Chapter 285: Kizaru Arrives
The battlefield fell deathly silent.
Rhodes stood there, his long hair flowing, bathed in crackling lightning—like a god descending to earth.
In the distance, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki lay on the ground, convulsing slightly, bloodstains covering his form. Most prominently, a gaping wound pierced his left lung, the hot blood evaporating before it could even flow.
The Marines were stunned, uncontrollable panic rising within them.
The Marines' Fleet Admiral—renowned for his domineering and overwhelming power—had actually shown weakness first, being suppressed in this decisive battle.
Of course, defeat wasn't yet certain.
But his injuries would gradually accumulate, affecting subsequent exchanges, and Rhodes' advantage would snowball. As long as Rhodes remained calm and methodical, he possessed an excellent chance of victory!
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki... was actually being defeated by the Thunder God Swordsman?!"
A Marine Vice Admiral couldn't believe what he was witnessing.
"Why hasn't Admiral Kizaru arrived yet?!"
Another Marine paced anxiously, feeling utterly helpless.
Vergo's expression remained cold and resentful. Having missed this opportunity, catching Rhodes isolated again would prove extremely difficult.
Dozens of nautical miles away,
A yellow flash suddenly materialized, revealing Kizaru's weary expression.
"Maa maa... such troublesome work."
Kizaru felt like a tool, deployed wherever needed.
With a resigned sigh, Kizaru transformed back into elemental form, becoming dazzling light and rushing toward Punk Hazard at incredible speed.
That Thunder God Swordsman again... such a troublesome youngster...
On the battlefield,
Rhodes strode forward, his expression calm, his eyes shining with a majesty that seemed to transcend even Conqueror's Haki itself, making direct eye contact nearly impossible.
He was approaching—walking steadily toward Sakazuki.
Suddenly, Rhodes paused slightly, sensing that the dimensional gateway in the research institute was no longer active. Relief washed over him.
"They've evacuated?"
With his concerns eliminated, Rhodes' demeanor became even more composed as he approached Sakazuki step by step.
"Guh... damn it..."
After crashing through the reef, Sakazuki straightened up from a large patch of scorching lava, coughing up blood continuously. His uniform was torn and tattered, leaving him utterly disheveled.
He was filled with rage and boundless killing intent, finding it difficult to accept that he couldn't match Rhodes.
Rhodes approached, his body crackling with lightning, unleashing streams of silver energy that radiated astonishing power.
He remained cautious. Even with the advantage, he stayed composed—Sakazuki was a fighter of equal caliber, never to be underestimated.
"Rhodes!"
Sakazuki growled, his heart filled with resentment, yet his conviction remained unwavering. He had long since placed personal honor and disgrace beneath justice and duty.
Therefore, after a brief moment of disbelief, he regained his composure, displaying remarkable mental fortitude.
He was in his absolute prime—both physically and mentally at their peak.
Rhodes' eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of genuine admiration in his expression:
"Truly worthy of being Fleet Admiral."
If not for his sudden release of Conqueror's Haki—which had allowed Rhodes to seize the initiative and establish his advantage—the outcome of this battle would have been genuinely uncertain.
In fact, even with his current advantage, the final result remained far from decided.
Even in desperate combat, it was possible for Sakazuki to drag him down or inflict irreparable injuries.
Just like Sakazuki's ten-day battle against Kuzan, where he'd won but emerged with almost no remaining combat capability.
Whoosh!
Rhodes, wielding twin swords, charged forward and launched a fierce assault on Sakazuki.
Slashes, cuts, thrusts, cleaving strikes...
Each fundamental sword technique displayed a certain indescribable profundity.
Throughout this battle, Rhodes had pushed all his strengths to absolute limits. His swordsmanship—already at the pinnacle of top-tier swordsmen—was gradually progressing toward the realm of Dai-Kengo.
His techniques were gradually acquiring a quality of returning to fundamental simplicity.
Rhodes' eyes, however, remained exceptionally calm, without the slightest emotional fluctuation—maintaining composure, maintaining distance while systematically suppressing Sakazuki.
Sakazuki seethed with fury. Each time he attempted an explosive burst to turn the tide, Rhodes skillfully evaded and continued the suppression.
Rhodes fought like an experienced hunter—steady and methodical, gradually inflicting wounds on his prey.
"AAAHHH!"
Sakazuki roared in frustration, his surging magma turning an even deeper crimson. The terrifying heat distorted the atmosphere, creating mirage-like illusions.
