The pitch-black Shadow Screen stretched across the plaza, obscuring everything in the front half.
Even so, Akainu could still track Ace and the others through Observation Haki.
Under the perception of Observation Haki, Ace and the others on the other side of the Shadow Screen were moving toward the remaining crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"No matter how respectable a status they put on, pirates are still pirates. Their depravity will never change."
After sensing Ace's movements, Akainu stared coldly at Maud, who stood tall before the Shadow Screen.
The angrier he felt, the colder his expression became.
Gurgle, gurgle—
Boiling magma streamed down from every part of his body. When it splashed onto the ground, it hissed and gave off a pungent stench.
"Heh."
Meeting Akainu's dangerous gaze, Maud chuckled softly and extended his left hand.
"Shadow Flow, Curtain Blade."
The Shadow Screen hanging behind him like rippling water suddenly froze in place, becoming as hard as steel.
Maud pressed his left hand down through the air.
The motionless Shadow Screen seemed to hear Maud's command. It abruptly sprang into action, like the blade of a guillotine, and viciously cleaved into the ground.
Boom!
Amid the thunderous sound and tremors, the ground was split by the Curtain Blade, leaving a massive crack that stretched across the entire plaza.
The tremendous disturbance drew the attention of many people.
Sabo and the others, who were sprinting madly, could not help looking back.
They could see the crack carved out by the Curtain Blade, as well as Maud's back.
"Maud..."
Sabo clenched his teeth and prayed inwardly that Maud would be all right.
When the ground stopped shaking,
the shadows that formed the Curtain Blade flowed through the air like dozens of streams, all converging behind Maud.
In the next moment,