I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

Akainu had watched the broadcast of Nagasawa’s battle against Big Mom, and he had watched it especially carefully. He still remembered with perfect clarity the slash that had instantly killed Big Mom.

And now, Nagasawa was in the exact same state as he had been when he instantly killed Big Mom. The originally dazzling flaming blade had become an unremarkable sword that even looked somewhat charred.

Only by personally facing Nagasawa in this state did Akainu understand why Big Mom had been nearly killed by a single slash back then. It wasn’t that Big Mom was too weak—it was that Nagasawa in full Bankai was simply too terrifying.

Just the overwhelming aura emanating from Nagasawa made Akainu’s soul tremble uncontrollably.

Yes, ”soul” was the only word Akainu could use to describe it. His soul had trembled beyond his control.

He had never experienced such a feeling before. Not even the Conqueror’s Haki of the Four Emperors should have been capable of producing such an effect on him.

Of course, Akainu had no idea that this wasn’t Haki at all, but rather the effect produced by overwhelmingly powerful Spiritual Pressure.

”Sakazuki, surrender while I’m still in a good mood,” Nagasawa said, pointing Ryujin Jakka at Akainu.

If Akainu surrendered, it would also be a tremendous blow to the remaining Marines. If even the Fleet Admiral surrendered, then what was the point of continuing to fight? They might as well all surrender to the Revolutionary Army together.

With more than half of his body transformed into magma as if preparing to unleash his ultimate attack, Akainu roared, ”You expect me to surrender to villains like you? Dream on!”

Immediately afterward, Akainu fired a massive number of gigantic molten fists into the sky. Each molten fist rapidly ascended to a certain height before plummeting downward at tremendous speed, like a meteor shower descending upon the earth.

At this point, Akainu had already concluded that the Marines had no chance of victory. The Revolutionary Army possessed no fewer top-tier fighters than the Marines. The Marines had him, Kizaru, Sengoku, and Garp, while the Revolutionary Army had Aokiji, Fujitora, and Dragon.

But the Revolutionary Army also had Nagasawa, a powerhouse capable of single-handedly wiping out an entire Emperor’s pirate crew, while the Marines had no one who could match him.

Under such circumstances, with a large number of the Marine middle ranks also joining the Revolutionary Army, Akainu truly could not see any hope of victory. So he directly unleashed Meteor Volcano indiscriminately, hoping to kill as many Revolutionary Army members as possible. Even if Marines were caught in the attack, it didn’t matter. Those Marines might very well join the Revolutionary Army after their defeat anyway.

The entire Marine Headquarters was within the attack range of those molten meteors. Whether Marines or members of the Revolutionary Army, everyone only had to look up to see the flaming molten meteors streaking toward the ground.

Some Marines realized that they themselves were also within the attack range and were instantly dumbfounded.

”Has Fleet Admiral Sakazuki abandoned us?” For a moment, the Marines felt boundless sorrow.

Seeing this, Garp frowned deeply, looking at Akainu with obvious displeasure.

Sensing the situation, Fujitora furrowed his brows and loudly questioned Akainu, ”Do you intend to harm your own subordinates?”

Akainu snorted coldly.

”A traitor like you has no right to lecture me!”

The molten meteors drew ever closer to the ground. Fujitora no longer bothered saying anything more to Akainu. People walking different paths could never understand each other.

Fujitora immediately activated the powers of the Press-Press Fruit, drastically altering gravity over a vast area, causing the molten meteors that should have fallen to instead float in the sky, unable to crash into the ground.

Some Marines who had already closed their eyes to await death suddenly realized they were unharmed. Opening their eyes, they saw the astonishing sight of countless molten meteors suspended motionless above them, unable to descend.

”Admiral Fujitora...”

The Marines looked at Fujitora’s solemn expression with mixed emotions. Using gravity to stop Akainu’s Meteor Volcano was by no means an easy feat. Those were molten meteors, not broken pieces of rubble.

Their own Fleet Admiral had ignored their lives, launching an indiscriminate attack that had nearly killed them, while Fujitora, who no longer belonged to the same camp as them, had actually saved them.

The world had become far too surreal. The Hero of the Marines and a current Admiral were members of the Revolutionary Army, a Marine who had devoted his entire life to the Marines had also joined the Revolutionary Army, and now they themselves had been saved by the Revolutionary Army.

Akainu kept looking toward Kizaru, hoping he would come over and help hold Nagasawa back so he could unleash another Meteor Volcano. Fujitora might withstand one, but could he withstand two? Three?

But Kizaru acted as though he hadn’t noticed Akainu’s gaze at all, looking here and there without ever meeting Akainu’s eyes.

Akainu naturally didn’t believe Kizaru hadn’t seen him. If an Admiral’s observation was that poor, he wouldn’t be an Admiral. Kizaru simply didn’t want to acknowledge him.

Clearly, Kizaru had no intention of confronting Nagasawa.

’Sakazuki, after all, you’re the Fleet Admiral. I’ll leave the strongest enemy to you.’

Kizaru looked up at the sky and thought to himself.

If he went to fight Nagasawa, wouldn’t that just be throwing his life away? Even the Four Emperors couldn’t withstand him. Was he supposed to be stronger than a Four Emperor?

He was just someone collecting a salary. He had no desire to throw his life away.

With the speed he took such pride in, even against a Four Emperor, Kizaru wouldn’t panic too much. Even if he couldn’t defeat a Four Emperor, a Four Emperor wouldn’t be able to catch him either.

But Nagasawa was different. Kizaru truly had no confidence.

If he couldn’t dodge that slash, he would die. Whether he survived depended entirely on Nagasawa’s mood.

Furthermore, Kizaru could already tell that Marine Headquarters had reached the end of the road. The scales of victory had already tipped toward the Revolutionary Army. The Marines’ defeat was only a matter of time. Once Akainu fell, once he himself fell, what could the Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals, and field officers possibly accomplish?

At that moment, Kizaru genuinely believed that the Revolutionary Army possessed the strength to overthrow the World Government.

Although the Marines consisted of more than just Marine Headquarters—they also had numerous branches and special facilities like Impel Down—the combined strength of those places amounted to at most one-third of Marine Headquarters’ power. Therefore, the defeat of Marine Headquarters was practically equivalent to the defeat of the entire Marine force.

The Marines were the World Government’s strongest weapon. Since the Revolutionary Army had defeated even that strongest weapon, it was only natural to believe they possessed the strength to overthrow the World Government.

Of course, the World Government undoubtedly had trump cards of its own. Kizaru didn’t believe that those Celestial Dragon nobles at the top would place all their hopes on the commoners beneath them. They had their own mysterious power.

Next, it would depend on whether the Revolutionary Army’s strength was greater, or the World Government’s hidden trump cards were stronger.

”Since you’re determined to remain stubborn, then fall.”

Seeing that Akainu not only refused to surrender but had also unleashed Meteor Volcano in an indiscriminate attack, terrifying Spiritual Pressure erupted from Nagasawa as he charged toward Akainu at incredible speed with Ryujin Jakka in its Bankai state.

If you would rather die than surrender, then I’ll grant your wish and send you on your way.

Nagasawa liked people with that kind of resolve and was more than willing to help them fulfill their wish.

”Zanka no Tachi, East: Rising Sun Blade!”