"You reacted pretty fast, Akainu."
That slash just now was imbued with Haki. If it had landed, it would've definitely severed his arm.
Unfortunately, Akainu's mastery of Observation Haki was also extremely high. At the critical moment, he voluntarily relinquished control over those two magma blasts, narrowly avoiding losing his hand.
Faced with this terrifying slash, Akainu's expression also became cautious.
Before today, his understanding of Naruto had only been at the level of 'hearing a thing or two from news and intelligence reports'.
Unlike Aokiji, who frequently interacted with Naruto, Akainu's usual work scope was focused on combating pirates.
And as everyone knew, Naruto wasn't a pirate, and his whereabouts were completely unpredictable.
Only a 'slacker' like Aokiji had the time to chase after him.
Seeing that his opponent wasn't launching an attack, Naruto simply sheathed Mushoukou and took off his upper garment.
The flawless physique he had displayed during his battle with Golden Lion was once again revealed. Naruto casually beckoned with his hand.
"Don't be scared. Let's keep going."
"You've got some nerve looking down on me, criminal!"
Akainu's body rapidly emitted an intense heat, causing nearby objects to melt even without direct contact.
In a flash, Akainu lunged forward, his magma-coated fist blazing toward Naruto's chest.
This time, his magma was outlined by a deep black hue… clearly, he had also infused it with Haki.
Unlike Ace, who had barely managed to combine his Devil Fruit abilities with Haki, Akainu had truly developed the Magu Magu no Ni to its limits while also possessing formidable Haki proficiency.
The synergy between the two was something Ace's current [Fire Fist] couldn't even compare to.
Bang!
Naruto acted as if he wasn't afraid of the heat at all, punching Akainu squarely in the elbow before following up with a crushing strike to his head.
Even though Akainu had partially dispersed his body in advance, he still felt a violent shockwave penetrate his insides.
His organs instantly screamed in agony.
This life-threatening pain only darkened his already grim expression slightly.
Immediately, he fully transformed into his elemental form, allowing his internal organs to rapidly escape the torment.
But just then, Naruto suddenly lifted his leg in an upward flick-
A flying slash shot out, slicing straight across Akainu's chest.
[Tempest Kick]
This time, the distance was too close, and the lingering effects of the previous attack delayed Akainu's reaction, leaving him no time to disperse his body.
"How's that? Looks familiar, doesn't it?"
An Admiral being cut open by the Marine's Rokushiki, Rankyaku, was downright ironic.
"Did Dragon teach you that?"
"Hah… who knows?"
Naruto's mouth widened into a grin.
At that moment, far away in Water 7, Stussy had just finished assigning CP9 a new training regimen. She pulled out a newspaper with Naruto's silhouette printed on it and tapped it playfully with her finger.
"That man is nothing but a virus, corrupting peace with his ideological plague-"
Akainu and Dragon were the same age and had been Marine's officers in the same era, but their personalities had always clashed.
Later events proved Akainu right, as Monkey D. Dragon was indeed a dangerous man.
If pirates merely disrupted order, then what the Revolutionary Army did was shake the very foundation of the World Government's rule.
As they exchanged verbal blows, their physical battle raged on.
A punch from one, a kick from the other.
Soon, several burn marks appeared on Naruto's upper body. But then, Naruto simply raised his hand… Chakra surged, and a green glow enveloped the wounds. In moments, the burns healed as if they had never existed.
This scene made Akainu's frown deepen.
'Was this a Devil Fruit ability? Or one of those so-called Ninjutsu from the intel?'
Before he could ponder further, Naruto's fist came at him again.
Akainu could only respond with a heavy punch of his own.
But unexpectedly, Naruto suddenly opened his fist, extending his index and middle fingers while tucking his ring and pinky fingers… forming the starting stance of the Revolutionary Army's martial art, Ryusoken.
[Dragon's Talon]
Haki-wrapped fingertips pierced through with pinpoint precision, instantly digging into Akainu's flesh.
"Got you."
A smile appeared on Naruto's face, and then the Wind Attribute Chakra rushed into the wound.
In an instant, countless lacerations burst from within Akainu's left arm.
Unable to turn into magma due to the Haki suppression, he could only counter by smashing his other fist toward Naruto's head.
After a brutal headbutt-to-fist collision, Naruto still refused to let go.
Instead, he swung Akainu around like a ragdoll, slamming him into the ground over and over.
Only after dozens of impacts did Akainu finally seize an opening… kicking Naruto away with a powerful thrust.
It had to be said, this Marine Admiral's 'HP Bar' was absurd. Even after taking that full combo, he stood back up like it was nothing.
Well, it would've been more convincing if his arm wasn't still bleeding.
Akainu glanced at the wound on his left arm, and then, without hesitation, he superheated his right hand and pressed it against the injury.
Instantly, a wisp of smoke rose, accompanied by the aroma of seared flesh.
The charred skin surface stopped the bleeding.
By now, the auction house was already on the verge of collapse after the battle between the two.
As for the people inside earlier, the slaves had been thrown out the back door by Naruto beforehand, while the others… well, they probably weren't worth saving anyway.
Surveying the surroundings and then looking at Naruto, who appeared completely unharmed, Akainu realized this was no small fry he could casually eliminate like before.
His eyes suddenly turned fierce, and the surrounding temperature skyrocketed in an instant. Scalding magma began oozing from his body, spreading outward.
Not only that, upon contact with other objects, the magma seemed to 'multiply', rapidly expanding.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield had transformed into a scorching hellscape akin to a volcanic crater.
Even Naruto couldn't remain entirely unaffected.
'Hmph… it wasn't like only you could alter the terrain.'
Reacting swiftly, Naruto formed hand seals.
[Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld]
The ground, which was previously covered in magma, suddenly sank, forming a massive pit.
Even Akainu himself was caught off guard and momentarily trapped within it.
Then, Naruto formed another set of hand seals.
[Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears]
Dozens of massive stone spikes, as big as two people could hug, erupted from the edges of the sunken pit.
This is not comparable to the previous small-scale Ninjutsu against the Ninja bounty hunters.
The once-luxurious slave auction house could no longer hold itself together, collapsing in a cloud of dust.
Not far away, the man in charge of the slave trade operations in this area was reporting the incident through a Den Den Mushi to his superior.
Meanwhile, in Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo listened to the report before hanging up.
"Young Master, what about Sabaody Archipelago…?"
Beside him, Trebol, with his ever-dripping snot, cautiously inquired upon seeing his strange expression.
"-To dare kill a Celestial Dragon again… Uzumaki Naruto, how interesting."
Doflamingo suddenly let out a deranged laugh, as if completely unconcerned about the auction house that had been destroyed in the process.