"Who are you?" Tezuka roared, seizing his weapon with all his strength, determined to pierce Ethan Hale.
"No…" Momotaro tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Nearby, Akainu had considered intervening, but thinking of the larger situation, he chose to hold back for now, only ready to step in if absolutely necessary.
"Yo… terrifying," Borsalino "Kizaru" said on the other side, patting his chest and pretending to be scared.
Ethan's anger flared uncontrollably. He was truly furious. Someone had tried to kill him three times in a row. Since arriving in this world, he had never provoked anyone, but now his patience had reached its limit.
Ethan spun around, a fierce grin stretching across his face, filled with lethal intent. "Since you're asking for death, I'll give it to you."
Malice surged through him as he vanished from sight, then appeared in midair, grabbing a spear and kicking up clouds of dust. His eyes glowed red as he thrust the cold spear directly toward Tezuka's heart.
It was unmistakably a fight to the death. Events unfolded so fast that by the time anyone tried to intervene, it was already too late.
In this critical moment, Tezuka could only rely on himself.
He indeed showed the potential of a future Navy officer. At the last second, his eyes wide with terror, Tezuka dodged, letting Ethan's attack pierce his shoulder.
"Boom!" Dust and debris flew as the ground trembled, the spear sending Tezuka crashing back. But Ethan did not intend to let him escape. He surged forward, flames erupting from his hands. The terrifying heat and burning power made it clear he intended to annihilate Tezuka completely.
"Oh no… Ethan's going to kill Tezuka!" Spider and the others panicked, for Ethan had become utterly fearsome. His malicious, chilling expression made everyone tremble.
"What a terrifying lunatic. If we don't stop him, we'll be dragged into this too. I don't want Zephyr scolding me," Borsalino said, transforming into light and appearing instantly in front of Ethan.
"Ethan, have you ever been kicked by light?" he asked with a lewd smirk, arrogance in his voice, as his right foot glowed gold and appeared above Ethan's head.
"Kizaru, you're looking for death!" Ethan fully erupted, his right hand wreathed in blazing flames. Amid the flickering fire, a pair of scorching wings quietly emerged, radiating intense heat as they surged toward Kizaru.
"Bang!" Sparks flew as the flames boiled. The ground beneath Ethan shattered, sending out a terrifying gust.
"Infinite Arrows," Ethan declared, hands wide open, body engulfed in flames. Behind him, the sky itself seemed to respond, forming over twenty weapons swords, spears, halberds each wrapped in golden-red fire and etched with strange, glowing runes.
"Whoosh…" The explosive force tore through the atmosphere, and even Kizaru's expression changed dramatically from the sheer impact.
"Canine Crimson Lotus." Boiling magma erupted like a demonic beast.
"Akainu." Ethan's face twisted cold. "If you dare try to stop me, see if you can even kill him."
"Everything that happens today, I will repay tenfold in the future!" Ethan roared, flames blazing around him. Within the fire, a blurred, sinister figure spread its wings and cut through the sky.
The raw, wild aura, endless malice, and roaring flames revealed Ethan's fury in full.
Hearing his icy words, Kizaru and Akainu's expressions changed they knew the madman's wrath was now aimed at them.
"Unlucky," Kizaru muttered, appearing in the air. He didn't want to provoke Ethan and said, "You two continue. I'm just stretching."
Sometimes retreat was better than charging forward. Provoking a powerful enemy without reason was not in Kizaru's nature. He preferred comfort and ease in life.
With Kizaru pulling back, Akainu was left fully exposed to Ethan's wrath, letting out a frustrated roar and silently cursing Kizaru in his mind.
"Fire God Spear!" Ethan clasped his hands, and the sky filled instantly with golden-red flames. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the flames coalesced, turning from red to white, forming a massive spear over ten meters long that shot down from the clouds, aimed directly at Akainu.
"Boom… boom…" Waves of heat rolled across the battlefield. Everyone stepped back as the ground melted into molten lava. Akainu's body began to reform from the elemental magma, face pale. He realized his elemental powers couldn't fully withstand Ethan's attack, leaving him in disbelief.
Even standing in molten rock, he could feel the flames eroding him slowly but painfully.
"Ha… ha…" Ethan panted, the explosive exertion draining him rapidly. He took a deep breath, eyes sharp, raising his right hand high. Flames converged, compressing into a sphere the size of a basketball. The fireball absorbed more flames, its heat melting the ground beneath it.
Everyone stared at the fireball, faces twitching at the sheer destructive potential. Even if it didn't kill them, the explosion's shockwave would seriously injure anyone nearby.
