https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-637-A-Battle-Is-Inevitable-Sagel-vs-Akainu-/13464600/
Chapter 638: Volcanic Eruption!
Chapter 638: Volcanic Eruption!
Lava spread from Akainu's body, and the temperature inside the cave soared. There was no need to look for a light source; the flames from the magma illuminated the cave brightly.
"My decision back then was definitely right."
Akainu said slowly, "If we had let that evacuation ship leave safely, who knows how many more villains like you would have emerged. Your appearance alone has caused countless problems on the seas!"
The magma flowed over his body, enveloping Akainu and raising the temperature even higher.
"From the moment you made your debut on the Grand Line, I considered you a destabilizing factor. Unfortunately, I was stationed at G-1 at the time and couldn't reach the earlier part of the Grand Line. I thought Borsalino could handle you, but that bastard Kuzan interfered, allowing you to escape with your life, which only made things worse."
"By the time we met at Marineford, you had grown too powerful to defeat easily. But it's not too late now."
The magma covering his body began to gather on his fist, condensing into a glowing, almost blinding glove.
Drip.
A few drops of magma fell, melting the hard rock of the cave walls effortlessly.
"Nekomimi!"
As the magma hit the ground, Akainu roared, and the magma on his fist shot forward in a rapid strike aimed at Sagel's forehead.
But as he swung his arm, both his foresight and his Mindless Shadow Kill sensed the danger. In that instant, Sagel sidestepped and delivered a swift hook punch, smashing directly into the magma claw.
The speed of this move was incredible, comparable to Kaido's Thunderous Eight Trigram. Even though he saw it coming, Sagel didn't try to dodge; he just punched it head-on.
In his fiftyfold form, adaptive Haki made it unnecessary for him to adjust the flow of his Haki. Everything relied on his battle-hardened experience and combat skills, which allowed him to withstand the magma claw.
The Volcanic Eruption, with its world-class impact and explosive force, was a concentrated and highly penetrative attack.
Boom!
Sagel's fist resisted for a moment, then deflected the forward momentum upward, tilting the magma claw and letting it graze his arm and shoulder before slamming into the cave wall behind him.
The wall melted into a large hole, and the flowing magma quickly expanded the damage.
"Nekomimi!"
Seeing his attack miss, Akainu didn't hesitate. He kept his fist extended, gathered more magma, and launched another rapid and penetrative magma claw.
Logia battles should be like this.
Martial arts, swordsmanship, and Haki are all important, but ultimately, it's the power that counts.
The strongest power is here, and continuous release is all it takes!
Bang!
Sagel rapidly switched to his other hand, punching the magma claw and using the same method to deflect the attack. He then vanished from Akainu's sight, causing the latter to pause in his preparation for a third attack.
"I'm not a target!"
Akainu's eyes darted downward, and he saw Sagel, crouched like a leopard, suddenly lunge upwards from below. His arms and shoulders emitted white smoke as his burns rapidly healed, and he pounced with a powerful punch aimed at Akainu's chin.
"Hundred Spirits Assault!"
Bang!!
The punch, packed with immense force, collided with Akainu's chin. The Haki and magma erupted in a ring of explosive energy, and the shockwave from the punch shattered Akainu's head, extending to the cave ceiling and creating cracks that sent debris raining down.
The ceiling, shaken by the impact, collapsed, raining rocks on the two combatants below.
Magma flowed from Akainu's neck, reforming his head, and the hot lava melted the falling rocks into new magma, which then turned red and aimed at Sagel.
At that moment, Akainu's right leg transformed into lava and swept horizontally. The intense heat made Sagel sweat profusely even before the attack reached him.
"Tch, Logia users are really tough to fight."
He clicked his tongue and quickly retreated, firing Afterimage, which unleashed a barrage of Haki bullets that filled the cave.
"Heaven-Piercing Live Kill!"
"Red Lotus Dog Bite!"
