"Ah~Ah~ACHOO!"
On the distant battlefield, Admiral Kizaru suddenly threw his head back with an explosive sneeze. The laser beam he had been forming in his hand distorted wildly, shooting past Admiral Akainu's ear by mere inches before plunging into the sea with a spectacular explosion.
Akainu's face contorted with rage as he whirled around to face his fellow Admiral.
"BORSALINO!" he roared, magma bubbling around his clenched fists. "People are dying right now! BE SERIOUS FOR ONCE!!"
Kizaru spread his hands with that perpetually innocent expression of his, yellow light shimmering around his lanky frame.
"I'm not kidding, Sakazuki," he drawled in his signature slow cadence. "My nose just suddenly itched. I feel like someone was talking about me somewhere."
Akainu's face turned an even deeper shade of red, approaching the color of the magma that composed his Logia form. "Not only are people talking about you, but I'm also seriously considering punching you right now!"
He was about to unleash another tirade when he noticed Kizaru's normally half-lidded eyes suddenly widen in alarm. In an instant, the Light-Man dissolved into golden particles, retreating violently from his position.
Akainu's instincts screamed danger. Without conscious thought, his Observation Haki guided his movements as he pivoted and threw a massive punch backward.
"GREAT ERUPTION!"
The colossal magma fist collided with an equally massive greatsword wreathed in flames and crackling lightning. The impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield, causing the Marine warship beneath Akainu's feet to tilt dangerously. One end of the vessel sank beneath the waves while the other rose high into the air.
Fortunately, most of the Marines who would normally be stationed on deck had already boarded enemy pirate ships. Otherwise, scores would have been thrown into the sea by the violent movement.
Through the settling smoke, the imposing figure of Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—emerged, her massive Napoleon sword gripped firmly in one hand. She fixed Akainu with a bone-chilling smile.
"Mamamama~" her distinctive laugh echoed across the water. "What's wrong, little lava boy? You look absolutely exhausted."
To everyone's surprise, a thin smile spread across Akainu's perpetually serious face.
"It's more than enough to deal with a fat old woman like you."
The smile vanished from Big Mom's face as if it had been wiped away. Her expression darkened dangerously, her eyes narrowing with unbridled fury.
Even a woman of Big Mom's stature and power had certain sensitivities. Age and appearance were matters that most women took seriously—and Akainu had just stepped on both landmines with a single sentence.
"You foul-mouthed brat!" she roared, her voice causing the very air to vibrate. "You'll pay dearly for not understanding the situation!"
As she spoke, lightning gathered around Napoleon, coalescing into a blinding concentration of electrical power. With a swift motion, she directed a massive lightning bolt straight at Akainu.
"HEAVENLY FEUER!"
Akainu refused to back down. His other fist transformed into molten magma as he swung it forward with devastating force.
"It's YOU who can't read the situation, old hag!"
"HELLHOUND!"
Thunder and magma collided in midair, creating a cataclysmic explosion that consumed everything in its vicinity. The warship beneath Akainu disintegrated instantly, its bow completely vaporized by the destructive forces unleashed.
The two powerhouses separated in the aftermath of the explosion, with Akainu landing gracefully atop the mast of the slowly sinking warship. Meanwhile, flames burst from Napoleon's blade, catching Big Mom and supporting her massive frame before she could plummet into the sea.
Just as the Emperor regained her footing, a beam of golden light materialized behind her.
"Hmm~" came Kizaru's languid voice. "That lightning of yours reminds me of a rather annoying young devil. You should really meet him sometime—you could learn from each other."
He paused, his expression impossible to read behind his tinted glasses.
"But I suppose there's no chance of that now. He's probably being pulverized by Kaido as we speak."
Kizaru's words brought a twisted smile to Big Mom's face.
"Oh? Is that what you think?" she replied, her tone dripping with malice. "Did the little devil ask for your help? Shouldn't you be rushing back right now? If you hurry, you might still be able to collect his body."
As she spoke, the Emperor spun around with surprising agility for someone her size, swinging Napoleon in a devastating arc aimed directly at Kizaru's midsection.
The Admiral, however, had anticipated this. His body dissolved into light particles a split second before the blade would have connected, allowing him to reappear behind her. With methodical precision, he raised his right leg.
"That's not something you need to worry about," Kizaru said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "That guy is fully committed to taking down Kaido."
"LIGHT SPEED KICK!"
His leg, glowing with concentrated light energy, shot forward with incredible force. Yet Big Mom blocked it effortlessly with one massive arm, showing no sign of injury or discomfort from the impact.
Observing the complete lack of damage to her arm, Kizaru couldn't help but narrow his eyes behind his sunglasses. This was going to be troublesome.
"You can't be harmed by this? You really are worthy of your title as one of the Four Emperors. How frightening~"
Big Mom's grin widened, revealing her unnaturally white teeth. Napoleon, clutched in her left hand, became enveloped in a menacing combination of crimson and black lightning—the telltale sign of her advanced Haki.
"So, whether it's you or that Marine brat, you're both much too young to challenge me! IKOKU SOVEREIGNTY!"
The terrifying sword energy she released wasn't aimed at Kizaru, who stood within arm's reach. Instead, it targeted Akainu, who had been approaching stealthily via Moon Walk technique, hoping to launch a surprise attack.
Seeing the attack redirected toward him, Akainu's eyes widened in shock. He hastily fired a massive lava projectile to intercept it.
"METEOR VOLCANO!"
But against the overwhelming destructive power of Big Mom's Ikoku Sovereignty, the magma bomb proved utterly ineffective. It dispersed instantly, the sword energy continuing unimpeded toward its target.
With no time to dodge and no solid ground beneath him, Akainu could only cross his arms and infuse them with Armament Haki in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
The sword energy struck him with catastrophic force, sending him flying backward. He rocketed away from the battlefield, his body creating a dark silhouette against the bright sky as he hurtled toward the distant horizon.
"Oh my~" Kizaru remarked with a malicious smirk. "Sakazuki actually flew so far. What a perfect attack indeed."
Without waiting for Big Mom's response, Kizaru transformed into golden light, evading her follow-up strike and pursuing Akainu, who was rapidly approaching the sea.
The Admiral had nearly managed to stabilize himself when Kizaru appeared beside him, grabbing the collar of his coat with surprising urgency.
Akainu initially assumed Kizaru was simply preventing him from falling into the sea—a fatal situation for any Devil Fruit user. He opened his mouth to insist he was fine, but the words died in his throat when he noticed Kizaru's grip on his collar never loosened.
Something about his fellow Admiral's behavior felt deeply wrong, sending a chill of unease down Akainu's spine that had nothing to do with their current predicament
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