A.N: So yeah...this is a thing. So, let me review the past couple months. First, I worked myself sick AGAIN. Then, I took a vacation to rest. Then, things got busy at my work because it was near the end of the year. Then the Holidays rolled around so at that point I was just like, "Screw it, I'm going to rest up the rest of the year". Then, I created a new calendar system where I could properly schedule my writing. Then I had to record some things for various personal projects of mine. Then I had to re-record them because I was using the wrong microphone and the sound quality is VERY different.
Other than that, 2021 is starting off well. So, I hope everyone enjoys the first chapter of the new year. And shoutout to Paleodemon for bouncing off some ideas with me on this particular chapter. Thanks bud.
Chapter 31: When Heaven Becomes Hell
"Stand firm, Marines!" One of the commanding officers shouted to the men of his ship as each naval vessel began loading their many cannons to fire upon the three alliance fleets bearing down on them. "We have a golden opportunity before us all! The opportunity to show these traitors the strength of our justice! No, not just 'show'. We have the opportunity to establish our justice!"
"Let us show not just the enemies we see before us, but the entire universe that our ideals make us the strongest in the entire world!" The officer continued. "Let us show everyone, even our kings and our gods that it is our ideals that will lead this world into enlightenment!"
Byakuya Kuchiki, meanwhile, stood at the bow of the 4th Fleet Flagship. Shikamaru Nara watched with his arms folded as the commander tilted the blade of his Zanpakuto downwards. He then took a quick moment to survey the distance between the battleships and Byakuya. Shikamaru heaved a sigh.
They're not in range...he is. They're in for a really bad time.
"Bankai," Byakuya was not going to mess around here, he was going to go all out from the get-go. These men made a mockery of pride and justice. And as a true man of the nobility, he was not going to stand it. "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Several thousand giant blades suddenly appeared from the seas. The ocean roared as it grew more violent from the appearance of the blades. "What...what the hell?" One Marine shouted in shock, running to the starboard side of his ship. "Those blades…"
The giant blades then burst into cherry blossoms and rose into the air like a massive fogbank. "Train the cannons onto those cherry blossoms!" One naval captain shouted. "We have to blast those things! That's Byakuya Kuchiki's Zanpakuto!"
"They're too high, sir!" A Marine frantically responded. "Our cannons can't hit such a high target!
Sakazuki watched from his office as the cherry blossoms began to form into actual objects. He rolled his eyes, knowing that the battleships would not be able to hit such targets. "Must I do everything?" He lamented as he stepped onto the balcony.
Sakazuki narrowed his vision at the cherry blossoms. "I will not allow you to proceed." He growled as his body began to light up, transforming itself into magma. "It seems I will have to step in for the sake of justice earlier than I expected."
"Meteor..."
Sakazuki trailed off when he noticed a massive shadow in the sky that was just above the giant fog of cherry blossoms. It looked...bestial. "What in the world is that?" He wondered.
Sakazuki quickly got his answer as a thunderous roar and yell sounded out through the sky. "Fire Dragon King's Roar!"
A giant pillar of fire burst forth from the clouds as it rained down towards Sakazuki and his office. Sakazuki's eyes widened. "Do they mean to burn this holy land to the ground?" He demanded before holding his hands out in front of him. "I won't allow it!"
Sakazuki quickly projected an invisible barrier with the use of Armament Haki to stop this pillar of raining fire. As the attack neared Mariejois, Ichigo Kurosaki could not help but gape in horror at what was about to happen. "Hold on, we're really going to just burn the place to the ground? I thought there were slaves still locked in there!"
"Ah, don't worry about it." Natsu Dragneel was weirdly smiling. "You know who's magic power that is, right? You saw him back in Fiore. He's holding back."
The blast created a massive shockwave and tremor that reverberated throughout all of Mariejois. Sakazuki's office exploded and crumbled into dust while the Fleet Admiral himself was seen being sent flying away from the force of the blast. "F-Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!" Several horrified Marines screamed in terror.
Ichigo took note of how while Sakazuki's office had been destroyed, nearly all of Mariejois' buildings had been left standing. "Give my dad more credit than that, Ichigo." Natsu grinned at his buddy. "His flames only burn who deserve to get burned."
The Fire Dragon King, Igneel suddenly emerged from the clouds. However, he was not alone. Atop his back were others who were called in to help Alliance Fleets in their assault. Shunsui Kyoraku gazed up at the descending dragon and grinned. "Guess our backup arrived sooner than we expected. Why didn't we just have them teleported?"
"...Apparently Igneel wanted more of a flashy entrance." Jushiro admitted.
"...This dragon is now officially one of my favorite people in the world." Shunsui responded with no shame whatsoever.
Jushiro rolled his eyes. "It's not just him." He noted. "When Lord Chitsujo received the reports about our enemy's strength, he wanted to send in more people to help. We had great strength before. But now, I truly do feel confident in our power as an allied force for this upcoming battle."
Back atop Igneel's back, we see three individuals sitting atop Igneel's back. A massive man with a crescent-shaped moustache, holding a bisento. A beautiful and mature woman with her hair braided in front of her. And finally, Tobirama Senju, the 2nd Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Tobirama had heard of Naruto's fight, the situation with Mariejois, and he knew he had to participate.
The future Hokage gave it his all, and as his predecessor, he had to do the same now.
First, however, he had to scold this blasted dragon for such a reckless attack. "That was not safe, Igneel." Tobirama criticized. "What if the attack caused a cave in, killing the slaves we're trying to rescue? What if the blast killed a few slaves on the surface?"
"Your worries are warranted, Lord Tobirama, but I took the liberty of reading the intel that was provided to us as Igneel flew us here." Retsu Unohana spoke up. "It seems that the slaves are kept in the districts where the Celestial Dragons reside. Most likely, this is because on paper the World Government outlaws slavery. Having slaves work at Marine Headquarters is a blatant show of hypocrisy that they try to avoid being open about."
"And Ground Zero of that blast was the Fleet Admiral's office." Unohana added.
The giant of a man, who actually wasn't even a giant, let out a grunt at this. "And the brunt of the blast was blocked by that brat's Haki." Noted Edward Newgate, more famously known as the mighty Whitebeard. "Your concern is admirable, boy. However, I can also tell that the dragon here pulled his proverbial punches."
"If I did pull my punches, it was because I could feel you weighing me down, Whitebeard. It's distracting." Igneel claimed in a loud, guttural tone.
Whitebeard scoffed. "Cheeky lizard."
