Space Displacement: Meteor!

"What, so many of you are ganging up on me, and none of you dare attack?" Seeing the Donquixote Family officers on guard before her, Tsuru launched a verbal attack.

Unfortunately, she was up against Trebol, an old hand at this. As a loser, he didn't have much pride to speak of.

He had long since abandoned all sense of honor and self-respect in the New World, after retreating from it in defeat.

"Hey, hey, hey! Diamante, Pica, just keep attacking her from a distance. Don't let her get close enough to use her ability on us!"

"Got it!"

"G! We just need to hold her off until the young master gets here!"

"Fine. I can keep this up for another three days!"

"Hoh! I can't pretend I didn't hear that!" Tsuru vanished in an instant, using Shave to rush at the officers. "Let's see how you plan to hold me off for three days!"

"Tempest Kick: Chaos!" She raised her leg and unleashed a kicking technique, sending sharp Slash Waves sweeping in every direction toward the officers.

"Pica!"

"I know!" Pica's high-pitched voice was grating, but to the officers, he sounded reassuring just then. "Stone Giant!"

The earth writhed rapidly. Under Pica's control, a giant rose from the ground, blotting out the sky.

The giant's massive body took the full force of Tsuru's Slash Waves.

The Stone-Stone Fruit allowed Pica to freely assemble a giant out of the island itself, and he could move freely inside its body.

Anyone with poor Observation Haki couldn't even detect him inside the giant, let alone hurt him.

Unfortunately, Tsuru clearly had no such weakness. Without the other officers' support, Pica alone couldn't slow her down.

Brrrr~

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The three flying wheels attacked in turns. Gray kept his Observation Haki focused on Tokikake, while the remaining Sky Crystal Flying Wheel spun beside him, building up power.

Bang, bang, bang!

The gunfire rang out without pause. Tokikake was now in an awkward bind: he couldn't advance or retreat, completely pinned in place by Gray.

Even the strongest defenses eventually gave way. The prolonged, high-intensity battle, combined with the unchanging situation, had left Tokikake numb. He focused only on holding Gray back, hoping Staff Officer Tsuru could get free and turn the tide.

"Now!" After waiting so long, Gray finally felt the moment had come.

The flying wheel spinning beside him glowed with brighter arcs of electricity. As Gray shifted some of his focus to the fourth wheel, the one suppressing Tokikake inevitably eased its pressure.

At last, Tokikake could catch his breath.

That was when he noticed what Gray was doing. "Are you adding another flying wheel to the attack?"

Without knowing how Gray's ability worked, Tokikake could only assume Gray was channeling power into the fourth flying wheel to attack him with an even stronger move.

He quietly braced himself.

But what he was preparing for was nothing like the way Gray planned to attack.

"Space Displacement: Meteor!"

Seizing the moment Tokikake changed his ammunition, Gray sent the fourth flying wheel hovering beside him spinning at maximum speed—and then it vanished.

Gray unleashed his ability at full force, heedless of the tremendous drain on his stamina. Magnetic Field Rotation broke through its limit once more, reaching three thousand horsepower.

By the time the Sky Crystal Flying Wheel reappeared, radiating a deadly aura, it was already too late. Tokikake sensed the danger through his Observation Haki.

"What?" The razor-sharp presence right behind him made Tokikake's eyes bulge. Sensing his life in grave danger, he could only channel all his Armament Haki into defense. He had no time for anything else.

The vanished fourth wheel appeared behind Tokikake in an instant. Its sharp edge and crackling electricity plunged straight into his body.

"Shhk—"

"AAH!!" Blood sprayed everywhere, and Tokikake's scream drew everyone's attention.

"Tokikake!"

Gion's eyes widened in shock. She was annoyed by Tokikake's constant confessions and thought he was a toad reaching for a swan.

But as a fellow officer, she was still deeply worried about him.

"Five-Colored Strings!"

"Where are you looking, Marine?"

"Damn!" Doflamingo seized the instant Gion let her guard down.

Shhk—

"Ah!"

"Gion!" Tsuru couldn't spare any thought for the other officers. Between Tokikake and Gion, she chose her sworn younger sister, stepping through the air with Geppo to reach her.

"Tempest Kick!" To keep Doflamingo from hurting Gion again, Tsuru attacked him to stop his pursuit.

"Boom!" Tokikake was blasted straight into the ground. The powerful shock wave made the surrounding terrain sink.

His Observation Haki sensed that Tokikake was still alive, but Gray had no intention of holding back.

An iron bead floated above the wheelchair, hovering at his fingertip. With his Devil Fruit ability, Magnetic Field Rotation was now breaking past its limits in earnest.

The rapid magnetic rotation made the electricity dancing across the iron bead grow denser.

"Hold them off!" As Gray continued attacking, the Donquixote Family members couldn't help looking his way.

But Gray was seething inside. I'm up here fighting for my life, while you're all down there doing nothing but watching. Now that I'm about to kill someone, you can't just stand around spectating!

"Five-Colored Strings!"

Tsuru had only just caught Gion and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when her Observation Haki picked up the Donquixote Family members launching a fierce attack.

From the life force she sensed in the distance, Tokikake was growing weaker. Meanwhile, the increasingly dangerous aura coming from Gray above made her deeply uneasy.

"Giant's Wrath!"

"Blast!"

"Half-Moon Funeral!"

"Sis Tsuru, go save Tokikake!" Gion, cradled in Tsuru's arms, had been slashed by Doflamingo's strings along her left side and was covered in blood. She urged Tsuru to save Tokikake.

But under the others' attacks, with Gion weighing her down, Tsuru had no way to leave.

Tsuru fell silent, dodging the attacks as she began to consider the worst-case scenario.

Crackle, crackle~

Sparks flickered and gathered at Gray's fingertip, the danger radiating from them growing more and more terrifying.

Tokikake lay in the crater below. His back and lungs had been completely charred. He was alive only thanks to his powerful physique.

Sensing the danger in the sky with his Observation Haki, Tokikake got to his feet through sheer force of will and ran straight for the coast.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, Gion! Retreat!" Tokikake shouted as he ran toward the shore.

Caught off guard by Gray, he was now gravely injured and no longer able to fight. They had to retreat and figure out another plan.

"Run? Where do you think you can go?"

Gray pursued Tokikake through the sky while maintaining the ability at his fingertip.

I hate enemies with a Blood Bull Physique. I hate enemies with Armament Haki even more! Seeing Tokikake run as if he weren't injured at all, Gray silently grumbled.

Even his strongest attack, launched by surprise, had only left Tokikake gravely wounded. It was nowhere near a decisive blow.

That was because Tokikake's Armament Haki was so strong that Gray's attack couldn't completely tear through its defenses.