Chapter 161 Luffy's Teleportation Blocks Ace's Fire FistAlongside him, Smoker's lieutenant, Tashigi, was also eyeing Vista. Without even exchanging a word, the two charged towards the Fifth Division Captain.
Smoker's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, nearly dropping his cigar: "Get back here! Do you think he's a match for you? You two idiots will get yourselves killed!"
Tashigi hesitated for a moment, then quickly stopped.
However, Zoro, a battle maniac, paid no heed to such words. His eyes were fixed on the strong, and he recklessly charged towards Vista, the Flower Sword.
"That green-haired idiot!" Smoker's face turned ashen, and he was about to rush to Vista's aid.
Zoro exhaled a scorching white breath, his eyes sharpening like lightning: "Breathing of Thunder! First Form: Thunderclap Flash - One-Sword Style: Iai - Lion's Song!"
A flash of lightning appeared beneath his feet, his speed suddenly increasing, instantly transforming him into a bolt of lightning before Vista, the Flower Swordsman, and slashed down fiercely.
"Huh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Vista's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword slashed horizontally, deflecting Zoro's Kitetsu with a clang. "Kid, you're pretty fast, but the force is like a tickle!"
Vista's other sword drew an elegant arc in the air, directly cleaving towards Zoro's skull.
"Damn it, is this the power of a top-tier fighter?" Zoro's expression changed drastically; he was about to be split open by this strike.
A red-hot leather shoe kicked out from the side like a cannonball, striking Vista's longsword.
"Breathing of Thunder, First Form: Diable Jambe! Shoulder!"
With a muffled thud, Vista, the Flower Sword, was kicked back several steps.
He looked at the two brats who had suddenly appeared before him with surprise, glancing at their epaulets; they were only a colonel and a lieutenant.
"Looks like two rising stars in the Marines?" Vista smiled with interest. "If we stifle your potential here, I wonder if the Marines will shed tears of regret?"
As he spoke, dark Armament Haki instantly enveloped Vista's twin swords, his aura overwhelming.
Sanji and Zoro's expressions instantly turned serious. Damn Haki again!
While not having Haki doesn't necessarily mean you can't defeat a strong opponent, being able to use Haki in itself proves that the opponent has developed their body to an extremely high level.
Perhaps there are differences in talent regarding the strength of Haki, but as a division commander of Whitebeard's army, this Haki was definitely not just for show.
Just as the two were preparing for a desperate fight, several tall figures suddenly blocked their path.
It was none other than Vice Admiral Tsuru and a group of veteran Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters!
"This is not a battlefield for rookies like you. Think about your own strength before you fight, or be prepared to leave your lives here!" Vice Admiral Momonga, his back to the two, spoke in a frighteningly serious tone.
Sanji was immediately indignant and wanted to retort, but the terrifying aura emanating from these Vice Admirals together rendered them speechless.
"Damn it! Are they still too weak?"
Zoro gripped his sword hilt with extreme resentment, Luffy's earlier warning flashing through his mind. He glanced again at Hawkeye, who stood motionless like a statue on the distant wall, gritted his teeth, and turned to charge at the henchmen behind the captain.
Just as predicted, even if these low-level thugs knew a little Haki, they would be nothing more than easy prey against Zoro, who had mastered Thunder Breathing. They were at best slightly more durable than the rookies in Paradise.
Sanji wanted to be stubborn again, but Zoro dragged him away like a dead dog.
Zoro, who never faltered in important matters, knew very well that the vice admirals were right. With their current strength, going head-to-head with a captain-level expert was practically suicide.
Rather than being a hindrance, it was better to clear out the grunts and relieve some pressure. After all, this was a war to the death, not some chivalrous one-on-one duel.
Seeing Zoro and the others tactfully leave, Vice Admiral Doberman said to Vice Admiral Tsuru beside him, "Grandma Tsuru, you should also step down. Leave the dirty work to us men."
"That's right, you should go to the back and have some tea and read the newspaper, how pleasant!"
Grandma Tsuru, with her gray hair, casually straightened her sleeves and said nonchalantly, "Don't try to show off to me, you brats. Even if I retreat to the ends of the earth, there's no absolutely safe place on this sea."
The vice admirals could only smile awkwardly. Although Vice Admiral Tsuru held the rank of vice admiral, she was the Navy's chief strategist, a living fossil from the same generation as Garp and Sengoku. No one knew just how strong this old lady really was.
Anyway, even the arrogant Doflamingo would run away like a mouse before a cat when he saw Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the main force of forty-three pirate crews had already charged onto the ice with strange cries.
"This is the first time in my life I've seen so many vice admirals clustered together! Haha, even the Buster Call wasn't this big!"
"Of course! After all, we're rescuing the father's most valued son!"
"Brothers, charge! Reclaim the captain!"
The main force of the Whitebeard Pirates charged into the bay like madmen.
Ace, seeing this, was filled with excitement and leaped into the air: "Fire Fist!!"
A gigantic flaming fist, carrying the intense heat of incineration, shot towards the densely packed Marine formation below!
The Marines' expressions changed drastically at the sight of the overwhelming flames. While Armament Haki could enhance defense, it didn't mean they could bathe in lava. If they were hit squarely, they'd be badly injured, if not killed.
"Damn, is this the strength of the Second Division Captain, Fire Fist Ace?"
"As expected of a monster with that family's blood flowing through his veins? Vice Admiral Luffy is already monstrous enough, and this is a Yonko executive!"
Just as the giant fire fist was about to explode in the midst of the Marines,
a light, almost sleepy voice abruptly cut into the battlefield.
"You stay put!"
The once invincible giant fire fist mysteriously and forcibly changed its trajectory, abruptly rising into the sky before exploding in mid-air, turning into a dazzling firework.
"What!?"
Everyone stared in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. There, Luffy's muscular figure stood on the ice, clapping his hands with an air of utter boredom.
The crowd turned back in horror to the execution platform; the chair was now empty.
"So fast! It's practically teleportation!"
The Whitebeard Pirates' faces turned grim. This speed was exactly like Aokiji's attack earlier—desperately fast.
"Luffy, get out of my way! I don't want to fight you!"
Ace, engulfed in flames, leaped from the Moby Dick, shouting anxiously.
"I don't want to fight you either, but if you hurt my crew, my old man and I will be in trouble."
Luffy smiled and shrugged at Ace, looking relaxed. "How about this, neither of us fights, we can go find a cool spot over there, have some tea, and catch up?"
Everyone stared at Luffy, who showed absolutely no sign of tension. This was a decisive battle concerning the fate of the world! Couldn't they be a little more serious?
Ace's face grew even more grim. He gritted his teeth and said, "I knew I'd have to fight you sooner or later, but I never expected it to be in this desperate situation!"
Before they set sail, they boasted about competing to become the Pirate King. Now, Ace was captivated by Whitebeard's charisma and vowed to put that man on the throne, while Luffy had transformed himself into a high-ranking Marine.