Tokikake's body was completely pierced. The massive hole left behind was horrifying. Countless people witnessed the scene with their own eyes. The brilliant white slash tore straight through Tokikake's body, leaving behind a gaping cavity before continuing onward and shooting into the distance.
Tokikake crashed heavily onto the ice. He struggled a few more times, his limbs twitching weakly, before his arms finally fell limp at his sides. Soon after, his enormous body began to shrink, reverting back to human form. As his right hand dropped helplessly onto the ice, his life came to an end.
"Vice Admiral!"
"Tokikake!"
"Damn pirates!"
"All pirates deserve to die!"
"Tokikake… he's dead, right?"
"How is this possible?!"
Countless Marines cried out in despair. Yet at this moment, they were utterly powerless. Just like before, when they had witnessed the deaths of Garp and the others, they could do nothing but tremble in fear and struggle to accept reality.
"Death is only natural in war!" King, transformed into a massive pterosaur, unleashed a torrent of flames. More than a dozen Marines were instantly engulfed, incinerated before they could even scream.
BOOM!
At the same time, a Vice Admiral fell from the sky, smashing into King with an iron staff and sending him flying backward. The death of Tokikake, who was beloved by countless Marines, was unbearable to them. Another Admiral candidate had fallen. Panic spread even further throughout the Marine ranks. Was the Marine truly going to lose? The top combat forces of Marine were dying one after another, yet among the Three Yonko Alliance, not a single top-tier fighter had fallen, only injuries. And the most terrifying man of all, Elior, remained completely uninjured.
On the other side of the battlefield, Sengoku could no longer hold back his tears.
"AAAH!"
Unable to accept Tokikake's death, Sengoku erupted once more. Kaido responded instantly, unleashing a blazing Heat Breath. Sengoku leapt into the air, charging forward as his shockwave crushed the attack head-on, forcing the flames back. In the next instant, Sengoku's massive golden palm slammed into Kaido's face. Kaido's features twisted violently as his body was blasted away like a cannonball.
"Did that bastard just blow my head apart?!"
Kaido felt his skull buzzing violently, the pain so intense it made him question his own existence. Before Kaido could recover, Sengoku took another step forward and charged again. The enraged former Fleet Admiral was gambling with his life. He knew it. He would almost certainly die here today. Elior would never let him go. But before that, he had to kill one more top-tier enemy. Kaido had to die, even if it meant dragging him to the grave together.
Sengoku charged forward, but at that very moment, Elior descended from the sky, appearing directly in front of him. Without hesitation, Elior threw a punch. The fist slammed squarely into Sengoku's face.
BOOM!
The impact exploded outward like a bomb, shattering the surrounding ice into fragments. Sengoku's aged face caved in under the blow as his body was sent flying uncontrollably. After being hurled dozens of meters away, Sengoku barely managed to force himself to stop. The bones in his face were shattered, and his features were grotesquely distorted. Only one thing was certain: Elior's power was utterly terrifying.
"Damn you, Elior! You bastard!"
Sengoku roared furiously, charging again as the ice beneath his feet shattered. Elior stepped forward to meet him. Sengoku gathered the strongest shockwave he could muster, pressing both palms together. Elior condensed dense, crimson explosive energy.
The next second, golden shockwaves and crimson energy collided. A catastrophic explosion erupted into the sky, instantly obliterating the ice within several hundred meters. It was a destructive force that seemed capable of erasing everything. The clash ended with the crimson explosive energy completely overwhelming Sengoku's golden shockwave. Under the crushing impact, the massive Buddha hands of Sengoku were engulfed and then erased. Both arms were gone.
Before Sengoku could even process the pain, his body was blasted away once more.
"The gap between us is still too vast"
Sengoku finally understood. He had never felt such overwhelming power in his entire life. It was monstrous and demonic. His arms had been completely annihilated, swallowed by Elior's explosive energy.
At that moment, Kaido descended from the sky.
"Raimei Hakke!!"
Dark clouds churned violently as thunder roared. Countless bolts of lightning poured down from the heavens. Kaido's kanabo, wrapped in raging purple lightning, crashed down upon Sengoku.
"Elior! In the end, I am the one who kills this man! You won't stop me!" Kaido roared.
The strike landed. Sengoku's shattered face collapsed like fragile clay.
BOOM!!
A deafening thunderclap echoed across the battlefield. Sengoku's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as an enormous surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted outward in all directions. This was the final blaze of his life. His body smashed into the ice, forming a massive crater with Sengoku lying at its center. He stared helplessly at the darkened sky. Blood soaked the ice beneath him as his life rapidly drained away. The pain no longer mattered.
Kaido landed nearby. If Sengoku had shown any sign of life, Kaido wouldn't have hesitated to strike again, but Sengoku was already dying. Yet Kaido felt no satisfaction. He knew that without Elior, this battle would have dragged on endlessly. Once again, it was Elior.
At that moment, Elior stepped forward. Of course, his goal was Sengoku's Devil Fruit. The transformation might be unsightly, but the shockwave power was terrifying. It was worth keeping for now. Elior usually bestowed plundered abilities upon his women, unless the ability was too grotesque. Only powerful abilities were worth taking.
Sengoku's condition was tragic. His mouth was destroyed, his arms were gone, and his upper body was drenched in blood. Death was inevitable. As Elior approached, Sengoku's eyes burned with fury and unwillingness. Elior placed his right hand over Sengoku's body. Plundering only required the target to be dead or on the brink of death.
Dark crimson light intertwined with golden radiance. Sengoku's eyes widened as he felt the power within his body being forcibly torn away. It was being stolen, but he couldn't speak. Blood poured endlessly from his mouth. The instant Elior completed the plunder, Sengoku's life was severed completely. He died with his eyes wide open.
"Hey, brat… what exactly were you doing just now?" Kaido, who had witnessed everything, frowned in confusion.
Elior shook his head calmly. "Nothing special. I just sped up his death."
Kaido fell silent. After thinking it over, it strangely made sense.
Sengoku was dead.