"You don't even have a beard, your name is false advertising." Igneel countered.
Tobirama facepalmed at the childish behavior of two very old men. Unohana giggled. "Shall we move on ahead then, Captain Unohana?" Tobirama inquired.
Unohana rubbed Igneel's scaly head affectionately. "Please hold your position for now, Igneel." Unohana told him. "We need to wait for Byakuya to wipe out the fleets. Thankfully, that won't take long."
The backup group watched as the giant fog of cherry blossoms formed into giant swords. Byakuya glared at the fleet of battleships as he unleashed a brand new technique that would proceed to unleash hell on the enemy.
"Senka Senjinka!" Byakuya yelled, unleashing the thousand-fold version of his Ikka Senjinka upon the enemy.
"F-fire! Fire now!" A marine officer frantically yelled, gazing up at the hell that was falling upon him and his army.
The blades were falling too fast, however. The marines could only yell in terror as the blades of Senka Senjinka pierced right through the ships from top to bottom, like shish kebabs. On the shores, where other marines were entrenched to receive the enemy, said soldiers watched in shock as the massive line of battleships sank in one mighty blow from Byakuya Kuchiki. "That's impossible!" One marine shouted in disbelief. "Those were thousands of battleships! One attack shouldn't have been able to wipe out all of them, regardless of the size and scale of that attack."
"Was it not a fluke?" Another wondered in terror. "Their victories in the Wizard World...and their wins on the islands in the New World and on Fishman Island...they weren't flukes at all! These enemies are the real deal!"
"Stand firm!" Vice Admiral John Giant stepped forward. "The men who have gone down with those ships died bravely in the name of justice. Are we worthy of anything if we are not able to fight and die for that same justice, whether it is absolute, moral, or whatever kind of justice it is?"
"Now prepare for battle!" John Giant. "These are the hallowed lands of Mariejois! We will not let a single one of them leave alive for the crime of attempting to trample these lands."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!" Immediately, the men and women of justice found themselves rallied by the voice and words of John Giant.
"Now keep your rifles ready, they're coming this way!"
Ichigo was scowling again. This time, however, it was because he really could not stand how Byakuya had another technique. "Great, more ammo for the man of nobility to remind me that he is still my superior for whatever reason."
"You never did strike me as the petty type, Ichigo." Natsu sweat-dropped. He looked up to see Igneel beginning his descent towards Mariejois. Then he watched as Igneel began to shrink in size. "Looks like Igneel's made his move. I guess we'll be doing the same."
Happy suddenly flew up next to Natsu. "Hey, Natsu, just say the word and I can fly you over there to join up with Igneel. Get some father-son moments between the two of you and all of that."
"Nah, I can't just run off, I'd be disobeying Kakashi and all of that. 'We've all got a job to do,' as he would say. So, I can't really afford to be running off. I wanna be a team player here." Natsu replied.
"Whoa, Natsu's being a team player!" Happy gasped in surprise, making Ichigo chuckle.
Ichigo then looked out at the smoke and flames on the water. "We don't have the clearest of paths, but we at least managed to take down the fleet guarding this place. I just hope we pull the survivors from the wreckage."
The Alliance Fleets began to sail forward. "Okay then, time to kick some ass." Natsu and Ichigo said in unison.
The Coalition soldiers entrenched on the beaches watched as the Allied Forces fleets emerged from the smoke and flames. John Giant narrowed his eyes and turned to a naval radio operator. "Do we have any word about Admiral Sakazuki's current status?"
"No, Vice Admiral," the radio operator shook his head, "we have soldiers trying to locate him, but he was blasted a very long way. He might've been blasted all the way to the other side of Mariejois."
John Giant scowled. "Even worse, sir, he might've very well been blasted into the ocean…"
"Not Admiral Sakazuki," John Giant shook his head, "he would never allow himself to be placed in such an awful situation. At the very worst, he was only blasted onto the other end of the island."
This is bad, John Giant narrowed his eyes, no doubt the Wandenreich are aware of this blasted blunder...and so early too. If that damn Quincy tries to take command, we'll lose our autonomy as Marines for sure. I need to act quickly and reestablish the chain of command. Also, we need to reestablish it to favor us.
"Contact Sengoku, tell him that he is in command until Admiral Sakazuki." John Giant acted quickly. "And make sure he knows that surrender is not an option here. Remind him that any conduct detrimental to our efforts will reflect badly on him and have extremely severe consequences for those we've taken under our wing on his behalf."
"Y-yes sir," the radioman said uncomfortably. Even he found what they did to force Sengoku out of retirement to be distasteful.
Elsewhere, the former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku the Buddha, was calmly enjoying the last of his rice crackers. A final snack before a massive battle. His transponder snail began to ring. His somewhat serene expression darkened. He told them not to contact him unless the situation absolutely warranted it. He may have been forced back into service, but he was going to make them play by his rules, damn it.
"What is it?" He asked with a sigh, answering the snail.
"S-sir, I'm reaching out to inform you that you have been given command. Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is now missing in action."
"Missing in action? The battle hasn't even started yet." Sengoku noted.
"Certainly true, sir, but Fleet Admiral Sakazuki was blasted away by a dragon's fire breath...um, it caused something of an earthquake. You did hear or feel it, right?"
"No, I was enjoying my rice crackers." Sengoku bluntly responded. The old man could hear the radio operator falling over in comedic shock.
"So, I'm expected to take command even though I was forced into this?" Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "How presumptuous of you brats. I suppose just outright surrendering isn't an option?"
"Umm...no sir, Vice Admiral John Giant wanted me to tell you that poor conduct on your part can have extremely negative repercussions…"
"I understand," Sengoku interrupted, "what is the current status of the battle?"
"All the battleships were destroyed by an attack from Alliance Commander Byakuya Kuchiki, sir...and it seems that a few Alliance ships are pulling survivors from the wreckage. Who knows what they plan to do to them."
Paranoid fool, when has the Alliance ever made any hints that they do anything despicable to prisoners of war. If they are pulling survivors from the wreckage, that can only mean they plan to save anyone spared from Byakuya Kuchiki's attack.
Sengoku heaved a sigh. Damn it to hell, I really do not want to have to fight people like this. I've lived my life fighting criminals...not men and women who are admirable.
"Keep your positions behind the trenches and defensive walls we built on shore. Retreat into the city though and force them to fight in more enclosed spaces if they get close." Sengoku ordered. "And what about that dragon that blasted Sakazuki?"
"Umm...well, the dragon kind of disappeared, Inspector General."
