"Fine, Sakazuki—it's you then!"
"But listen carefully… I'm warning you now! I'd rather see you injured than have these machines suffer irreparable damage!" Sengoku spoke with visible tension.
These things cost two billion berries each. And worse, the funds weren't official Navy money—he'd dipped into his own savings. If one of them broke, Sengoku would literally be paying with his retirement funds!
Hearing this, Akainu's lips twitched. The Marshal of the Navy didn't even care about his life—yet he worried over the safety of machines?
Still, Akainu couldn't hide his eagerness to clash with the Seraphim. He gave a sharp nod.
"Relax, Marshal Sengoku. If I break them, I'll pay the bill!"
Kuzan and Garp both slapped their thighs in frustration.
Such a golden opportunity—and that bastard Sakazuki snatched it right up!
Both of them regretted not volunteering sooner.
The group soon moved to the wide, open training grounds.
"Nii-san Sakazuki, how many Seraphim—each at the level of the Seven Warlords—do you plan to challenge?" Natsuha asked in his childish voice.
At that, Akainu's eyes burned with intensity. He bared his teeth in a grin.
"Hmph, who do you take me for, brat?"
"I'll fight all ten at once!"
"…You're serious?" Natsuha's expression turned incredulous.
So this Sakazuki really didn't take the Seraphim seriously at all?
Even if you were the strongest of the three Admirals, could you truly withstand the combined assault of ten Warlord-level fighters?
And among them was Dracule Mihawk—the greatest swordsman in the world!
The others exchanged helpless smiles.
They trusted Natsuha's claim: the Seraphim were indeed on par with the Seven Warlords. Which meant… Akainu's reckless challenge was practically suicidal.
Yet Akainu didn't care. At long last, he had the chance to test himself against these war machines. No way was he going to waste it.
This was the code by which Sakazuki lived—the creed of the Navy's hawkish representative!
"Kid, I am the embodiment of justice. Spare me the chatter."
"Bring them on. This Admiral has waited long enough!" Akainu declared, utterly unfazed.
Seeing such determination, Natsuha could only sigh and shake his head.
The next instant, ten Seraphim emerged, surrounding Akainu in a tight circle.
Sengoku narrowed his eyes at the sight.
"Remember—no killing blows! Victory alone will suffice."
"I now declare… the battle begins!"
At Sengoku's command, Seraphim Kuma was the first to strike.
Thud thud thud…
With explosive speed, using the Navy's "Soru" technique, the childlike "Tyrant" closed the distance in an instant.
Boom!
A massive paw shockwave slammed into Akainu's left shoulder.
Fortunately, his Kenbunshoku Haki had warned him in time.
Otherwise… he might truly have been taken by surprise!
"Damn, that thing is fast!" Akainu thought grimly. With a twist of his shoulder, he flung Seraphim Kuma away by sheer brute force.
But just as he repelled one foe, two more appeared before him.
Seraphim Doflamingo pointed a finger, assuming the precise stance of a Shigan.
Snap!
A strand of thread, infused with Busoshoku Haki, shot out like a black serpent, lancing toward Akainu.
The onlookers all narrowed their eyes.
They had fused the Navy's Six Styles with Devil Fruit powers—creating techniques of terrifying power!
At the same moment, Seraphim Crocodile leapt high, bringing his leg down.
Slash!
A crescent-shaped sand blade tore through the air, layered with both Haki and razor-edged grit.
It wasn't just destructive—it carried a dreadful secondary effect.
If the target was struck, the sand would drain all moisture from their body—including their blood. A single wound could mummify a man in moments!
Akainu's brows furrowed as he sensed the danger. With Kenbunshoku Haki, he slipped out of harm's way.
BOOM!
Two catastrophic impacts followed.
Seraphim Doflamingo's thin thread, small as it looked, pierced deep into the ground, gouging a crater a thousand meters long in the training field.
Meanwhile, Seraphim Crocodile's sand blade carved through the Navy gardens. Hundreds of acres of forest were cleaved in two—instantly withering into a barren desert.
The watching officers were stunned.
"They didn't just master the Six Styles—they've perfectly fused them with Devil Fruit abilities!" Garp cried out, eyes wide.
"I never imagined such combinations could unleash this level of power…" Sengoku's voice shook with exhilaration.
And it wasn't over yet.
In the next instant, Seraphim Mihawk, Hancock, Moria, Jinbe, and the others all leapt forward, unleashing their own assaults.
Blades of overwhelming force, streams of Ryuo Haki, searing lasers—the sky rained with attacks of every kind.
Akainu's head throbbed.
These little monsters… their coordination was seamless!
With no room for restraint, Sakazuki drew upon the full might of his power.
His arms became molten magma, heat waves distorting the air. The temperature soared by dozens of degrees.
Drops of lava fell from his fists, sizzling as they burned craters into the ground.
Zzzzt… hissss…
"Ryusei Kazan!!" (Meteor Volcano!) Akainu roared.
From the heavens, colossal magma fists rained down like a fiery meteor shower, hurtling toward the encircling Seraphim.
The sight made Sengoku's heart seize in terror.
"Oi, oi, oi! Akainu, you bastard—careful! Don't you dare break them!" Sengoku shouted in panic.