Seeing Setsuna's surging aura, Akainu was surprised again, 'The opponent could still improve?'
"Truly astonishing talent. If you had chosen to join the Marines, you undoubtedly could have become an Admiral," Akainu praised gravely, magma churning around him.
"And then? Be driven around by that stupid pig like you?" Setsuna sneered.
Akainu just snorted coldly, not bothering to explain. "Hell Hound Legion!"
Instantly, hundreds of magma hounds roared as they pounced toward Setsuna. The heatwaves they generated while running twisted the air.
Wherever these hounds passed, seawater was permanently transformed into magma. The entire battlefield was being converted into Akainu's domain.
A brilliant light flashed in Setsuna's eyes. Conqueror's Haki materialized and compressed.
He lowered his stance, pulling his right fist back, gathering power.
"Haki Fist: Day Tiger!"
Dark-red lightning coiled around an air cannon compressed to its limit, transforming into an overwhelming energy torrent that instantly engulfed the charging hound legion.
The moment those hounds were shattered, they suddenly exploded.
The massive shockwave tore a fissure in the energy torrent. Akainu's figure appeared ghost-like before the fissure, his right fist transforming into a black-red magma cannon.
This punch's speed far surpassed any previous attack. But Setsuna showed no fear. His fist, wrapped in Ki and Haki, struck back ferociously.
It was as if heaven and earth were being cleaved apart. The sky above Rusukaina Island was torn in two.
Akainu grunted, his figure blasted back hundreds of meters. The magma on his right arm was forcibly scattered.
Setsuna wasn't unscathed either. Splattering magma corroded his body, emitting wisps of smoke.
"A hard fist indeed," Akainu shook his arm, magma reforming over it. "Your martial arts attainment truly surpasses imagination."
Setsuna breathed slightly heavily, glancing at the burns on his body from the magma. "Your magma isn't bad either. Nearly burned through my Haki."
Before his words faded, the two charged at each other again.
Setsuna's Conqueror's Haki acted like the barrier from Bari Bari no Mi, steadily blocking Akainu's heavy, magma-wrapped fists.
The air between them twisted violently, emitting piercing screeches.
After a stalemate, Setsuna suddenly withdrew his Conqueror's Haki defense, using Akainu's own momentum to redirect his punch sideways.
Caught off guard, Akainu's body leaned forward slightly.
Setsuna seized the opportunity, a whip-like leg kicking Akainu hard in the waist.
Akainu grunted, immediately counterattacking. His left elbow, wrapped in magma, smashed toward Setsuna's face.
Setsuna tilted his head to dodge. Magma brushed past his cheek, the scorching heatwave making his skin burn.
He retaliated with a reverse hand-chop aimed at Akainu's neck, but it was blocked by the other's Armament Haki.
Their offense and defense grew faster. Their figures left blurred afterimages in the air.
Each collision stirred up towering waves on the sea. Each clash shattered the clouds in the sky.
The sky seemed to become a private stage for these two monsters.
"Great Eruption: Hell Hound!" Akainu suddenly attacked fiercely. His right arm transformed into a ferocious magma hound, its speed suddenly increasing severalfold.
Setsuna's pupils contracted. At the last moment, he sidestepped, but magma still grazed his shoulder.
Intense pain surged. Gritting his teeth, he repaid with a straight punch wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, squarely hitting Akainu's chest.
Akainu spat out a mouthful of blood but grinned fiercely. "Your fists don't seem heavy enough!"
Setsuna felt inwardly frustrated. Although he could now refine Senjutsu Chakra himself, he had just mastered it. The refinement speed couldn't keep up with the consumption rate.
Roughly, for every ten minutes of Sage Mode, there'd be a three-minute cooldown period.
Although these three minutes didn't matter much, as his strongest asset was recovery, it still made it seem like he was being suppressed by Akainu.
Indeed, in the interior of Rusukaina Island.
Maha watched excitedly. "Aha! Admiral Akainu is going to win!"
Mccanney's expression was vicious. He pointed at Cavendish and the others, laughing cruelly. "You lowly scum! Later, I'll use the cruelest methods to torture each of you to death!"
Maha's face changed drastically upon hearing this, but it was too late to stop it.
Everyone belatedly realized… couldn't they do something?
Enel and the others exchanged knowing glances. Dangerous glints gradually appeared in their eyes.
Mccanney finally sensed the danger. "You lowly scum! What do you want to do?!"
"Capture you as a hostage, of course!" Cavendish's lips curled into a wicked smile as he slowly drew his rapier.
The other crew members also revealed sinister smiles, slowly closing in on the Celestial Dragon.
"Maha! Kill them!" Mccanney screamed in terror, his fatty flesh trembling.
Maha forced himself to step forward. "Everyone, offending a World Noble is a capital crime…"
"Capital crime my ass! Kill him!"
With a furious roar, everyone swarmed him.
As a CP0 member, Maha's strength couldn't be considered weak.
In the original timeline, he and Whitebeard Pirates' 16th Division Commander, Izou, died together.
But facing the combined assault of Enel, Cavendish, and Uta, he was instantly defeated.
'The subordinates of a monster are monsters too!' Nyon inwardly clicked her tongue.
Mccanney finally felt genuine fear. "The Marines! You useless Marines! Come save me!"
Hearing his furious rebuke, several Marine officers who had considered making a stand fell silent.
Cavendish stepped forward, punching through the Celestial Dragon's helmet.
He raised his foot and unceremoniously ground Mccanney's fat face into the dirt, an intoxicated expression on his face. "So this is what it feels like to step on a Celestial Dragon? So satisfying!"
"You damn lowly scum! How dare you…!" Mccanney let out a hysterical scream.
Cavendish wasn't angry. Instead, he said, "Everyone, be careful. This trash's body is weak. Don't kill him by accident."
Enel raised an eyebrow. Using just a few volts, he electrocuted the Celestial Dragon, making his entire body convulse.
Robin knelt gracefully, holding a dagger, her voice so gentle it was chilling. "Come on, shout for help loudly. Make Akainu unable to fight back!"
"You lo-" Mccanney was about to curse, but Robin's dagger mercilessly stabbed into his thigh.
"Ahhh-" A pig-like scream pierced the clouds.
"Louder!" Robin smiled, pulling out the dagger, then gently inserting it into another spot.
"I'll shout! I'll shout!" Mccanney was a mess of tears and snot, crying and begging. "Akainu! Stop! Stop right now!"
"Too soft!" Robin shook her head, the dagger descending again.
Mccanney screamed in agony, snot and tears covering his face. He used all his strength to roar, "Akainu! Stop! Don't fight back!"
This piercing scream penetrated the clouds, clearly heard even by the two fighting high in the sky.
"Damn it!" Akainu's eyes blazed with fury.
'Not fighting back in a battle of this level? Wasn't that just suicide?'
Setsuna's expression turned somewhat subtle. He had been in this world for so long and had never been threatened with a hostage. Now, he was using a hostage to threaten someone else?
Although this method was somewhat despicable, considering the person being threatened was Akainu, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
Setsuna smiled and said, "Admiral Akainu, no fighting back, okay?"