Oden finally squared his gaze on the opponent before him, his expression solemn.
"Navy, what is your name?" he asked, voice deep with authority.
Lloyd replied calmly, his tone unreadable. "Second-year student of the Navy Academy, Lloyd."
A wave of shock rippled through the surrounding pirates. The idea that someone with such power could still be a mere student was almost laughable. How could the Whitebeard Pirates survive the seas if the Navy's rookies were all like him?
Before anyone could recover from their disbelief, several warships appeared on the horizon. Following them, six massive paw-shaped silhouettes streaked across the sea at a barely perceptible speed. Six enormous indentations appeared instantly on the deck behind Lloyd. Kuma and the others had arrived.
Meanwhile, Zephyr had already been transported to the Moby Dick by Kuma, ready to observe the battle firsthand.
Akainu scanned the battlefield. The moment his gaze fell on the fallen Marines, molten magma erupted across his body, heating the air and raising the temperature of the deck dramatically.
Oden's pupils contracted in alarm. "Magma!? Impossible! He's a Logia user! Everyone, scatter!"
But it was already too late. Akainu moved with ruthless precision, elementalized fists blazing, incinerating dozens of pirates in an instant. Many others were blasted off the ship by the explosive force, plunging into the sea like helpless debris.
The Marines on deck felt their morale surge. They rallied immediately, shouting and striking with renewed vigor.
The Whitebeard Pirates, seasoned and quick to adapt, reorganized swiftly. Oden charged forward, his target clear: Lloyd and the two other Logia users beside him.
Lloyd's expression remained calm, an aura of subtle pressure radiating from him. "This one is formidable. Borsalino, Sakazuki, join me. The rest, handle the remaining officers."
The six moved without hesitation. Lucia spread her black wings, her body becoming a streak of dark light as she hurtled toward Nekomamushi and Inuarashi. Gion followed closely, while Ginny targeted a young pirate wielding a firearm and clad in a pink kimono.
Kuma interposed, shielding Marco and Jozu with his massive form.
Oden ignored the others, focusing on Lloyd. Crossing his twin swords, he shouted, "Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!"
This was one of Oden's ultimate techniques, a display of the immense threat Lloyd and his allies posed.
Kizaru, usually relaxed, assumed a rare seriousness. His light sword, Ama no Murakumo, materialized as he aligned himself beside Lloyd and Akainu.
Oden's mind whirred. "Three Logia users?"
He clenched his teeth, fueling his swords with Haki. If these three were allowed to grow unchecked, Whitebeard's sons would face an unrelenting force. Today, he would eliminate these newcomers.
Buzz!
A cross-shaped slash erupted. Lloyd moved forward, enveloping the Muramasa in Haoshoku Haki.
"King's Sword: Royal Extreme!"
Lloyd slashed against the torrent. Though formidable, Oden's full-power attack was immense. He could not withstand it alone.
Kizaru appeared beside Lloyd, and together, the two dispersed the sword wave. Paradise Totsuka was no mere strike; it was followed immediately by Oden, twin swords cutting through the air.
Akainu narrowed his eyes. His body surged with molten magma. As Oden approached, Akainu's elementalized left hand ignited crimson flames and drove forward.
"Hell Hound!" he roared.
Oden could not resist Akainu's magma strike, even with Armament Haki. He had to guard himself with both swords, yet the force hurled him backward, as if caught in a volcanic eruption.
Seizing the moment, Lloyd's left hand elementalized into darkness and pressed against the deck.
"Darkness Channel!"
The ground beneath Oden erupted violently, sucking his legs below the knees into the black void. He struggled, activating Armament Haki to defend and force his limbs free.
Lloyd did not relent. Darkness coiled around his left arm, growing more violent. Oden felt as if his calves would be torn apart, groaning in pain.
"Darkness Waterfall Funeral!" Lloyd bellowed.
The dark power surged to its maximum. Oden's roar echoed across the deck as he was violently thrown to a safe spot beyond the reach of darkness, bloodied and battered.
There was no alternative. Against an opponent of Oden's individual strength, Lloyd could not afford to disperse his power. To be effective, the darkness had to strike precisely, focused where it mattered.
Elsewhere, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, sensing the commotion, abandoned their engagements with Lucia and Gion, rushing toward Oden. Their eyes blazed with fury.
"Oden-sama!!" they shouted.
Oden's face was pale, his body supported by his twin swords. His right leg below the knee had been destroyed, blood pooling around him, painting a grim scene on the deck.
Nekomamushi roared, enraged. "Who did this!? Who would dare harm Oden-sama!?"
Oden, gritting his teeth, spoke weakly, "Too reckless… this element… darkness…"
Standing on one leg, he steadied himself, speaking through the pain. "We cannot allow these three to survive. Kill them!"
His loyal subordinates needed no further command. Nekomamushi charged, but Inuarashi, the calmer of the two, held him back.
"Wait! Look at the sky!"
Nekomamushi froze, then glanced upward. The full moon hung high, illuminating the deck in silvery light.
A wide grin split his face. "Tonight… it is the night of the full moon! Hahaha! You are finished!"
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