"Arrogant brat!"
"Who gave you the nerve to talk to me like that?"
Faced with Leon's provocation, Akainu clenched his teeth aboard the warship, the veins on his forehead bulging.
Akainu believed in Absolute Justice, and although he would resort to extreme acts such as shelling a civilian evacuation ship,
from his standpoint, he was merely carrying out his belief in eradicating evil completely.
Morality had nothing to do with it. He had no time for pity. He was merely a soldier.
For that very reason, when faced with Leon, who seemed to be demanding an explanation simply because he had been shelled for no reason,
even though Akainu had been provoked by Leon to the point that billowing gray smoke uncontrollably poured from his body, he still chose not to attack on the spot. He merely said coldly,
"I don't have time to fool around with you!"
"If all you want is an explanation, I'll be happy to oblige once we return to Marineford!"
Leon nodded noncommittally. He said nothing more, turned around, and flew away from Akainu's warship.
The next moment, Leon swiftly hauled aboard every Marine who had fallen into the water. One after another, they landed on the evacuation ship like dumplings dropping into a pot.
After finishing all this, Leon turned to face Akainu, spread his hands in an inviting gesture, and then vanished from the sea in an instant.
"Bastard!"
Akainu slammed his hand viciously against the railing, instantly burning a charred hole through the wooden railing.
For a moment, everyone's eyes focused on Akainu.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki..."
"That evacuation ship..."
The Marines aboard the ship cautiously asked Akainu whether they should continue carrying out his order from earlier.
Having lost the initiative, Akainu no longer had sufficient reason to attack an evacuation ship carrying civilians and Marines under everyone's watchful eyes.
"Send people to the evacuation ship at once to receive the surviving Marines, and thoroughly inspect every person aboard!"
"If you find anything suspicious."
"Kill them immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The scene that Leon had pressed pause on began moving again.
The Marine warships unleashed even more ferocious firepower, determined to wipe the entire Ohara Island off the map.
On the island, the tense atmosphere between Kuzan and Sauro had eased somewhat after Leon's interruption.
"That bastard Sakazuki actually did something like this!"
"Good thing Leon was there..."
Kuzan felt somewhat fortunate that he had arranged for Leon to rescue the Marines who had fallen into the water, giving Leon the chance to stop the shelling.
Because they were too far away, they had not heard Leon and Akainu's conversation clearly. They assumed only that Leon had stepped forward and blocked Akainu's mad action.
"Is this what justice does, Kuzan?"
Sauro loudly questioned Kuzan.
"That was Sakazuki acting on his own! Not every Marine is so extreme..."
"Let's stop here, Sauro!"
"I'll plead with Fleet Admiral Kong on your behalf..."
Standing where he was, Kuzan could not help but make one final attempt to dissuade Sauro.
"Stop talking, Kuzan!"
"I don't want to distinguish what justice is anymore..."
"Right now, I only want to protect my friend!!!"
Before his words had even faded, Sauro boldly attacked Kuzan.
His enormous palm slammed into the ground, kicking up a vast cloud of dust, while Kuzan leaped high into the air to evade Sauro's attack.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sauro scooped Robin up from the ground with both hands, turned around, and fled toward the other side of the island.
"Time Freeze Capsule!"
Kuzan waved his hand and released a mass of cold air. Ice rapidly spread across the ground, directly wrapping around Sauro's left leg.
Sauro crashed heavily to the ground. He desperately stretched out both hands to make sure Robin would not be hurt.
"Sauro, are you okay?"
The young Robin's face was filled with worry.
Sauro, covered in wounds, forced himself to speak.
"Robin, run away on your own."
Kuzan walked toward Sauro unhurriedly, giving the two of them ample time to say goodbye.
"Tereterehahahahaha!"
"Somewhere on the sea, companions will be waiting for you."
"Go find them, Robin..."
"Ice Time."
Kuzan attacked, freezing Sauro's entire body, along with his laughter, in ice.
"Big Brother Kuzan, you really don't show any mercy..."
Leon's voice came from behind Kuzan. He passed Kuzan and placed his hand on Sauro, who had already been frozen into an ice sculpture.
The raging flames burning across the island were reflected in Kuzan's sunglasses as he said softly, "It can't be helped..."
"I'm a Marine, after all..."
Kuzan was still lost in sorrow and had no idea what Leon was about to do. Leon suddenly exerted force with one hand, lifting Sauro's body from the ground, then swung it hard.
Sauro's body instantly flew toward the horizon like a shining shooting star, disappearing without a trace.
"Hey!"
"What are you doing..."
Kuzan raised an eyebrow.
Leon brushed the ice shards from his hand and said meaningfully to Kuzan, "Big Brother Kuzan, didn't you ask me to see Sauro off?"
"If we just leave Sauro here, what if he accidentally gets shattered by a cannonball..."
With that, Leon turned and walked deeper into the island. With his back to Kuzan, he raised a hand and made an "OK" sign.
That kid...
Kuzan shook his head. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly before quickly settling back down. Then his gaze turned toward the direction in which the little girl had fled.
Before you continue