A single senzu bean slid down his throat.
In the sky, the black-haired young man's entire body instantly erupted with scorching white steam.
With cracking sounds, his broken bones rapidly reset. The charred skin peeled off like a molting snake, and new flesh swiftly regenerated.
His aura soared higher and higher. As he lightly moved his neck, a string of sharp, cracking pops echoed through the air.
Akainu's expression darkened like still water.
He's fully recovered to peak condition...
Just what kind of monster is this guy?!
"Ten minutes!"
As Shano slowly descended from the sky, he looked down at the deep crater below and raised a single finger:
"Old man, I'm giving you ten more minutes! Let's see if you really have what it takes to put me down. If not…"
"Then that's it for today—don't blame me for leaving!"
Ten minutes.
That was enough time for the Fallen Dusk to escape safely—and for him to find an opportunity to slip away himself.
"You arrogant brat…"
Akainu's magma-like body churned violently as he stood back up, his voice low and dangerous, barely suppressing his fury:
"You think just because you healed up, you can change the outcome? You still dare buy time for your crew? Then you can STAY here forever!!!"
BOOM——!!!
The ground beneath Akainu suddenly exploded as he launched into the air like a lava meteor!
His right arm instantly turned to molten magma. The scorching lava twisted and writhed like a living thing, quickly forming three fierce, snarling dog heads.
The lava dogs bared their fangs, roaring madly. Their burning manes whipped through the air, and the intense heat distorted everything they passed.
"Inugami Guren!"(Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!)
With a low roar, the three magma hounds shot out at high speed, dragging red streaks through the sky, their open jaws and razor-sharp magma fangs lunging straight at Shano's head!
Even before they got close, the terrifying heat scorched the fringe of his hair into a curled, burnt mess!
"Whoa there, this heat's something else!"
Shano laughed heartily, eyes brimming with fighting spirit. "But this is just what I need!"
He clenched his right fist—BOOM—the air around him suddenly burst apart, rippling with shockwaves.
His fist was now completely covered in a deep, jet-black Armament Haki.
"Rokuougan Secret Art: Iron Wall Fist!"
The "Iron Wall Fist" and the ripple-infused "Sunburst Yellow" technique were both peak Six Styles martial arts that he'd fused with Armament Haki—his ultimate creations.
But the difference was clear.
One focused on offense, the other—defense!
BOOM——!!!
The three fierce lava hounds collided head-on with the blackened fist. With a violent shock and distortion of the air, they were completely devoured by the fist's impact, vanishing without a trace.
Shano was pushed back more than ten meters by the residual force, gouging deep trenches in the shattered ground with his feet.
But the next second, he looked up, blood at the corner of his mouth—and laughed even more wildly:
"That's it?!"
At this level of attack, forget ten minutes—even thirty wouldn't be enough to take him down!
"NOT DONE YET!!"
Akainu's eyes darkened with fury as magma surged around his arms. He formed another massive molten fist and charged straight in again—Shano met him head-on!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM——!!!
Their figures blurred along the shoreline as they clashed at incredible speed, each collision erupting in deafening booms.
Lava and Haki intertwined, creating bursts of massive black lightning that flashed in the sky.
Shockwaves rippled out like endless waves.
By this point—
The fierce battle's impact had long surpassed the surrounding stone bridge and coastline.
The entire massive Southern Island shook violently.
Even dozens of kilometers away, pale-pink cherry blossom petals were swept up by the wild shockwaves, blanketing the sky like a blizzard.
The once picturesque spring island now seemed gripped by a brutal winter.
From north to south, east to west...
All the cherry blossom trees had lost their petals, only bare branches swaying in the wind—no sign of spring left.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Akainu remained silent, but his attacks grew heavier and more frenzied.
His inability to take down Shano after so long gnawed at him with both shame and fury, eroding his reason.
He even began abandoning defense entirely, letting Shano's fists tear open wound after wound on his magma-clad body.
In return, his every strike carried greater force, driving the black-haired teen back again and again.
"Gah... ptoo!"
Shano spat a mouthful of blood. His exposed skin hissed as the lava's heat seared open wounds.
But still, he grinned wide, blood-stained lips stretched in near-maniacal excitement.
"That's more like it! C'mon, old man! You're still holding back—hit me harder!!!"
Akainu's eyes burned with killing intent. His magma fists surged with even more heat.
"DIE!!"
But just as he was about to strike—
"Sakazuki-san!!"
Two voices rang out from afar. Dalmatian and Momonga were racing across the treetops of barren cherry trees, rapidly approaching with Geppo.
"Oh?"
