Whoosh… Whoosh…
A surge of intense foreboding swept over Rowen, who was indulging in a feast aboard the Battleship. He raised his head and looked out the window, his brows furrowing in silence.
"That bird… it looks so familiar!"
As King unleashed his ultimate move, flames manifested out of thin air, then suddenly proliferated and spread! Flame serpents, alive in appearance, coiled around the blade, emitting a hissing sound as they brushed against the air.
It was like a crimson nebula, constantly gathering and expanding.
In just a breath's time, the Marine soldiers inside the aircraft realized they couldn't control the aircraft's course anymore. Flames formed into a swirling dragon of fire, binding them all in place.
Huā Lā!
The colossal, scarlet flames that shrouded the sky formed into a massive spiral nebula with a diameter of over a thousand kilometers. The tough exterior of the aircraft couldn't withstand the flames for even a second. As the nebula rotated, bit by bit, it was reduced to rubble!
Bang!
There were no screams and no explosions… as the nebula dispersed, the aircraft that had filled the sky vanished without a trace!
"This… What kind of power is this?" Rowen stared in astonishment.
He could obliterate an Aircraft Force in one move as well.
However, having everything within the aircraft, including human-metal hybrids, vaporize directly in the flames was a bit beyond extraordinary.
The destructive power of the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) usually progresses incrementally. When Rowen takes action, the Aircraft Force explodes like firecrackers, never resulting in scenes of being "erased" like this.
"The temperature of those flames is rather terrifying!" Rowen frowned and hastened his movements.
Nutrient-rich food was stuffed into his stomach. Without needing Life Return to accelerate peristalsis for absorption, his autophagic self-healing abilities instantly digested the food, distributing what his body needed through his bloodstream.
"I must recover my stamina as quickly as possible!"
In the sky, Ash's move that annihilated the Aircraft Force brought immense pressure to the Hundred Beasts Pirates, boosting their morale!
"Kill!!"
"Fire!! Blast them to pieces!!"
The pirates of the Hundred Beasts Pirates laughed bloodthirstily, charging towards the Marine formation. The prepared Marines turned their Battery Forts towards them, showering them mercilessly with maximum firepower.
For a moment, the entangled formation echoed with cries of agony and wails, from both pirates and Marines.
But ultimately, it was the pirates who began to die in droves.
After Tsuru's early preparation, every time the Hundred Beasts Pirates attempted to pierce through the formation, they had to pay with hundreds of lives before being ruthlessly repelled.
Vice Admiral Momonga, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and other Marine Headquarter Vice Admirals who had been waiting for this moment rushed directly onto the enemy ships, wreaking havoc.
Swoosh!
At this moment, a clear chirping accompanied a torrent of flames descending from the high sky. Vice Admiral Momonga, who was in the midst of battle, narrowed his eyes and decisively abandoned his attack. He used Geppo to instantly distance himself.
Boom…
A Pirate Ship directly exploded under King's flames. The flying debris, like cannonballs, scattered in all directions while Vice Admiral Momonga stood on the mast of a Battleship, tilting his head slightly, feeling a slight sting on his face.
"'King the Conflagration'… is it?"
"So it's Vice Admiral Momonga!"
At this moment, aside from his limbs, King's humanoid form couldn't be discerned. His clothing was replaced by a billowing scarlet flame cloak, exuding an extremely terrifying heat.
His face, enveloped in flames, was reduced to nothing but a pair of bright orifices for eyes, and a beak-like projection for a mouth.
"Our crew appreciates your hospitality!"
Watching the pirates strewn all around him, Ash sneered and raised the blade in his hand towards Vice Admiral Momonga.
"Next, it's my turn to have some fun with you!"
"Hmph!"
Vice Admiral Momonga showed no fear. Confronting King's provocation, he used Geppo to instantly rush in front of King.
Clang!
Marine was wary of King's destructive power, so Tsuru urged Rowen to recover his stamina quickly and join the battle to avoid causing significant casualties on their side.
But King… was he not wary of these Headquarter Vice Admirals, these killing machines?
Unlike in battles with pirates, where he gained what he needed by fighting, the Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals had been carefully selected and joined from military school to recruit camp, from soldiers to generals… step by step, their foundation was solidified, leading them to become the near-flawless forces they were today, balanced in all aspects.
