Marine Headquarters, the back mountain of Marineford.
A huge portion of the island had collapsed. The entire area of Headquarters had shrunk by one fifth.
The back mountain was completely gone.
Many Vice Admirals and high ranking officers had gathered here. They did not dare approach the two monsters fighting like raging beasts. Most of them could not withstand even the aftershocks.
All they could do was break apart the waves of force and stop them from reaching the residential zone.
Borsalino stood at the edge, unsure which one he should try to stop first.
Morris frowned, looked behind him, then relaxed a little.
Crackle!
Lightning struck the ground, and Enel's figure formed.
His battle with Kuzan had ended without a winner. Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru had rushed over and stepped between them right before the two could trade their strongest blows. Neither side could go all the way.
Enel's breathing was steady. His appearance was still fairly clean.
Kuzan, who had returned behind him, looked much more battered. His fruit had been completely countered.
Borsalino let out a sigh of relief when he saw Enel. "You are finally back. One each?"
Enel nodded. He looked toward the two fighters. Even standing here, the wind from their strikes felt sharp enough to tear skin.
A thought came to him and he turned to Law.
"Can you restrain them for a moment."
Cold sweat ran down Law's face.
"No. Their Haki is far too strong. But I can stabilize the field a little."
He had not expected that after returning with Enel, he would run into something this terrifying.
The sight of this fight crushed what little confidence his body training had given him. He was still too weak.
Enel gave a nod. "That is enough. Get ready."
Law raised his hand. A circle of light appeared in his palm.
"ROOM!"
It expanded instantly, covering the entire back mountain.
Enel and Borsalino exchanged a look. Their bodies shifted into elemental form and shot toward Bullet and Garp.
* * *
The center of the battlefield.
Bullet's giant Ashura King form was dented all over. Even with the incredible regenerative power of his Demon Mode, the deep fist marks refused to heal. Blood covered him top to bottom. His crimson eyes locked on Garp.
His left arm hung uselessly. The Haki on his right arm grew several times stronger. The fiendish phantom behind him swelled as he pulled his fist back and charged.
Garp's left cheek was cracked. All of the ribs in his chest were broken and sunken in. A large piece of flesh had been torn from his right shoulder. His right arm moved with delay.
The left arm was coated in heavy, solid black Haki like an armored gauntlet as he swung at the incoming Bullet.
Boom!
The blast of force was like thunder on flat ground. Everyone close by covered their ears.
The two remained locked in a dead struggle.
Law quickly erased the sound. The booming dropped to the lowest level.
"Now!"
Law lifted his hand and the ground shook wildly. Using his power, he lifted the whole back mountain along with the two fighters and sent them into the sky.
At the same time, Enel and Borsalino reached the two from both sides.
Lightning on Enel's arm and laser light on Borsalino's leg gathered together, coated in Haki, and fired.
Elemental speed allowed lightning and light to strike their wrists at almost the speed of light.
Boom!
The two broke apart.
Arm brushed against arm. Their shoulder blades cracked with a faint sound. Then, with no control over the massive force in their bodies, they shot in opposite directions.
Enel and Borsalino chased after them.
Below, Law let out a long breath and swung his hand downward. The land that had been lifted nearly a hundred meters began to descend slowly.
The ground reformed beneath him. He tried to restore as much as he could, but the parts of the island that had sunk into the sea could not be saved. Only after Soter brought new land could it be repaired.
The crescent shape of Marine Headquarters looked as if something had taken a huge bite out of it. The perfect curve was now missing a fifth.
* * *
Above Marineford.
Enel was pressed against Bullet's back, pushed backward through the air.
He happened to meet Sakazuki, who had returned, along with Kong and Sengoku.
Sakazuki sensed Bullet's violent aura, and his brow tightened. He stepped forward and shot out.
He appeared behind Bullet and gestured for Enel to fall back before taking Bullet head-on.
Boom!
A massive impact burst across Sakazuki's back. He slowed Bullet's backward flight and gradually stopped him.
Seeing Bullet's injuries, Sakazuki grabbed him, turned him around, and rushed toward the warships at the harbor.
Kong shouted as he watched him leave.
"Hey! Sakazuki!"
Sakazuki waved without looking back. "There is nothing to talk about. Enel, gather the men. We are heading for the New World."
Enel shouted back. "Understood!"
He nodded at Kong and vanished.
Kong's brows furrowed. He said nothing, turning to Sengoku.
"What were the two of you fighting over?"
Only the two of them remained, so Kong asked directly.
Sengoku let out a quiet sigh. Sakazuki's words still echoed in his mind.
"It was my mistake. It is about the Revolutionary Army. Sakazuki already knows Dragon's identity."
* * *
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Outside the ruined Fleet Admiral's office, Kong and Sengoku stood at the edge of the fortress, watching warships leave one after another.
Sakazuki had not stayed. After loading Bullet onto a ship, he set sail at once, heading into the New World for deployment.
Enel quickly organized the rest. Doberman, Momonga, and several other Vice Admirals followed.
The enormous Marine Headquarters fell silent.
Only Sengoku's faction remained here, along with the Headquarters academy under Zephyr and Morris.
The Marines felt split in two…
Kong spoke quietly. "This is the Marines you led."
Sengoku stayed silent for a long moment, then murmured, "Sorry."
Kong sighed. "An apology will not fix this. I know you care about your people. But you spoiled Garp too much. Sakazuki was not wrong. As Fleet Admiral you should protect the lives of the soldiers. You should end wars with the smallest number of casualties, not feel pity for the enemy. Justice should not be clouded by personal feelings, Sengoku."
Sengoku closed his eyes. "I understand. After the new year I will resign. For the families of the soldiers who died because of my mistakes, I will give whatever compensation I can."
Kong glanced at him and sighed softly again. "You can step down, but you cannot leave the Marines. You'll take an honorary post, otherwise the impact will be worse than this. At this point the Marines are already being laughed at by the world. As for the next Fleet Admiral…"
Sengoku looked down at the busy soldiers below and spoke.
"I recommend Sakazuki."
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