"Cough... cough!!!"
Aokiji coughed up blood repeatedly and slowly climbed to his feet.
"Sakazuki!!"
"Kuzan!!"
The two charged at each other again, their fists flying wildly as blood kept spilling onto the ground. They fought as though their lives meant nothing, even trading wound for wound.
The moon rose.
The two battled beneath the stars.
The sun rose.
Under the sun, the two threw wild, flailing punches.
Several more days passed.
With swollen eyes and blurred vision, Aokiji staggered toward Akainu and landed a feeble punch on his face.
"Pfft!"
Two molars flew out.
Akainu's head snapped back, his mouth filled with blood. His fierce eyes fixed on Aokiji as he suddenly drove his forehead into Aokiji's face.
"Pfft!"
His nose bent out of shape, and blood sprayed everywhere.
Aokiji backed away, clutching his nose and mouth. Not only was his nose bleeding freely, but one of his front teeth had been shattered. His mind, however, had cleared considerably.
By this point in the battle, their bodies had long since been pushed to the limit. Willpower alone kept them going.
Their gazes met!
His face covered in blood, Aokiji walked toward Akainu with a low growl. "Sakazuki, I'm going to destroy the filthy World Government! I'm going to defeat your justice!"
"Justice comes with sacrifice! To uphold justice, we must abide by order!"
Akainu's gaze was cold.
Even if the current order was stained with blood and oppression, it was still the foundation that kept the world functioning. It could not be lost.
Without order, the world would fall into utter darkness!
After a brief rest, the two recovered some strength and prepared for their final blow.
"This is the end!"
"Yeah!"
They stared at each other, their thoughts returning once more to the training grounds at headquarters. Back then,