Countless elite Marines began their assault on the island. Their goal today was to wipe out every last pirate.
Meanwhile, the battle between Rocks and Ochoku quickly reached its conclusion. Ochoku had lost an arm two years earlier, and his strength had barely improved since then.
Compared with a top-tier fighter like Rocks, Ochoku was still far outmatched.
"Has the bombardment ended?"
Holding Ochoku's head in his hand, Rocks gazed into the distance and spoke calmly.
"Bang!"
Rocks gripped Ochoku's skull as if it were a watermelon and crushed it with ease, then charged toward the island.
At the island's center, a large force of Marines rushed in.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
Patri Vic opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of raging flames. The scorching blaze was like a baptism from the sun, instantly engulfing every Marine nearby.
"Bang, bang, bang!!!"
These Marines were well-trained fighters. Even as they died, they pulled their triggers and fired at Patri Vic.
"Clang, clang, clang!!!"
Armament Haki covered Patri Vic's body, easily deflecting their bullets.
In moments, every Marine had been burned to ash.
"We need to find a way to break out. Let's split up and look for an opening," Patri Vic told Whitebeard beside him.
The Marines had already surrounded the island. Now they needed to find a way out.
Both of them were powerful enough that they had nothing to fear from facing strong opponents alone.
"Sure," Whitebeard replied with a nod.
The Navy had surely made extensive preparations to wipe out the Rocks Pirates this time, sending in a great many powerful fighters.
There was no benefit in getting bogged down fighting these Marines. They had to find an opening and escape.
The two split up to search for a way out, looking for somewhere they could break through.
They could contact each other with Den Den Mushi later.
Patri Vic charged into the forest.
"Where do you think you're going?" A voice suddenly rang in Patri Vic's ears.
"Hm?" Patri Vic turned and came face-to-face with a somewhat familiar figure.
"An officer of the Rocks Pirates, with a bounty of—Patri Vic. Looks like I've landed a big catch today." Kong walked toward him step by step, a cold smile on his face.
"Even a Navy Admiral has come?" Patri Vic furrowed his brow.
A Navy Admiral was the Navy Headquarters' greatest fighting force. He hadn't expected such a powerful fighter to come as well.
But then again, the Navy intended to wipe out the Rocks Pirates for good. Sending someone like him was only to be expected.
"What, are you scared?" Kong sneered.
"Of course not. I finally ran into a powerful Marine. I couldn't be more excited." Patri Vic took off his shirt and answered calmly.
"Big talk. I'll lock you up today." Kong tore off the Justice cloak from his back.
Armament Haki covered Patri Vic's arms as he watched Kong before him with a solemn expression.
He couldn't afford to hold back against an opponent this powerful.
"Bang!"
Their fists collided in an instant. A powerful current of air swept in every direction like a raging storm, making the surrounding trees sway and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Damn."
Patri Vic furrowed his brow. His fist was tingling; Kong's Haki was stronger than his.
"Bang, bang, bang!!!"
Their fists collided again and again like machine guns, the shockwaves shaking everything around them.
Patri Vic felt as if his fists were striking something impossibly hard, leaving his arms numb.
He was knocked backward through the air and let out a sharp cry.
"Earth Style: Earth Rising Spear!"
"Rumble!!!"
A mass of jagged rocks suddenly erupted beneath Kong.
The sharp rocks completely surrounded the area where Kong stood, leaving him nowhere to dodge. Countless stone points shot toward him, trying to pierce him through.
Armament Haki covered Kong's body. The jagged rocks struck him but couldn't penetrate his skin.
"These little tricks of yours won't hurt me," Kong said calmly, then slowly walked out of the pile of rocks.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Patri Vic opened his mouth and spat out a gigantic dragon's head of flame. Wreathed in terrifying fire, it hurtled toward Kong at arrow-like speed.
"Boom!"
The entire forest burst into flames. Fire blazed into the sky, igniting countless trees in an instant as flames flashed in every direction.
Kong's body burned with scorching flames, but Armament Haki covered him, and the fire couldn't do him much harm.
"A Navy Admiral really is a monster," Patri Vic remarked.
He was certainly powerful now, but the Navy Admiral was no weakling either. As the Navy Headquarters' greatest fighting force, it was only natural that Kong possessed terrifying strength.
"Bang!"
Kong tensed his legs, leaving a small crater where he stood, then leaped toward Patri Vic to attack.
Armament Haki covered Patri Vic's arms. The veins on his forehead bulged as he swung his fist to meet Kong's.
"Crack!"
Their fists collided! Countless cracks appeared in the ground, and Patri Vic's feet sank into it.
Nintaijutsu!
Purple steam enveloped Patri Vic's body, boosting his strength and speed.
Kong furrowed his brow. He felt Patri Vic's power surge in an instant.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
A mass of lightning covered Patri Vic's palm, generating a high-intensity current with tremendous piercing power.
The powerful lightning struck Kong in an instant. Though Armament Haki covered his entire body, the lightning could still penetrate him.
Kong felt his arm go numb from the electric shock.
Their fists remained locked for a full minute. Then both men pulled back.
"You're not Patri Vic?" Kong asked in a cold voice, his brow furrowed.
According to the intelligence they had gathered, Patri Vic couldn't wield lightning.
So in that moment, Kong began to suspect that the man before him wasn't Patri Vic.
"Besides me, who else can control fire, earth, and even lightning?" Patri Vic shrugged and replied calmly.
Lightning had terrifying offensive power and could even bypass defenses.
Even though Kong's defenses were formidable, the lightning could still penetrate him and inflict damage.
"You... really are a monster," Kong said gravely.
He had long heard rumors that Patri Vic possessed multiple Devil Fruits, but seeing it with his own eyes still surprised him.
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