Sengoku sweat-dropped. "And how in the blazes do you lose an entire dragon?" He demanded.
"I...I don't know, sir." The radioman admitted. "We just did. He started shrinking and then we lost him. We're getting some reports that four figures dropped from where the dragon was though."
Now Sengoku was worried. A dragon that had the power to blast away Sakazuki and four people...this must've been their plan, to get four extremely powerful fighters in Mariejois from the get-go.
"Seek out those four right now!" Sengoku ordered. "Spread the word! Four incredibly powerful individuals have just infiltrated Mariejois!"
"Er...right…"
"And call for the rest of your comrades. The Sternritter, Grimoire Heart, all of them. If Mariejois has any chance at surviving this, it needs to be all hands on deck, especially with those four running around. Make sure they know four have already reached the island. And while we're on the subject, contact the other radio operators around the island and find out if they've already sighted these people!"
"Yes sir!" The operator acknowledged.
Sengoku hung up before the radio operator could say anything else. He said everything he needed to say as far as orders went. Then, his transponder snail immediately started ringing again. He heaved a sigh and picked it up. These rice crackers were never going to be finished at this rate. "Yes?" he asked.
Then a familiar voice came through on the other end that made all color drain from Sengoku's face. "I would've kept myself a secret, but out of respect for you as a fellow old man of the sea, I thought I'd call you myself."
"Whitebeard." Sengoku could only say in shock.
"It's good to hear your voice again, Sengoku." Whitebeard told him. "I asked the operator to patch me through himself. Wanted to be nice and all that. He responded by trying to shoot me with a pistol. But, I'm sure you know how that went."
"You better not have killed those marines, Whitebeard." Sengoku growled.
"Ah, it seems retirement has allowed you to show your better qualities, Inspector General." Whitebeard noted. "Now, you actually are showing that you give a damn for your marines. I'm actually glad to see that, Sengoku."
Sengoku frowned. "Don't worry, I only knocked them out. I don't bully the weak, Sengoku. You of all people should know that." Whitebeard assured him.
Sengoku sighed. He could not argue with that statement. Whitebeard often projected the image of a stern and overconfident warrior, but in reality he was without a doubt the most altruistic pirate on the high seas. And he certainly did not bully the weak. What he did for places like Fishman Island were proof of that. He protected the weak. Why Whitebeard seemed so focused on protecting his territories the way he did, never actually occurred to Sengoku.
"So, Chitsujo brought you back as well?" Sengoku surprisingly decided to make small talk with his old nemesis in war. "He's gathered some incredible allies himself."
"To be honest, a part of me would've preferred to remain retired in the afterlife." Whitebeard admitted. "However, I also considered the possibility that it was fate that brought me to that man. Fate that perhaps I still had something to offer the youngsters. And besides...I also realized that my sons and daughters may very well still need me."
Sengoku hummed at this. Yeah, this was definitely Whitebeard. Yeah, he was definitely back. Yeah, Mariejois was definitely in trouble now.
"Well, I just wanted to say hello as a courtesy to an old foe and friend." Whitebeard told him. "If you need me, I'm going to tear through this place. While I've never been one for making too big a splash in this world..."
Now that was a big fat lie…
"...I will say this, the World Government has gotten away with far too much, Sengoku. The hunt for Ace when he was still in his mother's womb. The destruction of Ohara. Your pirate dogs running rampant while sanctioned by the government itself."
"War may be an awful business, but perhaps this too was fate." Whitebeard noted. "The inevitable fate of a despotic government that will soon finally pay for its sins against those too weak to fight back."
With that, Whitebeard hung up. Sengoku found himself sinking into his chair. "Maybe this is fate," he acknowledged, "and perhaps...perhaps this is my fate as well...a punishment for everything I took part in, believing it to be for the sake of justice."
"But...I can't back down now. If I do...then…" Sengoku trailed off. Something like that. It was far too horrible for him to even think about.
"I just can't back down." Sengoku said with a sigh. "Maybe this is fate for me too."
Sengoku rose from his seat. "I have no choice but to play my part until the end. Whether I live or die...they better keep their word."
"Now then, if Byakuya Kuchiki really has already destroyed all those battleships, then they'll undoubtedly be making landfall soon."
As the Alliance fleets slowly began to make landfall, other members of the Coalition began to make their move. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez narrowed his gaze, immediately sensing two very familiar powers. "Oho," he said as his grin became extremely feral, "Kurosaki and Dragneel are both here."
"My my, it looks like my birthday came early." Grimmjow mused. "And I've got a brand new technique that has both their names on it."
Hades found himself walking towards the chaos, flanked by Kain Hikaru and Rustyrose. "Come, let's get this over with." He ordered the two.
"Is it just me, or does Master Hades seem different than the man he was before?" Kain whispered to Rustyrose.
"Hmm, you are quite slow on the uptake, my rotund friend." Rustyrose noted in a somewhat derisive tone. "Master Hades' heart has changed from dark to light...however, a heart that has spent so much time in the darkness cannot leave it that easily. Lord Konton has seen to that, and now Master Hades has been forced even deeper into darkness as a result."
"...I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Kain admitted.
"You wouldn't even know what I'm talking about, even if I was speaking normally." Rustyrose in an even more derisive tone.
Kain frowned. He could tell that Rustyrose was talking down to him. "Meanie," he muttered in a very hurt tone of voice. Rusty always was one of the nastier members of the guild.
The truth, however, was far more complicated for Rustyrose. Hades was not, by any means, afflicted by indoctrination. Anyone who conversed with Hades would know that. Nowadays, that did not include the former Grimoire Heart members. The truth was that Hades could not bring himself to truly step into the light.
Mad Bomber Deidara took note of the ships making landfall and grinned. "Looks like we're getting started now." He mused before looking over his shoulder at the only member of the Coalition's Bomb Squad who was allowed to join him: Sternritter E, Bambietta Basterbine.
Jackal was stuck in Sabaody thanks to the Celestial Dragons throwing a hissy fit over his demonic presence.
"So, what do ya say, Bambi?" Deidara inquired with that grin of his. "Ready to blast a few suckers to pieces?"
"Who do you think you're talking to, Deidara?" Bambietta stretched. "I need to blast a few jerkwads to pieces to get over the fact Lil and Candi are hanging around here. Blow off some steam from having those traitorous bitches in my presence again. I'm only in a somewhat decent mood because looking at them also reminds me that Gigi and Meni are already dead."
