Time rewinded thirty minutes earlier.
Just as the Divine Valley ahead could be vaguely seen, a burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted, followed by countless specks descending from the sky, landing on the island.
Witnessing this, an officer quickly contacted Fleet Admiral Kong.
Sakazuki, however, frowned, watching the island already engulfed in a fierce battle with growing anxiety. Many Marine soldiers, drawn from the Four Seas branches, were on that island.
With this thought, Sakazuki ordered the warships to charge to the forefront. He then stood on the deck at the bow, his arms transforming into continuously flowing magma. By the time the island was visible to the naked eye, he declared:
"Ryūsei Kazan!"
He channeled his ability, gathered it, and raised his arms. His fists, like fired rockets, unleashed countless fist-sized molten rocks, shooting diagonally into the sky at extreme speed.
After firing an unknown number of shots, Sakazuki felt a trace of fatigue and transformed his entire body into a pool of magma.
*Boom!*
With a thunderous roar, Sakazuki, transformed into a magma giant fist, also shot towards the sky.
The scene on the other warships stunned the officers. While they didn't understand why Sakazuki was firing fist-sized molten rocks into the sky, the spectacle was incredibly shocking. Not to mention Sakazuki himself then charging forward; this move was clearly no simple feat.
When Sakazuki landed on the ground and swept his Observation Haki, the sight of countless dead and injured Marine soldiers ignited his fury.
"Too late, as expected."
"Damn scum of the sea."
"Magma Billion-Trillion Death Burial Formation!!!!"
This technique was developed with inspiration from Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni from *Bleach*. Magma, being more easily solidified than fire, caused countless magma giants to erupt from the ground, charging towards the pirates.
These magma giants were mindless, possessing only the momentum of fearless charge. Ordinary pirates were already terrified, but only a portion of elite pirates and captains who possessed Haki began to counterattack after the initial panic.
"Damn it, damn Marines!"
"Rai Mei Hakke!"
The young Kaido, wielding a spiked club, shattered a magma giant with a single blow. Kaido was still a rookie crew member at this point, not qualified to charge into the depths of the Divine Valley with Rocks and the others.
He could only fight in the outer fringes with the main force. Just as he was reveling in the fight, the situation suddenly reversed. Endless magma rained down, and watching the tide turn irrevocably, a hint of retreat flashed through his mind.
"Great Eruption!"
*Boom!*
Meanwhile, to eliminate the pirates' escape route, Sakazuki was destroying pirate ships. He suddenly heard the name of a technique deeply buried in his memory.
He abruptly turned his head, quickly locating Kaido. A hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes as he charged towards Kaido.
"Rai Mei Hakke!"
Having once again crushed a magma giant, Kaido hadn't even had time to catch his breath when his hair stood on end, his heart pounded, and a sense of life-threatening danger washed over him.
"What!"
"Inugami Guren!"
Kaido couldn't react in time. By the time he realized it, Sakazuki had appeared before him, his right arm transforming into a magma hound, fiercely biting Kaido's neck and pinning him to the ground, tearing at him.
This ignited Kaido's ferocity. Gripping his spiked club with Armament Haki in his right hand, he swung it fiercely at Sakazuki, his roar echoing.
"Rai Mei Hakke!"
Sakazuki's left hand instantly turned black, also imbued with Armament Haki.
*Bang!*
The clang of metal against metal rang out. He blocked Kaido's spiked club, then intensified his right hand's strength, intending to end it once and for all.
Kaido, with half his neck already bitten, stimulated by the brink of death, rolled wildly on the ground, flinging Sakazuki away.
He then used his Haki-imbued hands to frantically claw off the magma from his neck.
"Cough, cough... Damn Marines."
"State your name."
"Great Eruption!"
*Boom!*
After dodging another strike, Kaido's expression darkened as he looked at the relentlessly attacking Sakazuki. However, his mind was frantically calculating an escape plan. Yes, escape. He couldn't possibly win this fight. Despite his rough appearance, Kaido was actually astute.
"Kongō Bō!"
A pillar-shaped blast shot towards Sakazuki, and he turned to run, charging towards the depths of the Divine Valley. Sakazuki punched out, shattering the blast, and watched Kaido flee towards the depths of the Divine Valley.
He paused briefly, then thrust his hands into the ground, aiming in the direction the pirates were escaping.
"Magma Sogō."
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Cracks appeared on the ground, and magma erupted like waves, surging towards the fleeing pirates.
He then pursued Kaido, charging towards the battleground where the sky was being torn apart.
Meanwhile, as the Oro Jackson docked behind the Divine Valley.
After disembarking, a group of people also headed towards the battleground.
Roger Pirates, entering the fray!