"I kinda wanna give it a try..."
Marco spread his wings.
The first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates turned straight into a Phoenix, diving at Akihara Kagura as the blue flames all over his body roared to life!
Akihara Kagura raised both arms, black lightning surged out from his body, pitch‑black currents crackling constantly around him!
The next moment!
The two of them suddenly crashed together!
Akihara Kagura and Marco twisted and clashed in midair again and again, their fight turning intense in an instant, blue flames and black lightning colliding non‑stop in the air!
Marco's wings suddenly slapped onto Akihara Kagura's body, one strike trying to swat Akihara Kagura flying!
Akihara Kagura didn't dodge at all, he even stepped in and grabbed directly onto Marco's wing, forcibly seizing the Phoenix's pinions!
"Took the bait!"
Marco's heart loosened, his other wing suddenly folded in, trapping Akihara Kagura right where he was, blue flames locking him in like a cage!
Marco snapped his head toward the three brothers and shouted loudly, "Hey, Ace, you three get out of here first!"
"We're going!"
Sabo leaped up at the first moment!
Because the three of them staying here couldn't do anything anyway; Marco's battle with Akihara Kagura was precisely to cover their escape, that was the reason Marco had joined the fight!
Only if they left...
The war on Enies Lobby, the slaughter of countless people below, would lose its meaning!
Ace and Luffy, seeing this scene, couldn't afford to think too much; they could only follow Sabo's call, leaping up together, planning to escape!
The next instant!
Black lightning suddenly burst out!
The blue flames could no longer cover up the flickering black lightning!
Akihara Kagura directly broke free of Marco's restraint, and slammed a kick into Marco's chest, booting Marco's body flying!
"Armament: Chidori Style!"
Akihara Kagura raised his fingers, a long strand of black lightning shot from his hand, like a thread instantly winding around the three brothers' bodies, forcibly binding Ace and his two brothers, who had tried to escape, in place!
Fizz—!
Sabo and Ace were shocked numb, their scalps tingling from the current!
Luffy, on the other hand, didn't really feel anything; even lightning infused with Armament Haki only had its intensity boosted and didn't have that big an effect on his rubber body!
But...
Akihara Kagura directly lifted a finger!
A lance of black lightning suddenly extended like a spearhead, in an instant piercing straight through Luffy's body!
"Armament: Chidori Spear!"
"Luffy!"
Garp's body suddenly trembled!
Shanks, who'd been crossing blows with Garp, also showed a shocked look at once!
Yet Luffy still gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up, using his rubber body to even help Sabo and Ace break free of the black lightning coiled around them...
This guy...
With a hole clean through his body...
He was still thinking about saving his two sworn big brothers...
"Armament: Chidori Thousand Needle!"
Akihara Kagura flung out his hand, scattering streaks of black lightning toward the three brothers; those black bolts were densely packed, flying at them like one black needle after another!
Those black lightning needles were about to riddle Ace and his brothers, so dense there was simply nowhere to dodge!
A figure appeared in front of the three brothers!
The Phoenix on the ground was incredibly fast, in an instant blocking in front of Ace and the others, taking on one after another of the incoming black lightning needles!
Marco's Phoenix body was riddled with black lightning needles, pain sweeping through him in an instant, yet he still stood his ground without moving, blue flames constantly repairing his injuries as he forcibly pushed each needle out of his flesh!
"..."
Akihara Kagura shook his head with a hint of regret, seemingly highly disapproving of Marco's foolish choice. "You're about to die yourself, and you still want to save others..."
"Protecting younger brothers is what an older brother's supposed to do..."
A trace of cool detachment flashed in Marco's eyes; he seemed utterly unconcerned about what he'd done, still striking a lofty pose toward Akihara Kagura. "If you want to kill me just like that, with your strength you can't do it... Navy rookie..."
The next moment!
The proud Phoenix once again soared into the sky!
Like a phoenix flying straight up to the heavens, he charged at the enemy shrouded in black lightning!
The blue flames burned once more; Marco's recovery surpassed most people on the seas, and by the time he clashed with Akihara Kagura again, the holes in his body had already completely healed!
However...
Marco had still chosen the wrong opponent!
The black lightning around Akihara Kagura flickered once more, dark currents crackling around his body like hanging ornaments, setting him off like some invincible demon god!
Akihara Kagura suddenly dove straight at Marco!
The two of them once again launched into a fierce exchange!
Pitch‑black Armament wrapped around Akihara Kagura's fist in an instant, black lightning crawling across his knuckles as he smashed a punch straight into the Phoenix's head; the Phoenix's head was knocked to the side by that blow and slammed heavily toward the ground!
Black lightning flashed!
Akihara Kagura's body flickered down from the sky to the ground in an instant; waiting for the falling Marco, he lashed out with a kick to Marco's body, booting him back up into the air!