"Sheesh, you are cruel." Deidara laughed. "Those two seemed pretty torn up about those other two dying you know. Showing a little bit of empathy wouldn't have killed ya."
"Maybe, but those two did." Bambietta reminded him. "So sue me for not being too damn interested in making nice with 'em."
"Okay, okay, I see your point." Deidara conceded. "I guess if an Akatsuki member decided to cut me down all of a sudden, I wouldn't be too damn forgiving either."
"Then again," Deidara continued, "there really isn't too much camaraderie between rogue shinobi in the grand scheme of things. Pain, Nagato or whatever the hell his name is did try to introduce a sense of togetherness, but honestly, it always was next man up. Especially with how often Kakuzu killed his partners before Hidan became a thing."
"Well, whatever," Deidara shrugged the matter off, "let's get 'em, Bambi. Let's be sure to give them a taste of our explosive art!"
Rob Lucci, who was flanked by Kaku, had no need to say anything. He just grinned viciously at the thought of going up against Natsu Dragneel once again, along with that cat-woman who had infiltrated the underground areas of Mariejois. The Flash Master, Yoruichi Shihoin, was quite dangerous after all.
Of course, not all of the Coalition's main fighters were approaching the fight with any real initiative. As usual, Coyote Starrk was simply resting up on what was quickly becoming his favorite spot: a very sturdy tree. He did not even react to the mighty shockwave that came from Igneel's attack colliding with Sakazuki's Haki. This was something Lilynette Gingerback was quick to call him out on.
"Starrk, the fight is starting!" Lilynette yelled at him. "You cannot seriously keep ignoring this, ya know!"
"I mean, I could, who'd be rude enough to bother a sleeping man?" Starrk suggested.
"Do you seriously want to try and find out when we're in the middle of a war?" Lilynette gave her other half a deadpan expression.
Starrk responded by turning over onto his side and letting out a loud snore, letting Lilynette know that he did indeed intend on trying to sleep through this entire battle if possible. "Oh. My. God. You are unbelievable sometimes." Lilynette growled. "Ugh, fine, be that way, but don't expect me to just wake you up like some kind of maid if the enemy gets here."
Lilynette knew that was a lie. Starrk was the muscle between the two of them, after all. If things went bad, she needed him awake and alert, even if he did hate every minute of it. Win or lose, this is going to suck. She realized.
And so, the Alliance fleets sailed past the wrecked navy battleships. "You ready, Natsu?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked his friend.
"Always, don't slow me down, Ichigo." Natsu Dragneel grinned competitively.
"Huh? You should be worrying about slowing me down." Ichigo frowned. "I've picked up some new tricks since Dressrosa ya know."
"Same here." Natsu grinned. "I've picked up a pretty good move myself. In fact, I'd argue it makes me just as hard to bring down as the rest of ya."
"And what's that supposed to mean, we're all freakishly durable, Natsu." Ichigo reminded him.
"Ha! Just you wait, Ichigo. Natsu Dragneel is about as unkillable as Naruto and Luffy are now." Natsu declared.
"Rukia," Ichigo looked over his shoulder at the petite lieutenant of Squad 13, "what in the world is he talking about?"
Rukia shrugged. "I honestly don't know," she admitted, "he was fighting some sort of sentient Iron Maiden, and the next thing he tells me is that he's almost unkillable now."
Ichigo looked at the smug Natsu, knowing he was not the type to make such statements without having something to back them up. He then smirked, deciding to test if Natsu was resting on his laurels. "Well now," he said, "if you're so unkillable now, maybe I don't have to watch my buddy's back in this fight?"
Natsu sputtered at this. "What? No way, man!" He yelled. "I totally still want you to watch my back in this fight!"
"But isn't it pointless if you're really unkillable?" Ichigo pointed out.
"Maybe, but that doesn't make me invincible!" Natsu reminded Ichigo. "I absolutely want one of my best buddies looking after me!"
"Okay, okay, I'm just teasing you, bucko." Ichigo promised. "Don't you worry, unless Shunsui gives me a specific order, I'll watch your back. You'll do the same for me, right?"
"Yeah, of course!" Natsu exclaimed. "Don't you worry, Ichi, unless Kakashi's got some specific order or mission for me, I'll be right there, kicking ass next to you."
Ichigo and Natsu grinned, gazing out at the island ahead of them. "Typical boys." Rukia muttered. "Still, guess I can't say I hate that camaraderie at a time like this."
"Hey you two." Rukia clapped her hands. "Focus up, we're about to make land."
Suddenly, the seas burst into flames near the shores. "Or not…" Rukia muttered.
"They're really desperate to keep us off land." Ichigo noted. "They must've dumped some oil into the water and set it on fire."
Happy flew up to Natsu. "Whaddya say, Natsu? I see a nice full course meal for you up ahead." He grinned.
"You're speaking my language, Happy." Natsu replied. "Thank you for the meal-"
Then the water and the flames froze before them. "NO!" Natsu screamed in sorrow.
Ichigo looked out and saw Toshiro Hitsugaya had made his move. "Looks like Toshiro just gave us a bigger surface to work with. We're going to be disembarking sooner."
"My food…" Natsu moaned in defeat.
"Oh shut up," Ichigo slapped Natsu on the back. "Come on, let's get a head start. Guys like us should lead the way."
As the icy surface neared, Ichigo and Natsu leapt from the bow of the ship. Gajeel Redfox, who was sadly suffering from motion sickness due to not having a guy like Ichigo that magically made said motion sickness go away, leapt to attention. "Huh! Salamander's going ahead! Lily!"
Pantherlily grabbed Gajeel and carried him off the ship. "Gajeel! Lily!" Levy McGarden called out to the two of them.
Several other Alliance soldiers leapt onto the ice when they saw Ichigo and Natsu taking the lead. Chad, Gildarts, Lee, Guy, Elfman, Kiba, Akamaru, Byakuya, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Sasuke, Minerva and Law, just to name several. They all saw Ichigo and Natsu moving into battle, and had no intention of being left in the dust by two of the Four Acts of Order.
"Such eager youth." Shunsui Kyoraku chuckled with Kakashi and Jushiro nodding in agreement. "Honestly, I'm kinda jealous."
"It's probably for the best." Jushiro claimed. "The sooner we get off these ships, the better. That way, we don't get bombarded by any other surprise attacks the enemy might have for us. Let's get moving. I don't want to be left in the dust by these guys."
