The Death of Akainu

Under the command of their officers, the Marine soldiers relied on their numerical advantage and the terrain to form a solid defensive line, obstructing the pirates' advance.

Countless men fell every second, their blood staining every inch of Oris Plaza.

At the center of the conflict, the environment had been warped by the fighting, creating a dead zone that no one dared to approach.

Next, Sakazuki and Du Yang engaged in several more clashes.

Akainu felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. His magma fists seemed so powerless before the Western sword wrapped in black lightning held by his opponent.

Or rather, the opponent's Conqueror's Haki was so powerful that it could directly clash with or neutralize the abilities of his Magma-Magma Fruit.

The fearful gazes of the surrounding Marine soldiers, The grave expressions of his colleagues in the distance, The faint cheers drifting from the pirates on the battlefield, All these reactions made him feel deeply distressed.

How could he... Sakazuki, be forced into such a state?

In his original plan, he was supposed to be the one to personally end the era of Whitebeard and watch these heinous pirates crumble.

How could he be the one being suppressed?

"Unforgivable."

Akainu knew he could not let this continue.

The magma around his body erupted violently like an out-of-control volcano, the ground beneath his feet melting into a pool of scorching lava, the moisture in the air instantly evaporated, and even the light around him began to distort.

The next strike... he had to defeat this brat in the next strike.

"Brat, be completely incinerated."

Akainu crossed his arms over his chest, and as if endless magma were surging from his body, he compressed it, turning his entire form into a deep, crimson red.

The aura released by this top-tier Admiral caused even Whitebeard and Garp to glance over.

"Hellhound!"

Akainu, glowing crimson like a demon from hell, thrust his fists forward, carrying the ultimate heat capable of burning everything to ash, as he lunged to consume Du Yang.

Wherever he passed, even the air ignited, leaving a vacuum in his wake.

Facing what could be called Akainu's strongest attack, Du Yang's expression remained calm, though beneath that calm lay power as vast as the deep ocean.

The dark red Conqueror's Haki around his body no longer merely swirled around the blade in his hand, but instead enveloped his entire being.

The next moment, that Conqueror's Haki instantly covered his whole body, with black lightning flowing like veins across his skin.

Du Yang did not even block; he simply let the Hellhound strike him head-on.

BOOM!!!

An indescribable explosion rang out, the terrifying red light of the magma clashing wildly with the dark red glow of the Haki.

A terrifying shockwave swept across the area once more, even blowing away several Marine Vice Admirals and pirate captains who were fighting nearby.

However, as the light faded slightly, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget.

Du Yang still stood there, the Conqueror's Haki surrounding him only slightly dimmed, the black lightning dancing across it even more frantic.

The ultimate move unleashed by Sakazuki had not even forced his opponent to take a single step back.

The expression on Akainu's face froze instantly, as if he had been doused with cold water from head to toe, and then, a trace of horror appeared in his eyes.

"Impossible."

He muttered to himself, unable to believe that his full-power, strongest attack could not even break through his opponent's defense.

The gap between them was actually this vast.

Sengoku saw this scene and, as if realizing something, immediately shouted: "This level of Conqueror's Haki... Rocks? Impossible, you should be dead."

The Marine hero Garp also felt a sense of disbelief; he had only ever known a handful of people capable of utilizing Conqueror's Haki to this extent.

Imu was one, The demonized Rocks was another, And the peak-era Roger was the third.

But this person before them was clearly in a state of perfect clarity.

Du Yang raised the Western sword in his hand, and the Conqueror's Haki covering his body dissipated instantly, flowing like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, all of it gathering around the unremarkable blade.

The sword turned as black as ink, as if it were absorbing all the light in the world.

What emanated from it was no longer just sharp sword intent, but an extremely surging power.

It was a Haki that seemed capable of transcending everything.

To be honest, after sharing power with the Level 5 Mutant Marvel Duyang, the Mangekyou Sharingan-wielding Naruto Du Yang, and the Under One Person Duyang who had reached the Triple Inverse Life realm, his potential power was already terrifying.

The next moment, Du Yang assumed his stance.

"No, Sakazuki is in danger."

On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's pupils constricted; he could no longer maintain his composure.

He instantly transformed into his golden Buddha form, which erupted with brilliance as he lunged toward the execution platform.

"You bastard, you truly look down upon our Navy!"

Garp roared, his figure shooting forward like a cannonball.

Aokiji and Kizaru, the two Admirals, also rushed toward Du Yang the moment the conflict began.

Facing the combined, full-force interception of the Navy Headquarters Fleet Admiral, the Hero of the Navy, and two Admirals, Du Yang's gaze remained as calm as an ancient well.

He merely raised the seemingly ordinary Western-style blade in his hand slowly above his head.

"BOOM!"

A burst of Conqueror's Haki, far more violent than before, erupted like a primordial dragon awakening from its slumber.

Black lightning seemed to manifest as countless roaring black thunder dragons, coiling around the blade.

The light across all of Marineford seemed to be swallowed by this single strike, plunging the world into dimness.

"Slash."

A blade of light, black as eternal night, appeared out of thin air like an ink stroke tearing through a painting.

It was no longer merely sword energy; it was more akin to a roaring black dragon.

Sengoku, Garp, Kuzan, and Kizaru were all repelled by that immensely powerful Conqueror's Haki, unable to get close to Akainu.

"How is this possible?"

A tidal wave of shock surged through the hearts of the four men; they felt as if they were being forcibly pushed back by a powerful force field.

To think that Conqueror's Haki could be refined to such a degree that it could achieve this.

The four peak powerhouses of the Navy were actually repelled by the sheer might of this single strike.

Though they were uninjured, their understanding of reality had been completely overturned.

The black blade of light, its momentum unchecked, gave Akainu no time to react after blasting the four men away, passing straight through his body.

The blade swept onward, carving a massive trench dozens of meters wide into the earth, extending to the very edge of the horizon as if splitting Marineford in two.

Time seemed to stand still.

Akainu lowered his head to look at his own body.

Starting from his chest, a fine black line emerged, and the next moment, his elementalization ability failed completely.

He opened his mouth, but could not make a sound, the light in his eyes fading into total darkness.

Navy Admiral Akainu Sakazuki had fallen.

Silence.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire battlefield.

Neither the Navy nor the pirates could believe what had just transpired before their eyes; it felt as if they were trapped in a dream.