Marco took a crushing punch from Aokiji, his eyes rolling back. If not for the regenerative power of the Phoenix Fruit, he would've been out of the fight entirely.

Dazed and disoriented, Marco forcefully flapped his wings, shattering the ice that bound him as he lifted back into the air.

But Aokiji was already moving again.

Two jagged ice spears formed in the air beside him and fired at Marco. They pierced his body with a dull thud, spinning twin cyan spirals into his torso.

To someone without Marco's abilities, the damage would've been fatal. But the Phoenix Fruit made him nearly impossible to kill. Marco barely flinched at the spears lodged in his body.

However, Aokiji wasn't finished.

He closed his hand midair.

The spears embedded in Marco suddenly released a wave of freezing energy that surged through his upper body, instantly encasing his torso and one wing in thick ice.

Marco lost control of his flight, tumbling toward the ground. Just before impact, he managed to rotate his body, slamming his unfrozen wing down to avoid shattering the other one.

Though the Phoenix power could heal most wounds, it had limits. If his body suffered enough damage—he would still die.

Swish!

Aokiji appeared beside Marco again, placing a heavy boot on his back and growling coldly,

"Don't underestimate a Navy Admiral."

Across the battlefield, Whitebeard's expression changed the moment he saw Marco fall. He quickly called for reinforcements.

But before anyone could react, Chiga struck.

A lightning-fast kick smashed into Whitebeard's chest. As the old man was sent flying, Chiga smirked faintly and said,

"You let your guard down, Whitebeard."

Whitebeard crashed through a block of ice. Shanks reacted instantly, slashing his sword Griffon toward Chiga's head.

Susanoo's armor shimmered into place. The sword bounced harmlessly off.

Shanks cursed silently and dashed after Whitebeard to pull him back.

But Chiga wasn't finished.

Explosions erupted beneath Shanks's feet as he retreated. One blast knocked him off balance, nearly sending him tumbling into a crater.

And before he could stabilize himself, a dark vortex materialized behind him—twisting space and light with a gravitational force that threatened to crush him flat.

Chiga's left eye glowed ominously, threads of darkness swirling within it.

"Dark Prison."

Shanks gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of strength into his escape. He barely tore free from the gravitational pull and bolted toward Whitebeard, helping him to his feet.

To Chiga, they looked like a worn-down pair of old warriors—an exhausted duo fighting beyond their prime. It reminded him of Nagato and Itachi, clinging to battle despite the toll.

With a calm breath, he summoned his Susanoo Sword once more and prepared to strike them both.

But then...

A colossal fireball exploded from the sky, slamming down between them and transforming into a swirling sea of flames.

Chiga narrowed his eyes and looked upward.

From the clouds descended the massive serpentine form of a celestial blue dragon—Kaido of the Beasts.

Riding on his back were the warships of both the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates. The fireball had come from Prometheus, summoned by Big Mom herself.

She stood proudly atop Kaido's head, wielding Napoleon in hand. Zeus and Prometheus floated on either side of her. She grinned wide and called out with her thunderous voice,

"Mama mama mama! You must be Purple Kirin. Those eyes... quite legendary. How about having a child with this old lady?"

The battlefield paused in stunned silence.

Back at Marine Headquarters, the expressions of Gion, Kalifa, Ain, and Hancock instantly darkened. Several cursed under their breath.

"Shameless hag!"

From Mary Geoise, a furious voice roared through the transponder snail:

"I swear I'll kill that fat, ugly woman!!!"

Kaido's dragon face twitched with clear regret. He never should've let Big Mom ride on his head. He only agreed because he owed her a favor.

Now he couldn't take it anymore. With a shake of his head, he flung Big Mom off.

She didn't seem to mind. She somersaulted midair and landed on Zeus, diving toward Chiga like a meteor.

Chiga scowled, clearly repulsed. He drew his Susanoo Sword, held it in a drawing stance, and then unleashed a violet slash.

Big Mom responded in kind, slashing with Napoleon and calling out:

"Ikoku!"

Boom!

The two sword waves collided, rippling shockwaves across the battlefield. Big Mom was knocked clean off Zeus, crashing unceremoniously onto the ice.

Whatever majesty she'd entered with was now completely erased.

---

At Marine Headquarters, Akainu saw all four Emperors gathered and made his move.

He erupted into a torrent of magma, launching himself toward the battlefield like a volcanic missile.

Before even landing, his furious voice rang out:

"Great Eruption!"

Big Mom, still getting up, had no time to react.

A giant magma fist smashed into her from above, driving her deep into the ice.

Chiga had been preparing to finish her himself, but after witnessing that, he calmly stopped and muttered,

"Looks like you arrived."

Kaido, watching from above, frowned.

He quickly descended, dropping the ships from his back onto the ice and reverting to his hybrid form. A black kanabō appeared in his hand.

He launched into an attack with his signature move:

"Thunder Bagua!"

Akainu, just reforming into human shape, saw it coming—but barely had time to react.

And then...

Chiga appeared between them.

The Susanoo Sword clashed against Kaido's Spiked Club, the impact sending out arcs of black lightning that split the sky and illuminated Chiga's form like a god.

Behind him, Akainu caught a glimpse of the word "Justice" fluttering across Chiga's coat.

Chiga didn't look back as he said sternly,

"Sakazuki, stay sharp. Don't get careless."

Akainu, ever the professional, instantly caught the warning.

He drove his magma-covered fists into the ice below, sending a stream of molten fists into the chasm.

Moments later, Big Mom erupted from below—but Akainu gave her no chance to breathe.

"Crimson Lotus!"

A magma hound surged forward from his arm, jaws wide.

Big Mom's eyes narrowed. She fused Prometheus into Napoleon and slashed upward:

"Emperor Sword: Shattering Blade!"

Another explosion followed. The magma beast shattered, its fire scattered by her blade. She landed beside Kaido, both briefly exchanging glances before retreating to the side of Shanks and Whitebeard.

Just then, Kizaru and Aokiji arrived next to Chiga and Akainu.

Now, on one side stood the Four Navy Admirals.

On the other—Four Emperors of the Sea.

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

The battlefield fell into a deep, deafening silence.

---

I still need y'all's feedback on the two new fanfics I started.

The first one's a Naruto story (point system type, set in the same generation as Minato and Nawaki—pretty dope).

The second one's a One Piece story (MC basically dominates with Conqueror's Haki).

They're both free to read—the only catch is you join as a free member.

Patreon.com/Zphyr_