"What?!" The scarred pirate was bewildered, not understanding the Marine's seemingly random words. Then, with a thwip, a finger pierced his chest. His body stiffened, and he slowly lowered his head, blood gushing from his heart.
"I said… this won't do… You're too weak," Wilder whispered in his ear, leaning down slightly. Only then did the pirate hear him clearly. A flicker of unwillingness passed through his eyes, and his body slumped backward.
Flicking the blood from his hand, Wilder looked up. The battle between Whitebeard and Akainu had ceased at some point. Now, Marco and Kizaru were engaged in combat.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Light beams struck the ground. Marco, transformed into his phoenix form, was deflecting the attacks that would be lethal to most.
Bam! Kizaru kicked Marco, sending him flying. A flash of golden light followed, catching up to Marco as he fell.
"Got you!" A towering figure appeared behind Marco. Before he could react, Seastone cuffs were snapped onto his wrists.
Pierce! A beam of light shot out, piercing Marco's body.
"Gwah!" Marco's eyes widened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body collapsing weakly to the ground.
"Marco!" Whitebeard, seeing this, forced his battered body to move, swinging his fist.
Tremors roared, and a crack appeared in the air. A terrifying shockwave surged towards a streak of golden light in mid-air.
"How scary. Luckily, I dodged that," Kizaru's body reappeared in the distance, his voice slow and drawling.
Akainu glanced back, but didn't intervene. He charged forward, magma erupting along his path. Countless pirates were engulfed by his magma, unable to offer any resistance. He was a force of nature, unstoppable, with no one capable of blocking his path.
Boom! Just then, Whitebeard spun his bisento, slashing down. A shockwave surged towards Akainu.
"Heh!" A curve formed on Akainu's lips, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Great Eruption!"
He turned, unleashing a torrent of magma that collided with the shockwave. After a prolonged struggle, the two forces dissipated.
Wilder kept one eye on the overall battle situation while holding back some of his strength as he continued to eliminate pirates.
"Charge!"
The Marines roared with determination. The pirates pushed forward towards the execution platform, but most were intercepted. Only a few managed to break through the defensive line, and they were quickly slain by the Vice Admirals guarding the platform.
The Warlords of the Sea had also joined the fray, each finding their own opponents.
The only anomaly was the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock. Wherever she went, both pirates and Marines alike were sent flying by her kicks.
"Has that woman gone mad?!" On the execution platform, Sengoku's face was dark, the veins on his forehead practically throbbing!
Thwack! Wilder moved with fluid grace, slicing a pirate who attacked him. His Justice coat billowed behind him, drawing the envious and admiring gazes of several Marines behind him.
"So strong! He's a Captain for a reason!"
"I wish I could wear that coat someday."
"You can! Just keep taking down pirates! You'll definitely get there!" Wilder turned back, offering a warm, genuine smile to the young recruits, encouraging them.
"That kid's got potential. We should consider promoting him to Vice Admiral after this," Sengoku muttered, his grim expression softening slightly after witnessing the scene.
"Marine, you shouldn't be just a Captain," a voice said from beside him.
Wilder looked over. A man, possibly a few years older than him, stood there. He wore a watermelon-shaped helmet and had two crossed rocket launchers on his back. He held another rocket launcher in his right hand and a short gun, similar in shape to a rocket launcher, in his left.
"Curiel, Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Tenth Division?" Wilder raised an eyebrow, his voice calm.
"That's right."
Curiel grinned, and with a click, the trigger of his rocket launcher was pulled.
Boom!
A long projectile, trailing a thick plume of smoke, hurtled towards Wilder.
Whoosh! Wilder vanished, reappearing to the side. The projectile, carrying a burst of fire, passed through the spot where he had been standing and struck the ground nearby.
Boom! The explosion sent rocks flying. Wilder glanced at it, then turned back to Curiel: "Didn't anyone ever tell you playing with firecrackers is dangerous?"
"Ha! My old man never cared about that!" Curiel wasn't angered by Wilder's words. He chuckled, a flash of killing intent in his eyes. His left-hand pistol fired three times in rapid succession, sending three bullets from different directions, forming a triangle that locked onto Wilder.
"Iron Body: Ultra Steel!" Wilder muttered under his breath, tensing his body. His blood flow accelerated and then abruptly stopped. An almost invisible metallic sheen flashed across his body, hardening it like steel.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Three explosions followed in quick succession as the three bullets struck Wilder's body, sending up three puffs of smoke!
"That stings a little." Wilder's uniform was torn in three places. He slightly raised his eyelids, giving Curiel a grin. In an instant, he vanished!
Boom! Boom! Boom! A series of muffled booms echoed in the air. Curiel's expression turned serious. This Marine Captain's strength had once again exceeded his expectations.
"If I'm not mistaken, what he just used was one of the Navy's Six Powers, and… it seems he's extraordinarily skilled in it," Curiel thought, his eyes constantly moving as he stood his ground.
Swish! Five claw marks appeared on Curiel's left side, leaving five faint ripples in the air that quickly vanished.
"Hmph… a troublesome fellow," Curiel muttered, glancing at the five bleeding gashes on his side. He had already moved from his original position. A rocket fired from the launcher on his shoulder.
"Soru!" A dark shadow paused momentarily in the air, instantly changing direction and disappearing again. Wilder's extreme speed made him seem to vanish into the air, the sonic booms gradually fading, leaving only the occasional faint sound of a small air burst.
Boom! The rocket exploded on the ground, flames expanding in a semi-spherical shape. The blast sent boulders tumbling.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Getting hit by one of these rockets would probably be unpleasant," Wilder's voice echoed in the air. Then, his five fingers tensed, becoming hard!
"That wouldn't be a big deal for someone like you!" Curiel looked up, his eyes fixed on a specific direction, and grinned. With a click, the trigger was pulled! Another rocket, trailing a long tail of fire, shot out.
Boom! The pointed rocket stopped mid-flight. At its tip, a figure stood poised in the air, his body bent forward in a charging pose. His right hand, formed into five claws, was in contact with the rocket!
Behind him, his Justice coat billowed in the wind, flapping loudly!
Time seemed to freeze. The dark shadow and the rocket, illuminated by the fire, were like a needle facing a wheat awn, perfectly still.
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