Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter 168

Marco was sucked in along with Oden, and the latter, now left with only half of his body, finally saw what Kozuki was holding in her arms. At first, Oden's expression was one of astonishment and disbelief, but the shock quickly turned into grief and fury. A gut-wrenching scream echoed through the sky.

"Momonosuke!!!"

He broke away from Marco's grasp and crawled desperately toward Toki. Kozuki's eyes were empty, her voice mumbling incoherently, her expression a far cry from the woman who had once stood proudly by Oden's side.

Roger closed his eyes, unable to bear witnessing the pain any longer.

Whitebeard's teeth chattered, veins bulging on his forehead, his entire body trembling with rage.

Carl, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. His arms folded across his chest, he watched with admiration.

Zephyr, who had been thrown aside by Roger earlier, now rushed onto the Moby Dick. He had initially thought Carl was being surrounded by Roger and Whitebeard, but seeing the scene unfolding before him left him bewildered.

He approached Carl's side and whispered, "Carl, what happened? That kid…"

"That's Oden's child," Carl replied coldly. "I just killed him. Instructor Zephyr, don't you want these pirates to experience the pain of losing their family? They don't deserve the happiness of family."

Zephyr's heart clenched at Carl's words. He had always found it unbearable to witness such tragic moments, yet Carl's reasoning struck him deeply. The loss of family was the deepest wound in Zephyr's heart, and he turned his gaze away, unable to look at Toki's grief-stricken face any longer.

Whitebeard's massive form loomed, his every step heavy with intent. His face was shrouded in shadow, a terrifying aura radiating from him. He was a beast on the hunt, and all that mattered now was tearing Carl apart.

With Whitebeard's approach, Carl remained impassive, his expression indifferent.

"Whitebeard, who are you trying to scare?" Carl said with a smirk. "Fight me if you want. There are still a bunch of trash down there that I need to clean up."

These words completely set Whitebeard off. He roared, his anger manifesting as an air shockwave aimed directly at Carl.

Carl scoffed, "Tsk, this move is useless to me."

With a simple flick of his wrist, Carl activated Kamui. Whitebeard's furious attack tore through the Moby Dick, but it didn't even scratch Carl's body.

Zephyr, well acquainted with Carl's shameless use of Kamui, had already jumped off the Moby Dick as soon as Whitebeard began his charge. Once Whitebeard's attack subsided, Zephyr found Roger again. Roger, always mindful of the Moby Dick, had no intention of destroying it, so he led Zephyr away from the battlefield. Carl, however, had no such qualms. Destroying the Moby Dick would be child's play for him, but he had bigger concerns.

Akainu, still younger than Rayleigh, had begun to show the effects of exhaustion. His body, covered in cuts and burns, told the story of his relentless fight. Despite his injuries, Akainu showed no signs of retreating. He ignored his own pain, launching magma-filled fists straight at Rayleigh's face.

Rayleigh, despite his calm demeanor, wasn't as relaxed as he appeared. The power of Akainu's Magma-Magma fruit was immense, and even with Armament Haki protecting him, the heat and burning pain were undeniable.

Akainu's attacks were mostly area-of-effect, making it harder for Rayleigh to evade them with just Observation Haki. Rayleigh gripped Akainu's fist with his sword, his body crackling with red lightning. Shouting, he used his Haki to wrap the blade, raising it to release a sword energy that launched Akainu into the air. Akainu tried to break the attack, but Rayleigh closed the distance too quickly.

With a swift motion, Rayleigh's sword tip was aimed directly at Akainu's heart. But before the strike could land, a flash of golden light appeared, momentarily blinding Rayleigh.

"Clang!"

Rayleigh's sword was stopped by a lightsaber. He frowned, looking at the human-shaped golden light that had appeared in front of him.

Akainu blinked, and upon recognizing the newcomer, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Borsalino, you're still as punctual as before."

As the light solidified, Kizaru appeared, engaging Rayleigh with his lightsaber. His voice was laced with mockery as he spoke,

"Sakazuki, you have to thank me this time!"

Rayleigh narrowed his eyes, eyeing Kizaru with disdain. "Another Logia?"

Kizaru, ever the nonchalant one, pouted and responded in his usual sarcastic tone,

"Oh~ How scary~ Isn't this Silvers Rayleigh!"

As he spoke, Kizaru fired a laser. Rayleigh barely managed to dodge, tilting his body to avoid the beam. He retaliated with a kick to Kizaru, but the light admiral's body shifted into photons. He used the transformation to land a kick of his own, sending a dazzling golden flare toward Rayleigh.

However, Kizaru's physical prowess couldn't match Rayleigh's. The kick was too close, and Kizaru couldn't fully exploit the advantages of the Pika Pika no Mi. Rayleigh's superior speed and experience allowed him to land a counter, sending Kizaru flying backward.

Kizaru, now briefly out of the fight, transformed into light and shot off into the forest, exploding on impact.

Akainu, furious at the interruption, turned his anger on Rayleigh once more. He roared, launching a devastating punch toward Rayleigh's chest.

Rayleigh barely blocked the attack, but the force of Akainu's magma-enchanted fist deflected his sword. The punch landed, and Rayleigh was sent flying, his chest burning from the impact.

Akainu shouted, pushing even more strength into his attack. Rayleigh struggled to recover, his body scorched, the pain evident as thick black smoke rose from the burn mark on his chest.

Akainu pressed forward, delivering another fierce punch. Rayleigh was blasted away, his body tumbling across the battlefield. When he finally stood again, the burnt smell of his charred flesh lingered in the air.

Rayleigh staggered, holding his chest, his frown deepening as he tried to regain his composure.

Before he could recover, a golden light surged forward once again, landing a swift kick to his side.

"Boom!"

Rayleigh was sent flying once more, his body skidding across the ground. Only with great effort did he stop himself by stabbing his sword into the earth.

Kizaru appeared before him, his sunglasses broken in half. He flashed a fake smile, addressing Rayleigh,

"Hey! That hurt a lot just now!"