The advantage of Akainu being a Logia-type user to Vane was that he could exploit him brutally. If he kept beating down Akainu over and over without using Armament Haki, Akainu might be physically fine, but mentally? It would drive him insane.
"However, Mr. Akainu, I hope you can hold out. Although our strengths are nearly even... that's only when I'm not using my trump card."
Vane clenched his fist and drove a punch directly into the point where two massive icicles met — One Bone. The force exploded outward, shattering the ice. Akainu's partially reformed upper body was blown away again like molten clay.
At that moment, as the magma admiral was sent flying, Vane caught a glimpse of the bloodshot rage in his opponent's eyes. He could feel it — the hatred radiating off Akainu was almost tangible. Vane figured the man would tear him limb from limb if he had the chance.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Mole and the rest of the Marines had retreated to a naval station on Sabaody. Ghost Spider had taken a critical hit from Vane's slash and fallen unconscious. When they peeled back his uniform, the long, deep gash stretching from his left shoulder to his right waist was revealed. The sight sent a shiver down the spines of the surrounding Marines. They were used to injuries in battles against pirates... but two vice admirals taken out? That was different.
Mole's injury wasn't fatal, but he was in no shape to fight.
The rest of the Marines present trembled. They were standard Navy personnel — they didn't have the full picture of Vane's strength. That kind of assessment came from Marine Headquarters, and only the top brass had accurate intelligence. Ordinary soldiers believed the three admirals were the peak of naval might. They rarely considered figures like Garp or Sengoku as being above them.
So to them, Vane couldn't possibly be that strong.
What did it even mean to have a bounty of a billion Berries? It was an unfathomable number to most of them.
Even if he was powerful, could he really be stronger than an admiral? That was hard to accept. And yet... he just defeated two vice admirals.
Explosions continued to rumble in the distance. The sounds were terrifying, the sky above stained red from the chaos.
"Is he really fighting an admiral…?"
Hina couldn't forget the moment Vane had thrown that punch. She had braced herself, sure he was going to crush her skull — but instead, his blow had obliterated the landscape behind her. She was frozen afterward, dazed. That kind of power… it was hopelessly overwhelming.
Back at the station, Vice Admiral Mole lay in a hospital bed. The Den Den Mushi was used to call in reinforcements from Marine Headquarters.
This time, they weren't holding back.
Vane must be captured alive. He couldn't be allowed to escape Sabaody — let alone make it into the New World. If he did, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"We've lost contact with Sakazuki. According to Marines stationed on Sabaody, the battle is extremely intense. The island itself is shaking. They can't even get close. Large parts of the terrain have collapsed. Civilians have been evacuated."
Sengoku frowned as he discussed Vane with his advisors.
He sighed. "That fruit… it's a perfect replica of the Gura Gura no Mi. In terms of destructive force, it's just as strong as the real one."
"Who knows… but Sakazuki's on the scene. He'll handle it," someone replied.
Sengoku nodded. He still had full confidence in Akainu's strength and methods — as long as he didn't lose control.
Akainu's sense of justice was extreme: to him, any pirate was a criminal. Even Marines with wavering beliefs weren't safe from his purging mindset.
From the Marineford bay, a warship set sail — its deck carrying Kizaru and Garp.
With that kind of power aboard, even the Pirate Empress would hesitate to act rashly.
"I want to see if this guy is even tougher than that bastard Kaido," Garp muttered.
Kaido had survived countless encounters — not because he was invincible, but because of how insanely durable he was. Garp knew that Kaido's only notable injury had come from Kozuki Oden's legendary blade, one of the few weapons capable of cutting through him.
Could Vane truly be that tough?
Under the starlit sky, Garp looked out over the sea ahead.
"Today feels like a good day," he said quietly.
Kizaru stood nearby, hands stuffed casually into his trouser pockets, as relaxed as ever.
"But do I really need to be here?" he asked, lazily.
Garp was silent for a moment. Vane had killed a Celestial Dragon. From the people's perspective, it was probably justified. But from the Navy's standpoint — and considering Mariejois influence — Vane had to be punished.
And Garp had a sinking feeling what kind of punishment that would be. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt
Vane had killed three Celestial Dragons in total.
His fate would be... unpleasant.
"I regret coming here," Garp admitted.
Marine Headquarters had brought out an entire set of seastone shackles just for this operation. Once Vane was subdued, they planned to bind his wrists, ankles, and even his neck.
A full-body seastone lock.
They wanted to make sure Vane would never be a threat again.
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