Chapter 46: No mercy for enemy but...family

"Admiral Akainu... was knocked away."

"I was just hit by Kaido..."

"Is the gap between us really that huge?!"

The navy stood in stunned silence, many in a state of shock and disbelief.

That was Admiral Akainu—one of the strongest among the three admirals. Within the navy, perhaps only Garp could definitively be considered stronger than him. Even Sengoku might not be able to defeat Akainu.

And yet, Kaido had effortlessly knocked him away with a single blow, as if it were nothing more than a casual swing of a bat.

"The navy... the navy isn't going to be wiped out by pirates... right?"

The fear within the navy began to spread. Who could have foreseen that executing Ace would lead to such a catastrophic outcome?

"Akainu!"

Even Sengoku was shocked. The most crucial force under his command had proven to be so vulnerable.

Of the three admirals, Sengoku had the highest expectations for Akainu. After all, Kizaru and Aokiji were known for their laid-back attitudes, making them unreliable for the most critical tasks. Akainu was supposed to be the one to deliver results. But now, even he had been defeated.

As Sengoku reeled from this revelation—

Boom!

Whitebeard wasn't one to be trifled with. Sengoku, momentarily distracted, was nearly struck down by a fierce attack from Whitebeard. His golden Buddha form trembled, and he barely managed to maintain his composure.

Steadying himself, Sengoku counterattacked, but his internal organs churned violently—Whitebeard's blow had truly hit hard. "This is getting troublesome..."

Meanwhile, Aokiji and Kizaru had also regrouped. Both admirals, who had been sent flying by Kaido earlier, were still in shock. Now Akainu had been taken down as well.

They finally understood the massive gap in strength between them and Kaido.

The navy was in real danger of being annihilated.

Kaido, on the other hand, approached the two remaining admirals, a little disappointed that Akainu had only been knocked away and not killed. He had hoped to claim a reward for eliminating Akainu, but the admiral had proved remarkably tough, surviving despite being struck by Kaido's immense power.

Now, Kaido set his sights on Aokiji and Kizaru. The two admirals immediately used their powers to defend themselves. Aokiji froze Kaido's mace, encasing it in ice, but the frost only affected the surface—it didn't slow Kaido down in the slightest.

Kaido smirked. "Aokiji's abilities... aren't that impressive. His attacks are weak, his speed is lacking, and his defense and vitality are nothing special. Even his Haki is unremarkable. It seems he relies entirely on his Devil Fruit powers."

Aokiji had likely developed his Ice-Ice Fruit to a level above most kings, which was what allowed him to hold the title of admiral. But overreliance on a fruit's power creates a problem—once that power is neutralized, there's little left to fall back on.

With a simple shake of his body, Kaido shattered the ice encasing his mace. He then prepared a more devastating attack.

"Thunder Bagua."

This time, Kaido wasn't holding back. His mace crackled with Haki as he swung it at Aokiji. The admiral, realizing that freezing wasn't working, tried to dodge, but he was too slow.

Kaido's Thunder Bagua connected with Aokiji's leg.

Bang!

A sickening thud rang out, and Aokiji's leg was sent flying, soaring hundreds of meters before landing near the navy's elite soldiers. They stared in horror, slowly realizing—

"That's not a leg formed by Aokiji's ice... That's his real leg!!"

"Admiral Aokiji's leg... it's been severed!"

"Admiral Aokiji is seriously injured!!"

Panic swept through the ranks of the navy as Aokiji collapsed in agony, blood pouring from the stump where his leg had been. He tried to stop the bleeding by freezing the wound with his powers, but the damage was done.

The pirates, meanwhile, erupted in celebration.

"Finally! We've done real damage to the navy!"

Excited cheers and maniacal laughter filled the air as the pirates grew even more emboldened. With their morale high and the navy's in shambles, they surged forward, taking on two or three opponents at once, while many navy soldiers hesitated to continue the fight.

"Aokiji!!"

Sengoku, once again distracted, couldn't believe his eyes. An admiral's leg, broken so easily? How was Kaido this strong?

But this time, Sengoku wasn't the only one taken aback.

Even Whitebeard was shocked.

Aokiji, an admiral, had been gravely wounded so quickly? Whitebeard himself wasn't entirely sure he could defeat Aokiji in a straight fight. Kaido had truly ascended to a level that defied common sense.

Behind Kaido, Kizaru transformed into light, preparing to escape. Kaido, however, had already predicted this with his Observation Haki.

"The admiral... wants to run?"

Of course, Kizaru wanted to escape. Akainu and Aokiji had both been taken down in a single strike. Staying to fight seemed pointless. It made more sense to retreat and attempt a long-range attack, hoping to chip away at Kaido's defenses.

But Kaido wasn't slow, either. As Kizaru moved at the speed of light, Kaido anticipated his path and appeared directly in his way.

"I've seen the speed of light before."

Kizaru was stunned. Kaido, a king-level powerhouse, had somehow kept up with him. While Kizaru was faster when fully transformed into light, the time it took to make the transformation gave Kaido just enough of an edge in speed.

What made it worse for Kizaru was Kaido's taunt about "seeing light"—a clear mockery. In the past, Kizaru had arrogantly boasted, "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" But now, Kaido had turned the tables on him.

Kaido's mace, wrapped in Haki, came crashing down. Kizaru raised his arms to block, but the blow was too powerful. His arm was severed, just like Aokiji's leg.

Kizaru tumbled to the ground near Aokiji, his severed arm landing not far away.

In the blink of an eye, Kaido had gravely injured two admirals. One had lost a leg, and the other an arm.

The navy was paralyzed with fear.

If Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru weren't strong enough to stop Kaido, then no one was.

It was over.

What more can be done now? Who will come to save the navy?!

The navy's foundation is crumbling under the weight of these devastating defeats. Are they truly going to stand by and watch as Marineford, the headquarters of the navy, is crushed into oblivion?

"Garp, return and help us as soon as possible!!" Sengoku bellowed.

With all three admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—defeated, their only hope rested on Garp's return. Maybe, just maybe, if Garp joined the fight, they could still turn the tide.

But at that very moment, Garp was blocking Luffy's path to the execution platform.

"I won't let you pass, Luffy!!!" Garp declared with steely determination. "I am the Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, and you, Luffy, are my enemy now! I will show no mercy!!!"

But Luffy, driven by his unwavering resolve to save Ace, would not be stopped—not even by his grandfather. With a powerful punch, he sent Garp flying.

Sengoku, witnessing the scene from afar, was dumbfounded. "At a time like this, and he's still holding back?!" he thought, enraged. His shock turned to fury as he let out a thunderous roar.