"I'll give the order to drop anchor then." Kakashi said. "Though I have to say…"
The eager advancing force was already leaping at the entrenched navy men. "We might be too late to actually fight any of them at the rate they are all going."
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled, sending several marines flying into the air.
Natsu grinned, he was not going to be left in the dust by Ichigo. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu yelled, blasting a line of marines.
"Damn Salamander, I won't be left behind!" Gajeel growled before turning his attention to another line of marines, firing his own roar at them, "Iron Dragon Roar!"
"El Directo!" Chad blasted three marines away with a powerful blast of Spirit Energy.
"Mizuwari!" Gildarts punched the beach, creating a shockwave that sent more marines flying into the air.
"Feel the power of youth!" Rock Lee declared, leaping into a crowd of marines. "Here comes a Leaf Hurricane."
"Yes, indeed, this is the springtime of youth!" Might Guy exclaimed in agreement, punching a nearby navy captain with a ferocious fist. He could feel the bones shatter from the force of his punch.
"Springtime of youth indeed! This is true manliness!" Elfman was also buying into the springtime of youth now, finding it to be extremely manly. "Here we go, Beast Soul: Weretiger!"
And with that, Elfman began slashing at a crowd of marines with the ferocious claws of a weretiger. "This is pure manliness!" Elfman declared with an almost feral glee.
"We'll show Elfman who the real beasts are, right Akamaru?" Kiba declared as Akamaru barked in agreement. "Fang Over Fang!"
The combined attack collided with another crowd of marines. "Hmph," Byakuya scowled as he calmly directed Senbonzakura Kageyoshi through group after group of naval officers, "their attacks mean nothing compared to mine."
"So you say, Kuchiki." Kenpachi Zaraki grinned, cutting down an entire squad of marines with one swing. "But we both know I can keep up with the likes of you no problem."
Ikkaku Madarame frowned slightly at the efforts of both Kenpachi and Byakuya. "Damn, I really cannot afford to be left behind by Captain Zaraki." He noted. "I have to fight hard...for the both of us, right Yumichika?"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke reverted to one of his more simple jutsus to take down these grunts. He would only use his best moves on individuals like that Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. Knowing what was required to win against your enemy was part of being a ninja.
"It's the former warlord of the sea, Trafalgar Law!" A marine captain yelled. "Kill the bastard for turning his back on us! Bring him to justice!"
"Room," Law created a space with his Op Op Fruit, "and now Shambles!"
Law rearranged the body parts of several marines with random materials strewn across the beach. Barrels containing gunpowder and bullets, rifles, etcetera. "You people never learn, do you. Punching out your weight class is one of the dumbest things you can do, especially when the person you're trying to punch is a former warlord of the sea."
"That said," Law smirked as the cannonball that made up one of the heads the marines exploded, taking the entire group with him, "thank you very much for allowing me into the Seven Warlords. Letting me use you idiots the way you did was exactly what I needed to get close to Doflamingo."
A few other marines charged out of the smoke at Law. "Territory Explosion!" Minerva Orland suddenly stepped in, blasting them away with explosive spatial magic.
Law whistled. "You're ruthless." He mused.
"Like you're one to talk." Minerva replied. "You're as savage as I used to be, Law."
"Okay, well you're also nosey." Law scowled. "It's not like I asked for your assistance. I could've taken them on my own, ya know."
Minerva blushed in frustration at Law's lack of tact. "Ugh, and who do you think you are, bragging like that? I helped you because I wanted to. It would've never depended on whether you had asked me or not. I'm the princess of the Sabretooth guild, I do what I wish."
"Whatever you say, Princess." Law shrugged, moving onto whatever was next for him.
"Don't you dare brush me off, you bastard!" Minerva yelled, casually blasting a marine trying to sneak up on her. "You may have saved my life, but that doesn't mean you can talk to me however you damn well please!"
"Whatever you say." Law shrugged.
John Giant could only gape in disbelief as the entire entrenched unit of marines was wiped out so easily. We gathered so many elite, well trained soldiers for this battle because of the Celestial Dragons being here. How could all of these men be wiped out so easily?
John Giant's body started to harden with Armament Haki. "No matter." John Giant growled. "I am a Vice Admiral, I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of Absolute Justice. I will not falter, even in the face of overwhelming odds such as this."
Natsu Dragneel and Ichigo Kurosaki calmly stepped forward. "Two Acts of Order. I will fight you with all my strength. I will not falter!" John Giant declared.
"Just get out of our way." Ichigo and Natsu said in unison before moving in front of John Giant before he could react. They delivered a simultaneous punch right into John Giant's stomach. Natsu lit his fist on fire while Ichigo hardened his fist with Haki.
John Giant let out a pained gasp for air before collapsing onto his back. One punch from those two. That was all it took. Fleet Admiral...please, be careful. John Giant warned Sakazuki. These enemies...they might actually be a threat to us…
And with that, John Giant lost consciousness, leaving nothing more than a giant body splayed out on the ground. Ichigo and Natsu both looked at each other and grinned. "Your punches are getting better every day." Ichigo complimented.
"Same to you, and was that Haki I saw? Nice, bro." Natsu complimented back.
"Yeah, picked it up back on Mystoria Island." Ichigo gestured to his blackened fist. "I gotta tell ya, it's no wonder Luffy was thriving in the New World before the war broke out with powers like this on his side."
"Still, what's up with you?" Ichigo taunted with a smug smile. "You don't have Haki yet? What do you plan to do if you run into a Logia Devil Fruit user?"
"Aww shaddup." Natsu replied. "I'll just do what Naruto says has been working from him, use my Sage Mode and that Natural Energy stuff to punch those guys out. If it's been working for him, it should work for me too!"
"Fair enough," Ichigo shrugged before his smug smile returned. "But Haki totally wins."
"Oh it is so on when we get back, you orange-headed jerk!"
"And where do you get off making fun of my hair when yours is pink?"
"It's not pink, it's salmon! Salmon!"
"I know the color salmon and your hair isn't it, it's pink!"
The two were casually strolling into Mariejois while having this conversation, for the record…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Grand Line, an entire fleet of ships suddenly came bursting out of the sea, startling literally everyone present. "They're here already?!" A patrolman frantically exclaimed before.
The patrolman tried to make a run for it to scream and warn everyone that the enemy was here, even though it would have been a useless gesture. It was really hard for anyone to miss a bunch of enemy ships bursting out of the water like a pod of whales. It was really just an excuse for the patrolman to run as far away from the nightmare he was going to be a part of at this rate.
