Chapter 42: The Wisdom of Battle
Taking advantage of the opportunity Bubu Wang had bought, Jinbe rushed forward in a few steps and threw a straight punch at Akainu. This was the Shark Tile Straight Punch of Fishman Karate.
Akainu had no intention of dodging at all. His magma-fied fist met the attack head-on.
With a booming crash, the ground around them cracked open. Magma erupted on Akainu's arm, creating a secondary impact force.
Jinbe only felt his entire right arm go numb as his wooden clogs scraped across the ground, sliding him backward. Only after steadying himself did he feel the burning pain on his knuckles. If this were the sea, he was confident he could fight Akainu, but unfortunately, this was land, preventing him from leveraging his Fishman advantages.
Just as Jinbe stabilized himself, a wave of heat appeared behind him. His time in the Impel Down prison had left his body somewhat sluggish.
With a bang, Akainu punched Jinbe in the back. There was no visible injury on his back, but Jinbe's chest began to redden like a branding iron.
Scorching magma erupted from Jinbe's chest. The burning sensation in his internal organs nearly made him pass out.
After rolling a few times, Jinbe, still clutching Luffy in his arms, collapsed to the ground.
"You wasted a few minutes of my time."
Akainu didn't even glance at Jinbe again. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Amu, who was struggling to stand up from the ground.
"Put me down. Dying for someone like me... isn't worth it."
Ace's weak voice reached Amu's ears. Amu slapped him hard with his large hand, and Ace let out a muffled groan.
"Amu is not... doing this for you."
Amu exhaled cold air as he spoke. Since Su Xiao had ordered him to do this, he would never stop until he died.
"I'm sorry."
Ace was filled with regret—regret over his recklessness in charging alone to kill Blackbeard. He also hated his own self-pity. No matter who his biological father was, he now had family willing to risk their lives to save him.
Just as Akainu was about to finish off Amu, Bubu Wang appeared nearby again. This time, Bubu didn't approach Akainu but stuck out his tongue, his expression clearly saying: "I'm gonna piss you off. Come hit me."
"Get out of the way."
Akainu clenched his fists, and magma surged high around him. Although Bubu Wang executed a "sideways Thomas roll," the fur on one side of his body was scorched black. Now, except for the strip on his head and back, most of his fur was singed.
Bubu Wang, blending into the environment, knew this wouldn't work. If this continued, he'd end up as roasted dog.
With a bang, a sonic boom exploded. A hole the size of an arm blasted through Akainu's chest.
"Amu, go with Bubu to board the ship over there."
Su Xiao, his entire body radiating cold air, walked over from a distance. Blood energy seemed to form a grinning vicious beast above him.
Akainu's face darkened. Su Xiao was different from the weakened Jinbe.
Su Xiao glanced at Bubu Wang, whose fur was completely charred, then at Amu, who was covered in extensive burns. A smile gradually appeared on his face, the veins on his neck bulging.
Boom!
The ground beneath Su Xiao's feet caved in a large area. He vanished instantly, reappearing right in front of Akainu.
With a clang, magma splashed on both sides of the Dragon-Slaying Flash's blade. Su Xiao crouched to dodge the incoming magma and kicked straight forward.
Magma enveloped Su Xiao's calf. Pale blue electric arcs flickered, and the magma scattered.
Akainu's arms had already turned into elemental form. He bent his right arm, and the surging magma formed a dog's head. The dog's mouth opened wide, lunging at Su Xiao's head.
Su Xiao didn't dodge Akainu's attack. Instead, he stepped forward, his long sword slashing through Akainu's magma arm. This wasn't Akainu's elemental arm but magma created by his Devil Fruit ability and then shaped into an arm. Therefore, it wasn't afraid of the Dragon-Slaying Flash wrapped in Cyan Steel Shadow energy.
The long sword cut through the magma, slashing toward Akainu's throat. Akainu also didn't dodge, continuing to send the "Dog Bite Crimson Lotus" toward Su Xiao's head.
Boom!
Magma splashed over ten meters away. Su Xiao was completely engulfed in magma, but the tip of the Dragon-Slaying Flash had also slashed across Akainu's chest. Blood sprayed out. At the last moment, Akainu tilted his body, barely avoiding decapitation.
An arm covered in magma pierced through the molten mass, reaching for Akainu's head. But just as this arm was about to grab Akainu's head, the magma enveloping Su Xiao suddenly turned deep red, its temperature becoming terrifying.
"I'll give you a grand funeral."
As soon as Akainu finished speaking, he sensed something was wrong. The magma on the arm in front of him slid off, revealing a pale blue crystal layer. It was actually a hollow arm formed by the crystal layer.