"Dai Funka!"
A massive torrent of magma gathered, swirling and roaring as it rushed toward Rhodes.
"Sever!"
Rhodes simply slashed outward with his blade.
Swoosh!
A massive, dazzling sword aura tore through the magma stream, hissing as it broke through the eruption and cleaved Sakazuki in two.
Thunder roared across the battlefield.
Sakazuki's magma-formed body was blasted apart, barely recognizable as human.
"Guh..."
Sakazuki throw blood, his heart sinking.
He possessed a keen awareness that the monster before him was constantly growing stronger!
He, the dignified Fleet Admiral, seemed to have become a whetstone—helping Rhodes advance even further!
"Don't get so arrogant!"
Blood spilled from Sakazuki's mouth and nose, his eyes practically overflowing with fury. He clenched his fist, half his body transforming into magma before unleashing a devastating punch.
"Meigo—Guren Jigoku!"
The magma transformed into a massive hound several times larger than an ordinary Meigo, tearing toward Rhodes and causing violent atmospheric disturbances.
Wherever it passed, a dark crimson trail remained in the air, as if space itself had been scorched.
"Nitōryū: Sōryū!"
Rhodes' eyes narrowed as he crossed both swords before slashing outward simultaneously.
Buzz!
Two thunder dragons intertwined and spiraled, meeting the magma head-on.
BANG!
When the thunder dragons collided with the magma, silver and dark crimson light burst forth, eclipsing the world and creating terrifying energy fluctuations.
With a deafening explosion, the area erupted in a tremendous blast. The ground tore apart, crisscrossed with countless black fissures—each over a meter wide.
One could only imagine the astonishing destructive power they possessed!
The two combatants moved with incredible speed, exchanging fierce blows. In the blinding radiance, only their silhouettes remained visible—like two humanoid Sea Kings locked in mortal combat.
Whoosh!
After dozens—even hundreds—of impacts, the two separated abruptly, moving at lightning speed before facing each other from hundreds of meters apart amid the flowing magma.
Rhodes bore several scorch marks—injuries from the magma—but they weren't severe, only oozing a few drops of blood.
Sakazuki's fists were stained with blood—some from Rhodes, some his own. Even with a physique capable of withstanding Whitebeard's full-force attacks in life-or-death combat, he was now heavily injured.
The surrounding terrain was utterly devastated, lava flowing everywhere. The surface looked as if struck by a meteor—a massive crater surrounded by countless cracks.
Sakazuki panted heavily, his face darkened from being struck directly by lightning.
He felt anxious—why hadn't Kizaru arrived yet?!
He wasn't afraid of being killed by Rhodes. Although seriously wounded, he was far from incapacitated, let alone mortally injured.
In the original Marineford War, Sakazuki had withstood numerous devastating blows from Whitebeard yet remained vigorous—even pursuing the Whitebeard Pirates after the war concluded, demonstrating his incredible resilience.
Sakazuki's primary concern was that if Kizaru arrived any later, he might lose the ability to pursue Rhodes effectively. Even with Kizaru's superior speed, he alone might prove insufficient to stop Rhodes from escaping.
That would be a catastrophic failure.
On the opposite side, Rhodes exhaled softly, somewhat exhausted. The battle had been incredibly intense.
Moreover, as combat progressed, the lava continued spreading, causing ambient temperatures to rise rapidly and exacerbating his physical exhaustion.
Though physically drained, Rhodes' eyes shone brilliantly, possessing a compelling quality—as if two invisible swords flashed within them.
He possessed a distinct feeling that he stood very close to achieving the realm of Dai-Kengo.
Rhodes smiled slightly. A Dai-Kengo not even twenty years old—he wondered if such a prodigy had ever existed in the pirate world's entire history.
Rhodes took a step forward, preparing to engage Sakazuki once more.
But at that moment, dazzling yellow light suddenly flashed from the distant horizon.
One instant it appeared extremely far away—the next, it hovered above the warship.
Kizaru had arrived!
"Admiral Kizaru!"
The oppressive weight in Vergo's and the other Marine officers' hearts finally lifted, revealing excited expressions.
No one could defeat two Admirals fighting together—absolutely no one!
Undisguised hatred flashed in Vergo's eyes.
"You're finished, Rhodes!"
In an instant, Rhodes seemed trapped in a desperate situation.
(End of Chapter)
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