However…
The wall of fire couldn't block it at all!
The black lightning coated with Haki suddenly pierced straight through the wall of fire!
"Retreat!"
Sabo gritted his teeth and rushed forward, hurling the steel pipe in his hand. The lightning attack was drawn to the iron pipe as he grabbed his two sworn brothers and leapt back!
The branch-like black lightning instantly wrapped around the steel pipe, with only a few forks crashing into the ground. Floor tiles were blown into pieces in an instant, making everyone's eyelids twitch violently!
"He can actually coat a Natural Type ability with Armament Haki…"
Sabo's heart trembled at the sight, his expression growing even more grim. "This guy is no weakling. He might have combat strength on the Admiral Level…"
Originally…
Sabo had thought of a plan.
If they couldn't break through Akihara Kagura's blockade, they'd have Luffy, the Rubber-Rubber Fruit user, open the way, since rubber abilities could nullify lightning attacks…
But…
Lightning coated with Armament Haki…
Even if Luffy was a Rubber-Rubber Fruit user, there was no way to be sure he could withstand it…
"Let's fight the way we did when we were kids!"
Fire Fist Ace clenched his fist, flames rising from it as he spoke softly, "Sabo, the two of us will go!"
"Got it!"
While Sabo agreed out loud, he also warned the weakest of the three, Luffy, "Hey, Luffy, once you see an opening, you run first! Ace and I will be right behind you!"
The next moment!
Without waiting for Luffy's reply, Sabo charged forward together with Ace!
Akihara Kagura showed not a trace of fear, fighting the two brothers single-handedly. He even seemed a bit at ease, suppressing them both with his own strength alone!
"Those brats from the Whitebeard Pirates rescued Luffy…"
"But they got blocked by that Vice Admiral…"
The pirates of the Red Hair Pirates all noticed what was happening. One of them turned to look at the sniper Yasopp and shouted, "Can you somehow nail him with a shot? Cover them so they can break out!"
"..."
Yasopp immediately raised his gun and took aim!
But in the next second, Yasopp simply dropped the attack, scratching his head. "Feels a bit tricky. The guy's a little too fast. I'm worried I might hit those two little brats next to him, and that'd be bad…"
"Hey, you're supposed to be a sniper!"
Lucky Roux glanced back and mocked him.
Even though they were still joking around, they all understood the problem…
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy clearly couldn't break through Akihara Kagura's blockade, and might even be suppressed at any moment. They absolutely needed outside interference!
Akihara Kagura twisted Sabo's wrist with one hand, swung him, and slammed him straight into Fire Fist Ace, smashing both of them to the ground along with Luffy, who'd been trying to slip away!
"Dragon Hook Claw!"
Sabo didn't have time to pull his brothers up. He slapped his palm on the floor for leverage, sprang into the air, curled his fingers into dragon claws, and coated them with pitch-black Armament Haki!
Sabo dove from above, clawing straight at Akihara Kagura's forehead!
"Cross Fire!"
Ace also leapt into the air at the same time. His fingers suddenly formed a cross, and a flame at his fingertips extended into a long line of fire shooting toward Akihara Kagura!
"Gum-Gum… Rubber Axe!"
Luffy also raised his leg and swung a strike at Akihara Kagura!
"Armament: Release."
Akihara Kagura lifted his palm.
The next moment!
A surging wave of Armament Haki burst out in an instant!
Whether it was Ace and Sabo in the air, or Luffy on the ground, all three brothers who were attacking were blasted away at the same time by this outpouring of external Armament Haki!
"Something's wrong…"
"This guy's strength doesn't add up…"
Sabo lay sprawled on the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. His expression was extremely grim; everything felt eerily off, because he had never experienced such a ferocious surge of Armament Haki!
Even when Monkey D. Dragon used external Armament Haki on him, it still couldn't compare with the casual external shock Akihara Kagura had just released!
All this time…
Sabo had believed his own strength was more than enough…
His mentor, Monkey D. Dragon, had personally acknowledged that his combat power was enough to tangle with an Admiral for a bit, and that if he wanted to escape from an Admiral, it wouldn't be a problem…
But…
How could he be unable to even break through a single Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters?!
And even…
Be beaten down the entire time!
Every time the enemy attacked, he couldn't dodge. The guy could seriously injure him with a casual blow. Was it that the enemy was too strong, or that he was too weak?
"..."
Ace and Luffy had no grasp of this at all.
The two of them lay on the ground, covered in blood, already heavily injured by that one move, even struggling to get back to their feet…
"Looks like the three of you brothers aren't all that impressive…"
Akihara Kagura opened his hand, gathering pitch-black thunder in his palm. The black lightning was like a sharpened blade. "Your luck doesn't seem that great either… Armament: Lightning Blade!"
Everyone's Observation could sense how deadly the black lightning in Akihara Kagura's hand was. If that strike landed, someone was definitely going to be wounded, if not killed!
"Those three brats…"
Garp was swinging his fists to block Red-haired Shanks, but his eyes were still on Ace and the others' battlefield, his feelings particularly complicated.
If…
He let Red-haired Shanks through at this moment…