Chapter 113: Akainu's Frustration, Helpless Rage 

As the black-haired youth swallowed a single Senzu Bean, his entire body immediately began to emit scorching white steam.

The broken bones rapidly reconnected with a series of cracking sounds, and the charred skin peeled off like a snake shedding its skin, with new flesh quickly growing in its place.

His aura also surged continuously. With a slight movement of his neck, a series of bone-chilling cracks echoed.

Akainu's expression was as dark as water.

He's truly returned to his peak condition...

How on earth did he manage to do that?!

"Ten minutes!"

As Xiano gracefully descended from the sky, he looked down at Akainu in the deep crater below and raised a finger:

"Old man, I'll give you ten more minutes! Let's see if you can truly defeat me! If you can't..."

"Then today ends here, and don't blame me for not sticking around!"

Ten minutes.

That would be enough for the Sunset to escape safely, and he could also find an opportunity to make his own exit!

"Arrogant brat..."

Akainu's magma body churned violently as he slowly straightened up, his voice low and dangerous, filled with barely suppressed rage:

"Do you think recovering your condition will change anything? Since you're still foolishly trying to buy time for your comrades, then you can stay here forever!!!"

Boom——!!!

The ground beneath Akainu's feet exploded as he shot into the sky like a meteor of molten lava!

His right fist instantly transformed into magma, the scorching lava twisting and writhing like a living creature, quickly forming three ferocious dog heads.

The dogs bared their fangs, roaring incessantly, their magma manes wildly flailing. The intense heat distorted the air around them, creating rippling waves.

"Magma Hound: Crimson Lotus!"

With a low shout, the three magma hounds shot forward at incredible speed, leaving crimson afterimages in the air. Their gaping maws, filled with molten fangs, lunged straight for Xiano's head!

Even before they reached him, the terrifying heat had already curled and scorched the hair on his forehead!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this heat is no joke!"

Xiano laughed, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, "But this is perfect timing!"

He clenched his right fist, and with a "pop," the air exploded, sending rippling shockwaves in all directions.

At the same time, his entire fist was instantly coated in an intense, jet-black Armament Haki.

"Six Styles Secret Technique: Iron Wall Fist!"

The so-called "Iron Wall Fist," along with the "Mountain Echo Wave Rush," were his strongest techniques, created by combining his peak Six Styles Martial Arts with Armament Haki.

However, the difference between the two was clear.

The latter was for offense, while the former was for defense!

Boom——!!!

The three ferocious magma hounds collided with Xiano's fist, and after a violent distortion of the air, they were completely absorbed by the fist's force, as if sinking into a bottomless sea.

Xiano was also forced back over ten meters by the shockwave, his feet carving deep trenches into the ravaged ground.

But in the next second, he raised his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet his grin grew even wilder:

"Is that all?!"

With this level of attack, even if given half an hour, Akainu wouldn't be able to defeat him!

"It's not over yet!!!"

Akainu's eyes darkened as magma surged through his arms, forming massive fists once more. In a flash, he lunged forward, aiming a crushing blow at Xiano, who, in turn, didn't dodge but charged straight ahead to meet him!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!

The figures of the two men rapidly crisscrossed along the shore, each collision erupting with deafening roars.

Magma intertwined with Haki, and faintly, countless thick black lightning bolts began to flicker around them!

The terrifying shockwaves spread like ripples, continuously expanding.

In fact.

The white-hot battle had already lasted this long, and its impact extended far beyond the shores around the stone bridge.

The entire vast southern island was trembling violently.

Even dozens of kilometers away, pink and white petals were swept up by the violent gusts of wind, swirling through the sky like a blizzard.

This once picturesque spring island now seemed to be invaded by the harshness of winter.

From north to south, from east to west...

All the cherry blossom trees had shed their petals, leaving only bare branches swaying in the wind, devoid of any trace of spring's vitality.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Akainu remained silent, but his strikes grew heavier, his attacks increasingly violent.

The frustration and humiliation of being unable to defeat Xiano for so long burned at his nerves, consuming most of his rationality.

At times, he even abandoned defense entirely, allowing Xiano's fists to tear bloody gashes across his body.

In return, each of his strikes carried even more ferocious force, sending the black-haired boy staggering back repeatedly.

"Cough... Pah!Xiano spat out a mouthful of blood, the wounds on his exposed skin sizzling under the intense heat of the magma.

