A massive molten fist erupted like a volcanic blast toward Esdeath. As one of the top-tier fighters, Sakazuki's strikes carried explosive force not to be underestimated; even Esdeath, who profits from trading wounds, didn't want to be hit by that punch.
"Ice Barrier!"
Esdeath's military blade traced across the frozen ground and, in an instant, a tens-of-meters-high ice wall manifested.
Boom!
The lava fist smashed the huge ice wall to splinters, yet failed to completely destroy the ice's steel-like hardness.
Scorching lava and freezing ice collided, and thick steam and icy mist spread across the battlefield.
"Wuff! Rush in!"
Dog-headed Captain Daug of the Daug Pirates shouted excitedly. At his command, the Daug crew plunged without hesitation into the fog.
"Lads! Charge with me! Forward!"
Black-clad Captain Buck of the Pitch-Black Pirates led his men in a charge. These high-ranking fighters were confident in their strength—if Esdeath could hold Akainu back, no one here posed a real threat.
After all, pirates who qualify as high-ranking fighters typically carry bounties in the hundreds of millions of Berries; many ordinary Vice Admirals might not be able to take them on, let alone the ragtag forces of the Holy Land Guard.
Thousands upon thousands of pirates roared as they surged into Red Port. At every fortress and on every street, they engaged the Holy Land Guard in brutal, bloody clashes.
"You scum of the lowest order! Burn to ashes!"
Seeing more and more pirates pouring into Red Port, an enraged Sakazuki slammed his fist into the ground; the frozen surface immediately fractured into countless spiderweb-like cracks.
Steam billowed up as huge blocks of ice melted, and the ground's temperature spiked as if an iron plate were being roasted by fire.
"Boom!"
A vast surge of magma burst forth from underground, like a fountain, scorching every pirate within several hundred meters to charcoal.
Lava kept gushing from beneath; within a few breaths Red Port's shoreline had been transformed into an impassable sea of molten rock.
The first detachment of pirates that had been charging into Red Port was severed in two. The pirates behind, terrified of Sakazuki's attack, dared not advance; those who had already entered found their retreat cut off and fell into chaos.
"Defend the Holy Land! Kill those damned pirates!"
The Holy Land Guard Legion's soldiers rallied their remaining courage and charged at the cut-off first detachment, shouting.
Although the average combat ability of the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirate Group's crews was higher, fewer than half had actually landed at Red Port—plus their rear had been cut off at a low point in morale—so for a time they were driven back by the defenders.
The hard-won positions were recaptured by the garrison, and just as the situation seemed to be reversing, the mid- and high-level fighters of the first detachment finally stood up.
"Blacken!"
Buck his whole body a pitch-black sheen, grinned and swung his hand toward the Holy Land Guard Legion soldiers before him.
A huge mass—like a glob of paint—instantly covered the hundreds of soldiers in front of him in black. Even a tiny smear of that black "paint" would rapidly spread across the coated area.
"Waaah! What is this?!"
"It's just being painted black—nothing serious! Kill him!"
"Wait! That guy—could he be from the Black—"
…
The soldiers caught in the sudden attack fell into chaos—some tried to flee, some attempted to keep fighting, and others reached desperately for backup. But none of them noticed that the blackness spreading over their bodies had already covered them completely.
"Come forth and fight for me! Black Legion!"
Buck spread his arms wide and burst into laughter. The black layer covering the soldiers peeled away from their bodies—only to transform into soldiers identical to the ones it had covered.
The moment these black soldiers appeared, they immediately slashed at their originals. Even after cutting down the ones they were copied from, they did not disappear; instead, they continued throwing themselves at other enemies.
The strength of the black soldiers was no greater than that of the originals, but their fearless, suicidal fighting style often caused far heavier casualties.
Against the tens of thousands of the Holy Land Defense Corps, a mere few hundred black soldiers were insignificant—but on this small section of the battlefield, they were more than enough to overturn the situation.
"Jūrin Style — Spiderweb Slash!"
Just as the defensive line in this area was about to collapse, a radiant burst of sword light exploded among the black soldiers and pirates.
By manipulating his hair with Life Return, Onigumo could wield ten weapons at once. Whether it was the fearless black soldiers or the brutal pirates, he sliced them all into pieces with ease.
"Tch… so it's you…"
Buck immediately recognized Onigumo, the Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral who was somewhat well-known in the New World. The pitch-black color of his face even seemed to pale a little.
Of course, for a user of the Paramecia-type Black-Black Fruit, a "pale face" meant his face looked closer to a normal person's—just less black.
"It ends here, you worthless scum!"
Onigumo leveled his blade toward Buck. The anger on his face gradually settled into a cold, stern expression.
From the other side, a tall figure with a dog's head stepped forward—the captain of the Dog Pirates. He bared his sharp canine fangs at Onigumo in a silent threat.
Two against one.
Both Buck and Dog were notorious pirates in the New World. A typical Vice Admiral of Headquarters would struggle against either of them individually—much less both at the same time.
Worse still, the soldiers of the Holy Land Defense Corps had already suffered devastating losses. Once the fight began, they would be in no condition to support Onigumo. They would be lucky just to hold their defensive lines.
"Long time no see, Onigumo. Tell me—do you think Kizaru will come save you again this time?"
Dog licked the scar running across his cheek with his long tongue.
Back then, seven pirate crews had formed an alliance, preparing to challenge a Yonko. They happened to run into Onigumo, who was out on a mission to hunt pirates.
Onigumo lost and was taken prisoner. Just as he was about to be executed as the alliance's first sacrificial offering, Kizaru—who had been dragged into the operation by then-Fleet Admiral Sengoku—arrived just in time to save him.
°°°
If you want to read ahead and access 20 advanced chapters, check the patreon
Link: Patreon/Moziel
Subscription should be made thru the web and never the ios app, it helps you and me.