"This woman? She's much stronger than before—how terrifying. Looks like it won't be easy to take her down. But her aura's growing unstable… this state must be burning through her stamina fast," Admiral Kizaru commented, finishing his sentence with a casual kick aimed at Queen Hathaway.

Though she blocked the strike with her sword, the force still sent her flying into the main mast.

Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Hathaway grinned maniacally beneath her camouflaged "demon face." "So this is a Marine Admiral? Just what I hoped for. Crimson Purgatory—Scarlet Slash!"

A thick mist of blood erupted from her body, making her appear as though her entire form was spraying a fine crimson fog. The blood mist clung to her Yang Blade, enhanced further by intense Armament Haki, as she swept the sword upward in a fluid series of strikes.

Buzzing filled the air as a massive grid of blood-colored sword aura surged forward like a towering wall, pushing horizontally toward Kizaru. Everything in its path was shredded, and the warship was already in shambles.

Ordinary Marines had already evacuated to nearby ships, leaving only Vice Admiral Doberman to stand watch and ensure Hathaway didn't escape.

This was Admiral Kizaru's battle. Without explicit orders, Doberman dared not interfere. To do so would be disrespectful—and besides, he had absolute confidence in the admiral. Someone had to prevent Hathaway from fleeing, after all.

Of course, if an order to engage came down, that would be a different matter.

As the clash dragged on, Hathaway gradually fell into a disadvantage. This was to be expected. If not for the Yang Blade greatly amplifying her strength, she wouldn't have lasted this long against an Admiral.

She had the strength of a Vice Admiral, not a true Admiral. The gap between the two was vast. Even so, the power Queen Lantis displayed still stunned Vice Admiral Doberman.

Had Kizaru not arrived and Doberman been forced to go all out instead of fleeing, he might've been slain by this demon-faced woman.

Still, under a Buster Call, such a situation was unlikely. With so many Vice Admirals on the scene, they could've taken down Hathaway together.

"Flash Barrage!" Kizaru, eyes on the incoming attack, swept his Ten-Ton Cloud Sword through the air. A concentrated spray of light particles burst forth like a shimmering tide.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The collision of sword aura and light particles triggered a continuous string of explosions. Amid the chaos, the two figures clashed again at blinding speed, sparks flying in every direction.

"You won't last much longer. Just give up already," Kizaru said calmly as he attacked. He was genuinely trying to recruit her—someone with her talent was too valuable to waste.

But what Kizaru overlooked was the depth of Hathaway's hatred for the Marines.

"What?! The starboard warship's under attack by the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command? What's going on?! Why is the Revolutionary Army here?! Vice Admiral Burnscar is fighting him?" Doberman, holding a Den Den Mushi, paled at the report.

Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command, had attacked one of the Buster Call warships and disabled it. Combined with the already-damaged ship in front of them, two out of ten vessels were now compromised.

A 20% reduction in firepower was no small matter.

More critically, one Vice Admiral was now tied down.

Kizaru's Observation Haki was exceptional, and the omnipresent light particles gave him enhanced sensory awareness. Hearing Doberman's report, he cast a sidelong glance in his direction.

Hathaway, however, didn't dare drop her guard. Every move had to be at full force. She had to focus entirely on dodging Kizaru's laser beams.

The lasers were simply too fast—any lapse in concentration could be fatal.

"I'll have nearby Vice Admirals reinforce Burnscar. Have him stall the enemy. I don't know why the Revolutionary Army is showing up now, but Sabo's value is immense. If we can capture him, the reward is immeasurable," Doberman said decisively.

"Looks like I'll have to get serious now," Kizaru murmured. His five fingers spread, and laser light began to gather at each fingertip. He was done holding back—even if it meant damaging the ship, he was determined to bring Hathaway down quickly.

He normally used a single finger to fire lasers, but that didn't mean he couldn't unleash more.

The situation had shifted. And Kizaru believed the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command was a more valuable target than Queen Lantis.

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

Five lasers burst from his fingertips, forming a deadly net of light converging on Hathaway from multiple angles.

"Rising Dragon Slash!" Hathaway spun in place with a full-body twist, unleashing a whirling vortex of sword aura like a tornado, shielding herself.

Deafening explosions followed as the blasts engulfed her. A massive hole was torn into the ship. Bloodied but unbroken, she burst from the flames, just as Kizaru unleashed a devastating beam of light from his leg, aimed straight at her heart.

The five earlier lasers had just been feints. This kick, faster and more powerful, was the real finisher.

But Hathaway's current strength far surpassed what it had been. She twisted away at the last moment—the beam grazing her shoulder, leaving only a superficial wound.

"Time to retreat?" she wondered. But it wasn't quite time yet. If she could keep the Marines occupied for just fifteen more minutes, the people of Lantis could escape safely.

In truth, she was ready to die fighting.

"Brrrring." Doberman's Den Den Mushi rang again the moment he ended the previous call.

"Reporting in! Portside warship under attack by Shichibukai Crocodile! Vice Admiral Worland is injured! The ship's been hijacked! Requesting reinforcements!"

"What?!" Doberman exclaimed. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

Queen Lantis, the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command, and now a Shichibukai? Were they all working together? If this was a coincidence, then the Marines' luck couldn't be worse.

The Marines did have five top-tier Vice Admirals and Admiral Kizaru. Bartholomew Kuma was also a Shichibukai on their side, though he claimed he was gravely injured and recovering on a nearby island.

And the elite Marines originally stationed here had already been eliminated by Rosen.

The remaining Rear Admirals were competent, but they couldn't sway the tide. Now, with all three flanks under assault, even the Marines' strength wouldn't be enough if spread too thin.

Doberman was now completely frazzled. He had just ordered two nearby Vice Admirals to reinforce Burnscar against Sabo. Three top-tier Vice Admirals should be enough to contain Sabo—though escape was still a possibility.

But as long as they kept him pinned down, they could finish off Queen Hathaway and then focus on capturing Sabo alive. That would be the greatest prize—the Marines and even the World Government still had no clue where the Revolutionary Army's headquarters was located.

But now the Vice Admirals had changed course, and Crocodile had struck from the opposite direction. Redirecting them again would take too long.

And from the report—Worland was already injured? That fast? Just how strong was Crocodile now?!

"What is he doing?! This wasn't part of the plan," Hathaway muttered, frowning as she overheard Doberman's call.

Kizaru suddenly stopped attacking, looking thoroughly troubled. Things were getting complicated.

Then came the bombshell:

"Also, Crocodile has taken a Celestial Dragon hostage—Saint Desmiere!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?! Saint Desmiere is supposed to be in Mary Geoise! What's he doing in Lantis?! What the hell is going on with your intel?! Did Crocodile really attack you?!" Doberman snapped.

"I swear it's true! I just saw Saint Desmiere with my own eyes!" came the panicked voice, followed by a thunderous explosion. The line went dead.

Doberman's face turned ashen. "Damn that Shichibukai!"

"Always stirring up trouble. Doberman, I'll leave things here to you. I'm heading to the left flank to assess the situation. A Celestial Dragon is involved now—this is serious. The Queen of Lantis is nearly finished. Just stall her—I'll end this quickly," Kizaru said, rising into the air.

Utilizing his Devil Fruit power and Moonwalk, he crossed the sea in a flash.

There wasn't a moment to waste.

(End of Chapter)