"Stop right there, you damn...!"
Smoker's furious shout echoed across the battlefield as he stared at Vincent Fox's retreating figure.
Then, he suddenly realized he still didn't know the name of the pirate who had just snatched his weapon.
"Save your breath. I've got your Seastone weapon now. Killing you would be effortless." Vincent turned to look at him, expressionless.
"Damn it...!"
Smoker clenched his jaw. The two cigars in his mouth snapped clean in half, falling to the ground in a spray of sparks.
He couldn't deny it. This pirate's strength was far beyond his own.
If Vincent wished, he could crush him at any moment.
After all, the greatest weakness of Devil Fruit users Seastone was now in Vincent's hands.
The earlier battle had already left Smoker winded, his stamina almost depleted.
In contrast, Vincent merely looked a bit flushed, as if he had just finished warming up.
How was he supposed to fight that?
With what?
Vincent turned away, walking toward the main battlefield.
He didn't harbor any grudge against Smoker. Killing him outright would go against his principles.
"Hey, what's your name?!"
Smoker's voice rang out behind him, unwilling to let things end like this.
In his heart, he made a silent vow.
One day, not only would he personally capture Monkey D. Luffy, but this man as well he would drag both of them to prison with his own hands.
"Just an unremarkable pirate."
Vincent didn't look back. He kept walking.
Elsewhere on the battlefield.
Admiral Kizaru had turned into beams of golden light, locked in combat with Marco the Phoenix.
"Huff... huff..."
Marco crouched on higher ground, panting heavily as he looked down at Kizaru.
The two had clashed several times just moments ago.
Kizaru's light-based attacks had all landed squarely on Marco, leaving him seriously injured.
Although Marco's Phoenix regeneration was powerful, it wasn't limitless.
The repeated healing had drained him to the brink of exhaustion.
Marco knew that two more exchanges like that and he'd fall here on the battlefield of Marineford.
Even so, retreat never crossed his mind.
"Ace... you better survive."
He let out a quiet sigh, then rose to his feet.
He looked toward Kizaru, his narrow eyes gleaming with disdain.
"Hey, old man, why are you standing still? Don't tell me you're already tired?"
"Oh?"
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by the taunt. "You've still got enough strength to stand? Then I guess it's time I take this a bit more seriously."
"Talk is cheap. Let's settle it with our fists!"
Marco sneered, drawing all of Kizaru's focus.
Blue flames surged across his body as he transformed back into the Phoenix and soared into the sky once more.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Kizaru's hands glowed with dazzling golden light. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of golden energy orbs shot toward Marco with terrifying speed!
Marco's arms burned with flames as he bared the Whitebeard insignia on his chest. He charged straight into the barrage without hesitation!
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
Dozens of energy blasts pierced his body only to regenerate instantly.
"Phoenix Talon!"
He finally closed the distance. With a sharp cry, Marco's flaming claw smashed into Kizaru's chest, sending the admiral flying!
"Phoenix Brand!"
He followed up immediately with a shockwave blast, kicking up thick smoke and dust.
After the combo, Marco remained where he stood, panting heavily, eyes locked on where Kizaru had crashed.
As the smoke cleared, a tall, lean figure walked out.
"Well now... you really do live up to the name of Whitebeard's First Division Commander. That was terrifying."
Kizaru looked a bit worse for wear, his coat tattered and singed.
"Still standing, huh? The Admirals really are monsters."
Marco's gaze sharpened, his body constantly alight with regenerative flames.
The two faced off again.
The battlefield around them was in ruins, scarred with craters and shattered terrain.
Watching them from the distance, Vice Admiral Onigumo, wielding eight long blades, narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like it's time I stepped in."
He reached for the Seastone cuffs on his waist, watching for the right moment to strike.
"You've got some nerve showing up here."
A cold voice spoke from behind him.
Onigumo's scalp went numb.
"Life Return!"
With a shout, he whipped around, sending his blade-bound hair flying as he stabbed backward and pulled the trigger on his pistol repeatedly!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Don't waste your energy. If you can hurt me, I'll take your name."
Vincent didn't dodge. He let the swords slam into his body with a clang of steel.
At the same time, he opened and closed his left hand in a blur, snatching every bullet from the air.
"You... what the hell are you?"
Onigumo stared in disbelief.
His opponent was a monster.
Swords couldn't cut him. Bullets couldn't even scratch him!
"Die!"
A thunderous roar came from behind.
Vice Admiral Ronse, clad in a massive T-shaped steel mask, swung his enormous battle-axe at Vincent's neck!
The blow was brutal intended to cleave his head clean off.
"Perfect timing. Life Return!"
Onigumo's eyes lit up. He manipulated his hair to bind Vincent, trying to give Ronse a perfect opening.
"Tch. Annoying."
Vincent's eyes turned cold.
He grabbed Onigumo's hair and yanked hard!
"Arghhh!!"
Onigumo felt his scalp tear as he flew helplessly toward Vincent!
Crack!
In the next moment, Vincent caught him by the throat, lifting him off the ground as his face turned purple.
"Let him go!"
Ronse bellowed, his axe speeding up.
Squelch!
The blade came down.
Blood sprayed.
But what Ronse saw made his eyes widen in horror.
He couldn't believe it.
The pirate had switched places with Onigumo in an instant.
And now... it was Onigumo who had taken the full brunt of the axe!
"You..."
A massive gash split Onigumo's chest, ribs shattered, organs spilling onto the ground.
Killed by one of his own.
"Next is you."
Vincent calmly wiped the blood from his hand.
His figure vanished.
Ronse had no time to react.
In the next instant, he felt his head gripped by an overwhelming force and smashed into the ground!
Boom!
The earth cracked outward like a spiderweb.
Vincent didn't speak.
He raised his right fist and brought it down.
Boom!
Ronse's mask dented inward, his skull deforming beneath it.
Vincent's expression remained icy.
Another punch.
Boom!
The metal mask crumpled like tin foil. Red and white fluid oozed from the gaps.
Ronse's massive frame twitched violently. He wasn't going to make it.
Boom!
One final blow.
The mask was smashed flat.
Ronse... was dead.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"