Kaido's massive fist came crashing down, unstoppable.

Akainu had just turned to attack Vane when the Emperor of the Beasts intervened.

"Kaido!"

Akainu snarled in fury, lava boiling around his clenched fists. He swung with his molten power, but the magma collided directly with Kaido's fist. The outcome was one-sided. Kaido's raw strength overwhelmed Akainu, smashing through the lava-enhanced punch and sending the admiral flying like a cannonball. He crashed into the gate of Mariejois, shattering the solid structure. The shockwave echoed across the battlefield.

Though his body was sent hurtling back, Akainu's Logia nature allowed him to absorb most of the damage. His magma form reassembled quickly, but pain still surged through his frame.

"Damn it…"

His body reformed in a swirl of lava. The attack hadn't ended him, but it had rattled him. Kaido hadn't even used full Armament Haki—yet the force was overwhelming. Still, Akainu wasn't weak. As a fleet admiral, his combat power was nearly on par with the Four Emperors. The difference between an admiral and an emperor was narrow, though still significant.

Kaido's monstrous body loomed before him, unfazed. Akainu had fought him before, but his lava barely made a difference. The creature's natural defenses were insane. He wasn't called the "strongest creature alive" without reason. When in his dragon form, that defense became even more monstrous.

"You should've coated your attack with Armament Haki," Vane remarked calmly as he caught a blinding light bomb from Kizaru midair and crushed it in his hand. "He's a Logia. Pure physical force isn't enough."

With that, Vane vanished.

Kizaru narrowed his eyes and raised a leg, light already pulsing through it.

"Long time no see, Vane," he said, then launched a Light Speed Kick.

"It's only been three months. Did you miss me already, Porusalino-san?" Vane countered with his own kick. Their legs clashed midair, erupting in a shockwave that split the air.

"You've gotten stronger."

"Of course."

"Still, this isn't a place you walk away from. Even if I wanted to let you go, I doubt you'd escape alive."

Kizaru raised his hand and fired a blinding laser. It streaked forward, invisible to the eye. Vane barely dodged it in time, hearing the thunder of rushing footsteps approaching.

"Garp…"

He turned just as the legendary Marine Hero arrived, fist cocked.

Though well into his seventies, Garp's power had not waned. When his punch met Vane's, the ground beneath them exploded into debris. Both men stumbled back from the force.

"I didn't want to come to Mariejois," Garp growled, locking eyes with Vane. "But since it's you, I had no choice."

They charged again. Fist met fist, sending shockwaves tearing across the battlefield. This time, neither of them budged.

The clash continued. Blow after blow, the two titans exchanged strikes that cracked the earth. Garp was shaken. He'd known Vane was strong—comparable to Whitebeard—but experiencing it firsthand was something else. The kid was still younger than Luffy.

"You're unbelievable. In all my years, I've never fought a monster like you."

"Appreciate it, old man," Vane replied with a smirk, slamming a quake-infused punch that barely pushed Garp back. Still, Garp's Haki-coated fist remained unscathed.

"RAAHHH!"

Garp bellowed and launched another devastating punch.

"He's still got it…" Kizaru murmured, watching from a distance with crossed arms. He and Vice Admiral Tsuru stood side by side, neither stepping in.

This was Garp's fight.

Even if interfering would make the battle easier, stepping in would disrespect Garp. Still, Kizaru stayed alert. If things turned, he'd act in an instant.

All around Mariejois, chaos reigned. The holy city lay in ruins. But no one cared about property now.

Elsewhere, Aokiji and the Marines were rounding up fleeing slaves. Many of these so-called "slaves" had once been infamous pirates. After years of torment under the Celestial Dragons, they were unhinged and savage.

Meanwhile, Akainu and Kaido continued their brutal clash, each blow shaking the foundations of the battlefield.

"We have to suppress this monster," Vice Admiral Tsuru muttered, her eyes fixed on Vane. "Let him rot in Impel Down for the rest of his life!"

Her voice trembled with fury.

After all—Gion was still in Vane's hands.

---

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