But Just a Loser! (Two-in-One)

The flames on the battlefield behind him gradually faded, revealing two skeletons more than half melted away by the fire. The damage to their faces was comparatively less severe, and Rayleigh and Kozuki Oden could still vaguely be recognized.

Before Tsugikuni Yoriichi's successive attacks, the aged and weakened Rayleigh and the heavily weakened Kozuki Oden had been unable to mount an effective defense against him.

As Golden Flames rained down from the sky, the two of them were buried in the sea of fire one after the other, their lives completely extinguished.

As for the pirates Tsugikuni Yoriichi had slain on the shore earlier, not even their corpses remained beneath the scorching Golden Flames. Tsugikuni Yoriichi's flames were fierce and blazing; even as those lifeless remains were melted away completely, they did not give off the stench of charred flesh.

Other than several huge craters and sword marks, no other traces of battle remained on the battlefield.

Even the river of blood that had once gathered into streams had vanished without a trace beneath Tsugikuni Yoriichi's flames.

If Luffy's corpse had not still been lying before Tsugikuni Yoriichi, this shore would have seemed as though nothing had happened at all.

"L-Luffy..."

Tsugikuni Yoriichi's attacks had not affected the Straw Hat Pirates. His purpose here had been clear from the start: Straw Hat Luffy and the pirate force gathered around him were his targets.

Although Sanji, Nami, Chopper, and the others were founding members of the Straw Hat Pirates and Luffy's most steadfast companions, they were ultimately different from ordinary pirates.

To Tsugikuni Yoriichi, as long as he could eliminate Straw Hat Luffy, Rayleigh, and the others, the remaining Sanji and his companions would pose no threat to the bigger picture.

Of course, sparing their lives was also Tsugikuni Yoriichi's way