A violent surge of air erupted from the center of the collision, sweeping across the entire island.
The red-haired figure retreated explosively, almost as if pushed by a sudden force.
Bang bang bang—
A continuous barrage of gunfire erupted.
Yasopp and Beckman fired their guns in rapid succession.
The bullets, imbued with Haki, shot like streaks of light towards Sakazuki's vital points.
Sakazuki calmly watched the incoming bullets:
"Magma Burst Jade."
His body rapidly heated and turned red, instantly making the entire island feel like a scorching inferno.
An explosive force several times stronger than the previous collision, accompanied by a torrent of magma, momentarily halted the bullets, sending them flying backward.
All structures on the island instantly turned to ruins, engulfed and burning in the magma.
Sakazuki's form coalesced at his original spot.
Suddenly, his internal alarm bells rang loudly. His neck tilted slightly to the side as he slammed his right elbow backward, and his right hand snatched.
*Boom!*
His right elbow firmly blocked Shanks, who was behind him.
His right hand, which had been aiming to grab Shanks' wrist, missed its mark and instead clamped onto Benn Beckman's blade.
A drop of blood from the tip of Beckman's blade fell onto the magma on the ground.
Sizzle—
It instantly evaporated.
A wound appeared on Sakazuki's neck, slowly oozing a trickle of blood:
"Kenbunshoku Haki," he said, his tone becoming serious.
One could not truly grasp the terrifying nature of this ability without personally experiencing the effect of Kenbunshoku Haki...
The entire island was now covered in magma due to the self-detonation of Magma Burst Jade, yet Shanks' presence was completely undetected...
Red-Haired Shanks' expression was equally grim:
"He blocked it."
To be honest...
There were few in the Navy who could resist Shanks' Kenbunshoku Haki, and yet, he had encountered them all.
Enel, BarthoLeMeo, and Sakazuki.
Either they had a counter or their strength was so overwhelming that they simply didn't fear Kenbunshoku Haki...
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed, his right hand radiating Haki.
He grabbed Benn Beckman, pulled him forward, and slammed him towards the ground.
Shanks' body, out of control, spun backward, but his legs continued to move, kicking towards Sakazuki's chest.
Sakazuki met the kick with his left fist.
*Boom!*
His punch landed on Shanks' raised foot, a burst of surging energy erupting. With a surge of strength in his arms,
Shanks was slammed into the ground by Sakazuki.
*Crash—*
The ground trembled.
Sakazuki's left arm transformed into magma, emitting thick black smoke as it rapidly expanded.
*Bang!*
A large hole appeared in Sakazuki's chest.
Yasopp and Beckman, in unison, looked towards the distant figure. Two bullets, entwined and spinning, instantly pierced Sakazuki's chest.
Sakazuki glanced at the gaping hole in his chest, and his body suddenly contorted and expanded unnaturally.
Shanks' pupils constricted. With a burst of strength, he broke free from Sakazuki's grip and looked towards Yasopp and Beckman:
"Don't stay on the ground!"
The blade in his hand, crackling with lightning, was plunged directly into Sakazuki's body.
However, the yielding sensation caused Shanks' heart to sink. Sakazuki's main body had vanished without a trace.
Shanks twisted the blade.
*Riiip—*
Sakazuki's body was torn apart.
Accompanying it was compressed magma, which expanded and diffused outwards. The dense magma surged like a colossal wave towards the island.
Rumble—
The magma that erupted there seemed boundless, directly submerging the entire island and surging towards the sea.
On the island, apart from the main members of the Red-Haired Pirates, no one else survived. The area was completely cleared...
The Red-Haired Pirates scattered across the sky above the island, their faces grim as they stood on the air.
This kind of move was simply impossible to defend against; it was utterly unscrupulous...
Yasopp activated his Observation Haki to its maximum and suddenly looked to his side:
"Eleven o'clock direction!!!"
Without hesitation, they unleashed sonic roars, volleys of Haki-imbued bullets, and slashes, all directed towards the port.
At the port.
The nascent magma, just beginning to take shape, was directly dispersed.
Then, a streak of light flashed.
The entire port was crushed and annihilated by a sky-piercing sword energy.
The land of the port, along with the magma, vanished without a trace, leaving only a massive crescent-shaped chasm into which seawater poured incessantly...
Yasopp turned his head again, looking to another side:
"Three..."
He had barely uttered a single syllable when a sense of impending death wrapped around him. He jerked his head to the side.
*Swish—*
A magma dog head instantly tore through space, brushing past Yasopp's ear.
The magma dog head, which had charged behind Yasopp, instantly expanded and solidified, revealing Sakazuki's figure, looking at Yasopp as if he were already dead.
His dark right hand shot directly towards Yasopp's neck.
A red glint flashed in Sakazuki's peripheral vision.
*Clang!*
Shanks' figure, appearing as if he had teleported, moved with extreme speed behind Yasopp.
He blocked Sakazuki's dark hand with the blade in his hand.
Yasopp, meanwhile, did not falter. He turned into a stream of light and retreated to the center of the group, visibly shaken.
Sakazuki frowned:
"Troublesome."
Red-Haired Shanks' expression was grave:
"That's what I should be saying."
Sizzle—
The red lightning on his blade erupted, clashing with the Conqueror's Haki emanating from Sakazuki's hand.
The sky had inexplicably turned a fiery red, as if engulfed in flames.
*Boom!!!!*
A massive mushroom cloud exploded, a ring of white shockwaves expanding outwards.
They were both sent flying backward.
The reason for the sky's fiery hue was also discovered by the Red-Haired Pirates.
Bang bang bang—
Gigantic magma fists, piercing the clouds, descended towards this sea area.
Sakazuki's Meteor Volcano, used before his arrival, had finally reached the battlefield...
Shanks, sent flying backward, landed amidst his crew. He stomped his foot backward, using the explosive force to stop his momentum in mid-air, and looked up at the sky.
He drew his blade, Grif, to his left and behind him, then spun and shot upwards.
As Grif was drawn and slashed, a swirling red streak passed through the falling magma fists, disappearing into the depths of the clouds and erupting.
The sky, filled with fiery clouds, was cleared away. The descending magma fists paused their attack, each being cut into fragments and falling powerlessly, like fiery rain.
However, Sakazuki had vanished.
The Sakazuki who had been sent flying backward had transformed into a lifeless mass of magma and fallen into the sea.
His true body had been transferred to an unknown location.
The Red-Haired Pirates, their minds on high alert, scanned their surroundings, trying to locate Sakazuki's figure.
A shattered magma chunk, emitting black smoke, slid from the sky into the midst of the crew.
Several pirates with powerful Observation Haki had already reacted.
They looked at the magma chunk with horror, their thoughts seemingly frozen...
The movements of everyone slowed to a visible crawl.
But the rate at which the magma chunk expanded left them no time to react.
Sakazuki's figure coalesced before their terrified eyes:
"Magma Burst Jade."
His indifferent voice echoed in their ears.
An unparalleled explosive force, akin to a volcanic eruption, spread outwards. The crew members in mid-air were unable to resist...
All of them were scattered...
As the explosive shockwave dispersed the crew,
A dark, massive hand seized the neck of Yasopp, one of the most powerful users of Observation Haki...
The others were unable to provide support, their bodies uncontrollably sent flying by the shockwave...
*Snap—*
The bones and flesh of his neck disintegrated into a bloody mist.
A head flew upwards.