Yet, he still grinned with blood-stained lips, his eyes gleaming with an almost frenzied battle intent.

"That's it, that's it... old man! But it's still not enough, hit me harder!!!"

Akainu's eyes blazed with killing intent, his magma fist erupting with scorching heat once more.

"Die!!!"

However, just as he was about to unleash this strike—

"Mr. Sakazuki!"

In the distance, Dalmatian and Bumaya's figures darted past the bare tops of the cherry blossom trees, using Moon Walk to rapidly close in on their location!

"Oh?"Xiano glanced over with the corner of his eye, not hiding his mockery, 'Looks like you finally realized you're not enough on your own and want to gang up, huh?""

I didn't call them here!

Even though he knew the kid in front of him was deliberately trying to provoke him...

Akainu, who had been fighting for so long without success, couldn't suppress the rage in his heart and swung another fist upward from below.

This time, Xiano didn't meet the punch head-on. Instead, he let the blow land on his chin, using the force to propel himself high into the air.

From the sky, he gazed far to the south, where the "Fallen Curtain" had already become a faint black dot on the horizon.

"Already that far, huh? Must have been more than ten minutes!"

Xiano grinned with blood-stained lips, his smile wild and unrestrained at this moment.

It's time!

Snap—!

Xiano's body suddenly expanded, his bones cracking like thunder, his muscle fibers growing wildly, and in an instant, he grew to a terrifying height of three meters and nine centimeters.

His bulging muscles looked as if they were cast from steel, veins protruding, as he landed with a thunderous crash, the ground shaking violently, dirt splattering in all directions from the immense force.

Thud! Thud!

His heavy footsteps echoed like war drums as Xiano strode toward Akainu.

"..."

The shadow loomed over him, and Akainu looked up at the figure towering a full meter above him, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"So this is it... your true form, huh?"

With his keen eyesight, he could naturally discern that the imposing figure before him was Xiano's true form.

The previous "ordinary human" appearance was merely a specialized combat mimicry.

There was a kid in the CP department who seemed capable of something similar.

"Hey, old man!"

Xiano's rough voice came from above, and Akainu instinctively raised his head higher, meeting the boy's pitch-black eyes.

The latter grinned from ear to ear, revealing a row of pristine white teeth:

"Who knows when we'll meet again, so I might as well give you a parting gift!"

Boom! He suddenly took a step forward, and with a loud crack, the muscles in his right arm swelled instantly, as terrifying power surged and accumulated within his tendons and bones.

"Elbaf's Spear—"

Hum!

The air trembled violently, and visible ripples centered around Xiano's fist rapidly spread in all directions like turbulent waves.

This strike.

Was far more powerful than the one he had unleashed against the mountain on Little Garden, draining almost all of Xiano's remaining stamina.

And its destructive force was naturally even more terrifying!

Akainu's pupils constricted sharply.

In that instant, his Observation Haki screamed warnings, but his body was already too late to dodge.

"—Might Nation!!!"

Boom—!!!

Before the fist even landed, the violent shockwave had already torn through the ground.

Akainu barely managed to cross his arms in defense, his magma-covered body just finishing coating itself with Armament Haki when the world-shattering impact descended!

Boom!!!

In the deafening explosion, Akainu's figure was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through countless rocks before finally crashing into the northern coast of Toll Island, hundreds of meters away!

The sea was thrown into chaos by the terrifying force, with massive water columns shooting into the sky.

This time, not only the southern island but even the northern town area of Toll Island shook violently as if the earth itself was trembling!

"Old man, how was that punch?!"

Xiano's hearty laughter echoed from afar.

His body had already reverted to the "Paper Drawing Martial Body" form, and after tossing out those words, he turned without hesitation.

The ground beneath his feet exploded as he shot off like an arrow, speeding toward the opposite direction of the sea!

Shave·Continuous Flash!

With the peak speed of the Six Styles fully unleashed, Xiano's figure almost turned into a bolt of lightning, covering hundreds of meters in an instant as he raced toward the open sea!

"Mr. Sakazuki!"

Two exclamations of shock came from nearby.

It was Dalmatian and Bumaya, who had just arrived in time to witness Akainu being sent flying. They couldn't help but gasp in unison.

"Bastard…"

Bumaya's eyes turned red, her beautiful face twisted with rage. That despicable Blade Swordsman Xiano had dared to be so disrespectful to Mr. Akainu… How could he?!

