Vice Admiral Anthony lay in the rubble, back against a broken wall, blood soaking his uniform. His left arm was gone, nothing left but a mangled stump.
Barton loomed above him, twin scythes dripping crimson. "Hahaha! Anthony, you finally can't hold on. Just die already!"
The scythe rose high, gleaming with murderous intent.
Anthony closed his eyes, lips curving into a tired smile. Fanny… Annie… I'm sorry.
The blade dropped...
...but never landed.
A blackened palm caught it mid-swing, fingers wrapped around the blade with unyielding force.
"Thief—hahaha! Seems I wasn't too late."
Teach's laughter rolled across the battlefield as he turned to glance at the battered Vice Admiral.
Anthony blinked in disbelief. "You're… a pirate? Why help me?"
"Because my Queen asked it of me." Teach bared his teeth in a grin. "Future first mate Annie begged me to save her 'qualified, yet unqualified' father. Zehahaha! Now, can you still fight? Or am I stuck with this monster all by myself?"
Annie's face flashed in Anthony's mind, lively, smiling, full of life. Annie needs me.
"I can fight. I am Anthony!" The Vice Admiral's voice roared with renewed resolve.
"Damn pests, one after another!" Barton snarled, blood energy flaring as his scythes glowed darker crimson.
Teach's grin widened. "Zehahaha! That's more like it!"
Anthony took the chance. He retrieved his severed arm, pressed it to the wound, and with sheer mastery of Life Return, reattached it. The limb was stiff, imperfect but usable.
The clash began.
Barton's strength and Armament Haki were immense. When Teach caught both scythes in his clawed hands, his arms trembled, blood dripping from his palms as his boots sank deep into the earth.
"Strong bastard…" Teach hissed, gritting his teeth.
"Six Styles Secret Art: Six King Gun - Exploding Bear!" Anthony's voice thundered from behind.
The delayed strike came at last. Barton sensed danger and tried to wrench free, but Teach locked down his scythes, muscles bulging as he roared in defiance.
Barton's knee shot into Teach's gut, knocking him loose. His weapons snapped back into hands as the pirate flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Miscalculation…" Teach groaned, staggering up with a crooked smile. "But not fatal."
Anthony's Six King Gun smashed into Barton's abdomen, right where the earlier wounds festered. A sickening crack echoed as Barton's arm bent unnaturally under the force. The impact blasted through his gut, blood erupting from his lips.
"Gaaahhh!" Barton howled.
But instead of falling, his rage boiled over. "Blood Scythe Hell!"
The ground itself warped. Buildings, rubble, even the soil twisted crimson. Blades sprouted like weeds, scythes bursting from every surface. The battlefield had become Barton's domain.
Anthony's face hardened. "Awakening…!"
Within his territory, Barton was everywhere. His scythes surged like a tide, encircling both men.
Teach only laughed. "Zehahaha! Now this is exciting! Don't die on me, old man!"
Claws wreathed in fire and lightning, blackened with Haki, Teach dove headlong into the storm of blades.
Anthony clenched his fists, spirit reignited. "Can't let the brat outshine me. Steel Fist: Bone Crusher!" His Armament Haki roared, punches shaking the air as he joined the fray.
The clash was titanic. Barton's awakened domain stretched for blocks, scythes slashing endlessly.
Teach twisted, leapt, and countered, claws ringing like steel against the blades. Sparks rained. Shockwaves blasted buildings apart. Clouds gathered above, lightning tearing across the sky.
From the hills outside town, Annie and the others watched, wide-eyed.
"Teach will be fine, right?" Annie whispered, voice trembling.
"Boss Teach'll crush him," Mobius said with blind confidence, fists clenched. "He's unstoppable!"
Back on the field, Teach's Observation Haki traced every strike, every twitch of Barton's rage. His claws tore cracks into the blood-forged scythes, which slowly repaired but never fully kept pace.
"Hahaha… looks like my claws are sharper after all!" Teach jeered, carving through another wall of blades.
But Barton's fury only deepened. His own body was breaking, yet his blood-fueled regeneration refused to yield. His monstrous scythe now stretched fifteen meters, triple-bladed, each edge dripping with killing intent.
"Anthony! I'll kill you first, then rip that brat apart!"
Anthony's eyes narrowed. His range grew, but his defense… it's weaker.
He launched upward. "Tempest Kick: Thousand Blades!" Hundreds of razor winds shrieked down at Barton.
Barton carved through them with one colossal swing, leaping after Anthony in a frenzy.
Meanwhile, Teach knew; the domain wouldn't fall unless Barton himself was crushed.
It's time.
His body tensed, muscles shuddering as he pushed Life Return to its limit. Lightning danced across his claws. Heat shimmered from his fingers.
"Devil Claw: Ghost Blooming Flowers!"
In an instant, the world fractured. Claw strikes split the air into countless fine lines, a storm of invisible blades radiating outward. The surrounding scythes shattered like glass, exploding in a blooming scarlet flower.
Even Anthony and Barton froze for half a heartbeat at the sight.
And then Teach was gone.
"Devil Claw: Eight Maidens!"
He reappeared around Barton, once, twice, eight times, his speed so great his afterimages became reality. Eight simultaneous strikes, each laced with fire, lightning, and sword energy, converged in a single instant.
Barton roared, his domain spawning a fortress of blood-forged scythes to defend him.
It didn't matter.
Eight claws ripped through, shattering them to pieces, carving deep into Barton's flesh. His chest split. His arms shredded. Blood poured in rivers. Even his face tore open, the eyepatch ripped away to reveal the empty socket beneath.
Teach staggered as the move ended, body trembling from the recoil. His chest heaved, muscles stiff and screaming.
But Barton was far worse. His body was carved raw, soaked in his own blood.
And still he laughed, a broken, gurgling cackle. "Heh… it hurts… but you'll still… die by my hand!"
His giant scythe, trembling but unbroken, rose one last time aimed at Teach.