This was Aiden's new way to use the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Instead of only throwing lightning outward, he sent electric currents through his muscles and nerves, forcing his body past its normal limits.
Sakazuki reacted at once.
His instincts warned him before the attack even landed.
The magma fist he had prepared blasted forward. It tore through the air, dragging heat and black smoke behind it, and crashed into the place where Aiden had been standing a breath earlier.
Boom!
The magma exploded and swallowed the ruins behind him.
But Aiden was no longer there.
Sakazuki's Observation Haki warned him again and again.
Aiden had turned into a streak of blue-white lightning, slipping through the gaps between the exploding magma before they closed. He cut left, dropped low, rose again, and crossed the battlefield in broken lines that Sakazuki could barely follow.
Sakazuki turned before the sound reached him, but Aiden was already behind him.
"Too slow."
Aiden crossed Oto and Kogarashi before Sakazuki could fully turn.
Lightning ran along both blades as they cut down together.
The two swords crossed over Sakazuki's back, tearing through his magma body in an X-shaped strike.
Bang!
Sakazuki had just enough time to harden his back with Armament Haki before the force sent him flying.
His feet carved two deep trenches through the ground. His body broke through one ruined wall, then another, before he slammed into a pile of stone and stopped.
The Justice coat on his back tore apart.
Two charred cuts remained across his back. Electric currents snapped over the wounds, slowing the magma as it tried to close.
Both swords bit in cleanly.
"Bastard!"
Sakazuki pushed himself out of the rubble. Magma burst from under his feet and launched him upward.
His fists turned into dozens of magma bullets and fell across the area around Aiden.
If he could not match Aiden's speed, he would bury every path Aiden could use.
The magma rain covered the ruins.
Aiden moved through it.
Kogarashi knocked one burning mass aside. Oto cut through another. Aiden twisted between two more, his coat snapping behind him as sparks and molten stone passed close enough to burn the ground at his feet.
Sakazuki kept attacking.
He predicted Aiden's next step and sent magma there first.
But every attack arrived a moment late.
Sakazuki could read the path, but Aiden always arrived before his body could answer.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Aiden closed the distance again.
He cut from the left first. Sakazuki blocked, but before he could push back, Aiden vanished in lightning and cut from the right.
The second block came late, forcing Sakazuki's arm down and opening his guard.
Aiden stepped above him, turned in midair, and brought both swords down. Sakazuki raised his arms and caught the blades with Armament Haki.
The ground under his feet cracked.
Before Sakazuki could counter, Aiden was already behind him again.
A kick wrapped in lightning slammed into the side of Sakazuki's face.
Boom!
Sakazuki was driven back into the ruins. Stone burst around him, and dust rose high into the air.
Aiden did not follow.
He turned into electricity and appeared above the ruins, standing on a thin layer of crackling current with both swords in hand.
Below him, Sakazuki stood up again.
Magma dripped from his shoulders and back. The cuts on his body closed slowly, but they did close.
For the first time, Sakazuki felt the weight of his own magma.
He could melt streets and buildings, but Aiden kept slipping past him.
Aiden stayed above the ruins, both swords ready.
He was suppressing Sakazuki now, but he knew this fight would take time.
Sakazuki was not Edward Weevil.
Weevil had brute strength and a tough body, but his mind was simple.
Sakazuki was different.
His body, Haki, Devil Fruit, and battle experience had all reached a level few Marines could match. Even if Aiden held the advantage in speed, taking him down would not be easy.
But that was fine.
Aiden shook the magma residue from Oto and Kogarashi.
He did not need to kill Sakazuki.
Not yet.
First, he would stop Sakazuki from finding his pace.
Crackle.
Lightning flashed.
Aiden disappeared.
A second later, his fist smashed into Sakazuki's face.
...
At the same time.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Urgent alarm bells echoed through the fortress.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat behind his wide desk. He held a bag of rice crackers in one hand and was feeding the small goat beside him.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral!"
A communications officer rushed in, covered in sweat.
"Cough, cough!"
Sengoku jerked in surprise and almost shoved a rice cracker up the goat's nose. He quickly hid the crackers behind his back and sat up straight.
"What are you panicking for?! Did the sky fall? Speak slowly!"
The officer panted heavily, clutching an urgent telegram.
"Celestial Dragon Saint Jaygarcia Brax has been attacked! His Transponder Snail sent out the highest-level distress signal! The coordinates are in the waters of the Kalga Kingdom in the first half of the Grand Line!"
"Hmm?"
Sengoku frowned.
He had not had a quiet day since taking the Fleet Admiral's chair. Now this kind of trouble had landed on his desk too.
"Who is escorting Saint Brax?" Sengoku asked.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
Sengoku relaxed a little when he heard that name.
He picked up his rice crackers again.
"If Sakazuki is there, then there is no need to panic."
"It's probably some suicidal pirate crew that ran into him, or Saint Brax is throwing another fit."
"Tell the nearby branch to send someone over and check what is going on."
Sengoku trusted Sakazuki's strength.
In Paradise, with Sakazuki guarding him, the Celestial Dragon should have been safe.
However.
Only ten minutes later.
The same communications officer rushed in again.
This time, his hat had fallen off, his face had gone pale, and he forgot to salute.
"Fleet... Fleet Admiral! Something terrible happened!"
"We can't contact Saint Brax! His private Transponder Snails... all of them disconnected!"
"What?"
Sengoku's hand stopped above the rice cracker bag.
"What about Sakazuki? Have you reached Sakazuki?!"
"We just contacted the Marines stationed on his ship!"
The officer stuttered through the report.