She hadn't even been this furious when those pirates had managed to break through and escape at the dock earlier!

"Stay here!"

She shrieked sharply, her figure turning into a blur as she madly chased after Xiano.

Dalmatian's expression changed instantly: "What are you doing, Bumaya! Don't be reckless!"

Originally planning to rush toward Akainu, he immediately changed direction and hurried after her.

"Hmm?"

Xiano sensed the rapidly approaching presence behind him and glanced back with a sidelong look.

The two Vice Admirals from headquarters were quite the sight—one was a disheveled Dalmatian covered in fur, and the other was a crazed woman wielding a syringe.

Both bore numerous wounds, as if they had just emerged from a fierce battle. Their auras, though not as weak as before they had consumed the Senzu Beans, were still chaotic and unstable, clearly indicating they had suffered greatly.

It seems… my comrades have done well!

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He glanced at the two figures closing in on him, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"To dare chase me in this state… you've got some guts."

Even though he was faster and could easily leave them behind, Akainu was one thing, but who were these stray dogs and cats to think they could disregard him?

Whoosh! He suddenly came to a halt, flipping mid-air, and his right leg came crashing down like a mountain!

"Tempest Kick·Meteor!"

Boom—!!!

Dalmatian hastily raised his arms to block, but the force of the kick still slammed him into the ground!

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking echoed as he spat out blood, his vision spinning and darkening from the impact.

"Cough… damn it!"

Dalmatian struggled to get up, only to find his arms had gone numb, rendering him unable to fight for the time being.

Meanwhile—

"Die, you filthy Pirate!!!"

Bumaya let out a deranged scream, both her arms transforming into syringes, their tips elongating like spears aimed straight at Xiano's throat!

"Healer's Benevolence·Double Piercing!"

A red light flashed in Xiano's eyes as he sidestepped the attack, his right hand clamping down on her shoulder like a vice.

"Crazy woman, your needles… are too slow."

Crack!

With a sickening crunch, Bumaya's right arm was torn clean off!

The massive metal syringe reverted to its original form, blood gushing out like a fountain and splattering onto the ground.

"Ahhhhh—!!!"

A piercing scream echoed along the coast as Bumaya staggered back, her face twisted in agony, yet her eyes still burned with insane hatred.

"You… you dare… destroy my right hand! This was the hand that once administered an injection to Mr. Sakazuki himself when I was a nurse! The hand that inspired me to join the Navy and follow my idol!!!"

Her left arm thrust forward again, but Xiano, expressionless, easily caught the oversized syringe, ready to snap it.

But Bumaya suddenly grinned, a twisted smile spreading across her face.

Gotcha!

Crack!

A slit opened in her chest, and a thin, elongated syringe shot out, piercing straight into Xiano's abdomen!

"Healer's Benevolence·Fatal Injection!"

Squelch!

The venom was instantly injected, and Xiano's face turned a sickly shade of green and purple, his muscles visibly stiffening.

"Hehehe… How does it feel? Can't control your body anymore?"

Bumaya cackled madly, "This is my ultimate technique, a needle filled with all my love and patience. Even the most ruthless man can't resist…"

The next second, her laughter was cut off abruptly, as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.

The latest chapter of this novel is first published on 69shu.com!

—Because before her eyes, Xiano's complexion was rapidly returning to normal, and even the massive wound in his abdomen from the syringe was healing at a visible rate.

"Seems the poison wasn't all that impressive."

Xiano grinned, and under Bumaya's panicked gaze, he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

"Calling Magellan would be more appropriate. My body is no longer affected by toxins of your level."

Crack!

Bumaya's neck bones let out a brittle sound under the strain. Her face quickly turned red, her legs kicked weakly as if drowning, and fear, unlike anything she had ever felt before, finally appeared in her eyes.

"You... cough... let, let go..."

She struggled to squeeze out a few words from her throat, twisting her body with all her might, but she couldn't break free from the iron-like grip.

"Let her go!!!"

A furious roar suddenly came from the distance, and the air over the entire sea seemed to freeze at that moment.

Boom——!!!

Akainu's figure shot up from the base of the sea cliff like a crimson meteor, his legs spewing molten lava, black smoke billowing, as he charged forward at a terrifying speed!

Mr. Sakazuki...

Bumaya caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye, her heart filled with shock.

Was this the same Mr. Sakazuki she knew, the one who was always calm and steady as a mountain? His face was now twisted like a demon's.

Buzz!