Unfortunately, this patrolman's run of incredibly bad luck was just beginning. Monkey D. Luffy suddenly came flying in from out of nowhere, landing on the patrolman and knocking him out.
Luffy then looked up, taking in the sight of the Sabaody Archipelago, now under Coalition control. "Third time I've been here." He noted, surprisingly introspective at the moment. "First time...I lost my crew...second time...I got it back...third time...I'm doing this."
Meanwhile, Sabo looked out from the bow of the 2nd Fleet's flagship and sighed. "Can't believe he just rocketed off like that." He mused. "Well, actually I can, Luffy always was something of a handful. Comes with being the little brother I guess."
"You really shouldn't get too angry with him, Sabo." Marco, watching this unfold as well. "It's not like you gave him a particular order that he had to follow. So of course he's going to do his own thing."
"Yeah, true, I guess I do have a bad habit of spoiling my little brother." Sabo acknowledged with a sigh. "Still, it's not like we have a particular plan to follow. Because the Stealth Division could not enter this territory, we couldn't get a detailed layout of the Coalition's main army here."
"In other words," Sabo grinned as the 2nd Fleet dropped anchor all over the Archipelago with several figures leaping out of said ships. "It's honestly better we go all out right from the start. Hit them hard before they have a chance to hit back."
Hinata Hyuga put on her best brave face-which she totally had not been working on in private-as she set foot on one of the islands in the Archipelago. "Byakugan!" She yelled, getting right down to business and scanning the area for enemies.
"Ms. Hinata?" A few foot soldiers had followed her into this particular island. "Are there any nearby enemies?"
"A few are hiding out waiting to ambush us." Hinata pointed to the northwest. She then called out. "Your ambush won't work! We're already aware of your presence! If you try to fight us, you will die! Please, surrender!"
Several mages in dark wizard uniforms stepped out with their hands up in response. If their ambush really had been ruined, there was no real point. "Wow...I can't believe that actually worked." One soldier admitted.
"It makes sense, those uniforms place them as wizards from minor dark guilds in Fairy Tail." Another soldier pointed out. "They've probably lost the will to fight after all our victories in Fiore."
"Ms. Hinata," the soldier who had addressed Hinata earlier spoke up once more, "do they seem to be hiding any weapons or traps on them?"
"No, and they're not making any move to use any ability type magic." Hinata shook her head. "Detain them all, peacefully please."
"They're really just surrendering? Just like that?" The soldier was still somewhat surprised by this quick turn.
"We shouldn't expect this to be the norm." Hinata shook her head. "We don't know how united the Coalition is, what their morale is like, how many still actually wish to fight. Most likely, these are just small splinter groups that lost their will after Fiore was retaken and the influence of Dark Guilds in Fiore was practically wiped out permanently. And then of course there's the fact they probably only surrendered because their ambush failed."
"Keep your eyes peeled. These men may wish to surrender, but we shouldn't expect the same."
Meanwhile, Renji Abarai and Flare Corona whipped their respective attacks at a small crowd of Coalition soldiers who attempted to fight even after they were discovered, knocking said soldiers down like bowling pins. "When are they going to realize rushing us doesn't work?" Flare wondered.
"Never," Renji replied, "Konton brainwashes people like a frickin cult leader, figuratively and literally. We take out the big boss, this hopefully stops. Of course, we can't really hope to take out the big boss until the end, so we just have to keep bowling over these idiots."
Elsewhere, Roronoa Zoro calmly cut through Coalition soldiers. "Okay," he said, "guess my first destination should be...north." He noted, pointing straight ahead.
Never mind that north was a fixed direction and not just whatever straight ahead was.
Kagura Mikazuchi immediately grabbed onto Zoro by the shoulder, holding him in place. "Don't even think about it," she said, "that is not north. It is not north just because it is straight ahead for you."
"Not like I asked you to be my freaking map." Zoro shot back.
Kagura responded by hitting Zoro on the forehead with a sheathed Archenemy. "I don't have to be asked to be someone's map when it's clear someone needs it." She responded. "Then again, with your reputation, I'm beginning to think no map could possibly help your sense of direction."
"The hell are you talking about? My sense of direction is great. Everyone else just gets lost." Zoro said with absolute certainty and confidence.
At that moment, Kagura's stoicism broke as she gave Zoro an uncharacteristic look of annoyance. "Are you serious? How does someone say that north is straight ahead and then claim everyone else is the one who gets lost with a straight face?" She demanded.
"Hey, being in denial is unhealthy. You should work on it." Zoro responded with no sense of irony.
Kagura's stoicism returned, but her anger and annoyance did not leave. "I'm going to smack some sense into you when this is over." She promised. "You and I are going to spar, and I'm going to use that spar to knock as much sense into that empty head of yours as I can manage."
This actually made Zoro grin in anticipation. "You sure you can pull it off? You still haven't exactly forced me to use all three swords ya know."
"Well, now that I have plenty of determination to accomplish something, I think I will." Kagura promised.
Sanji watched all of this unfold with a look of visible jealousy on his face. Truth be told, he was hoping Zoro would get himself lost and then he could be alone with Kagura. A beautiful woman like that? Hell yeah, Sanji absolutely wanted to be alone with her. Especially when that woman, for some reason, seemed hellbent on sticking herself to Zoro like glue.
Ever since the 2nd Fleet had set sail, Kagura insisted on sparring with Zoro, day in and day out. And that idiotic mosshead getting so much attention from a hottie with a body like Kagura was infuriating to a man like Sanji.
Damn it all. Sanji lamented inwardly, realizing his hope had been crushed in a near instant. Stupid mossheads and stupid straw hat captains who somehow get the best kind of attention and will not share the wealth.
Other members of the 2nd Fleet made their move as well. Laxus Dreyar was tearing through soldiers with the speed and power of a lightning bolt (literally), while flanked by Freed Justine and Bickslow. Uryu Ishida was sniping soldiers from the top of one of the 2nd Fleet ships. Franky had entered one of his personal tanks and was now firing on anything that wore Coalition red. And that was just to name a few.
This left Sabo and Marco to grin at each other as their subordinates hit Sabaody as hard as they could. "So, Marco, I take it you don't want to be left in the dust, right?" Sabo taunted. "I know the Whitebeards were once revered as the strongest crew out there, but perhaps age is starting to catch up to you?"
"I'm not that old you jerk." Marco chuckled. "That said, I won't lose to you striplings just yet."
After all, Pops is giving it his all in Mariejois, after my big screw up in the Payback War, I've gotta make it up to him and kick some ass in every fight I'm a part of. Marco noted as he transformed into his hybrid phoenix form and flew off.
