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The ten-day battle had been broadcast to every corner of the world.

In the waters surrounding Jaya, a fleet of underworld merchant ships and pirate vessels maintained a safe distance from the Marine armada. The ships were all led by Vice Admirals.

It was a fleet on the scale of a Buster Call.

At the bow of the lead ship, Admiral Kizaru sat with his legs crossed, his chin resting on his hands, a lazy, mocking smile on his face. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Arthur.

His personal philosophy was to never commit to anything, to always remain neutral. Yet he was also a man who held grudges.

He was far stronger than he had been years ago. He was an Admiral now, one of the Navy's greatest powers. He was confident he could at least hold his own against Arthur, and with his speed, he could easily escape if things went south.

That was why, when he had heard that Arthur and Kaido had suddenly appeared on Jaya and started a massive battle, he had eagerly accepted the mission—a complete reversal of his usual disinterest in everything.

The memory of his past encounters with Arthur, of being made to look like a fool, was not one he had easily forgotten.

"Oooh, they have been at it for ten days without stopping. How are we supposed to interfere? Are they both monsters?" Kizaru said, his voice laced with his signature brand of lazy sarcasm, yet carrying clearly to the other five warships.

"Admiral Kizaru," Vice Admiral Onigumo called out, a cigar clenched between his teeth. "Do we wait for them to exhaust themselves, or do we attack directly?"

The Navy might represent justice, but they were not reckless. They could not simply attack an emperor of the sea. Each of the four great powers commanded a force that could rival the Navy itself. To make a move would be to invite disaster, to start a new era of chaos.

Of course, Kaido was the exception.

He had been captured a dozen times, and not once had his crew ever attempted a rescue. They knew it was pointless. No matter what method you used, you could not kill Kaido. He would simply wake up and break out on his own.

"Let us attack," Kizaru said, stretching languidly. He slowly raised his hand, and a point of light began to gather at his fingertips. "It is time to test how much the Thunder Emperor Arthur has improved over the years."

He was a man of immense pride. He held deep-seated contempt for those who relied on pure physical skill, seeing them as simple brutes.

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Kizaru was confident. The onlookers were all small-fry from Paradise. There were no real threats here. He was eager to see if the rumors about Arthur's injuries were true.

"Let us begin," he said, his body dissolving into light and shooting into the sky before reforming. He crossed his hands over his chest.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

One by one, a thousand beads of golden light filled the sky, then rained down upon the still-battling Kaido and Arthur.

"OPEN FIRE!"

Vice Admiral Onigumo gave the order, and the cannons of the five warships opened up, unleashing an indiscriminate bombardment on the island, intending to wipe the pirate haven from the map for good.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Deafening explosions rocked the island, covering everything in a blanket of fire and smoke.

This was the cruelty of a Buster Call. The truth could always be rewritten later.

The moment the Navy attacked, the spectating ships scattered. This was a battle of gods. For a mortal to remain was to invite death. In a few short minutes, the surrounding sea was empty, save for the Marine warships, which continued their relentless bombardment.

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"Annoying flies."

Arthur's hatred for the Marines was second only to his hatred for Kaido. He might have respected a few of them, but a man like Kizaru was not on that list.

He had not even had a chance to settle his score with them for the incident with Garp, the three years of his life they had cost him, and now they were coming to him?

'I cannot kill Kaido... But I can throw him at Marineford. A fresh, enraged Kaido rampaging through their headquarters... that should be a nice down payment on my grudge.'

A cold, vicious smile spreading across Arthur face.

He stopped his attack and let out a sharp, piercing whistle that cut through the sky.

"SHIRYU! BRING THE BOAT!"

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Ten days and ten nights.

The battle between Shiryu and Jack had been decided long ago. He had been waiting on the steel boat for days.

"THUNDER EMPEROR! ARE YOU RUNNING?" Kaido roared. "COME BACK AND FIGHT ME ONE-ON-ONE!"

He charged, leaping into the sea after Arthur and parting the waves as he gave chase, his swimming speed no slower than his running.

"Hm?" Kizaru raised an eyebrow, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. To interrupt their battle was a grave provocation. He had expected them to turn on him. He had never imagined they would simply ignore him.

"AFTER THEM!"

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"FWOOSH!"

Arthur landed on the deck of the steel boat and immediately collapsed into his lounge chair, forcing down rations to recover his stamina.

"Set a course for Marineford."

"Marineford? What for?" Shiryu asked, yet he was already turning the boat, accelerating.

"To give those annoying flies a little entertainment," Arthur said, then paused. "Jack. Did you kill him?"

"He escaped by jumping into the sea," Shiryu answered, his voice flat. "Jack the Drought is a fish-man. He can breathe underwater, even with a Devil Fruit. I could not be bothered to chase him."

"He is just a clown. We will kill him the next time we see him," Arthur said with a dismissive wave. His eyes fixed on the warships blocking their path.

"Ram them," he commanded. "While you are at it, grab some of their Seastone chains."

The shuttle-shaped steel boat was a masterpiece of Vegapunk's design. It was a composite of various alloys and Seastone. It possessed no offensive capabilities, only one feature: speed.

It was hard as diamond and faster than the Thor.

Ramming a wooden warship would be effortless.

A bloodthirsty grin spread across Shiryu's face. He pushed the throttle to its limit.

On the deck of the lead warship, a lookout screamed into his Den Den Mushi.

"INCOMING! ADMIRAL KIZARU, THE THUNDER EMPEROR'S BOAT—IT IS GOING TO RAM US!"

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