Akainu's speed increased rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he had closed half the distance, his entire body radiating a violent aura.

How many years had it been?

Since he was promoted to admiral and became the highest combat force of the headquarters, when had he ever been pushed to such a state of disarray?

And how long had it been... since he had suffered such humiliation?!

Just a mere brat!

Today, he must personally end this!!!

...

Feeling the almost tangible rage emanating from Akainu, Xiano raised an eyebrow. How scary...

No time to waste, he had to leave immediately!

He immediately turned and dashed toward the shore, which was now within reach.

"Cough... heh, hehe..."

Bumaya, who was at her weakest, suddenly opened her blood-stained mouth, a hint of madness flashing in her eyes:

"See, Mr. Sakazuki told you to let me go. So, he was this angry because of me... Hey, you brat, aren't you going to let go? Do you want to die here?"

"Don't worry, after you die, I'll find your companions. You have two sisters among them, right? I'll use my syringe to poke them full of holes, bit by bit, hehehe..."

"..."

Xiano had been about to let go, to toss this madwoman aside and jump into the sea.

Hearing this, his eyes narrowed, and he grinned.

"Let go? Don't worry, I still have time to twist your neck."

Before the words even finished, his right arm suddenly swelled, veins bulging, and the strength in his hand instantly multiplied several times—

Crack!

In the crisp sound of bone breaking, Bumaya's neck was completely twisted, her head tilting at an unnatural angle, the light in her eyes quickly fading.

Even in death, her mouth still bore that deranged smile.

"Bumaya!!!"

A furious roar came from Dalmatian in the distance.

Akainu's figure had also closed in to within a hundred meters, his lava-infused right fist ready to strike, the scorching heat distorting the air.

"Dark Hound!"

The terrifying molten fist roared toward Xiano, who immediately hurled Bumaya's corpse at Akainu, while pushing off the ground with his feet, propelling himself backward at full speed!

Boom!!!

The molten fist was merciless, instantly vaporizing Bumaya's remains. The shockwave still sent Xiano flying hundreds of meters, crashing heavily into the sea.

"Phew..."

The icy seawater dissipated much of the fatigue and weakness in his body. Xiano bit his tongue to stay alert, his limbs paddling as he swiftly dove into the deep sea.

Thud!

Akainu landed on the shore.

Behind him, the black ashes that once belonged to Bumaya drifted down.

Yet he didn't even glance at them, his pupils fixed on the churning sea surface, a ferocious gleam rising in his eyes.

Trying to escape through the sea?

Dream on! It's not that simple!

He suddenly raised his arms, his molten fists pointing straight at the sky—

"Meteor Volcano!!!"

In an instant, countless molten fists soared into the sky, then descended like meteors, densely blanketing the entire sea!

Boom!

Boom!!

Boom!!!

The scorching magma crashed into the sea, instantly evaporating vast amounts of water.

The terrifying high temperatures caused the waters within several kilometers to boil and churn. Countless schools of fish floated belly-up to the surface, only to quickly melt into pools of black sludge.

In just a few seconds, the entire sea near Toll Island had transformed into a molten hell!

"…!"

Deep beneath the surface, Xiano's pupils constricted sharply. The exposed wounds on his body were seared by the scalding magma.

Danger!

He had to leave this area immediately!

If the temperature continued to rise, even if he swallowed the last Mystical Bean he had saved for emergencies, he would still be in grave danger facing Akainu, who was hot on his trail!

Without hesitation, he summoned all his strength. A fierce wind howled from nowhere, gathering around his arms—a power that could only be wielded after crossing the threshold of a Master Swordsman in the Two-Sword Style.

"Sealed Dust Severance Slash!"

Whoosh!

A surging wave of sword energy roared forth, violently churning the seawater ahead and forcing it to part to the sides, creating a temporary vacuum zone.

By the time Xiano's figure reappeared, he had already flashed out like a ghost, covering three to four kilometers in an instant.

Yet he was still within the range of the Meteor Volcano. The high temperatures were eroding the depths of the sea faster and faster, and the scorching magma clung to him like a relentless curse.

"Again!"

Gritting his teeth and ignoring his exhaustion, Xiano activated his ability once more!

"Sealed Dust Severance Slash!"

Whoosh!

He flashed another three kilometers away, finally leaving the boiling molten hell behind.

"Haah… haah…"

He surged upward, breaking through the surface of the sea, greedily gulping in fresh air as he continued to swim forward with all his might, glancing back over his shoulder.