They were the backbone of Marine's combat strength, able to unleash terrifying effects in battle!
Although Marines had only mobilized half of their Headquarter Vice Admirals this time, not even counting the Giant Force, if they were allowed to act freely, there would be no need to fight this battle.
As long as they were given time, they had plenty of means to systematically dismantle the Hundred Beasts Pirates.
That's why Tsuru was confident when she said they could buy at least fifteen minutes, preventing King from causing even greater casualties.
After all, even if they didn't seek out King, he would come looking for them.
Swish! Swish!
At this moment, two figures suddenly flashed behind King. Nine swords, each imbued with Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), swiftly slashed and forced King to step back.
Sensing the commotion, Onigumo and Yamakaji arrived first.
"Two, Three…"
Chi La…
Vice Admiral Momonga ripped off his burning suit and cloak and even though he was shrouded in flames, King's fierce expression was still visible.
"Sorry, but from the start, I never intended to face you one-on-one!"
As the second-strongest force of the Hundred Beasts Pirates, just below Kaido, even Vice Admiral Momonga couldn't possibly duel with him, no matter how much he boasted.
Few people could stay in the position of Headquarter Vice Admiral for thirty years. How did Vice Admiral Momonga, who was not a coward afraid of death but also not as powerful as Garp, manage to survive until now?
There was only one answer.
It was by facing strong enemies shoulder to shoulder!
Shigan·Dog Tooth Whirlwind!
Suddenly, a robust figure emerged abruptly from behind the burning planks. Vice Admiral Dalmatian extended his right hand, his fingers gleaming like steel, rotating in the fierce wind. Sharp vigors ruthlessly thrust towards King's back.
"Four… This is bad. I've been caught!"
At this moment, King's face looked very unsightly. He had a chance to break through with three opponents, but with four Headquarter Vice Admirals teaming up, there was almost no opportunity to do anything!
At their level of strength, it was impossible to determine a victor in a short time, let alone kill someone. Just like Rowen against Jack, even with the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit), trying to kill Jack wasn't an easy task.
And the qualitative change brought about by the quantitative change of four Headquarter Vice Admirals was extremely difficult to erase. For a moment, it was enough to trap him in place.
Now that he was blocked by four Marine Vice Admirals, and Kaido was held back by two Admirals, excluding the two high-end combatants, how much chance of winning did the Hundred Beasts Pirates have left?
Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding… Hiss!
Five claws ruthlessly imprinted on King's scabbard, followed by a dense collision like a rainstorm.
Caught off guard by Dalmatian's fierce attack, King, who was ultimately more skilled, seized the opportunity, swiping horizontally with a reverse grip, and a blade was unleashed!
Dalmatian instantly lowered his head to evade the slash, creating distance and returning to his companion. However, his arm still bore a gaping wound.
"Are you alright?" Vice Admiral Momonga frowned as he looked at him.
The crimson flames didn't disappear with the departure of the blade, but lingered on the wound, continuing to burn! Even a master of Dalmatian's body techniques, at this moment, had a pale face due to the intense pain. Beads of sweat as big as beans rolled down incessantly.
Cleansing Heal!
Just as Dalmatian was about to shake his head, a withered hand, its skin wrinkled, disregarded the eerie spark and pressed directly onto his injured arm.
Immediately, a cool sensation swept in, and the flames were instantly dissipated. Even the scorch marks in the wound vanished and clear blood flowed out, then was promptly controlled by Dalmatian's muscles, halting the bleeding.
"Madam Tsuru?! Why are you here?"
Vice Admiral Momonga looked at the newcomer in astonishment, his eyes filled with shock.
According to the plan, only the four of them were supposed to be responsible for stopping King.
So why did Tsuru appear here?
After Tsuru cleared the flames from Dalmatian's hand, she clapped her hands, her old face filled with a smile.
"The plan has changed. You don't need to go all out…"
Vice Admiral Momonga instantly understood, nodding.
"I see!"
Their mission was to buy time for Rowen, and they were even prepared to delay for one or two days until death in battle. Tsuru, in charge of coordinating, theoretically had no intention of intervening in their fight.
Now, Tsuru's appearance relieved them of a lot of pressure, and the altered plan was clear at a glance.
Rowen's recovery time was no longer a problem!
(End of this chapter)
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