The battle between the Marines and pirates was evenly matched. Sengoku and Kozuki Oden couldn't gain the upper hand against each other anytime soon. Sengoku's shock waves were troublesome, but Kozuki Oden's slashes had also dealt him considerable damage.
The same was true of Garp and Rayleigh. Garp's iron fists were almost too much for Rayleigh to handle, but Garp was struggling to fend off Rayleigh's swordsmanship with his fists alone.
Marco and Borsalino's battle was also evenly matched. Neither could get the better of the other, and the sky had become their battlefield.
Kuzan seemed to have Jozu somewhat on the back foot, but there wasn't much difference between their strength. Jozu was at a disadvantage because of their Devil Fruits, and their fight would be a long one.
Sakazuki and Gaban looked likely to finish their fight sooner than anyone else. Sakazuki was strong, but he was young—and he'd chosen the wrong opponent.
Against a serious Gaban, Sakazuki could only stay fully alert and focus on predicting where Gaban would strike next, so he could Elementalize in advance.
It was a good plan, but reality dealt him a heavy blow.
He could dodge the first bullet, and the second, but not the third or the fourth.
The other fighters had cleared a wide space around each of these battlefields. Anyone caught in the crossfire would end up dead or gravely injured.
Among these top-tier fighters, whichever side lost someone first would see victory tip toward the other.
The fight between Shirakawa and Momonga was just as fierce. Shirakawa's swordsmanship, inherited from Rayleigh, was exceptionally aggressive, the opposite of Momonga's. His style was steady, and he focused more on defense than offense.
One attacked while the other defended. Shirakawa's strikes came in a wild flurry, while Momonga's defense was