Filled with boundless fury, Sakazuki swung his full-powered punch toward Rosinante.
The enormous magma fist, accompanied by endlessly erupting volcanoes, seemed intent on obliterating Rosinante in a single blow.
"Whether this is your battlefield or not is for me to decide. And now, I say it is time for you to leave the stage. I have no more interest in you," Rosinante said coldly. He did not even spare Sakazuki a glance. Instead, he casually lifted his sword and slashed upward toward the body of the magma giant.
The sword rose from bottom to top in a simple upward sweep. No visible flying slash appeared.
Yet as Rosinante completed that motion, a massive gash split open across the magma giant's body.
"It split. It split open!" the surrounding spectators cried out in shock.
But the power of that single strike did not end there.
The slash continued to spread upward, and wherever it passed, the magma giant began to collapse and crumble.
Inside the magma giant, the volcanoes rapidly withered and died. Molten lava fell continuously, but the moment it hit the ground, it disintegrated into piles of gray ash. Even more frightening was the fact that this magma ash carried no heat at all. The searing heat of the magma had been completely annihilated.
"There was no slash at all. He just lifted his sword like that, and the power was already this terrifying?"
"Too strong. No visible slash, just a simple upward stroke, and it has this kind of power."
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
As the magma giant's body continued to collapse, Sakazuki was revealed inside. To everyone's shock, a massive sword wound had appeared across his body, blood steadily dripping from it.
Sakazuki's face was frozen in utter disbelief, his eyes already rolling white.
Everyone stared at this scene in stunned silence. They had already known how terrifying Rosinante was, but to defeat Sakazuki in his magma giant form with a single move was still far beyond their expectations.
"Snap, snap, snap!" While everyone else stood frozen in shock, Big News Morgans was wildly snapping photos with his camera.
"This is a bombshell. A once-in-a-lifetime headline. At the Marine admiral promotion ceremony, a newly promoted admiral has been cut down, slain by the Dragon King Rosinante. The seas are going to go mad over this!" Morgans shouted excitedly as he continued taking pictures.
"Rosinante!" Garp roared in fury.
Killing a Marine admiral at the very ceremony meant to celebrate their promotion was nothing short of an open declaration of war against the Marines. Garp's sense of honor as a Marine ran deep, and at this moment, his anger was blazing.
"Send people immediately to check on Admiral Akainu's condition," Sengoku said in a grim voice.
"Yes!" A Marine vice admiral rushed out at once.
But he was not the only one. Many vice admirals charged forward simultaneously.
No matter the cause, a Marine admiral represented the highest combat power of the Marines. Rosinante had completely crushed a Marine admiral, possibly even killing him. This was a naked provocation against the Marines. The vice admirals could no longer stand by and do nothing.
Sengoku also stepped forward, coming to stand beside Garp, glaring angrily at Rosinante.
"Rosinante, this was only a challenge and sparring match. You went too far with such a heavy hand!" Sengoku shouted.
"Sengoku, I do not know what scheme you are plotting, but if you turn your attention toward me, you had better be prepared for the Marine Headquarters to be overturned," Rosinante replied coldly.
Sengoku's expression grew extremely heavy.
The situation had reached a point where even he felt hesitant. How was this supposed to end?
In front of countless eyes, at the Marine admiral promotion ceremony, a newly promoted admiral had been utterly defeated, unconscious, and possibly on the brink of death. If Rosinante were allowed to leave under these circumstances, where would the Marines' dignity and honor go?
But if they did not let him leave, did that mean an all-out war would erupt right here and now?
Of the three admirals, one was unconscious, one had lost most of his combat power, and the last had his abilities heavily suppressed, forced to fight only from afar with attacks that did not even distinguish friend from foe.
Under such conditions, fighting Rosinante would put the Marines at an enormous disadvantage.
Even if Sengoku and Garp joined forces, there was no guarantee they could defeat him. One thing was certain though. If a full-scale battle erupted today, Marine Headquarters would be completely destroyed.
"Sengoku, since becoming Fleet Admiral, you have grown indecisive," a voice suddenly rang out.
Sengoku looked up, and his eyes widened.
On the viewing platform of the Marine Headquarters building, a group of people had appeared without anyone noticing. Leading them was none other than the former Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's armed forces, Steel Bone Kong.
"Commander-in-Chief Kong!" Sengoku exclaimed in surprise.
When he noticed the CP0 agents standing behind Kong, Sengoku's expression gradually steadied.
He then exchanged a glance with Garp. The two nodded at each other, having reached a decision.
"Garp, it has been a long time since we fought together," Sengoku said as he tore off his Marine coat and tossed it aside.
"Yeah. The last time we fought side by side was against Golden Lion," Garp replied, also grabbing his Marine coat and throwing it aside.
The two men stepped forward, positioning themselves on either side of Rosinante, forming a pincer formation.
One was Sengoku, former Marine admiral and current Fleet Admiral, known as the Wise General and the Buddha of the Marines.
The other was Garp, the Hero of the Marines, a vice admiral who had repeatedly refused promotion, a man who had once chased the Pirate King across the seas.
Facing two of the Marines' and indeed the world's absolute top-tier powerhouses, even Rosinante's expression grew solemn.