"Ethan, stop! You'll destroy everything here!" Aokiji's body radiated cold as he tried to intervene, unsure if he could survive the impact unscathed.
"Kid, what are you doing?" A thunderous voice echoed. Garp appeared like a cannonball, a blur of motion.
"Hey, calm down," Zephyr followed closely behind.
"Stop this right now, all of you!" a more commanding voice bellowed. Kong's expression was grim as he closed in from the sky.
Yet Ethan ignored Zephyr and the others, hurling the high-energy fireball directly at Akainu without hesitation.
"High-Energy Flame Shockwave."
"Ethan Hale!" Akainu's face twisted. He hadn't expected Ethan to blatantly ignore orders from the Navy command and attack him directly.
"Mega Eruption."
At that moment, three figures leapt decisively into the inferno.
"Boom… boom… boom…"
Explosions rocked the Navy base. Flames rolled like mountains and tidal waves, consuming the land and spraying outward in all directions.
"Ice Wall!" Aokiji spread his arms, conjuring a massive two-meter-thick barrier that shielded everyone.
Amidst the chaos, the area descended into utter confusion. Moments later, the flames vanished, leaving a massive crater.
In the impact pit, Zephyr, covered in black soot, cradled the barely conscious Tezuka. Akainu stood behind Kong and Garp, bent over and spitting blood.
Seeing Garp and the others unharmed, barely winded, Ethan narrowed his eyes in surprise. They had withstood his attack flawlessly.
Akainu had been careless, overestimating the invincibility of his elemental powers, unaware that even natural Devil Fruit abilities had weaknesses. Honestly, at that time, Akainu's strength was far below what he would achieve decades later they were all still too young.
With the battle paused, everyone exhaled in relief. Ethan's anger had been terrifying.
"Kid, I told you to stop! Why didn't you listen? Do you want to kill your comrades?" Kong's face darkened.
"I only wanted to kill them," Ethan said, standing straight, neither humble nor arrogant. His stamina had hit near zero but was slowly recovering with time.
"You…" Kong's fury rose. He had given Ethan chances due to his talent, never expecting this response.
Seeing Kong angry, Zephyr knew Ethan would not provoke first, meaning there must be a hidden reason for his actions.
"Who can explain what happened?" Zephyr demanded, eyes scanning everyone.
"Teacher Zephyr, Commander Kong, this was all my fault…" Momotaro said, taking responsibility.
After hearing her explanation, Garp and the others looked serious. Zephyr even threw Tezuka aside, frustrated.
Strictly speaking, Ethan had done nothing wrong. He had repeatedly given Tezuka chances. Tezuka had courted death himself. No one else could be blamed. If it had been Kong and the others, they would have likely fought on the spot. Everyone has a temper.
"Ha… ha… not bad, not bad. Just a few days in, and already this strong," a massive hand clapped Ethan on the shoulder, nearly sending him flying. Ethan looked battered and injured.
"Since it's over, let's leave it at that," Kong said after a moment of thought, though someone refused to let it go.
"Commander Kong, I don't offend those who leave me alone. But if someone tries to kill me, they should be prepared to die," Ethan said coldly, eyes scanning the unconscious Tezuka and grim Akainu.
"You won't let Tezuka and Akainu go? That's not a good attitude," Garp frowned.
"I never start trouble, but that doesn't mean I'm easy to bully. Avoiding trouble doesn't mean I fear it. This is always my principle," Ethan said, unwavering.
"Enough. Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Akainu, covered in molten rock, hissed. Pride would not allow him to endure such humiliation.
"You seek death, I'll give it to you," Ethan said, murderous intent blazing. He had never felt this way watching the anime before, but experiencing Akainu in person made him realize just how repulsive he truly was.
Flames roared, temperature rising, Ethan ready to obliterate Akainu at the slightest provocation.
"Enough…" The pressure froze Ethan momentarily, solidifying his flames.
"This matter ends here. As long as no one dies inside Marineford, the rest is your responsibility. If anyone dies inside, don't blame me for taking action," a powerful aura emanated, yet Ethan stood firm, eyes locked on Kong.
"Take Momotaro and Akainu for treatment. Everyone else, fall back."
Hearing Kong's words, Ethan smirked. He understood that as long as no one at Marineford died, there was no problem. As for everywhere else… "Hmph… long days ahead, we have plenty of time to play," he thought, a sinister smile curling on his lips as he watched Tezuka and Akainu disappear.