One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Chapter 380 CHAPTER 380 - The Unexpected, Akainu's Death

In a corner of the battlefield, lightning crackled, shockwaves bombarded relentlessly, yellow sand whirled, sword energy crisscrossed, and magma churned…

Not only were elite Marines unable to enter, even Vice Admirals dared not step into this apocalyptic zone of various natural disasters.

At this moment, countless Marines were rushing towards Whitebeard, leaving this area overlooked.

"Damn pirates!" Akainu was barely recognizable.

Was Akainu strong? Absolutely. But in his severely wounded state—wounded by Whitebeard no less—could he withstand the combined high-tier combat power of the entire Dawn Pirates?

Everyone at Marine Headquarters believed he could.

The Whitebeard Pirates believed he could. The Warlords believed he could. Even Blackbeard believed he could. Akainu himself believed that against anyone, he surely had the ability to preserve his life.

But Akainu was wrong. In just a short time, Crocodile and that swordswoman had grown so terrifyingly powerful.

At his peak, Akainu could overwhelm any one of them individually. But now, facing just one, he felt significant pressure and genuine danger.

Add another, and he was constantly on the brink of life and death. And now, on top of that, there were two other officers who, while not as strong, could still effectively harass, intercept, and strike him. He was in an unprecedented crisis.

"Rapid-Fire Small Thunder!" Enel felt immense satisfaction. With Rosen and Hathaway suppressing Akainu at close range, making it difficult for him to counterattack—at least unable to mount an effective counter against him and Robin—the two of them could unleash their strongest attacks without restraint.

Spheres of lightning over ten meters in diameter rained down like meteors. After forcibly withstanding a combined strike from Hathaway and Rosen, Akainu's hand bones showed signs of cracking as he was sent flying. The lightning spheres fell upon him.

He didn't dodge. Sheathing himself in Haki, several magma pillars erupted from the ground to meet the small Thunder Bagua. But it was a hasty defense. After shattering many lightning spheres, one still struck him.

Simultaneously, an arm grew from Akainu's back. He wasn't surprised, but his expression changed the next instant as he saw a mass of black mist rapidly expanding.

Danger.

It was filled with corrosive and shockwave power. Though he didn't know its exact strength, any additional injury now lowered his survival rate.

Boom! Robin unleashed this shockwave to its maximum, completely engulfing Akainu. Dust billowed, black mist dispersing.

Rosen and Hathaway showed no sign of letting up. Their arms sheathed in Armament Haki, they charged into the dust cloud. Once again, the sounds of impacts and explosions came from within.

"Am I going to die here?" Under continuous bombardment from four people, even Akainu found it hard to endure.

Combined, these four were nearly equivalent to more than two Marine Admirals. While their experience and practical combat skills might still lag behind Marine Headquarters' seasoned veterans, the destructive power of their abilities was undeniable.

"We must finish this quickly. After this strike, I'll leave him to you for a moment. I'll give him my strongest attack!" Hathaway's face was icy as she whispered to Rosen.

"What are you doing? Don't act recklessly. Don't risk yourself just to kill Akainu." Rosen certainly wanted Akainu dead, but he didn't want any casualties on their side.

"You said we need sufficient fame. And it's time to show those in the World Government... the retaliation of the Lantis people." Hathaway was firm in her choice.

Boom! A terrifying Conqueror's Haki was released to its extreme. A blood-red mist enveloped her, intensely crimson.

If not for the low-consumption attribute of the Sun Blade, Hathaway's fighting style—going all out with every strike, charging forward without reservation—would mean an enemy only needed to outlast her berserk period to easily counter her.

But with this top-tier weapon, her endurance in combat was greatly enhanced, allowing her to fight at full power for extended periods. Her strength now exerted immense pressure even on Rosen.

After speaking, Hathaway didn't give Rosen a chance to object. She charged out.

"Crimson Moon!" Hathaway stamped her foot. The ground shattered under the powerful explosive force, rippling like a wave. Carrying an unstoppable sword intent, she shot forward. Crimson light bloomed, making her appear like an arc of crescent energy, brimming with extreme power.

"Armament!" Akainu, who was being pushed back by the group's combined assault, sensed this near-suicidal sword strike. His face changed drastically.

Bubbling magma surged from his body, enveloping him completely. At the same instant, Armament Haki covered him. His Armament Haki was among the very best in all of Marine Headquarters. Even if ten top-tier warships focused their bombardment on him simultaneously, he could withstand it unscathed.

But at that very moment, Akainu felt as if the blood within his body was ignited by something. The searing heat and intense discomfort made him freeze for an instant.

