Bab 25: Chapter 25: Akainu: Why? This Isn't Fair
"Do you need my help?" Bartholomew Kuma suddenly appeared behind Akainu after observing for a while.
Akainu's attack paused for a moment, his gaze shifting toward Kuma with cautious wariness. Kuma was no ordinary pirate.
"Admiral Sakazuki, leave him to me. You focus on taking care of the others," said the one-armed Vice Admiral Tokikake (Chaton), his eyes locked on Kuma.
No interference would be allowed. No matter who came, it wouldn't change the outcome. Kuke was as good as dead.
"I can help you escape, but I can't do anything about the ship," Kuma said, ignoring Tokikake and instead speaking directly to Kuke.
Kuma's ability allowed him to instantly send people flying, but he couldn't do the same with a massive pirate ship. He was puzzled. Bringing the ship into the battlefield was the most irrational decision, completely cutting off any easy escape route.
It made no sense.
"That won't be necessary," Kuke declined Kuma's offer.
Bringing the Radiant Eclipse to the battlefield was part of the plan for a quicker escape. If the ship had been left at the harbor, several kilometers away, reaching it would have been much more costly in terms of time and effort.
Kuma was taken aback. He couldn't understand how Kuke intended to escape with such a large ship while being hunted by Akainu.
Kuma stepped aside, deciding not to intervene.
Akainu and Tokikake didn't bother with Kuma for now either.
"Go ahead, start moving. Show me how you're going to escape," Akainu mocked, taunting them.
"Rumble, rumble."
The Radiant Eclipse began to hum from within as its engines powered up. Designed for movement on both sea and land, the ship started to roll forward again, making its way toward the battlefield.
"Great Eruption!" Akainu immediately launched an attack.
A massive magma fist, powerful enough to crush a mountain, slammed down onto the bow of the ship.
Magma splattered everywhere.
But Akainu, confident in his power, suddenly froze in shock.
His body stiffened, and slowly, he looked up in disbelief at his magma fist, which had been stopped before it even touched the ship.
If Kuke or Gion had blocked it, he would have understood. But they were both standing there, looking down at him with amused expressions, as though watching a clown's performance.
Neither of them had lifted a finger.
"This… this is impossible."
Akainu couldn't accept it. He threw another punch. "Hellhound!"
Another earth-shattering blast followed.
But the result was the same. The Radiant Eclipse didn't budge, and Akainu's attack hadn't caused any damage.
"What is going on?!" Akainu's mind raced, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Some kind of special ability?" Tokikake quickly appeared at the stern of the ship. "Cannon Punch!"
With his remaining arm, Tokikake unleashed a powerful punch at the ship, cracking the earth beneath him with the force.
"Some sort of special defense," Akainu muttered, hurrying to coordinate with Tokikake. "If it protects the stern, it can't defend the bow."
The two of them attacked from both sides, bombarding the ship from bow to stern.
But after all the noise and destruction, nothing had changed.
Tokikake was just as dumbfounded as Akainu.
The two exchanged confused looks.
"This must be a joke," Tokikake muttered.
"Five minutes. I'll give you five more minutes, then I'll be leaving," Kuke said nonchalantly from his seat on the bow of the ship.
Boa Hancock draped a coat over Kuke's shoulders, and Koala brought him a cup of tea.
Hancock's two younger sisters set up a chair and table, placing snacks before Kuke as they all watched the frustrated Akainu below.
They were having fun observing the admiral's attempts to break through the ship's defenses.
The crew had already experienced the Radiant Eclipse's invincible defense the day before. Their expressions at the time were the same as Akainu's now—utter disbelief, questioning reality.
For Akainu, one of the Navy's strongest admirals, being toyed with like this was a complete humiliation.
Akainu's face darkened. Veins bulged on his forehead, pulsating with barely-contained rage.
"This has to be some special ability. No defense is without weakness," Akainu growled. He refused to believe that this ship was truly invincible.
With fists brimming with power, Akainu relentlessly pounded at every part of the Radiant Eclipse—the bow, the hull, the stern, and even the underside using magma from beneath the earth.
But every strike was blocked.
Akainu's heart sank. The ship was like an impenetrable fortress. There was no weak spot.
"I don't believe it!" Akainu leaped into the air, glaring at Kuke, who sat calmly on the ship, drinking tea and eating snacks.
The sight made Akainu seethe with rage.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Massive fists of magma launched high into the sky, raining down like meteors. As they struck the ground, mountains were shattered, leaving deep craters in the earth.
But when the magma fists hit the Radiant Eclipse, an invisible barrier deflected them, making the fiery assault look like nothing more than fireworks.
"What a beautiful sight," Gion and the others couldn't resist taking out cameras to capture the scene.
Akainu was about to explode with fury.
The frustration built up inside him, and he was on the verge of madness.
"I'll keep attacking! There's no way this defense can last forever!" Akainu shouted, determined to find a weak point. With his stamina, he could keep this up for days.
Kuke squinted. Admirals really were something else. Their experience and persistence were unmatched.
But the five minutes were up.
Kuke stood up slowly. "Well, since you can't seem to break it, we'll be on our way."
"You think you can just leave? It's only an invincible defense—if I block your path, you can't get away," Akainu said, stepping in front of the Radiant Eclipse.
Kuke chuckled.
Akainu's heart skipped a beat. He sensed that something was off.
He watched as Kuke unsheathed his sword and, in one fluid motion, swung it down toward him. A sharp blade of energy came crashing toward Akainu.
But instead of dodging, Akainu grinned.
"Got you! The moment you attack me, your defense will disappear!" Akainu's eyes lit up. He believed that no defense could work both ways. If Kuke could attack from inside, then the barrier must drop, leaving him vulnerable.
He chose to take the hit head-on, preparing for a counterattack.
"Slash!"
The energy blade cut across Akainu's face, drawing a line of blood and slicing off part of his ear.
He froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
His fist, raised for a counter, was once again blocked by the invisible barrier.
Akainu's mind went blank.
"Why?!" Akainu spat out blood, staring at the ship in disbelief. "How can you attack from inside, but I can't hit you from outside? This isn't fair!!!"
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P.S.: This story was never completed, and I want to finish it. If you'd like to help me financially so I have the time to translate it as fast as possible, you can join me on my Patreon at Patreon. com / Emik01 and you can read up to chapter 45.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone