The massive blade came crashing down toward Zoro's head, but he didn't even try to dodge. Instead, he met the attack head-on, blocking it with sheer force. The other Commodores quickly surrounded him, slashing at him from all directions.
Yet, Zoro still didn't move to evade. Instead, an eerie aura began to radiate from his body.
In that instant, it was as if he had become three people.
"Nine-Sword Style! Asura—Demon Nine-Flashes!"
The three figures of Zoro spun as he charged straight at Yukimura and the other Commodores. In just a few swift movements, the sound of blades shattering filled the air. The swords in Yukimura's hands snapped apart, and deep wounds appeared across their chests as blood sprayed out.
One by one, they collapsed to the ground, unwilling to accept their defeat.
Zoro exhaled and calmly sheathed his three swords. When he turned to look at the warship, he saw that every Marine on board had already been taken down.
Above, Usopp was still in mid-air, gripping a Marine Captain who appeared to be a Bird-Bird Fruit user. With a casual toss, he flung the Captain onto the deck before landing himself—his expression a mix of smugness and exhaustion.
"Seriously, you left all the small fry for me! Zoro, couldn't you at least save a Commodore for me?" Usopp complained as he landed.
Zoro glanced at him. "Usopp, you're looking a little full of yourself now."
"It's not arrogance—it's power!" Usopp huffed. "Anyway, next time, save one or two officers for me!"
"Alright, alright. As long as they're not swordsmen, I'll leave them to you."
"Uh… just one or two, okay? Too many might be… a bit much."
Zoro couldn't help but chuckle. As expected, Usopp hadn't really changed. He wanted to prove himself by taking on stronger opponents, but at the same time, he was afraid of being overwhelmed.
A sign of shaky confidence.
Their attention then shifted to Carl. His battle with Z was nothing short of earth-shaking.
Akainu's entire body seemed to have turned into a raging volcano, melting the very ground beneath him. Countless volcanic bombs rained down relentlessly, forcing Carl to evade continuously, maneuvering on his flying sword to stay out of reach.
Every now and then, Carl would counter with a sword strike, but Akainu easily deflected each one.
"Carl, you're going to die here today~!"
Akainu smirked, something rare for him. "I've prepared a grand funeral just for you. Do you like it?"
Carl rolled his eyes. "Akainu, you're getting ahead of yourself."
Carl was exhausted, but Akainu wasn't in peak condition either. More importantly, Carl still had techniques he hadn't used yet. If he truly went all out, Akainu wouldn't walk away unscathed.
Since Akainu was acting so arrogant, it was time to go all in and teach him a lesson.
"Since you're so determined to take me down, I'll bring out my best moves. If you can handle them, then fine—take my life!"
As he spoke, crackling arcs of electricity surged across his body.
At the same time, the sky darkened as thick black clouds rolled in. Thunder rumbled, and with a loud crack, a massive lightning bolt struck down toward Akainu like a pillar of rain.
Akainu dodged immediately, a serious expression appearing on his face.
However, the lightning didn't fade. Instead, it relentlessly pursued him, crackling like divine judgment. Every piece of ground the lightning touched became a sea of electric currents, buzzing with deadly energy.
Akainu's eyes widened in shock as he quickly leaped into the air, using Moonwalk to escape.
But when he looked around, he realized the situation had completely changed. The sky and ground were now covered in electric arcs, and a giant lightning column continued to chase him. Meanwhile, Carl stood unharmed in the middle of the storm, completely unaffected by his own attack.
"Lightning Profound Art—Thunder Pool!"
Carl unleashed the full power of his Devil Fruit, turning the entire area into a sea of lightning, trapping Akainu inside.
In this Thunder Pool, enemies were overwhelmed from all directions, while Carl moved as freely as a fish in water.
Swish! Carl vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Akainu, slashing at his back.
Akainu staggered but continued running through the air with Moonwalk, ignoring the blood seeping from his wound.
Right now, he had no solid ground to land on. Even when he tried to create footing by spewing magma beneath him, it was instantly swallowed by the electrified terrain. If he wanted to stand still, he would have to endure the full force of the electric current.
And if that happened, he'd be nothing more than a sitting duck.
"So, this lightning boosts your abilities while dealing heavy damage to me…" Akainu muttered.
He narrowed his eyes. "This Thunder Pool grants you incredible power—even allowing you to match Kizaru's speed. You might actually be able to fight me on equal terms."
"However, maintaining this must drain you quickly. If I hold out long enough, you'll run out of stamina, and then… victory will be mine!"
Akainu smirked confidently.
He was prepared to take a beating—but he wasn't afraid of Carl at all.
"Oh? If that's what you think, then go ahead and try!"
Whoosh!
Carl reappeared behind Akainu once more, his dual swords crackling with electricity as he unleashed a relentless assault.
Akainu dodged repeatedly using Moonwalk, but the technique drained stamina rapidly. As the fight continued, he began to slow down, struggling to keep up.
Meanwhile, Carl was effortlessly maneuvering on his flying sword, weaving through the air with ease.
Akainu had no choice but to endure some of Carl's slashes, and before long, his body was covered in wounds.
"Hey, Akainu… do you have any idea where I'm about to send you?"
Carl's voice suddenly echoed in Akainu's ears.
Akainu's expression darkened as every hair on his body stood on end.
Buzz!
Carl unleashed a sudden burst of Conqueror's Haki in a sneak attack.
Akainu tried to escape, but the shockwave froze him in place for a split second.
Crackle!
The massive lightning pillar finally struck, engulfing Akainu completely.
Even though he was a Logia user and immune to physical attacks, lightning wasn't a physical attack—it bypassed his defenses. And on top of that, Carl had infused his attack with Armament Haki, ensuring that Akainu couldn't simply phase through it.
There was no escaping.
Carl wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, he sensed that Akainu was too weak to continue resisting. Without hesitation, he dispersed the Thunder Pool.
Akainu's charred figure emerged from the storm. His body was scorched black, covered in burns and wounds, with barely a single uninjured spot left. Unable to move, he collapsed to the ground in utter defeat.
Carl, meanwhile, swayed unsteadily, nearly falling off his flying sword from sheer exhaustion.
Luckily, he managed to stabilize himself and slowly descended.
Zoro and Usopp immediately rushed over.
When they saw Akainu's battered, miserable state, they were stunned. They had witnessed the entire battle firsthand and knew that both Carl and Akainu had the power to wipe out entire islands with ease.
Even now, remnants of magma and lightning still sizzled around them, ensuring that this battlefield would remain an uninhabitable wasteland for some time.
"The Lightning Swordsman—unstoppable across the seas, and the man who beat Akainu into a dog!"
Carl suddenly declared out loud.
Akainu, who had been barely holding on, almost choked on his own rage.
Hearing that, his already struggling breath hitched, and his eyes burned with fury.
This damn Carl!
If he didn't kill this guy, he wouldn't be able to call himself human!
"Mr. Carl, you actually defeated a Marine Admiral!" Zoro and Usopp exclaimed in shock, their excitement obvious.
Zoro, in particular, felt his fighting spirit surge.
Carl simply waved his hand. "Just luck."
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