"Don't get ahead of yourself, boy! That was just one lucky strike—now let me show you what true power is!"
With those words, Sabertooth Admiral burst forward, moving at high speed to launch another attack on Ayr.
"Buddha's Fury Shock!!!"
As Sabertooth Admiral charged, Sengoku wasted no time. His massive golden form leaped into the air, swiftly positioning himself above Ayr.
A radiant white aura enveloped his hands, crackling with immense shockwave energy.
With both palms raised, Sengoku unleashed his devastating attack directly at Ayr!
---
"Sage Art: Spiral Lava Style Shuriken!!!"
Ayr countered immediately, his hands weaving Six Paths-infused chakra into a spiraling sphere of pure destruction.
This was a fusion technique, combining the power of the Four-Tails (Son Goku's Lava Release Chakra) into a Rasen Shuriken, exponentially increasing its destructive capabilities.
Although Ayr had only unlocked the Nine-Tails, not the Four-Tails,
And even though he hadn't truly mastered natural Sage Mode—
With the Six Paths Sage Mode experience, he could freely manipulate the power of the tailed beasts and wield Sage Techniques effortlessly!
---
Ayr exhaled lightly, and a small, blazing fireball formed in his palm.
The heat was instantaneously unbearable.
In mere seconds, the fireball's temperature soared into the thousands of degrees, surpassing even Akainu's Magma Magma Fruit!
Then—
The fireball expanded violently, rapidly growing to the size of a meteorite.
The very air around it warped, space distorted, and a dense white mist filled the battlefield as the overwhelming heat began vaporizing the moisture in the atmosphere.
---
"Let's see if you two can survive this."
Without hesitation, Ayr hurled the massive fiery sphere directly at Sengoku and Sabertooth Admiral, its searing heat cutting through the battlefield like a falling sun.
---
"This is bad!!!"
Sengoku's pupils shrank in sheer panic as he sensed the overwhelming danger.
The very air around him was burning, making it feel as if his body was about to evaporate!
Gritting his teeth, he clapped his palms together, channeling an immense surge of shockwave energy to counter the incoming threat.
---
Meanwhile, Sabertooth Admiral knew he couldn't hold back.
He immediately coated his entire body in an immensely dense layer of Armament Haki, reinforcing himself for what was coming.
"Finger Pistol… Ultimate Fang Strike!!!"
Sabertooth Admiral had long since mastered the Marine Six Styles, refining them to their peak level.
He channeled every ounce of his strength into a single finger, its tip glowing jet black with advanced Haki before he thrust it directly at the incoming fireball!
---
"BOOM!!!"
A colossal explosion shook the entire battlefield.
The moment Ayr's Spiral Lava Shuriken collided with their attacks, a devastating shockwave erupted, incinerating everything in a hundred-meter radius.
An intense heatwave swept across the battlefield, knocking back countless Marine elites.
---
"Damn it… the heat is unbearable!!"
"Why do these monsters have such absurd powers?!"
Marines collapsed one after another, their bodies unable to withstand the immense scorching temperatures.
Some of the weaker soldiers, unable to endure it, had their sweat and blood instantly evaporated, turning into lifeless husks—mere mummified corpses.
The entire Hive Island was now engulfed in a blazing inferno!
---
"Damn it! I can't stop this!!!"
Sengoku, now face-to-face with the fireball, gritted his teeth.
His golden hands, once unbreakable, were now scorched black from the unrelenting heat.
---
"KAKAKAKA!!!"
Suddenly—
A web of deep cracks appeared across Sengoku's golden body.
And then—
"CRACK!!!"
His Great Buddha Form completely shattered.
Sengoku let out a choked gasp, vomiting blood, before his massive frame collapsed into his regular human form.
His unconscious body plummeted to the ground, hitting the dirt with a sickening thud.
---
"AYR!!!"
Sabertooth Admiral let out a furious battle cry, pushing his strength to the absolute limit.
Through sheer force of will, he managed to destroy the remnants of the fireball.
But the damage had already been done.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, his breath ragged.
Looking at his blackened, charred fingers, he realized that the blood inside had completely evaporated, leaving them brittle and dry.
---
"Sengoku Vice Admiral!!!"
A wave of horror washed over the surviving Marines.
"No way… Sengoku Vice Admiral lost?!"
"He's one of the strongest Vice Admirals in the entire Marine Headquarters!"
"Even with Sabertooth Admiral at his side… they still lost?!"
"Ayr… is he… an invincible monster?!"
For the first time, many of the elite Marines felt utter despair.
---
"SENGOKU!!!"
From afar, Zephyr and Tsuru rushed toward their fallen comrade.
Previously, they had been seriously wounded during their battle with Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Charlotte Linlin.
Because of their injuries, they had stayed back after Fleet Admiral Brownie arrived.
But now, seeing Sengoku fall, they immediately ran to his side.
---
"Sengoku! Are you alright?!"
Zephyr knelt down, lifting Sengoku's battered body.
Meanwhile, Tsuru frantically shook Sengoku, her face filled with genuine concern.
"Sengoku! Wake up! Say something!!"
Seeing that Sengoku wasn't responding, Tsuru's heart tightened in fear.
She continued shaking him, desperately trying to wake him.
Suddenly—
Sengoku's eyes fluttered open slightly.
With a weak, barely audible voice, he muttered:
"D-Don't… shake me so much…"
---
"Sengoku!!! You're alive… thank goodness!!!"
Tsuru immediately wrapped her arms around Sengoku, unable to hold back her emotions.
For years, the two had been close comrades, sharing a deep bond of trust.
Seeing that he was still breathing, Tsuru couldn't help but tear up in relief.
---
"I can't breathe, Tsuru…"
Sengoku weakly patted her back, his body trembling from exhaustion.
While he had survived, his organs had been brutally damaged by the extreme heat.
Though he wasn't dead, his body had reached its absolute limit.
Realizing this, Tsuru quickly let go.
---
"…Did I lose?"
Sengoku's gaze drifted toward Ayr, his eyes filled with self-doubt and frustration.
He had always believed that his strength was among the best in the Marines.
Yet today, in front of Ayr…
His power had meant nothing.
---
"Don't blame yourself, Sengoku."
Zephyr placed a firm hand on his shoulder, speaking gravely:
"It's not that you were weak… it's just that Ayr is simply too strong."
IMPORTANT UPDATE –
I WILL BE POSTING 1 CHAPTER HERE ON WEBNOVEL EVERY DAY,
I WILL BE POSTING 7 ADVANCE CHAPTERS EVERY TWO DAYS AND 15 BONUS CHAPTERS BY THE END OF THE MONTH ON PATREON, JOIN MY PATREON FOR EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS.
🔗 JOIN NOW: patreon.com/Oreski
PS: I HAVE UPLOADED 60+ ADVANCED CHAPTERS ON PATREON ALREADY, AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH, I WILL POST 15 BONUS CHAPTERS—DON'T MISS OUT ON THE ADVENTURE.