Kizaru: …
Although he had sensed Don's unique physiology during the North Blue battle, and confirmed it again in this clash, the situation before him now still exceeded his imagination.
The eyes—so fragile.
Could Don really block his Amanomukashi sword with just his eyelids?
21%!
Don glanced at his health bar and let a cheerful smile curl across his lips.
But that smile only made Kizaru more alert.
Don's body suddenly spun midair, pulling Kizaru along by the wrist he had seized.
Conqueror's Haki erupted from Don's hands, preventing Kizaru from activating his elemental abilities.
"Hah!"
Don stopped spinning abruptly. The force carried Kizaru hurtling toward the ground.
Black lightning from Conqueror's Haki surged over Kizaru.
Unable to elementalize, Kizaru plummeted like a meteor.
Akainu, who had just gotten up from being slammed by Don holding Kizaru, looked up and saw Kizaru hurtling toward him.
"Fall to the depths!"
Don whispered.
BOOM!
Kizaru crashed onto Akainu, sending both of them smashing into the ground.
The earth trembled violently, then shockwaves rippled outward.
The shockwave contracted briefly, then exploded again.
Magma shot hundreds of meters into the sky, like a miniature volcanic eruption.
A flash of golden light—Kizaru reappeared midair.
This time, he looked even more disheveled.
His yellow-striped suit was badly torn, and the "Justice" cloak on his back was half-consumed by the magma.
A real "blood ox"!
Don couldn't help but think as he watched Kizaru—wounded but still full of momentum.
And Akainu too.
Even though Don had clashed more with Kizaru, Akainu had suffered greater injuries.
After all, his evasion skills weren't as refined.
As Akainu emerged from the magma below, Don's sword descended like a meteor.
In the blink of an eye, the blade was over Akainu's head.
A flash of gold—Kizaru's foot was already beside Don.
"Zan'nichi Prison Garb!"
BOOM!
Blinding white flames rose around Don, forming a cloak of fire.
A kick, wrapped in Armament Haki, struck him and sent him slanting through the air.
The white flames burned along Kizaru's foot.
Even after elementalizing the flames away, Kizaru felt as if his right foot had gone numb.
Volcanic eruption!
Don landed only to have magma burst from beneath him. Akainu's body, riding the molten surge, launched a crushing punch at him.
Don didn't want to meet Akainu's punch head-on.
Although it wouldn't harm him at all, the chip damage was significant.
He blocked Akainu's molten fist with his sword, flipping backward.
The white flames ignited the lava, detaching chunks along with the fire.
Akainu, eyes grim, advanced toward the airborne Don.
Don swung his sword; half of Akainu's body vaporized into magma, reconstructing rapidly in front of him.
A flash of gold—two hands clamped onto Don's shoulders.
Armament-wrapped hands pressed down with crushing force.
"Die!"
Akainu roared, striking Don with a fist wrapped in magma.
Don lifted his left hand, armored, and blocked the blow.
"Retreat!"
Seeing his punch blocked, Kizaru didn't hesitate and pulled back.
Akainu retracted as well. Both admirals retreated in unison as Don touched down.
The heat instantly melted the ground beneath him.
Kizaru clasped his hands behind his back, brow furrowed.
Akainu examined his scorched hands, eyes fixed on Don.
This guy—just the flames on his body could block most attacks.
The temperature was far higher than before.
Even Akainu couldn't withstand it for long.
Even with Armament Haki, it would only prolong his endurance.
Bang! Bang!
Several bullets streaked toward Don.
He tilted his head, evading the Sea-Prism Stone rounds.
The CP had fully encircled the first district.
Don checked his health.
18%!
The backlash from combat, combined with full-power Haki and ability usage, had taken its toll.
He turned toward Mary Geoise, his body transforming into flames.
The fire spread rapidly.
Kizaru froze, then his face went pale.
"Get out of the flames!"
He had seen this technique in the North Blue.
Within the flames, Don could appear anywhere the fire covered.
Akainu, though uncertain, trusted Kizaru's judgment after years of working together.
The two admirals retreated quickly, while the CP agents closing in were unaware.
The fireball expanded rapidly. In an instant, the entire first district was engulfed.
The broadcast feed went black.
It switched to an exterior view of the first district.
The massive red trees, marked with the number one, were engulfed in flames, turning them into a giant torch.
17%!
CP agents caught in the fireball were almost instantly reduced to ash. Don moved swiftly within the flames.
16%!
Golden beams pierced through the fireball from outside.
Then countless laser-like attacks shredded the fireball to pieces.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Akainu controlled the lava, hurling it from the sky at the fireball.
But these attacks were meaningless against Don in this state.
15%!
Still, his health continued to drop.
Akainu kept firing magma from midair when suddenly the massive fireball covering the first district shot upward, heading straight for him.
A flash of gold—Kizaru appeared beside him, and together they retreated rapidly.
The fireball hovered high, radiating immense light and heat in all directions.
Bubbles generated by the red trees throughout the archipelago burst under the heat.
Structures and tools collapsed as the bubbles shattered.
No one cared.
The first district's battle had already sent everyone fleeing.
Within the fireball, Don's Observation Haki tracked the retreating Kizaru and Akainu.
He could move with the fireball at its center—but even then, he was too fast for it to catch him.
13%!
Above the first district of the Sabaody Archipelago, a second sun had appeared.
END OF CHAPTER
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