"Gurararara… impressive!" Whitebeard's deep, furious snort escaped through his nostrils as he realized that Gern had neutralized his wrathful strike so effortlessly.
"Children!!" He lifted Bushinkiri with one hand, the massive blade pointing across the air toward Gern on the high platform. His voice boomed like a thunderclap as he issued the command:
"Bring back those worthless brothers of yours—now!!"
"Yesss!!" The captains aboard the Moby Dick, already brimming with impatience, leapt from the bow in unison.
Leading the charge was Captain Rakuyo of the Seventh Division. Medium-built, with messy brown hair and a striking handlebar mustache, the man spun his massive flail in midair. Its spiked head whistled like a cannonball through the air, aiming straight for the iron chains suspending the Decalban brothers.
His intent was clear: save them first.
But just as the flail was about to strike, a small white figure darted in like a phantom. Using her "Tobi" technique, Ripo appeared ahead of the weapon's trajectory in the blink of an eye.
Gone was her usual innocent naivety; in its place was the cold, focused precision of a warrior. Her right leg lashed out like a whip, striking the chain link of the flail with perfect accuracy.
"Clang!!"
The metallic collision rang sharply, shattering the air. The flail veered off its course, smashing into the nearby cliff instead and leaving a crater with shards of stone flying in every direction.
"Apologies…" Ripo landed lightly, her expression icy. She flipped her hands, reversing her grip on a pair of short daggers—strangely shaped, primarily orange-yellow with hints of green at the tips, resembling carrot stems—and crouched slightly.
"Gern said… they're meant to hang."
Before she could finish, the Eighth Division's captain, Myr, a shark-man, struck. A direct Fish-Man Karate uppercut, imbued with a compressed water vapor shockwave, shot toward Ripo's back.
Having sensed the attack through Observation Haki, Ripo twisted her body like it had no bones, narrowly evading the strike by millimeters. Her hands pressed to the ground as her legs spun like lightning, executing a perfect sweep kick that smashed into Myr's wrist and disrupted his momentum.
The movement was fluid, almost artistic, a testament to her remarkable combat intuition and physical skill. Myr's eyes widened in shock—he hadn't expected such reaction speed or raw power from a seemingly petite fur-borne warrior.
"Hmph! Annoying brat!"
The "Diamond" Jozu saw this and no longer hesitated. A low growl escaped his throat as his massive body was instantly coated in dazzling, impenetrable diamond. The sunlight reflected brilliantly off his form, turning him into a colossal armored giant. He ignored the nimble Ripo entirely, instead charging forward like a runaway tank, aiming to smash through the cliffside defenses with sheer strength.
But just as Jozu planted his first step and prepared to accelerate, the solid ground beneath him suddenly became unnaturally soft and viscous.
Looking down, he realized that the terrain beneath his feet had transformed into molten gold, flowing and roiling like a newly-formed swamp. The powerful suction instantly gripped his diamond-coated legs, halting his advance.
"What?!"
Before he could react further, dozens of thick golden chains shot up from the liquid, wrapping tightly around his legs, waist, and arms. Though unable to pierce his diamond body, the chains immobilized him, nullifying his offensive momentum.
Jozu's gaze followed the source of the chains. There, standing not far away, was Tazorlo, smiling a businesslike grin. Liquid gold flowed like living tendrils from his palms.
"Apologies, Mr. 'Diamond' Jozu," Tazorlo said, tilting his head slightly."This time… your opponent is me."
The golden chains officially blocked the diamond titan's path.
With Rakuyo's flail diverted, Myr's ambush neutralized, and even Jozu's diamond charge restrained, the Whitebeard Pirates' captains found their attack stymied.
At that moment, a piercing, sweeping slash shot skyward.
Bista, the Flower Sword Captain of the Fifth Division, bristled; his curved mustache twitched as his gaze sharpened. Both hands gripped the hilts of his twin western swords. He muttered in a low, grave voice:
"Looks like we'll have to get past you before we can safely rescue anyone."
Clang! The twin blades were drawn in an instant, gleaming with deadly light. Bista's presence shifted dramatically; his feet drove into the ground as he launched like an arrow toward the seemingly weaker Ripo, aiming to create an opening for his comrades.
"Rose Tempest!" he bellowed, and his blades split into countless dazzling slashes that wove through the air.
The flashes weren't random—they formed steel roses, beautiful yet deadly, slicing with precision as they covered Ripo and the surrounding area. The razor-sharp arcs cut grooves into the cliffside, a display of Bista's masterful swordsmanship.
But just as the deadly storm of "steel roses" was about to engulf her, a lazy, chilling female voice rang out:
"Playing with sword dances in front of me… how presumptuous."
Before anyone could react, a stunning figure in blazing orange-red streaked onto the battlefield, stepping between Ripo and the incoming storm of slashes.
It was Serpentine Princess Toritoma—Snake Princess herself.
Without fully drawing her slender sword, she unleashed a precise leg strike on Bista's hand, spinning her body in a perfect twist. Her right thumb nudged the blade's guard, drawing only three inches of the sword, while her left hand elegantly steadied the scabbard.
"Nine Serpent Style: Blossoming Elegance!"
Clang! A thin, razor-sharp crescent of pink energy erupted from the blade's tip. Every ounce of her power concentrated in that single arc, cutting with absolute precision.
The arc struck the center of Bista's steel rose storm, cleaving it apart like scissors through silk. The wild, swirling sword energy dispersed to the sides, carving deep trenches into the ground—but Ripo remained untouched.
Bista skidded to a stop, crossing his blades to block the remnants of the strike. His wrists tingled from the force, yet a spark of exhilaration lit his eyes.
"It's you again… woman," he said, voice low.
The two swordmasters' gazes locked, colliding like sparks in midair.
Slowly, Snake Princess fully drew her blade, the tip angled toward the earth. Her long orange-red hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and her flawless face held the faintest mix of pride and lazy amusement.
"Facing the former Amazon Lily imperial candidate, ex-Nine Serpent Pirates officer… now the First Beauty under Admiral White Horn's command… the only woman he ever truly loved," she murmured."Are you afraid?"
Bista was silent.
Their swords flashed again.
Bista laughed, fierce and booming: "Good! Looks like it's time to settle this!" He surged forward, blades raining a torrent of steel.
Snake Princess's eyes hardened. Her sword arcs became precise, lethal flashes of light.
Cling! Clang! Cling-clang!
The clashing of steel rang like a torrential downpour on banana leaves. Their bodies blurred into streaks, every strike a perfect fusion of speed, technique, and deadly intent. Sword energy radiated, carving the battlefield into shattered fragments.
The battlefield had ignited into a deadly corner duel, where every strike could mean life or death, and every movement rippled across the surrounding cliffs with the weight of a hurricane.