"Hammer of the Wind King!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
Though Arthur and Kaido had no coordinated plan, the two surged toward Admiral Vixon with raw, overwhelming force.
"Hahahahaha!"
Vixon laughed heartily. "Two little brats! This is starting to get interesting!"
"Lionheart!"
He unleashed the same move as before—but this time, cloaked in Armament Haki. The violent storm winds howled and turned pitch black. The sheer pressure of his Haki was terrifying.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, sending up a towering mushroom cloud.
In the next instant, the three collided violently. Arthur's strikes were fast and precise, while Kaido and Vixon clashed with unrestrained brute force, as if both were hell-bent on obliterating the other.
Bang! Bang!
The air itself cracked from the repeated collisions.
"You're not bad, kid! I can feel the pressure building up!"
Vixon roared with laughter, raising one hand—
CRACK!
He caught Kaido's kanabo mid-swing, effortlessly stopping the mountain-splitting strike.
"Hmph."
With a scoff, Vixon declared, "Too soft, brat."
"Lion's Roar!"
ROOOAAAR!
His mouth opened wide, unleashing a thunderous lion's roar. Bolts of lightning struck down upon Kaido, blasting him backward like a ragdoll.
His body crashed into the ground, scorched black.
He wasn't moving.
And then—
Vixon turned toward Arthur.
"Lionheart!"
"Hammer of the Wind King!"
Arthur once again tried to redirect the incoming force. But this time, the pressure was even greater. Vixon's attack tore through his defenses like a cyclone of blades.
Arthur's chest armor shattered. His skin split open. Deep lacerations ran across his body—down to the bone. You could almost see the glint of his skull.
CRASH!
Both Arthur and Kaido hit the ground hard.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
It looked like it was over.
—
"Admiral Vixon!!"
"Unstoppable!!"
"Invincible!!"
Cheers erupted from the Marines. After being pushed back for so long, this victory surged through their veins like wildfire.
They had been on the defensive since the start.
Now, their morale soared.
And to be fair… wasn't this outcome obvious?
After all, this was a Marine Headquarters Admiral.
What is more to expect?
---
"Hehehehe…"
Vixon folded his arms and grinned. "You two punks—toughen up. It'd be strange if prodigies like you died that easily."
"Aaagh! That freaking hurt, old man!"
Kaido groaned as he pushed himself off the ground. Miraculously, the burns and injuries had already disappeared. He rotated his shoulder with a crack.
"Mmm…"
Arthur also stood up slowly. His wounds were gone. His armor had repaired itself. He even had the audacity to smile.
"You really are something, Admiral. That hurts so damn much."
—
Marines and pirates alike stood frozen.
They were stunned.
"What... what kind of fucking bodies do they have?!"
"They should be wrecked!"
"It hasn't even been six minutes!"
"How in the goddamn hell are they standing again!"
The Marines started whispering among themselves, fear creeping into their voices.
"What kind of monsters is that crew cooking?"
A ripple of unease spread through the ranks.
---
"Hmph!"
Vixon's cold snort snapped everyone out of it.
With his arms still crossed, he barked, "Quit yapping! I've killed plenty with bodies like that. What're you bastards getting worked up to huh?!"
"That's right!"
"JUSTICE!!"
The Marines rallied behind his presence.
---
Arthur glanced at Kaido and asked casually, "So, any chance you can beat him?"
"Huh?!"
Kaido leaned on his kanabo and grimaced. "You kidding me? I'm just glad I'm not dead! If I didn't heal like a goddamn beast, I'd already be six feet under."
Arthur shrugged. "So, I can't count on you then."
"Just hold him off."
"I'll go destroy G-1."
Kaido grinned. "Fine by me. But if Rocks is paying out, I call dibs on any Zoan-type Devil Fruits."
"Seventy-thirty split."
"Deal."
Their conversation—completely open—made everyone confused.
Even the four top fighters who were deep in their own heated battles turned to look over.
They were all thinking the same thing.
Can these two really take down an entire Marine stronghold…?
No.
Can Arthur…?
All eyes slowly turned to him.
Arthur didn't mind the attention.
Because in the end—
He only had one card left to play.
Everything else?
It doesnt matter.
I'll do this the Excalibur way.