"Alas."
"That shameless bastard always makes me do such wicked things."
High in the sky, Golden Lion shook his head helplessly.
Then, having accomplished his task, Golden Lion quietly vanished into the heights without leaving a trace.
Meanwhile, on the ice:
Akainu expressionlessly pulled his magma-covered hand from Teach's chest, his gaze as cold as if he had just crushed a bug.
Then, without even looking back, Akainu turned and left behind a domineering silhouette.
The moment Akainu took a step, Teach clutched the chest pierced through by magma in agony and collapsed to the ground with lifeless eyes.
At that instant, time itself seemed to freeze.
"Teach!!"
A heart-wrenching roar rang out across heaven and earth.
Ace and Marco, who had been closest to Teach from the start, immediately quickened their pace and rushed over.
Marco, who possessed healing abilities, swiftly dropped to his knees to examine Teach, while Ace furiously threw a punch at Akainu:
"Fire Fist!"
"Useless!"
Akainu snorted coldly. The magma flowing over his body suddenly condensed into an enormous fist:
"Great Eruption!"
The magma fist blasted into the air, crushing Ace's Fire Fist into sparks scattered across the sky with overwhelming force.
Then, without losing momentum, it slammed onward, scorching the enraged Ace black from head to toe.
Akainu lightly adjusted the brim of his cap, his icy gaze emerging from beneath its shadow.
"Fire Fist Ace, if you're determined to die alongside that criminal..."
"I don't mind taking one more life."
Before he could finish speaking.
Akainu was blasted away by an utterly terrifying slash.
The slash contained endless power of vibration, along with the boundless fury of the world's strongest man.
Akainu's Marine uniform was shredded to pieces in an instant. His organs, skin, and entire body were injured from within by that