura. "That one is mine," she declared. "The female swordsman. She carries herself like a knight."
Tatsumaki huffed, her small form floating slightly above the ground with a green aura. "I don't care which one's mine. Just don't slow me down."
Alucard licked his lips, his crimson eyes glowing as he drew forth his cursed blade Shichiseiken, the blood-red steel humming in hunger. "The bamboo staff wielder… he feels different. That one is mine." His fangs flashed as he smiled. "I can already smell the strength in him."
That left only Vice Admiral T-Bone, whose gaunt, skeletal appearance stood out as he gave fervent orders to his subordinates. Tatsumaki rolled her eyes. "Figures. I get the weirdo."
"Don't underestimate them!" Enel's voice crackled from above even through the battle against Kizaru. "They are all veterans of Marine Headquarters. Treat them as threats, not sheep."
"Understood," Erza replied softly, blades at the ready.
Then Escanor could wait no longer. He laughed as he decided that hesitation was unnecessary.
"COME!" he roared, his voice thundering like the sun itself. His massive legs bent and then launched him high into the sky, his golden armor gleaming. Rhitta swung downward, coated with a thick layer of black Armament Haki.
Vice Admiral Tokikage, already drawing his own blade, barely had time to react. "Tekkai!" he barked, while crossing his sword just in time. He needed as much reinforcement as possible, so the marine 6 powers and Armament Haki had to be used to withstand that massive blow. His Armament Haki clashed against Escanor's.
The collision shook the island. The shockwave blasted outward, shattering stone, toppling weaker marines off their feet. Tokikage grunted, his body driving a knee into the soil, sweat dripping from the strain.
"You blocked it?" Escanor said, sounding genuinely delighted. His smile widened like the blazing sun. "Marvelous! You might actually entertain me this morning!"
But before Tokikage could counter, the other Vice Admirals surged forward to back him up. This threat was stronger than they expected. He had to be destroyed immediately.
That's when the rest of the Angel Pirates arrived.
Tatsumaki raised one hand lazily, green energy crackling around her fingers. "Out of my way, you skeleton freak."
Vice Admiral T-Bone's eyes narrowed. His blade shimmered with Armament as he swung, sending compressed air slashes toward her. "Justice shall not falter before the scum of pirates like you!"
"Here we go again." Her aura flared in annoyance, deflecting the strikes with translucent telekinetic shields. "Justice, huh? Let's see if your so-called 'justice' can survive this."
With a twist of her wrist, the ground around T-Bone cracked. Boulders, shattered trees, and even chunks of the earth itself rose into the air. She sent them crashing toward him like cannonballs.
T-Bone sliced them apart, each swing precise and unwavering. "You won't beat me with such petty tricks!"
Tatsumaki frowned. He wasn't weak, that much was clear. His blade, empowered with Haki, tore through her telekinetic projectiles with surprising ease. "Hmph. Guess I'll have to stop playing around."
Her Observation Haki flared, and she sensed a massive boulder deep underground. She ripped it free with a grunt of effort, the entire ground trembling around them. T-Bone's eyes widened as the shadow engulfed him. The distraction cost him as his haki weakened, so Tatsumaki used her abilities to flatten him against the ground.
Checkmate.
With a crushing gesture, Tatsumaki slammed the colossal rock down, pinning him even more into the new crater she'd carved. Then, as he struggled, she layered smaller boulders and debris on top of him, burying him beneath tons of weight. For shits and giggles, she made a snowman with her powers and left it on top of the huge pile of debris above the incapacitated T-bone. There was no reason for that level of disrespect to a dying man. It was purely for the love of the game.
"Stay down, tin can. I don't have time for you," she muttered, dusting her hands.
Across the battlefield, Erza and Gion faced off. Their swords clashed with a clear, ringing note that echoed like a bell of war.
"You carry yourself with discipline, pirate" Gion said calmly, her blade flashing in a graceful arc. "But I will not allow villains like you to run free."
Erza smirked, her crimson eyes glinting. "Then stop me if you can."
Murasame and Muramasa swung in perfect coordination, clashing against Gion's precise strikes. Sparks flew as Armament met Armament, the ground cutting beneath their feet from the sheer pressure of their duel.
They moved fast, so fast that the surrounding marines couldn't follow. Only the shockwaves told the story of their clash.
"You're skilled," Gion admitted as her blade locked against Erza's. "But your dual blades lack the refinement of a true master."
Erza's smirk deepened. "Oh, is that so? Then let me show you my true strength."
She slid Muramasa back into its sheath, gripping only Benihime. The supreme-grade blade radiated an aura so sharp it seemed to cut the very air around it.
Gion's eyes widened. "That sword…"
"One blade is enough," Erza declared. "This one surpasses the rest."
The tempo of their battle changed instantly. Each strike of Benihime carried a force that rattled Gion's arms, pushing her back step by step. The red-haired knight pressed forward, elegant yet devastating, her power only magnified by her confidence.
Alucard grinned wide as Vergo blocked Shichiseiken with his Armament-coated bamboo staff. The cursed blade trembled, angry at being denied blood.
"A bamboo stick?" Alucard said with mocking laughter. "How… quaint. Do you really think that will save you, fool?"
"With enough Armament Haki, anything can be a weapon." Vergo's calm, unreadable face betrayed nothing. "Haki is what saves me. And it will be the end of you."
Alucard's eyes glowed crimson, his devil fruit manifesting, as black-red bat wings tore from his back. His aura exploded, shadows writhing around him. Flames of the same crimson-black hue ignited along Shichiseiken, mixing with his Armament Haki.