And in that instant, Hathaway's attack landed. Crimson energy clashed with his Haki-clad body. An extreme energy shockwave erupted violently and continuously from the point of impact.

Hathaway's blade was sharp, but in that moment, it still couldn't penetrate Akainu's defense.

"Hell Hound!" Though his defense held, the shockwave energy pulsing within his body wreaked havoc, his internal organs beginning to rupture.

Enduring intense pain, Akainu transformed his right arm into magma. The magma condensed, hardened, and was armed with Haki. He unleashed an attack powerful enough to breach even Whitebeard's defense.

But the moment his arm shot forward, he sensed unprecedented danger.

Rosen, who had been waiting, appeared like a ghost at Akainu's side. His Golden Sand Sword originally aimed for Akainu's head, but the sudden flicker in Akainu's pupils told Rosen he had been detected.

Reluctantly, with his sword already halfway out, Rosen had to choose the nearest target.

*Schlick!* Akainu's arm, executing the Hell Hound, was severed cleanly at the shoulder. Akainu let out a low, pained cry.

He retreated swiftly. Though his Hell Hound was powerful, all its force was concentrated at the fist. Severed from the shoulder, his defense there was simply insufficient.

No one could launch a full-power attack while maintaining a perfect ten-tenths defense. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a full-power attack.

*Thud!* The force at the tip of Hathaway's blade didn't increase further, but Rosen's attack distracted Akainu, preventing him from completely defending against hers. As his bodily defense weakened in that instant of retreat, her blade pierced in several inches. Had he not retreated quickly, his entire body might have been impaled.

"It's still disintegrating!?" With his right arm severed, Akainu was shocked. Though the pain was intense, it wasn't enough to rob him of his senses.

Seeing the wound still deteriorating, he was alarmed. He hastily used his left hand to gather high-temperature magma to cauterize the wound, using Haki to purge any residual ability. But this was equivalent to completely incinerating the flesh in that area.

Yet he had to do it, otherwise the injury would likely worsen.

"Don't give him a chance to breathe!" Hathaway wanted to pursue, but her legs felt weak. That had been her strongest strike; recovery wasn't instant.

But she didn't need to remind him. Rosen was already after him. Akainu was in a brief state of dizziness. He had severely underestimated the threat the Dawn Pirates could pose to him now.

*Whoosh!* Rosen appeared instantly. Akainu tried to muster his strength, but he was too slow.

"Farewell, Akainu." In that moment, Rosen felt both respect and hatred for this Marine Admiral. Even now, he still had the will to fight. A tenacious enemy.

But his people's deaths would not go unavenged. The debt of being hunted nearly to death had to be settled. And Rosen needed an achievement stunning enough to capture the world's attention, to spread his fame across the globe, proclaiming the strength of the Dawn Pirates.

He aimed for a Yonko position. Especially with Whitebeard now mortally wounded and certain not to survive. After this war, a Yonko seat would be vacant. The world would plunge into chaos, and only the strong could rise.

As for Blackbeard, did he really think that after scheming against him, he could smoothly obtain the Tremor-Tremor Fruit power?

And this battle, Rosen felt, was only just beginning. Since earlier, he had sensed that Marine Headquarters had deployed too many forces; he had even seen Rufus.

And Fire Fist was still alive.

"Damn pirates!" Akainu's pupils were slightly unfocused. Rosen's hand pressed directly onto his body, pinning him to the ground, unable to move. His life force was fading rapidly.

Sengoku suddenly felt a shock. He sensed Akainu's formerly powerful and distinct presence diminishing at an extreme speed. Impossible! The fierce fighting there also seemed to have subsided. He had been confident, focusing more on Whitebeard. But now there was a change.

"Bastard!" Sengoku erupted. With one leap, he crossed the battlefield. He saw Akainu pinned to the ground by Rosen. It was unimaginable. Even working together, ordinary people shouldn't have been able to reduce Akainu to this state.

But it was the reality.

For decades, Akainu had survived countless battles, large and small. Though this war was brutal, similarly intense conflicts had erupted before. Yet Akainu had always survived, contributing immensely. But now, a Marine legend was about to fall.

If this happened, even with Whitebeard's death, Marine Headquarters would no longer be the victor in this war.

"I should have pursued you relentlessly back at Water 7... The World Government, Marine Headquarters, we all underestimated you..." Akainu was filled with extreme unwillingness, but nothing could change now.

(End of Chapter)

================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES AND KINDLY LEAVE REVIEWS AS WELL!

YOU MAY ALSO SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON UP TO 100 ADVANCED CHAPTERS!!

PAT REON.COM/TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).