Mutation

"Swain? So he was the one who ate the Sea Fruit."

One of the Five Elders, Finance Warrior God Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, said flatly.

"Indeed. I'm afraid he may have some connection to the Wise Ape clan from seventeen years ago," Saint Jaygarcia Saturn replied.

He continued, "Then we absolutely can't let him keep growing!"

"While we're at it, call Kizaru over too," Saint Marcus Mars, Environment Warrior God, suggested.

"Be sure to capture Swain—or kill him!"

Those calm words sent chills down everyone's spines.

"..."

Everyone fell silent, tacitly approving the proposal.

After all, the Sea Fruit made them wary.

They even hoped that the ability user who had eaten the Fruit was a good-for-nothing failure, not a pirate like Swain who dared to kill even a Celestial Dragon!

Kizaru was sailing back to Marineford.

On the deck of the warship, he was enjoying the sunlight.

He had just finished working... or, more specifically, slacking off!

Brrr, brrr—his Den Den Mushi rang.

"Hello. May I ask what you need this old man for?"

"The Five Elders have ordered you not to return to headquarters. Go to the Sabaody Archipelago and capture Swain."

"Oh my, I've only just returned. You really won't let me rest for even a moment!" Kizaru complained with a lecherous expression.

"This newcomer really is impressive."

"Looks like this old man will have to suppress his arrogance a little."

Swain, who was locked in fierce battle with Akainu, had no idea that another Admiral was rushing over!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They clashed three more times.

Swain's stamina was gradually giving out.

Although Akainu had suffered a serious injury, he still had plenty of stamina left. His breathing showed no signs of becoming disordered.

"Mirror Sea Moon!"

Swain lined up five mirrors and punched through all of them in a single blow.

"Great Eruption!"

As soon as they clashed, the shock wave toppled large numbers of the surrounding buildings.

Akainu roared, and the magma on his hand swelled even further.

"This battle should be over!"

His momentum reached its peak at that moment.

"Great Touch Kill!" Swain forcibly endured the pressure.

Dividing his attention, he unleashed the technique from behind Akainu.

Hiss, hiss, hiss!

Akainu seemed to have anticipated it. He elementalized his body in advance and dodged Swain's sneak attack.

"Don't take me for a fool! I won't fall for the same trick twice!"

Both sides were fighting with everything they had.

Whoever retreated first would be the first to lose.

However, the situation began to change with the next exchange.

"Flame Dragon!" A voice came from behind Akainu.

A man wearing armor and wielding a steel blade appeared!

It was none other than Norton.

A flame dragon formed from fire charged toward Akainu!

"Nice timing!" Swain praised.

Akainu was attacked from both sides!

This left him struggling to defend himself.

Seizing the opportunity, Swain poured even more Haki into his hand and brought the pressure down on Akainu, forcing him back several steps.

Before Akainu could recover,

"Sea Bind!" Swain first restrained Akainu's Devil Fruit ability, then lashed out with a whip kick.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Akainu crashed through several buildings in succession, sending a huge cloud of dust billowing from the ground.

The scene suddenly fell silent!

The surrounding Marines watching the battle were also left dumbfounded.

Although Swain had relied on outside help to win this exchange,

the fact that he could fight Akainu to this extent still proved his strength.

"How did you get here?" Swain asked.

Norton explained that he had seen a large number of Marines searching for pirates, so he had hidden Roland and Jordi.

Then he had come alone to support Swain.

Now that the two of them were together, they were fully capable of dealing with Akainu.

Norton held his blade in one hand, flames rising behind him. His fighting spirit was at its peak!

"I can't let you two keep causing trouble!"

Akainu stood up once more.

He was still refusing to back down.

But he truly had the capital to do so!

He gathered magma once more, preparing to attack the two of them.

"Don't get tangled up with him anymore! Since neither of you is hurt, let's leave first."

Swain blocked Akainu, also to prevent him from going on a killing spree near the Neptune.

Now that Roland and Jordi were hiding, there was no need for them to stay hidden as well.

"Do you really think I'll let you escape?" Kizaru arrived at that moment.

The Five Elders had pressured him relentlessly.

That was why he had left the warship and used his ability to rush here at full speed.

"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"

At once,

countless points of light lit up the sky, making it impossible to look directly at them.

"This is bad! It's Kizaru!"

Recognizing that familiar technique and voice, Swain knew that Uncle Kizaru had arrived.

He might be even harder to deal with than Akainu!

Swain's mind was in complete turmoil!

Just one Akainu had already been his limit. Now Kizaru had arrived as well!

"The World Government really thinks highly of me!" Swain was utterly speechless.

If he possessed the strength of one of the Four Emperors today, he would certainly have to cross hands with these two Admirals. Unfortunately, his strength was still insufficient!

Strength...!

That word stirred once more in his heart.

The attacks of the two Admirals came one after another.

"Sea Shield!"

But it lasted only a moment before being broken through.

The techniques unleashed by the two Admirals blasted the surrounding area into ruins.

Swain and Norton then narrowly dodged the dense barrage of attacks.

However, Swain was still struck by one of Kizaru's attacks, tearing away a chunk of flesh from his lower leg.

He endured the searing pain and continued dodging.

Norton noticed Swain's predicament and flew to Kizaru's side at incredible speed.

He intended to help Swain keep Kizaru occupied!

Flames began to pour from Norton's hand, extending all the way along his steel blade.

He swung his sword!

Kizaru's head vanished.

But it was only a decoy!

"Young people really are too hot-blooded!"

At that moment, Kizaru's true body appeared to his left, light shining from his foot.

Sensing the danger, Norton hurriedly raised both hands to protect his head.

"No, no! It's your abdomen!"

One kick!

Flash Kick!

Norton was sent flying backward in an instant.

Seeing this situation,

"Shock Gun!" Swain pointed a finger at Kizaru.

But in the next moment, Akainu tangled with him.

"Not going to work. This old man is very fast, you know!"

He spoke with an obnoxiously smug expression.

"Disgusting!" Swain cursed under his breath.

"Our battle isn't over yet!"

At some point, Norton had returned to the sky and was facing off against Kizaru.

"Kizaru, finish this battle quickly!"

Kizaru glanced at Akainu, apparently wondering what to do.

"Ama no Murakumo!"

A glowing sword of light was drawn from Kizaru's hand.

He then began exchanging blows with Norton.

"Wildfire!"

Norton swung his blade at Kizaru.

A flaming blade more than a dozen meters long shot toward Kizaru.

But he dodged it.

Kizaru avoided taking attacks whenever possible. He was very good at slacking off!

The flaming blade continued downward, carving a crack more than a dozen meters long into the ground.

"How frightening! Are all the rookies these powerful nowadays?"

He had more to say than movement in his hands.

Akainu ignored Kizaru's slacking. As long as Kizaru dealt with Norton for him, Swain would be far easier to handle.

Seeing the situation unfold like this, Swain began to worry.

After all, both he and Norton were being held up!

It would be difficult for them to escape now!