Sabo chuckled lightly, a bit giddy at his method of motivating the much older man who was his proxy commander. "Okay then," he said, "he's right about one thing though, I can't really afford to lose to my subordinates just yet."
"I especially can't afford to be left behind when my little brother is giving it his all yet again." He noted.
Sabo then looked over his shoulder. "And I take it you four feel the same way, right?"
Makarov Dreyar nodded. "My children have bled enough. I'll be doing the same alongside them, if only for one battle." He claimed.
Gaara of the Desert nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm not going to claim I'm the father of everyone in the Hidden Sand Village." He acknowledged. "However, Naruto bled so much back in Fishman Island. My best friend bled so much...I cannot allow myself to go on without getting involved in this fight as well."
The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh gave a small grin. "Well, hell, I've lasted this long, and this place is where Shakky's bar is in business. I wouldn't exactly be able to go home without helping to take this place back."
"And you?" Sabo turned to the last of the backup that was called in for this fight. "How do you feel, good sir?"
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto gave a brusque nod. "Normally, I would call the 13 Court Guard Squads a disgrace for forcing the head captain to step out onto the battlefield." He admitted. "However, I think a war that is for the safety of the entire universe is cause enough for me to risk my life, especially since Lord Chitsujo has seen fit to bring back a washed up old man like myself."
"If there truly is more I can do for this universe...then allow me to lend my strength, young commander."
Sabo chuckled. "That's all I needed to hear. Honestly, I'd consider busting out this many monsters overkill. But we don't really know how well they've got this place defended, considering how close it is to the holy land."
"So better safe than sorry, better we kick as many super strong asses as possible. Let's go, gentlemen!"
As the 2nd Fleet made their move, the Coalition, unfortunately, was not remaining silent themselves. Well, most of them were not. While the rank and file were scrambling about to counter the sudden attack, Tesla Lindocruz looked visibly nervous as he approached the man who would be undoubtedly interested in the growing chaos.
"Master Nnoitra," The Arrancar spoke up, "the enemy is here...shouldn't you be getting ready?"
"Bother me when there's someone who's actually worth my time, Tesla, like that eye-patched freak." Nnoitra Gilga, the former 5th Espada responded, lying on his side. "After all, if I kill a thousand weaklings, who's going to recognize me as the strongest?"
"Master," Tesla nervously tried to reason with him, "I'm pretty sure that...your superiors would not approve of you just sitting by and waiting for someone who's actually 'worth your time' as you put it."
"You trying to tell me I'm wrong, Tesla?" Nnoitra glared at him.
"Er...no, Master Nnoitra, I'm just making a suggestion." Tesla claimed. "I don't want to see you punished by our superiors, after all."
"If Konton wanted me to take an active role and set a good example for the weak pieces of crap out there, he should've brought back someone else." Nnoitra responded. "That self-proclaimed god of chaos knew what he was getting when he brought me back into the game. My job is killing people who are actually worth it. My job is killing people who are therefore actually a threat in the grand scheme of things."
"Unless of course, you suddenly have a problem with how I do things, Tesla?" Nnoitra glared at his lone Fraccion.
"No, of course not, Master, again I don't wish to question you." Tesla promised. "I just don't want to see you punished."
"That crazed god won't be punishing me because he knows the kind of man I am." Nnoitra brushed the matter off. "You worry way too much, Tesla."
Though if he knows the kind of man I am, why wouldn't he ensure I do what he wants through indoctrination, like he did to some of the others out there? Nnoitra wondered inwardly. Honestly, that man is damn scary...even I don't want to try and mess with him at this point.
Meanwhile, Sasori of the Red Sand was calmly working on a few new puppet designs, inspired by several previous encounters and knowledge he had gained from the war. He could not help but chuckle in appreciation for this situation he had placed himself in. "If there is one sincerely good thing to come out of this," he mused, "it's that I was given the opportunity to create new works of art that even surpassed my own."
"And it looks like some willing participants have just shown up." Sasori chuckled. "Now then...let's see how I should proceed from here."
Elsewhere, the last of the Conqueror's Coalition's Bomb Squad, Jackal, grinned, hearing the commotion from all across the Archipelago with his canine-like ears. "Well, well, well, looks like some real fun is starting to pick up." He mused before looking over his shoulder. "Awaiting your orders...Lord Mard Geer."
Mard Geer Tartaros, the ruthless Lord of the Underworld and leader of the Tartaros Guild, calmly rested on a makeshift throne of thorns he had created for himself. "Participating at this point is such a pain." He admitted. "Those Celestial Dragons forbade us from setting foot in the Holy Land because of who we are, and now we are expected to fight for them. Mard Geer is most displeased by this turn of events."
"Lord Mard Geer." Jackal grinned. "If participating is that troublesome for you, then at least allow me to go in your stead. After all, I could care less about what humans or gods may think of us."
"I just want to kill as many humans as possible."
Mard Geer chuckled. "That's why I like you, Jackal." Mard Geer admitted. "Your bloodlust makes you a true demon. Why, out of all the Etherious of the Nine Demon Gates, I consider you one of the truest Etherious out of them all."
"You are truly ruthless and therefore you have found favor with Mard Geer." Mard Geer admitted to Jackal.
"So many of the Nine Demon Gates foolishly chose to make humans their playthings. This displeases Mard Geer, and most certainly contributed to our downfall." Mard Geer noted, thinking particularly of Kyoka. "So please do not lose favor with Mard Geer by falling into the same trap, Destroyer."
"Do not worry, Lord Mard Geer." Jackal bowed. "I swear on my title, The Destroyer, that I will create the finest slaughter possible to please you."
"Mard Geer looks forward to it."
Jackal sped off with that. Mard Geer looked over his shoulder. "You aren't displeased by Mard Geer's decision to favor Jackal, at the moment, are you, Keyes?"
A skeleton man dressed in a dark priest's robes revealed himself. The Black Archbishop, Keyes, of the Nine Demon Gates, shook his head. "No, Lord Mard Geer, you are a wise leader. If you truly believe that some of our members' tendency to treat humans like playthings was the cause of our fall back then...then I will choose to acknowledge such and strive to better myself as your subordinate."
"That's good to hear, Keyes." Mard Geer nodded. "You have always been a truly valuable member of Tartaros, as Mard Geer's Necromancer."
