Sengoku was confident in victory over the Blackbeard Pirates—the current fleet possessed enough strength to destroy them. Garp just needed to subdue Teach himself. The ambitious pirates, not yet accustomed to the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, were not a match for Garp. Deprived of the power of his fruit, Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit was useless, and he could only use the vibration power, barely holding against Garp's onslaught.
Kizaru, on his own, was holding back the rest of the pirates, preventing them from escaping. Among the entire crew, only Shiryu of the Rain could fight Kizaru on equal terms. And now with Akainu as well—victory was inevitable.
Sengoku, filled with overconfidence, suddenly saw a beautiful figure rising from the ground. Akainu, fearing that clothing would restrict his movements, tore off the pant legs and sleeves, revealing his snow-white, slender legs and arms, a thin waist, a proud and full chest, long hair tied in a ponytail, and a mature, cold gaze.
All these details, plus the familiar outfit, left Sengoku in shock.
"Is it... could it be... Sakazuki?" he breathed.
"It's the Fleet Admiral..." Akainu's cold voice instantly struck Sengoku like a blow to the head. He almost fainted. Such a large, masculine, iron-like man... had turned into a cold, beautiful woman. Could Akainu have been the only admiral who lost in this war?
The appearance of Akainu shocked not only Sengoku but both sides of the battle as well. Such a transformation certainly shattered their perceptions of the world.
The Amethyst Sword in Kizaru's hand slowed down a bit, and he was instantly cut in two by Rain Shiryu. However, the two halves of his body, having turned into light, soon reformed into human shape, but his terrified appearance and expression showed Kizaru was horrified.
How was he now to regard Akainu, his ten-year comrade, who had become a woman?
Even the hero of the Fleet, Garp, was not indifferent. It was not easy for a 70-year-old man to accept such an incredible transformation. He froze, raising his fist as if preparing to strike, his jaw dropping in surprise. Receiving a blow from Blackbeard's shock wave, Garp tried to calm himself:
"So, Sakazuki is like that... Perhaps it's even for the best. After all, she's the only female admiral in decades, and a beauty at that. This doesn't dishonor the Fleet. If used for recruiting new soldiers, this might have unexpected effects."
It sounds reasonable, but the strained smile on Garp's face betrays that it is not.
In the ranks of Blackbeard's pirates, Rain Shiryu, having cut Kizaru, did not pursue him. He simply held a cigarette, his arms lowered, and his fingers trembled slightly. When he was still working at Fleet Headquarters, he knew Sakazuki. He did not expect that the current admiral would become like this.
Blackbeard Teach, also stunned, recovered the fastest. Even he was stunned by the sudden incident.
"I didn't expect Admiral Akainu to be such a beauty. I hope we meet again in the future."
While the Marines were in shock, Blackbeard seized the moment to escape. Initially, the Marines, suddenly ignoring the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, concentrated all their forces on his pirate team, almost destroying the newly built ship. His opponents were Marine heroes: Garp, Marshal Sengoku, and Admiral Kizaru.
Blackbeard couldn't understand why they were being besieged and why the Marines left the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates alone.
Of course, Blackbeard didn't know that Sal had already revealed his secret to the Marines. Knowing his ability to absorb the dreadful power of the Devil Fruit, they naturally couldn't allow him to return to the sea. It would be like letting a tiger out of its cage.
The sudden appearance of Akainu provided Blackbeard with the perfect opportunity. He grabbed the air with both hands and pulled it down. The terrifying vibration technique once used by Whitebeard was repeated.
Blackbeard pulled the air downward, and all of Marineford tilted again. The outer sea split into separate elevations and wave-like surfaces, causing many marines to feel mortal danger.
Ships from both sides fighting in the outer waters of Marineford capsized due to the sudden change in the sea's terrain, claiming many lives. This brutal scene temporarily halted the naval battle.
And since Blackbeard did not control the vibration zone as Whitebeard did, it is unknown whether he did it intentionally or couldn't control the power. The terrible vibrations spread far. In the Sabaody Archipelago, more than a day's journey away from Marineford, one could feel the powerful tsunami.
Seeing that the effect was achieved, Blackbeard laughed:
"Ha-ha, guys, we're retreating! If anyone gets caught, it's their own fault."
"Ha-ha, how wonderful! It's so pleasing to see Jango's ugly face!" Pizarro, the "King of Evil Rulers," was clearly excited. He had been defeated by Sengoku and ended up in Impel Down. Now, seeing his defeat, he was happy.
The vibration spread, and the ground Blackbeard stood on tilted because he intentionally controlled the direction. Several members of Blackbeard's pirates quickly descended the sloping platform. They were retreating in the same direction as Sal and his group.
"Lo..."
When the vibration subsided, Sengoku noticed this and continued to give the order to pursue. Leading the chase was Akainu, who had transformed into a woman. He turned into magma and swiftly moved towards Blackbeard, but it was unclear whom he was actually pursuing.
Soon, Blackbeard and his team found Sal and Ivankov remaining. They had already reached the ship.
Seeing Sal about to board the ship, Blackbeard smirked, openly showing his ugly teeth.
"Ha-ha, Augustus D. Sal, it's been a long time since we met in Impel Down. Thank you for everything."
Blackbeard arrived too late and missed the shock caused by Roger's identity. Because he hadn't watched the live broadcast, he didn't know that Sal was "Roger."
As a true villain, he would never forgive Sal for the loss of the pirate crew members.
He reached out toward Sal not too far away. Dark energy turned into a vortex. A terrifying suction force pulled Sal in.
"Dark Water, ha-ha, die, accursed Sal."
Sal allowed the dark water to pull him in with an expressionless face, but when he almost reached Blackbeard, he stomped heavily on the ground. Using his physical strength and Haki, he broke free of the dark water's hold.
To Blackbeard's disbelief, Sal caught the opponent's fist vibrating with power. The powerful collision energy knocked everyone aside. Blackbeard's eyes widened instantly, as his fist, always unbeatable, was caught by an enemy considered weak.
And Sal didn't let the opponent change his move; he had already drawn Ace and struck a blow, leaving a deep wound on Blackbeard's shoulder, visible to the bone.
Before Rab could take advantage of Blackbeard's injury to secure victory, Rain Shiryu had already blocked Ace's blade with both hands, holding a sword. They looked at each other, and Sal rushed at Shiryu with deadly intent.
"Click... Ka! —
The blade slowly retreated. The strength emanating from the opponent's weapon surprised Shiryu.
Where did this magnificent warrior come from? Why had he never heard of him?
As for Blackbeard, being instantly knocked off his feet and almost killed by the opponent was his own fault. He underestimated the enemy, pulled in a magnificent warrior, and left too many openings for the adversary. The enemy was a superb swordsman.
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