The leg he swept out transformed at this moment, splitting into dozens of magma hounds that wildly pounced from different angles at the incoming Haki bullets. This move was designed to track the opponent’s movements, and with the hounds darting around, they almost formed a defensive wall, blocking the dense barrage of Haki bullets. After the bullets exploded, the dozens of magma hounds dissolved into lava and spread across the entire cave.
"In such a confined space, Logia users do have an advantage."
Sagel stood opposite Akainu, glancing at the lava flowing in his direction. He stomped his foot, causing the ground to crack open into large fissures that allowed the lava to flow into them.
He looked at Akainu and the ground beneath him, which was gradually turning into lava. A serious expression crossed his face.
Logia users, of course, are not all the same.
Some Logia abilities may seem wide-ranging, but in reality, they are of little use. The only real advantage they offer can be nullified by a powerful opponent.
Take Smoker, for example.
But some Logia users are disasters just by standing there.
Lava, for instance, is unbearable just by its mere presence. Unlike ice, which you can stand on, who can stand on lava?
Moreover, dealing with a Logia user was frustrating for Sagel, especially one with a fluid form. Coupled with Akainu’s Conqueror’s Haki, hitting him felt like hitting air. Who in their right mind would punch lava for no reason?
Haki cannot counter nature.
His fist had been scorched by the lava from the previous punch. If not for his remarkable healing ability, he would have been injured by just a few of these moves.
However,
"That’s not useless, is it? Your reaction time is not as good as your power", Sagel sneered, blood trickling from the corner of Akainu’s mouth.
That punch wasn’t entirely ineffective. Even though Akainu elementalized in time, Sagel’s attack was faster and still caused damage.
"Striking an old man, are you so proud? Marines and pirates fight every day, and there are casualties every day. We are no different."
Akainu glanced around at the lava-covered walls, his fists smoking and the lava flowing from his body, transforming the landscape into a molten wasteland.
"This terrain is to my advantage! Great Eruption!"
Akainu’s roar shook loose fragments of the cave walls. The lava erupting from his fists resembled meteorites, and as soon as they exploded, the surrounding walls crumbled even more, turning into flowing lava.
The massive lava fist erupted in the cave, making the enormous hole created by the King of the Underworld seem small. The intense heat instantly turned the surroundings red.
"Evil must be eradicated! Even if it means sinking half the world, if you are there, the chaotic sea might as well sink! I can bear that cost!" Akainu roared.
Just as during the Battle of Marineford, no one wanted to accept the task of turning ‘Spider Grand Whirlpool’ because it would tarnish their image and the Marine’s reputation.
As a Marine Admiral, Akainu, who should have the most pride, accepted the task without hesitation.
In the matter of eradicating evil, he was willing to bear the cost!
He did it two years ago, and he would do it again now!
This is the kind of battle he wanted. He didn’t need to consider orders from above or weigh the pros and cons. He just needed to fight, and as long as he won, everything would be fine!
If he won, Pluton wouldn’t have the time to destroy half the world. Then, he would lead the entire Marine force into battle, even if it meant starting another war!
Thirty years ago, the Marines had a much tighter grip on the New World. After fighting the pirates, they had scaled back their control.
By defeating Whitebeard and now Sagel, he could restore his authority and achieve his goal!
"Damn it!"
The meteor-like fist made Sagel curse, and he stomped his foot again, cracking the lava-covered ground around him and sending a large rock flying.
"You’re not the only one who can do that!"
He pressed his hand against the rock, ignoring the lava flowing over his fingers, and instantly activated his ability, causing the lava rock to expand rapidly. It shot toward the living meteor at Afterimage speed.
Boom!!
The lava fist created by Great Eruption, a true volcanic eruption, was powerful, but it was no match for the speed enhanced a hundredfold over a short distance. As the Afterimage quickly darted through the air, the lava fist exploded mid-air, scattering into streams of lava that fell to the ground.