"They said Vice Admiral Sakazuki noticed the Celestial Dragon had been attacked and rushed over immediately..."
"But..."
"But what?! Speak!"
Sengoku slammed his hand on the desk.
"But an intense battle broke out there! Regular Marines can't get anywhere near it, and the Celestial Dragon's condition is unknown!"
"What did you say?!"
Sengoku stood up so fast his chair scraped back.
An intense battle with Sakazuki?
In Paradise?
How was that possible?
Sakazuki already had strength close to an Admiral. In the first half of the Grand Line, there should not have been anyone capable of holding him back to the point where he could not even protect the Celestial Dragon.
If someone capable of holding back Sakazuki had entered Paradise, the intelligence department should have heard something.
Sengoku knew this was no small matter.
If something had happened to the Celestial Dragon, even he would have a serious problem to handle.
"Who is the closest Marine officer with the rank of Rear Admiral or higher?! How long until they can get there?!"
The officer immediately opened the navigation logs and traced his finger across the map.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! Vice Admiral Borsalino is inspecting the nearby G-12 Branch!"
"Borsalino?"
Sengoku immediately thought of him.
The user of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
When it came to arriving quickly, no one on the sea was faster.
"You're dismissed."
Sengoku waved the officer away and grabbed the private Transponder Snail on his desk.
"Puru puru puru..."
It rang several times before the call connected.
The Transponder Snail's eyelids drooped halfway, and its mouth pouted.
"Hello This is Borsalino. Sengoku, what's up"
"Borsalino, I have an urgent mission for you."
Sengoku gripped the receiver.
"Oh A mission"
Borsalino answered as if he had just woken up.
"But Sengoku, I just made some tea over here~~"
"Stop talking nonsense."
Sengoku cut him off.
"Go to the Kalga Kingdom near you. A Celestial Dragon sent out the highest-level distress signal there."
"Even though Sakazuki is right beside that Celestial Dragon, I still can't reach him."
Sengoku stopped pacing.
"The information coming back is a mess. Go there and confirm what is happening."
"Oh Even Sakazuki can't be reached? How strange"
Borsalino paused for a moment.
"But it's a bit far Rushing over there will be really tiring Can't you let..."
"No!"
Sengoku shouted into the receiver.
"This is an order! Whatever you're doing, drop it! Get there at top speed! Confirm the safety of the Celestial Dragon and Sakazuki!"
"If something really happened to the Celestial Dragon, don't even think about getting your salary next month! Do you hear me?!"
"Yes yes. I got it. You really know how to order people around"
Borsalino sighed.
"Then I'll head out now I hope I can make it back in time for dinner"
Click.
The call disconnected.
Silence returned to the office.
Sengoku sat back down and rubbed his temples.
Borsalino had agreed to go. With the speed of the Glint-Glint Fruit, he should make it in time.
But speed alone did not make Sengoku relax.
If the enemy was strong enough to occupy Sakazuki, one backup did not feel like enough.
No.
He needed another backup.
Sengoku stopped pacing and looked at another Transponder Snail at the corner of his desk.
It was a direct line to a certain break room, but Garp had not been at Headquarters lately.
Sengoku took a deep breath and picked up the receiver.
"Puru puru puru..."
The call connected after a few rings.
The Transponder Snail's face changed at once. Its eyelids drooped, its cheeks bulged, and its mouth started chewing.
"Crunch crunch..."
A crisp chewing sound came from the other side first.
"Hey, Sengoku? Why are you calling at this time? If you're trying to steal my rice crackers, forget it. This is my last bag."
"Stop eating, Garp."
Sengoku set his own rice crackers down.
"Where are you right now?"
"Me? I'm in Water 7."
Garp answered with his mouth full.
"Zephyr's students gave him a new warship, but he's too busy leading the new recruits to get away, so he insisted I help him sail it back... Honestly, what does he think I am? A delivery boy?"
"Forget about the ship for now, Garp. I need a favor."
Sengoku cut off his complaining.
"Look at your sea chart. Find a place called the Kalga Kingdom."
"Huh? Kalga? What kind of random place is that?"
Paper rustled on the other side.
"It's a non-member nation near the G-12 Branch," Sengoku added.
"Oh... found it."
Garp answered after a moment.
"It's not too far from here. What's wrong?"
"A Celestial Dragon went there recently, and now he seems to be in trouble. He sent out the highest-level distress signal."
"Tch..."
Garp did not hide his disgust.
"Celestial Dragon garbage? I can't be bothered. If that trash dies, he dies. Just let a nearby branch clean up the mess."
"If it were that simple, I wouldn't have called you either."
Sengoku gripped the receiver harder.
"The Vice Admiral escorting the Celestial Dragon is Sakazuki."
"But until now, I haven't been able to contact him directly. The information coming back is chaotic. All we know is that a major battle has broken out."
"I'm not worried about the Celestial Dragon right now. I'm worried about Sakazuki."
Sengoku did not joke this time.
"If even Sakazuki is being pushed back, then someone very dangerous must have appeared in the Kalga Kingdom. I need you to get there as fast as possible."
The chewing on the other end stopped.
Then Garp spoke again.
"Are you saying that magma brat... met his match in the first half of the Grand Line?"
"Alright then."
Water 7's port.
Garp slowly stood up from his lounge chair.
The bag of rice crackers he treated like treasure was casually tossed to his adjutant, Bogard, beside him.
He grabbed the Justice cloak from the back of the chair and draped it over his shoulders.
Then he looked toward the rough sea in the distance.
Garp grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"Then I really need to go see for myself exactly who this is."
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