"Die for me!!"
A sleazy figure flipped rapidly through the air and landed squarely on the head of a 20-meter-tall fortress monster.
The monster—once a military stronghold—froze for a moment, clearly baffled by the tiny figure perched atop it.
"Don't underestimate me!!"
Tokikake gritted his teeth, locking his hairy legs tightly around the monster's head. His fists, wrapped in black Armament Haki, came crashing down like a storm.
"I'm a genius from Marine Headquarters!!"
Boom...
Under the stunned gaze of the nearby Marines, the fortress monster's head was smashed to pieces by Tokikake's flurry of blows. It collapsed like a crumbling building, reduced to scattered rubble.
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
Tokikake stood tall in the wreckage, arms spread wide as red-eyed rage burned in his expression. Shards of stone slid off his body in all directions.
"Commander Tokikake... he's so strong..."
"His close-quarters combat is..."
"He really is a genius from headquarters..."
"..."
The Marines stared in shock at Tokikake, who now seemed like a war god. For a brief moment, even his sleazy face seemed to shine with a heroic glow.
Then Tokikake roared up at the sky in anguish:
"A beautiful mature woman like Big Mom... and she chose Daren over me?! Unforgivable!!"
Bang!
Marines around him faceplanted with black lines across their heads.
The aura shattered instantly.
Before they could recover, Tokikake was already off again, shouting profanities as he charged toward another soul monster.
Fueled by rage, he turned into a rampaging humanoid beast, tearing "fortresses" apart with his bare hands. Every monster of rock and steel in his path was reduced to a mangled heap.
...
"Fiery Slash!"
A figure flickered across the battlefield.
A grotesque monster, cornering several young Marines and about to crush them underfoot, suddenly froze mid-step.
Hiss!!
A sword strike exploded across its head, releasing a jet of scorching flame.
The monster wobbled, then collapsed.
The Marines trembled, faces pale, as they watched the bearded young man land steadily on the monster's remains. He held a cigar between his lips and smiled gently.
"You guys all right?"
The Marines snapped out of it and nodded in unison.
They noticed blood dripping from the web between the thumb and forefinger of the hand gripping his sword.
"Then do me a favor—go help evacuate the civilians over there, would you?"
The bearded young man asked with a smile.
"Y-Yes, sir!!"
The Marines scrambled to their feet, gritted their teeth, and rushed in the direction he pointed.
Watching their retreating backs, the man exhaled a puff of smoke and tightened his grip on the blade.
"Hey, Yamakaji, how's it going on your side?"
A cold voice rang out from the left.
Yamakaji, with his long beard, turned to look.
He saw Onigumo walking off the corpse of a soul monster, his expression grim.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his long, gray hair whipped around wildly like spider legs as eight military swords whirled in a sharp, whistling dance.
"These things are tough to handle."
Yamakaji let out a sigh.
He glanced around.
Strawberry, Doberman, Dalmatian, and the other officers from the same training camp were all locked in intense battles.
The soul monsters created by Big Mom were massive, with terrifying strength. A single punch from one of them could blast apart an entire building, and every step they took made the ground groan as if crying out in pain.
Just moments ago, Yamakaji had blocked a soul monster's punch head-on while rescuing fleeing civilians. The impact had split the skin at the base of his thumb, and a sharp, burning pain spread through his arm.
If he hadn't reinforced it with Armament Haki, relying solely on his flesh and bone would've left his arm shattered.
Not everyone was a freak like Daren, able to take on giants barehanded.
"Scared?"
Onigumo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and asked coldly.
Yamakaji laughed.
He lifted his gaze, eyes fixed on a point in the distance.
Over there, four figures—each emanating a distinct aura—were moving at blinding speeds, surrounding the defiant Shiki in a relentless assault.
From afar, it looked like four calm and ruthless wolves challenging the king of the jungle for dominance.
Each of their strikes unleashed a shockwave strong enough to ripple across hundreds of meters, ripping and crumbling the ground beneath them.
Lava, beams of light, frost, electromagnetic pulses, sword energy... The entire area, spanning several kilometers around those five, had been turned into a hellish wasteland no one could step into.
"The pressure Daren and Kuzan are under... it's on a whole different level."
Yamakaji murmured.
Onigumo frowned and narrowed his eyes.
"They're monsters. We're not."
Yamakaji grinned.
"Monsters have their own way of fighting. But us ordinary folks—we have our own responsibilities."
Hiss!
A blazing red flame erupted along the edge of Yamakaji's military sword.
The flickering fire lit up his broad, composed face, now resolute and firm.
He looked toward the distant battlefield, eyes filled with yearning.
"I'd really love to fight by their side someday..."
Yamakaji murmured, his grip on the sword tightening.
Then, without hesitation, he charged toward another massive monster stomping his way.
...
"Shishi Odoshi: Chimaki!!"
The earth within a hundred meters surged upward, quickly forming a towering lion over a hundred meters tall. It roared fiercely, opening its gaping jaws and swallowing a figure whole.
But in the very next moment—
A raging pillar of magma burst out from the belly of the rocky lion.
Cracks spiderwebbed across its massive form, glowing red light spilling from the fissures.
BOOM!!
An eruption of molten fire soared skyward, completely incinerating the solidified lion.
Liquid magma streamed across the battlefield, melting away patches of frost.
Sakazuki stepped from the magma one pace at a time, one hand holding his military cap. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he looked up at Shiki in the sky, voice cold.
"So this is all the legendary Great Pirate has to offer?"
"Jihahahaha... Injured and still mouthing off—you're a stubborn little brat, aren't you?"
Shiki, dual swords in hand, laughed heartily. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, a sudden flash of red glinted in his fierce eyes.
His gaze snapped to the side.
A burst of golden light coalesced behind him, rapidly taking the shape of a man.
A white leather shoe rotated downward, lashing out midair!
"Ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Borsalino's form fully materialized, one hand rubbing the stubble on his chin.
With a casual posture and a kick charged with the piercing power of a light beam, he struck Shiki at the back of the head.