The rock, enhanced with a hundredfold speed, collided with Akainu himself. The massive rock’s momentum caused Akainu to disperse into lava, which then merged with the ground.
Boom!!
The impact of the magma boulder against the equally molten rock wall caused a violent explosion, tearing a deep hole in the ground. The shockwaves rippled through the area, shattering the lava-covered surface and lowering the terrain to a level where the seawater could flood in.
Splash!
As soon as the seawater touched the molten ground, it immediately evaporated, sending plumes of steam into the air. However, the endless supply of seawater continued to flow in, cooling the lava into obsidian. Despite this, the air remained unbearably hot and humid.
The scorching gases and the still-hot obsidian created a hellish environment, even causing burns on Sagel's skin.
"Phew."
He exhaled, standing in the ankle-deep seawater that had spread around his feet. In the thick, hot mist, steam rose from his body, healing the burns on his skin back to their original state.
On the opposite side, Akainu, who had dispersed into lava, reformed his body. The lava flowing from his body didn't weaken; instead, it surged forth, evaporating a small circle of seawater around him, creating a dry spot for him to stand.
This terrain was indeed advantageous for Akainu, a Logia-type user. The narrow landscape could be easily melted and transformed into new lava fields, and the higher the temperature, the more disadvantageous it became for Sagel.
Should he leave?
Sagel glanced at the vast sea outside. Fighting out there would give him the upper hand.
"Like hell I will!"
Sagel took a step forward, placing his left hand against his right palm. He then unleashed a black-red beam as tall as half the cave, engulfing Akainu and piercing deep into the cave.
"Let's see how much Haki you have to withstand me!" Sagel shouted.
This fight was different from his battle with Kaido. This time, there was no physical contact; it was purely a contest of Haki and ability.
Physical attacks were ineffective against a seasoned Logia-type user. At their level, the differences in their specialties made the fight unique.
Sagel had always found the old Three Admirals to be troublesome opponents, whether it was Kuzan or Borsalino. This time, Akainu was even more different.
Even in his elemental form, Akainu couldn't withstand Sagel's wide-ranging attack. He had to cross his arms and use Haki to resist, his body being pushed back into the cave wall and continuing to be driven through the Red Land.
"Evil brat!"
Akainu's body erupted with lava once more, this time not just from his hands but from his entire body. He unleashed a barrage of fire meteors, just like a real volcanic eruption, breaking through the narrow cave and turning it into a sea of lava.
"Meteor Volcano!!"
Lava began to spread rapidly, quickly reaching Sagel's surroundings, making the seawater beneath his feet even hotter. The walls and ceiling began to soften and melt, flowing in all directions.
Especially from above, a large mass of lava fell. If he didn't dodge, it would melt his bones.
But if he dodged, wouldn't that mean he, Sagel, was the first to back down in this contest?
"Attack is the best defense!"
Sagel took a step forward, his Haki wave continuing, and he darted into the lava-filled cave, evading the falling lava and closing the distance to Akainu at high speed.
As he approached, he released the Haki wave, revealing Akainu's body, half embedded in the lava and the other half beginning to merge with it, preparing to elementalize.
"Hundred Spirits Inferno!!"
In an instant, Sagel was in front of Akainu, his hands moving so fast they were a blur. The sound of explosions echoed through Akainu's body, causing lava to splatter and his form to tremble.
This semi-elemental state was also the moment when his true form was exposed.
He had hit!
"Who do you think you're dealing with?!"
Sagel roared, his vanished hand reappearing and clenching into a fist, which he slammed into Akainu's face.
Boom!!
Akainu's body was violently pushed back, shattering the half-molten rock and creating a massive hole.
Sagel shook his hand, the steam healing the burned flesh, and he sneered into the hole. "The sea whispers that you were severely injured by Whitebeard's punch. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the one really hitting you!"
(End of Chapter)
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