A whining slash sound came from behind Akainu. Just as he was about to dodge, the mass of magma in front of him exploded, sending a large number of crystal fragments surging toward Akainu.
The long sword cut through flesh. After Su Xiao delivered one slash, Akainu turned into magma. A gush of blood sprayed out, and an arm fell to the ground.
Su Xiao's head-on clash with Akainu was a trap. After being submerged in magma, he immediately wrapped himself in a crystal layer and used the Dragon Shadow Flash ability to move positions, arriving behind Akainu.
As for the arm reaching for Akainu's head, it was a hollow arm formed by the crystal layer, controlled by the same principle as manipulating Banishment.
Akainu had fallen for it, paying the price with his right arm.
De-elementalizing, Akainu appeared over ten meters away. Blood spurted from the severed arm. He only glanced at the arm on the ground, with no regret or anger in his eyes. As for his gloomy face, when was it ever not gloomy?
"Pirate."
Akainu ignited magma flames in his hand and pressed it against the wound. The wound sizzled, and the smell of burnt flesh spread.
Akainu's face showed no expression. Pain only made him hate pirates even more. In his view, regardless of a pirate's character, bearing the name of pirate meant they should be eradicated. Or rather, Akainu's logic was: pirates = desire for freedom = unwillingness to work = unwillingness to take responsibility = threat to most people = sea villains = arson, murder, and plunder = need to be eradicated. Simple conversion: pirates = need to be eradicated.
Su Xiao wouldn't just watch Akainu treat his wound. He quickly charged forward, blade aura clearing the way.
Akainu had clearly realized that he couldn't let Su Xiao hit him; otherwise, he'd immediately be locked onto a physical form. That pale blue energy was even more effective against Devil Fruit users than Haki.
Akainu swung his single arm, sending several magma fists flying, which crashed into the blade aura.
In the blink of an eye, Su Xiao closed in on Akainu, his long sword slashing repeatedly, cutting Akainu into over a dozen pieces.
The magma-fied Akainu turned into a puddle. The next moment, a dark red arm formed from the magma.
"Magma Dog."
This punch was incredibly fast. Su Xiao had no chance to dodge; he could only tilt his body as much as possible.
With a bang, the dark red arm punched through Su Xiao's shoulder, piercing his body.
Just as Akainu was about to detonate the Magma Dog inside Su Xiao's body to cause internal damage, he suddenly found his arm de-elementalizing. There was an energy inside Su Xiao's body that was highly effective against elemental forms.
Swish~
The long sword stabbed into Akainu's lower jaw. At the critical moment, Akainu tilted his head, and the blade tip emerged from behind his ear, failing to damage his brain.
Just as the long sword pierced his head, Akainu forcefully turned his head, using his skull to lock the blade. Bubu Wang, who was running toward the port, saw this scene and suddenly felt that, given Akainu's ruthlessness and decisiveness, being burned to such a state was not unjustified.
Akainu's pupils trembled. It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt, but he endured it. Just as he was about to elementalize his remaining arm and incinerate Su Xiao's internal organs, Su Xiao swung his left arm down. The crystal layer wrapped around his palm formed a blade, severing Akainu's left arm.
With a squelch, the half-remaining Banishment pierced through the back of Akainu's head and flew out from his eye socket.
The half arm embedded in Su Xiao's shoulder turned into magma. However, when Akainu had punched through his shoulder, Su Xiao had already wrapped the wound with a crystal layer inside. Though the pain made him break out in cold sweat, it prevented the magma from surging into his chest cavity.
Magma surged at Akainu's severed arm, forming a new one that blasted toward Su Xiao's head. It was still Magma Dog. Despite having his head pierced, he wasn't dead.
Su Xiao released the sword hilt and leaped backward. Blood energy gathered above him, forming a Blood Beast that pounced at Akainu.
With a booming crash, the blood energy exploded. The Blood Beast's attack was that straightforward.
The crystal layer inside the bloody hole in Su Xiao's shoulder dissipated. Blood gushed out. The Banishment wrapped around his left arm also detached, and his left arm hung limply. His left arm had been immobile earlier. The reason he could use his palm blade to cut off Akainu's magma arm was that he had wrapped the split Banishment around his left arm, using it to move the limb. Combat wasn't about trading blows; it required using one's brain.
[Tip: Your talent ability, Blood Beast, has killed Akainu Sakazuki.]
[You have killed Sakazuki.]
[You have obtained an Epic Chest (47%).]
[You have obtained 1900 War Merits.]
[Your Main Mission 2 has been completed. Do you wish to complete it immediately or continue accumulating completion progress?]
[World Source rewards will be settled after the plot event concludes.]