"Gion, switch with me," Kuke said, slashing Tokikake away with a single strike.
Kuke swiftly charged toward Akainu.
Gion, in her Phoenix Zoan form, embodied the mythical beauty and power of the legendary bird—radiant feathers of red and gold, with a fierce, elegant presence.
"Kuke, let me handle this," Gion offered, her voice steady.
"I've always wanted to test my strength against an admiral," Kuke responded, giving her a reassuring nod.
Akainu, standing across from them, felt his eye twitch in irritation.
What do they take me for? A training dummy?
"Hellhound!" Akainu roared, his magma fist glowing brightly.
"Boom!"
The clash of Kuke's blade against Akainu's magma fist sent a shockwave through the air, toppling nearby buildings.
"You've grown stronger," Akainu remarked, noticing Kuke's increased power. He could clearly sense that Kuke had surpassed even Gion, who had eaten the Mythical Zoan Phoenix fruit.
"Even if you've gotten stronger, this place will still be your grave!" Akainu bellowed, increasing his strength and pushing Kuke back.
At the same time, Tokikake (Chaton), who had been thrown earlier, stood back up.
His eyes were locked on Kuke, filled with rage. "Our fight isn't over yet!"
As Tokikake charged at Kuke, a wave of intense heat stopped him in his tracks.
Gion, her eyes cold, confronted Tokikake. She remembered his sneak attack while Kuke was busy dealing with Akainu.
"Gion…" Tokikake's voice faltered.
In his rage, Tokikake managed to calm down slightly, looking at Gion with a mixture of emotions. He tried to reason with her, "Gion, following Kuke will only lead to your death. He has no future! Surrender now, and you might still have a chance to live."
"Shut up!" Gion interrupted coldly. "You attacked Kuke, and you will pay the price!"
In her Phoenix form, Gion released waves of heat so intense they scorched the ground beneath her. She flapped her wings, sending countless razor-sharp wind blades toward Tokikake.
Mastering the power of wind was one of the Phoenix's abilities.
In the past, Gion and Tokikake had been equals. But now, after Gion's transformation and with Tokikake injured by Kuke, the fight was completely one-sided.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, massive waves of magma were crashing, swallowing everything in their path.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Kuke, dual-wielding his blades, unleashed flying slashes that cut through Akainu's magma waves. The battle area expanded further, and the sky darkened as the intensity of their clash increased.
Only one person dared to watch the fight up close: Bartholomew Kuma. All the other pirates, reporters, and onlookers had long since fled the island, watching the apocalyptic battle from their ships.
"Kuke is this strong? He's holding his own against an admiral!" one pirate exclaimed, astonished.
"He's incredible!"
"I read in the papers that Kuke is only eighteen years old. Eighteen, and he's going toe-to-toe with Akainu? Has there ever been someone like that?" another asked in disbelief.
Heads shook in response. "No way, not even Red-Haired Shanks was this strong at that age!"
"Boom!"
Kuke was sent flying back several meters but managed to regain his footing.
Exhaling deeply, Kuke said, "No wonder you're an admiral. You're incredibly strong."
Akainu's face remained expressionless, but internally, he couldn't help but curse his former instructor, Zephyr. How could someone like Kuke have been kicked out of the Marine training camp? And Sengoku—how did he let this slip through?
Luckily, Akainu thought, it was still manageable. But if Kuke were allowed to grow any further, he would become a monumental threat.
"If you're allowed to live for a few more years, you'll be a real problem," Akainu said, his fist smashing down again. Kuke's strength only fueled Akainu's determination to eliminate him.
Kuke continued to parry and attack.
As time passed, after more than an hour of intense fighting, Kuke's coat had long since been discarded, revealing his chiseled, muscular physique.
"It's about time," Kuke muttered.
After battling Akainu for this long, Kuke knew he was nearing his limit.
"Gion, we're leaving," Kuke called out.
Gion, who had been dominating Tokikake, glanced over. Tokikake was badly injured, barely able to stand.
"Got it," she replied, blasting Tokikake with a final burst of heated wind before swiftly flying toward Kuke.
"Leaving?" Akainu said, magma spewing out of him. "You think you can just leave?"
Even if Kuke and Gion teamed up, Akainu was confident in his ability to stop them. It would cost him dearly, but he was determined to make sure they didn't escape.
"Boom!"
At that moment, Kuke's ship, the Radiant Eclipse, emerged, gliding through the lava-covered streets toward them at a steady pace.
"We're leaving!" Kuke and Gion simultaneously unleashed a massive sword strike, their combined attack pushing Akainu back as magma splattered in every direction.
The two leaped onto the ship.
Akainu's body reformed from the magma. He sneered. "Do you think boarding your ship means you're safe? Where did you get such a foolish idea?"
Tokikake, now limping, joined Akainu. "That was the dumbest move you could have made."
"I'm not fast enough to stop you if you fly away," Akainu admitted, cracking his neck as he walked toward the Radiant Eclipse. "But a ship?"
Akainu stood in front of the Radiant Eclipse.
"How do you expect to escape on a ship?" Akainu taunted, his fist morphing into magma. "You're not going anywhere."
Akainu raised his fist, ready to strike the ship.
"Let me show you how easy it is to destroy."
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P.S.: This story was never completed, and I want to finish it. If you'd like to help me financially so I have the time to translate it as fast as possible, you can join me on my Patreon at Patreon. com / Emik01 and you can read up to chapter 45.
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