Toll Island had become a distant blur on the horizon, while the sky above that sea was still ravaged by crimson magma, staining the entire sky blood-red, as if the apocalypse had descended.

"Heh…"

The black-haired boy grinned, revealing a wild smile.

"Can't catch me now, can you?"

He wiped the seawater from his face, imagining Akainu standing on the shore, seething with helpless rage, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

What a shame he couldn't see the look on that red dog's face!

…

On the shore.

Akainu stood at the water's edge, his eyes now a deep crimson, fixed intently on the direction Xiano had escaped. Molten lava dripped from his right fist, scorching the rocks and sending up hissing plumes of white smoke.

How did he do it…

How the hell did he do it!!!

His Observation Haki could clearly sense that the other party had used some bizarre method to flash several times in quick succession, creating an immense distance between them.

It had completely dashed any hope of pursuit.

"M-Mr. Sakazuki…"

Dalmatian limped over, about to speak, but suddenly paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the rest of his words.

In all the years they had known each other, he had never seen Akainu like this—

The military cap that had accompanied him for years was nowhere to be seen, and his dark red suit was reduced to tattered pants.

His exposed chest was covered in bruises, and his magma-formed right arm was unnaturally twisted.

But these injuries, if taken seriously, were nothing. A couple of days of rest, and he'd be back to normal.

The more critical issue was…

Akainu's neck was riddled with pockmarked, charred holes, the edges of the bloody wounds still tinged with the lingering remnants of Armament Haki.

His right ear was partially blown off, blood trickling down his cheek and dripping onto the molten rock on his shoulder, sizzling as it evaporated.

This was an irreversible permanent injury. Even after emergency surgery by the headquarters' medical team, it would inevitably leave a conspicuous scar...

That Blade Swordsman Xiano, could he really have injured Mr. Sakazuki??

"Mr. Sakazuki."

After much hesitation, Dalmatian finally gritted his teeth and spoke, "It seems we underestimated that kid's true strength before, but please don't worry. He's exhausted his stamina and still has the lethal poison Bumaya left in him. It probably won't be long before he dies at sea..."

"I say..."

Akainu suddenly spoke in a dark tone, slowly turning his head, causing Dalmatian's heart to skip a beat.

Those were not human eyes.

They were the eyes of a beast thoroughly enraged, the final silence before a volcanic eruption.

Akainu's face was expressionless, but his pupils churned with nearly tangible killing intent:

"Dalmatian, have you been knocked senseless?"

"Even I spent nearly an hour and couldn't take down that troublesome guy, and you think the poison from a useless person like Bumaya could kill him?"

Just a newly promoted vice admiral, the weakest among his peers at headquarters.

If that kid with a monstrous physique were to die from such a laughable attack, it would be an insult to him as well.

Wouldn't that mean that he, a distinguished admiral of the Navy, was also a joke!

"..." Dalmatian, realizing his mistake, slightly lowered his head and dared not speak further.

"I'm asking you... lift your head, I'm asking you."

Akainu's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger:

"Bumaya is one thing, I never expected much from her anyway, but with you personally in charge, how on earth did you let those small fry under that kid escape too?"

He wasn't just venting his anger; this accusation was justified!

At that time, if it hadn't been for the sudden orange fireworks exploding in the sky, which caught his attention and made him rush to the dock to block the pirate ship...

That kid might not have had the chance to use that bizarre method to recover his stamina!

"Small fry, huh..."

Dalmatian smiled bitterly, "Admiral, it's not just Xiano whose strength was underestimated, but also his crew. Except for that underage girl, every one of them is someone not to be taken lightly..."

That black-haired, high-ponytailed Master Swordsman girl, despite her young age, wielded a sword with terrifying precision.

With the blue-haired girl's fists, they managed to hold their own against a seasoned vice admiral like him for quite some time.

As for Bumaya...

This slightly less competent vice admiral from headquarters was completely tied up by the combined efforts of the traitor White Hunter Smoker and Red-Leg Zeff, unable to break free from the fierce battle.

If that were all, it wouldn't be much.

Thanks to the abilities granted by his Zoan Devil Fruit, he had stamina far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Given a bit more time, he was fully confident he could gradually turn the tide and defeat those two girls.

But...

There was also a giant wolf, a terrifying beast capable of discharging electricity and fire, whose combat power could not be ignored