"Meteor Volcano!"
Just then, a low, sharp shout came from the distant sea, signaling the arrival of more people.
The sky suddenly darkened as countless giant lava fists, wreathed in Blake smoke, filled the air like apocalyptic meteors, raining down indiscriminately upon the entire Minion Island battlefield with an aura of total destruction!
Facing this indiscriminate, cataclysmic attack, the three individuals fiercely engaged in battle instantly stopped their movements, their expressions solemn as they looked up at the sky.
"Fist Bone: Meteor Shower!"
Garp's two fists blurred into countless afterimages, and the violent wind generated by his punches pulverized the giant lava fists heading toward him one by one.
"Elbaf Spear—Haki!"
Charlotte Linlin roared and swung the Emperor Sword Napoleon, the massive sword energy shattering several giant lava fists!
In his hybrid form, Kaido delivered a fierce horizontal sweep with his massive dragon tail, accompanied by a roaring "Worororo," directly exploding the giant fists attacking him!
The other people on the island also used their own methods, either evading or smashing the incoming giant magma fists.
The raining lava and fire transformed the entirety of Minion Island into a burning hell.
Blake specifically turned his gaze toward the cave where Gris and Drake were located.
He had to admit, these two were really lucky. Even on a battlefield where magma was flying everywhere, the cave they were hiding in was largely unaffected, though Gris's arm was burned by splashed magma.
Blake felt that this was somewhat due to Drake's good fortune from the original work protecting them both.
In reality, everyone present had already noticed their existence, but simply didn't have the time to bother with these two minor characters.
The two were currently just petrified with fear. In fact, no one would stop them if they ran out, as Vergo had already run off into the distance to coordinate the Marine soldiers Garp had brought and had engaged Perospero in battle, leaving him no time to deal with these two minor characters.
The three-way battle involving Garp, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido temporarily ceased, and everyone looked solemnly toward the approaching warship.
Akainu and Fujitora stood at the bow, their cloaks of Justice fluttering wildly behind them. The warship cut through the waves, heading straight for the island.
Garp burst into loud laughter, his hearty voice remarkably clear amidst the roar:
"Sakazuki! You bastard, are you trying to take out even this old man?"
"If the mission requires it, I certainly will."
Sakazuki's figure gradually became clear in the drifting smoke, and his stern gaze swept across the entire scene:
"Including you scum of the sea, none of you will escape today!"
He had actually followed the isolated Charlotte Linlin to the North Blue and had no idea what was happening here, nor did he know that the crowd was actually fighting over the Ope-Ope no Mi.
But for Sakazuki, none of that mattered. Everyone before him was his enemy, especially the two pirates, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.
He had always been a man with clear goals. Since he had left the Marines and established the NEO Marines, he had severed all ties with his former colleagues.
Nevertheless, Sakazuki's gaze remained firmly fixed on Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.
For him, matters concerning the Marines and the World Government could be put aside for now; eliminating pirates was the most crucial task.
"Worororororo..."
Kaido let out a laugh, and that eerie curve reappeared at the corner of his mouth:
"Sakazuki, I heard you already left the Marines."
"What of it?"
Sakazuki frowned and looked at him:
"My NEO Marines exist precisely to eliminate you pirates without constraint!"
Seeing that he was completely unmoved, Kaido raised the stakes:
"Then are you willing to watch the Ope-Ope no Mi fall into the hands of the World Government?"
"That is a Devil Fruit capable of granting eternal life. Don't you want it?"
"The Ope-Ope no Mi?!"
Sakazuki was stunned. Only then did he finally understand why Charlotte Linlin had rushed away from Cake Island, and why this group was fighting here. It turned out that the Devil Fruit rumored to grant eternal life had appeared right here.
Hearing the name Ope-Ope no Mi, even Issho, who had remained indifferent to everything, turned his head to "look" in the direction of the three figures.
"Wororororo... So you didn't know yet..."
Seeing Sakazuki frozen, Kaido continued to provoke him:
"What do you say? Interested in joining the fray?"
Facing the Ope-Ope no Mi, which grants eternal life, even the iron-willed Sakazuki couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.
Garp immediately sensed the danger and shouted loudly:
"Sakazuki, are you planning to ally yourself with pirates?"
This was no joke. Two opponents were already enough to handle; if Sakazuki and the blind swordsman beside him joined in, Garp might truly be doomed today.
Furthermore, Garp actually still admired Sakazuki's current actions, and he did not want him to become a man without principles.
This statement completely ignited Sakazuki's wrath. He glared at Garp, his voice cold and full of anger:
"A pirate is a pirate... Do you think such a trick can shake my resolve?!"
"My Justice tolerates no impurity!"
"If that is the case..."
Lava surged around Sakazuki, and his aura exploded once more:
"Since its ownership cannot be decided..."
"Then I will personally destroy it!"
His voice was cold and decisive. His lava-transformed right arm suddenly swelled up like a ferocious beast choosing its prey, attacking Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Garp simultaneously and indiscriminately.
Even the island beneath their feet seemed poised to collapse entirely under his fury.
"Great Eruption!"
Whether it was the World Government or pirates, they were all his enemies now.
If the opportunity was right, Sakazuki wouldn't mind if all these people perished on Minion Island.
Of course, he knew this was unrealistic, so his secondary goal was to seize the Ope-Ope no Mi.
But he did not possess such a deep obsession with eternal life; his greater concern was ensuring the Ope-Ope no Mi absolutely did not fall into the hands of a World Nobles or a pirate.
Even if he had to destroy it!
Therefore, Sakazuki had completely gone berserk!
Everyone present was his target.
Oh, wait, except for Issho, who came with him.
Issho smiled faintly:
"Since the Admiral has already made his move, it would be improper for this old man to stand idly by."
"Everyone! Excuse me for this intrusion!"
He first politely greeted them, then drew his sword-cane and delivered a powerful slash:
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
The massive horizontal slash, wrapped in the wind pressure generated by gravity, crushed and destroyed everything in its path, aiming directly at Charlotte Linlin.
This was the strength of a top-tier expert—being able to perfectly integrate a Devil Fruit with one's own innate abilities.
At the same time, Issho was very satisfied with Sakazuki's decision, believing that he was at least able to make a clear judgment when faced with immense temptation.
If Sakazuki had prepared to seize the Ope-Ope no Mi at any cost after hearing about it, Issho would have been very disappointed.
The sudden involvement of the NEO Marines made the already chaotic battlefield even more unpredictable.
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