Shano glanced sideways with no attempt to hide his scorn. "So you've finally realized one-on-one's not enough? Thinking of ganging up on me?"
Hey, it's not like I called them!
Akainu knew this kid was deliberately provoking him…
But after such a long, fruitless battle, he still couldn't hold back. With a roar, he swung his fist upward again.
Shano didn't even guard. He let the punch crash into his jaw—using the force to hurl himself high into the sky.
From up there, he gazed far to the south.
The Fallen Dusk had already become a tiny black dot on the horizon.
"They've gotten that far already, huh? Looks like it's been more than ten minutes!"
Shano bared his bloody grin—wild and unrestrained.
It was time!
SMACK—!
His body suddenly swelled. Bones cracked like thunder, muscles expanded wildly.
In mere moments, he grew to a towering height of 3.9 meters.
His muscles bulged like forged steel, veins pulsing beneath the skin. As he slammed down to the ground, the earth quaked, soil and debris flying everywhere.
THUD! THUD!
His heavy footsteps pounded like war drums as he approached Akainu.
"..."
A huge shadow loomed overhead.
Akainu looked up—Shano now stood over a meter taller than him.
"So that's how it is… This is your real form?"
With his sharp eyes, Akainu could tell—the terrifying body in front of him was Shano's true form.
That smaller, human-like figure from before was nothing more than a specialized combat disguise.
CP had a certain brat who could do something similar.
"Hey, old man!"
Shano's rough voice came from above. Akainu reflexively looked up, locking eyes with the boy's jet-black pupils.
Shano stretched his bloody grin to his ears, revealing sharp, flawless teeth:
"Who knows when we'll meet again. Might as well leave you with a parting gift!"
THUD! He stepped forward, and his right arm swelled with a crack.
Terrifying strength surged through his muscles and bones.
"Spear of Elbaf——"
WHIRRRR!
The air quaked.
Ripples spread in every direction from Shano's fist like shockwaves.
This punch—
Stronger than the one that shattered a mountain back in Little Garden—draining almost all of his remaining strength.
And its power was beyond devastating.
Akainu's pupils shrank.
His Observation Haki screamed danger—but his body couldn't dodge in time.
"——Sovereign Might!!!"
BOOM——!!!
Even before the punch landed, the sheer shockwave tore the ground apart.
Akainu only had time to cross his magma arms in defense, coating them with Armament Haki—
CRASH!!!
With a deafening blast, Akainu was launched like a cannonball, smashing through countless boulders before slamming hard into the northern coastline nearly a kilometer away!
The sea exploded with massive waves, enormous water pillars shooting into the sky.
This time, not only the southern island but even the northern Thor Island trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake!
"That one had some weight to it, didn't it, old man?!"
Shano's triumphant laughter echoed in the distance.
His body had already reverted back to Paper Drawing Martial Body form.
Leaving behind those parting words, he spun around without hesitation.
BOOM! The ground cracked beneath his feet as he blasted toward the sea like a missile!
Shave: Rapid Flash!
At full speed, the peak of the Six Styles, Shano became a bolt of lightning—crossing hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, aiming straight for the open sea!
"Sakazuki-san!!"
Two voices cried out.
Dalmatian and Momonga had just arrived—witnessing Akainu being blasted away with their own eyes. Both gasped.
"Damn him…"
Momonga's eyes reddened with fury. Her pretty face twisted in rage. That damn swordsman Shano—how dare he treat Akainu-sama like that… How dare he!!
Not even when the pirates escaped at the harbor was she this angry!
"GET BACK HERE!!"
She shrieked, body turning into a blur as she charged after him.
Dalmatian's face changed instantly. "What are you doing, Momonga?! Don't be reckless!"
He was about to rush toward Akainu, but instead spun around and gave chase too.
"Hm?"
Shano sensed the rapidly approaching presences behind him and glanced back.
A mangy spotted dog and a crazed woman with a syringe in hand.
Both bore signs of heavy combat—wounded, auras unsteady. Clearly, they'd taken a beating earlier.
Looks like… my crew did a pretty good job, huh?
He smirked.
And as the two figures closed in, a look of mockery flickered in his eyes.
"You're in this state and still chasing me? You've got guts, I'll give you that…"
He could easily outrun them—but seriously? These nobodies think they're worthy?
SWISH! He abruptly stopped midair, flipped around—
And his right leg came crashing down like a mountain!
Boom——!!!
Dalmatian hastily raised his arms to block, but was still smashed into the ground by the fierce kick!
Crack!
His arm bones made a crisp breaking sound. Blood spewed from his mouth, and the impact made his vision spin and darken.
