The battlefield had split into three fronts.
At the very front, Good clashed with Bullet and Redfield.
Behind them, the Admirals fought to hold off the commanders of the Yonko crews.
And further back, Whitebeard, Rayleigh, and Shanks were driving toward the rear lines.
At the last line stood Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and the others.
There, Dragon, Sabo, and Ace were locked in combat with the Marines.
The fiercest fighting was at Crescent Bay near Marineford itself, where corpses piled like mountains.
This was war—merciless and bloody.
No matter how dazzling Good's feats, no matter how godlike his blows, victory in war was always bought with flesh and blood.
Now, with Kong's arrival and the reinforcements from the Army and Air Force, the battlefield shifted once again.
"Good!! Leave the rest to us! I am Kong!!!"
The Supreme Commander of all three military branches laughed, charging straight at Whitebeard, Shanks, and Rayleigh.
"As Commander-in-Chief, even Sengoku is just a junior before me!"
Kong wanted to prove himself in front of Good, to show him that he could rest easy now that Kong had arrived.
As a leader, Kong had his pride. He wanted Good's respect, perhaps even to recruit him away from Sengoku in the future.
Though reckless and lacking intelligence, Good had overwhelming strength.
And every army needed its strongest weapon.
Kong grinned as he stood before Whitebeard, Shanks, and Rayleigh.
"Steel Bone Kong, you alone will stop the three of us?" Rayleigh asked.
"That's right!" Kong bared his teeth.
"I'll show Admiral Zephyr that he doesn't need to fight alone. Others can bear the weight too!"
Shanks gave a cold smile. "Kong… not everyone can be Zephyr's successor."
Kong snorted. "Enough talk—Sen Katsu Tsukikotsu (Thousand Piercing Bones)!!"
White spikes burst from the ground, sharp and endless, forcing the three to dodge.
But wherever they retreated, new spears of bone erupted to block them.
Whitebeard growled, "The Paramecia Bone-Bone Fruit… it's been a long time since I've seen it."
Raising his massive blade, he shattered the spikes with a quake-powered slash.
Rayleigh and Shanks countered the attack with their own skills, dispersing the wave of bone.
Meanwhile, Good steadied his breathing and struck again.
The Clank-Clank Fruit's replication was complete, but now he aimed to perfect his Observation Haki—to reach mind-reading like Redfield's.
Redfield muttered darkly, "This guy's a machine…"
He couldn't believe Good still had the energy to fight after everything.
On the middle front, Kong held back Whitebeard, Shanks, and Rayleigh.
"I'll handle him. You two push forward!" Whitebeard barked.
He could already see Good going mad once again.
If they waited too long, Good would finish Redfield and rejoin the fight—and then the balance would shatter.
Shanks and Rayleigh nodded.
But Kong sneered. "You're underestimating me. None of you are leaving. Stay right here!"
"Shirohaku Karasu (White Bone Crows)!!"
Walls of white bone surged from the earth, enclosing the three in a massive prison of spikes.
"Damn it!!" Shanks cursed, glaring at the towering barricade.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. "Awakening… he's turned the very ground into his domain."
The Bone-Bone Fruit had awakened, transforming the terrain itself into Kong's weapon.
"Then we'll break through him together!"
"Good!" Whitebeard roared, charging with his naginata.
Shanks's blade crackled with black lightning as Conqueror's Haki surged forth.
Rayleigh moved in tandem, his sword gleaming.
The three struck as one, their combined might hammering Kong.
At first, Kong resisted, but soon he began to falter.
All three were apex predators, standing at the pinnacle of the sea.
Even with his awakened powers, Kong struggled to keep pace.
His heart sank.
Watching Good fight three alone, he had assumed the Yonko were weaker than him.
But now, battling them himself, he realized the truth—Good's strength simply eclipsed his own.
Good had fought three Yonko-level men in their prime and dominated.
Kong was facing them already wounded, and even then he could barely endure.
"Good's power… it's on a whole different level," Kong thought bitterly.
He had been reckless.
He had come here full of pride, hoping to impress Good.
Now, he risked losing face completely.
(End of Chapter)
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