The storm howled wildly as black and red lightning tore across the sky.
Above Marineford, Shiki the Golden Lion stood in midair, laughing madly like a demon god.
The battlefield below was shrouded in smoke and fire. Corpses piled like mountains, with severed limbs and shattered bodies buried throughout the ruins.
Marines and civilians in the distant residential zone stared up at the figure in horror, frozen in place, trembling as a deep, indescribable despair began to take root in their eyes.
On this day, the world once again witnessed the terror of the so-called legendary Great Pirates.
...
Far across the battlefield—
"Mamamama! So worried about your little students, are you, Zephyr?!"
Big Mom seized the split second when Zephyr lost focus, grinning viciously as she raised her massive, flame-wreathed sword and swung it down with overwhelming force.
"Napoleon—Cognac!!"
A wave of intense, scorching heat rushed forward, so hot it distorted the very air.
Napoleon, her bicorne hat fused with Prometheus, had become a blade of pure destruction, erupting with flames at every slash.
"Damn it!"
Zephyr's pupils contracted as he cursed under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest, now coated in Armament Haki.
Boom!!
A cyclone of flames exploded outward, transforming the surrounding tens of meters into a blazing sea of fire.
Zephyr shot backward from the flames, his military boots carving twin gouges into the scorched earth.
But before he could even catch his breath, the air above cracked open with a thunderous burst. A whirlwind and crackling lightning surged downward like a hammer!
"Worororo!! An opening!!"
Kaidou, in his dragon-human hybrid form, descended with a savage grin, his eyes burning blood-red with fury.
Both hands gripped his black spiked kanabō, streaks of black and red lightning crackling wildly as he swung. His long, dark hair lashed around him like a furious serpent.
"Die!! You're just a washed-up old man! Stay down where you belong!!"
One swing—falling like a meteor!
"Kosanze Ragnaraku!!"
A flicker of anger flashed in Zephyr's eyes.
Kaidou's attacks were brutal, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, and struck like thunder.
Although his Haki didn't match the intensity of Shiki's, a direct clash would still cost Zephyr dearly.
His eyes glowed crimson—Observation Haki pushed to its peak, reading the future in the split second before impact.
In a flash—
Zephyr's boots slammed into the ground, his body shifting position at the last possible moment.
The kanabō, wreathed in lightning, smashed down just beside his flapping cape.
The Hassaikai drove deep into the earth.
Boom!!
A seismic strike shook the battlefield!
Black and red lightning surged with a devastating shockwave, blasting outward for over a thousand meters.
Within several hundred meters of the impact point, the ground caved in by a full meter, rupturing into dozens of jagged cracks as boulders exploded into the sky.
Kaidou's sure-kill attack missed—and a flicker of disbelief flashed across his eyes.
"Kaidou, you punk... Strength alone won't carry you. You're still too green!!"
A furious roar burst from within the thick cloud of dust.
The next instant, a coarse, jet-black arm shot out from the smoke, racing toward Kaidou's face—reflected clearly in his narrowing pupils.
Zephyr, fierce as a raging tiger, exploded through the rubble.
His calloused hand spread wide, fingers rough and gnarled, and clamped down on Kaidou's head with crushing force.
"This guy!!"
A jolt ran through Kaidou's chest.
In the heart of true close combat, he finally felt it—
The crushing, inescapable pressure of the former Marine Admiral standing before him.
Every technique refined to perfection.
Armament Haki—calm, unshakable.
The battle instincts of a man who had walked through countless blood-soaked battlefields.
Unshakable will, hardened through life-or-death clashes.
He was like a towering, immovable mountain.
And no matter how much raw power or Haki Kaidou possessed—he couldn't overcome it.
Zephyr gritted his teeth hard. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes flooded with bloodshot veins as he roared with all his might:
"You're the one who should be on the ground!!"
He slammed his hand down with force.
Boom!!
Kaidou's head was driven into the earth in a crushing impact. The already fractured ground collapsed completely, shattering with a deafening rumble as waves of destruction rippled outward.
Shards of stone exploded into the air.
Blood streamed from Kaidou's nose and mouth. His dragon eyes began to lose focus, pupils dilated as stars danced in his vision.
"Mamamamama!!"
A shrill laugh echoed from above.
"Hahaba!!"
Big Mom's towering, voluptuous form flipped nimbly through the air and appeared before Zephyr in an instant, both hands gripping her flaming blade as she slashed down hard!
Clang!!
Zephyr raised his arms to block, sparks exploding in his face as the impact sent him flying backward, gritting his teeth.
A numbing ache surged through his arms, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Whether it was Big Mom or Kaidou, both of their bodies defied human limits—stronger even than full-grown warriors of the Giant Tribe. They were absurdly hard to deal with.
The only fortunate thing was that, while Kaidou had reached an Admiral's level in raw power, his combat technique and Haki weren't all that refined—certainly not on Big Mom's level.
Still, their monstrous endurance and regenerative ability were astonishing. Zephyr felt more and more constrained with each exchange.
A thin line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he glared coldly at Big Mom, who stood with her massive sword slung over her shoulder, and at Kaidou, swaying as he struggled to rise from the crater. His fists clenched tight.
"Damn Marines... That really hurt."
Kaidou grunted, wiping the blood from his face, his eyes brimming with violence and malice as he stared at Zephyr.
"Mamamama, you're still alive? Then get up already, Kaidou."
Charlotte Linlin let out another twisted laugh, then turned her amused gaze toward Zephyr, pointing into the distance.
"Zephyr, are you sure you want to waste your strength on us here?"
"Your precious little students... won't last much longer."
"Let's make a deal—hand over Daren, and I'll leave with him and Kaidou."
Before Zephyr could even reply, Kaidou whipped his head around in disbelief and roared:
"What the hell are you talking about, you crazy hag?! I don't take orders from you!!"
"Kaidou, don't forget—you owe me a huge favor."
Big Mom sneered, unbothered.
Kaidou froze at her words. He gritted his teeth, and though his face twisted with hesitation... he didn't say another word.
Big Mom smiled sweetly again, turning back to Zephyr.
"See? Just hand over Daren, and Kaidou and I will be gone."
"That way, you'll be free to stop that lunatic Shiki. Otherwise... your students won't make it out alive."
She licked her crimson lips and giggled softly.
"Don't worry—I won't kill Daren. I couldn't bear to. A man that perfect... I'd never waste him."