"You say that, and yet my role as Necromancer has diminished." Keyes acknowledged. "I was hoping I could seek wisdom from Master E.N.D. to find a new role to continue Lord Zeref's will. However, it would appear Lord Konton wishes to keep Master E.N.D. close to him."
This made Mard Geer stiffen. He had been maintaining the illusion that he had been acting on E.N.D.'s orders all this time, when in reality he was following his own agenda for Zeref's sake. And now this...being that bore a striking resemblance to that Dragon Slayer was here, and Lord Konton was claiming that he was E.N.D., or as he was also called, Etherious Natsu Dragneel.
To think it was all in front of Mard Geer, all this time. Mard Geer growled inwardly.
Mard Geer must proceed with caution, otherwise the position as Underworld King...Mard Geer's rightful position...could be threatened by...whatever that thing is.
"Keyes," Mard Geer spoke up, "though you are not a fighter, compared to Jackal, you are still strong...stronger than most. Mard Geer advises you to focus yourself on that strength and crush any humans that dare challenge us."
"As you command, Lord Mard Geer." Keyes responded before vanishing from Mard Geer's sight.
Good, Mard Geer nodded, as of now, they still recognize me as the Lord of the Underworld. However, every day members of the Nine Demon Gates ask me if I have conversed with that...creature that Lord Konton claims to be Master E.N.D.
Ever since Mard Geer's resurrection...the truth is, Mard Geer wishes to break away from Zeref. Mard Geer was hoping that with Zeref's defeat on Tenrou, he could enter Lord Konton's good graces. However, now that thing has taken what should be Mard Geer's.
Mard Geer must proceed with caution...for Mard Geer does still believe…
...That Lord Konton will indeed become a true dark god of this universe. And Mard Geer absolutely wants to see it. After all, the kind of universe a dark god could create...that's the kind of universe an Etherious should desire to see.
Finally, a single well-dressed man with a massive sword strapped to his back seemed to be enjoying a nap of his own, much to the consternation of the gothic lolita girl who was visibly frustrated with the laziness of the powerful man whom she was confident was more than capable of ending this on his own.
"Hey, hey, wake up! I know you probably won't get killed in your sleep, but I'm definitely going to get killed while awake if you don't get up!" 'Ghost Princess' Perona, formerly of Gecko Moria's Thriller Bark, frantically yelled at the man she was now affiliated with, mainly for her own safety.
Thankfully for Perona, this seemed to stir the man who was napping. Normally, disturbing this one's nap was akin to a death sentence. After all, this was the man who has pursued and wiped out fleets of pirates for the pettiest of reasons. Like if they disturbed his nap, or if he just wanted to kill time.
However, for the past two years, he had grown used to Perona's company. At least, to the point where he would not kill her for the petty reasons he usually reserved for people who disturbed him in any way.
"Hmph, you're so noisy, woman." Dracule Mihawk, famously known as Hawkeye, and even more famously known as the World's Greatest Swordsman.
"How the hell am I noisy when there's a freaking battle starting, Hawkeye? You explain that to me!" Perona screamed.
Mihawk sighed as he rose from his seat. "Perhaps because you are right next to me." And with that, Mihawk actually proved he had a sense of humor. A very sarcastic one. But a sense of humor all the same.
Perona was left steaming at this. "You are such a jerk! You are lucky that you're practically untouchable, you know that?!"
"Which is exactly why I frankly find this assignment boring." Mihawk admitted. "Even if they did win in that kingdom of wizards, I have yet to hear of anything that has piqued my interest. The only reason I put up with being part of the Coalition is on the off-chance something interesting actually happens."
"You serious? I mean, I've heard there are some incredible swordsmen in the Alliance." Perona offered.
"And I'm unfortunately not confident that any of them have arrived." Mihawk noted with a heavy sigh. "The first notable presence I sense on the Archipelago is Roronoa...and he's still nowhere near my level."
"I mean, you only did train him for two years. He'd need another decade to get to your level, and that's me being generous." Perona shrugged. "If I'm being realistic, he'd need another century to reach the level he needs to challenge you."
"Perhaps...and the world did not believe his captain would become the man he is." Mihawk reminded Perona. "And look where we are now."
"You almost sound like you want the Pirate Hunter to reach your level, Hawkeye." Perona noted.
Mihawk smirked, startling Perona. Right now, he had the look of a true predator. "I intend to savor that moment." He admitted. "But until then, I'm going to have to settle for cutting down weaklings, praying that there is someone who is actually worth my time."
"And if there isn't?" Perona asked.
"Then it'll just be a boring battle." Mihawk replied. "And perhaps...I should start considering rebelling against the Coalition. That would be fun."
"Oi, don't joke about that!" Perona yelled. "If you rebel, I'll get in serious trouble too ya know!"
"You are free to leave any time. You were just a freeloader for the past two years after all." Mihawk reminded her.
"I cooked for you! I was no freeloader!" Perona yelled at him.
"I did far more cooking than you. And the cooking you did was terrible." Mihawk bluntly told her.
Mihawk then walked away, ignoring the furious yelling of the Ghost Princess. Hmm...now that I expand my Observation Haki's reach, I'm picking up a few other rather interesting presences. I've certainly kept my eye on the swordsmen who rank the highest on the Coalition's blacklist...just as I have on the progress of Roronoa and the rest of the Straw Hats.
The question now is...can they provide me the challenge I've sought? Or will I take the title of Universe's Strongest Swordsman with no real competition whatsoever?
"I must admit," Mihawk could not help but smirk, "though I'm certainly keeping my expectations low for this...I cannot help but feel a little excited."
Meanwhile, on the far end of Mariejois, a lone man was laying on a blackened crater of burnt ground. Fleet Admiral Sakazuki had a smoldering gaze of anger and intensity as he rose to his feet. His clothes were charred from that dragon's fiery breath. However, he was still not done. Far from it, in fact.
He took a moment to listen, taking note of the chaos that was already starting to hit Mariejois, all the way on the other side of the island. "Okay…" he muttered to himself.
And then, Sakazuki exploded. The man who was once known as Akainu, the Red Dog of the Marines, let out a roar as magma erupted from his body. "That's it! I'm going to kill every last one of those rebels!" He furiously vowed.
A.N: So yeah, we're picking things up a notch with this arc. What with the many crazy players that exist here. Will there be such a gap between this chapter and the next? I sure as hell hope not. I'm really pinning my hopes on the idea that my new calendar-based system will work.
So, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Follow me on Twitter, check out my website, and if you love this and want some original content from yours truly, check out Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple on Amazon.