"Cough... Damn it!"
Dalmatian struggled to get up, only to find his arms completely numb—he couldn't fight anymore.
Meanwhile—
"Go to hell, you filthy pirate!!!"
Bumaya screamed madly, both arms transforming into syringes. The tips suddenly extended like spears, thrusting straight toward Shano's throat!
"Doctor's Mercy: Dual Piercing!"
A red light flashed in Shano's eyes. At the moment he dodged sideways, his right hand clamped down hard on her right shoulder like an iron vise!
"Crazy woman, your needles... are too slow."
Crack!
With a clear sound of breaking bones, Bumaya's right arm was ripped off by brute force!
The thick metal syringe returned to normal, and blood sprayed out like a fountain, splattering the ground.
"Aaaahhhh——!!!"
A shrill scream echoed along the coast. Bumaya staggered back, her face twisted in pain, but hatred still burned in her eyes.
"You... How dare you… destroy my right hand! That was the same hand I used to inject Admiral Sakazuki back when I was a nurse! It's the hand that inspired me to join the Navy to follow my idol!!!"
Her left arm stabbed forward again in rage. Shano's face remained emotionless as he grabbed the oversized syringe again and was about to break it—
Suddenly, Bumaya grinned, a crazed smile twisting her lips.
Gotcha!
Click!
A slit suddenly opened in her chest, and a slender syringe shot out, stabbing straight into Shano's abdomen!
"Doctor's Mercy: Lethal Injection!"
Shhk!
Poison surged in. Shano's face instantly turned bluish purple, and his muscles visibly stiffened.
"Ehehehe... How is it? Can't move, huh?"
Bumaya shrieked with laughter. "This is my ultimate technique—my most loving, patient shot! Even the toughest man has to—"
But the next second, her laughter stopped like a duck being strangled.
—Because Shano's face was returning to normal, and even the large wound on his abdomen was visibly healing.
"Looks like your poison's pretty weak."
Shano grinned. Bumaya's terrified eyes watched as he grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground.
"If it were Magellan, maybe it'd be different. But your level of poison? My body's long past being affected by that."
Crack!
Her neck bones made a dreadful sound. Her face turned bright red as her legs kicked helplessly, and true fear finally appeared in her eyes.
"You... Cough... Let, let..."
She struggled to squeeze out words and thrashed wildly, but couldn't escape the grip like steel.
"Let her go!!!"
A furious roar erupted in the distance. The entire coast seemed to freeze in that moment.
Boom——!!!
Akainu shot into the sky from the cliff like a blazing red meteor! Lava gushed from his legs as black smoke billowed, tearing through the air at terrifying speed!
Sakazuki-san...
Bumaya's blurry eyes caught a glimpse of this and trembled in awe.
That terrifying, twisted demon of a face—was that really the calm, steady Sakazuki-san she knew?
Buzz buzz!
Akainu's speed kept climbing, closing in fast. His body radiated violent heat and fury.
How many years had it been?
Since he'd become an Admiral—one of the Navy's top powers—when had he ever been pushed to such a state?
When had he last suffered such disgrace?
Just a brat!
He must die today—by his own hands!!!
…
Feeling the murderous rage from Akainu, Shano raised an eyebrow.
Scary...
Can't waste time—gotta run now!
He turned and bolted toward the shore.
"Cough... Heh, hehe..."
The barely-conscious Bumaya suddenly grinned through blood, madness flickering in her eyes:
"See? Sakazuki-san is this angry... for me! He's here for me... Hey, brat, aren't you scared yet? Let go now, or you'll die right here!"
"Don't worry—"
Shano narrowed his eyes, lips curving coldly.
"I still have time to snap your neck."
Before the last word dropped, his right arm swelled, veins bulging, and the grip around her neck tightened violently—
Crack!
With a sickening crunch, Bumaya's neck was completely broken. Her head twisted at a grotesque angle, eyes dimming rapidly.
Even in death, her lips still bore that crazed grin.
"Bumaya!!!"
Dalmatian's howl of grief rang out from afar.
Meanwhile, Akainu was already within a hundred meters, his lava-coated fist raised, superheated air distorting the sky.
"Inugami Guren!!"
The massive lava fist roared toward Shano. He hurled Bumaya's corpse at Akainu and kicked off, flying backward!
Boom!!!
The lava punch vaporized Bumaya's body instantly. The shockwave still blasted Shano hundreds of meters away, slamming him into the sea.
Splash!
The cold seawater washed over his wounds, clearing his head. Shano bit his tongue to stay conscious, paddling downward into the depths.
