"Hm???"
Just before the kick connected, a terrifying slash wrapped in black-red lightning tore through the air.
Borsalino had no choice but to withdraw his Light Speed Kick.
Just before the slash struck his solid form, Borsalino dissolved into photons and hastily retreated.
"Divine Departure?"
The black-red slash did not stop there. It continued sweeping forward without losing momentum, throwing the Marine forces into complete disarray.
A chasm hundreds of meters long was carved across Marineford's ground.
"That move... could it be [Black Spear] Austin?"
"We knew he would oppose the World Government, but we never expected him to be so determined to protect those brats~"
The Marines discussed it nervously.
"No..."
Borsalino rose from the ground and dusted himself off. The usual casual teasing had vanished from his face.
Instead, he looked calm, though a few beads of cold sweat clung to his brow.
"Hey, hey, hey... You've got to be kidding. Weren't you dead long ago?"
He looked toward the distant dust cloud as lasers gathered in his hand.
"A man who should have died twenty-two years ago, the man least likely to appear here, had now appeared in this form.
If I hadn't sensed this Haki and presence, I would have thought Austin was just playing everyone for fools..."
Everyone's attention was drawn by Kizaru's words, and they all looked over. Those proficient in Haki froze at first, then their expressions changed drastically.
Some even collapsed onto the ground, their pupils trembling wildly.
"That's impossible..."
"How could this be?!!!"
Even Sakazuki, who had been determined to kill the three brothers, looked over with cold sweat on his face. Within the dust cloud—
An old man in a red captain's coat, with a handlebar mustache, slowly stepped out, gripping a black blade they all knew only too well.