Pa!
Akainu landed on the shore.
Behind him, Bumaya's ashes drifted in the wind.
He didn't glance back—his eyes were locked on the ocean, filled with killing intent.
Escape through the sea?
Keep dreaming!
He raised both arms, magma fists pointed skyward—
"Meteor Volcano!!!"
In an instant, countless magma fists launched upward—then rained down like shooting stars, covering the sea!
Boom!
BOOM!!
BOOOOM!!!
The magma slammed into the ocean, boiling it violently.
Fish floated belly-up, then melted into black sludge.
The sea around Thor Island became a lava hell in seconds!
"...!"
Underwater, Shano's pupils shrank. The magma scorched his exposed wounds—burning pain seared his flesh.
Danger!
Must leave this area now!
Even a Senzu Bean wouldn't save him if this kept up—not with Akainu chasing!
He poured all his strength into his arms. Whirling wind gathered—a power only swordmasters past the threshold of dual-blade mastery could wield—
"Dust-Sealing Severance Slash!"
Swish!
Blazing sword energy tore forward, parting the water on both sides, forming a vacuum!
Shano's body flashed several kilometers away like a ghost!
But he was still inside the Meteor Volcano's range. The heat was rising fast—lava clung behind like a curse!
"Again!"
Teeth gritted, Shano burned his strength, ignoring exhaustion!
"Dust-Sealing Severance Slash!"
Swish!
Another three kilometers!
At last, he left the lava zone behind.
Gasp... Huff...
He shot up to the surface, gulping air, swimming forward, and glanced back—
Thor Island was a distant blur. The skies above were stained crimson by lava like the end of the world.
"Heh..."
The black-haired youth grinned wide, laughing.
"Can't catch me now, huh?"
He wiped water off his face, imagining Akainu's angry dog face—and burst out laughing.
Too bad he couldn't see it himself!
…
On shore.
Akainu stood motionless, eyes locked on the ocean. His lava fist dripped onto the rock, sending up sizzling steam.
How did he do it...
How the hell did he escape!?
His Observation Haki sensed it clearly—Shano had used some weird technique to flash step multiple times, pulling away far enough.
Completely out of range.
"S-Sakazuki-san…"
Dalmatian limped over, hesitating—but when he saw Akainu, his throat tightened.
He had never seen Akainu like this—
His military cap was gone, red suit reduced to rags.
Bruises covered his bare chest. His lava arm was twisted unnaturally.
But those weren't the worst parts—
His neck was full of black charred holes, flesh mangled, still leaking Haki energy.
His right ear was half-gone—blood slid down his face and evaporated on his shoulder.
These were permanent wounds. Even the Navy's best medics couldn't fix them.
That brat—Shano—actually injured Admiral Sakazuki!?
"Sakazuki-san…"
Dalmatian hesitated, then spoke.
"Seems we underestimated that brat. But you don't need to worry, Admiral—he's out of stamina, and still poisoned. He won't survive long..."
"I'm asking you something."
Akainu suddenly turned his head, voice low and cold.
Dalmatian's heart stopped.
That wasn't a human gaze.
It was a furious beast—a volcano before it erupted.
Akainu's voice trembled with barely contained wrath:
"Dalmatian, did you hit your head or something?"
"You think that brat—the one I couldn't even kill in an hour—would die from Bumaya's pathetic poison?"
Just a mid-level Vice Admiral—weak even among her peers.
If that monster kid died to that, it would be insulting to Akainu himself.
Like saying he was a joke too!
"…"
Dalmatian lowered his head, speechless.
"I'm still talking—look up."
Akainu's voice grew harsher.
"I don't care about Bumaya—never expected much from her."
"But you were there. You were in charge. So tell me—how the hell did that brat's whole crew escape too?!"
This wasn't misplaced blame. It made sense.
If not for that sudden orange firework in the sky that distracted him, forcing him to rush to block the pirate ship—
Shano might never have gotten the chance to recover using whatever strange method he used.
"Those crew members…"
Dalmatian gave a bitter smile.
"Admiral, it wasn't just Shano we underestimated. His crew… they're no joke either."
That black ponytail girl's sword skills were terrifying.
And combined with the blue-haired girl's punches, they even pushed him—the seasoned Vice Admiral—into a stalemate.
As for Bumaya—
She was completely pinned by Smoker and Red-Leg Zeff. She never stood a chance.
If it had ended there, fine.
He had stamina. Given a little more time, he could've beaten them.
But then came the giant wolf—
A terrifying beast that could breathe both lightning and fire!