I, The Celestial Dragon, Rule The Heavens Through The Double Gate

As a Vice Admiral, he wasn't nearly as useless as he appeared. In fact, he had a strong interest in the new warships and had secretly taken the time to study how to operate them. When it came to using Tomahawk missiles, he had already figured out their workings.

At present, the Marine Headquarters offered more than just physical training and combat classes—they also had high-tech courses.

These high-tech courses weren't overly complicated. In fact, they had become mandatory for all Marines. The goal was simple: to ensure that everyone could operate the new warships and their advanced systems. Unlike the wooden ships of old—powered by wind and simple to steer—these modern vessels required a deep understanding of machinery and weaponry.

Equipped with a wide variety of long-range weapons, these warships demanded trained operators. That's why a dedicated course was created to teach Marines how to use them.

The course content was relatively straightforward: ensure that every Marine could operate the weapon systems on board. This way, if a specialized crew member were taken out, another Marine could immediately take over.

That was why even someone like Onigumo, or any ordinary soldier on the ship, could temporarily take control of the warship's systems. While they might not be as skilled as the specialists, their ability to operate the weapons in a pinch was already a significant achievement.

Now, Onigumo sat in the pilot's seat and began adjusting the targeting system for a Tomahawk missile.

Once the missile locked onto Sengoku's position, he pressed the launch button without hesitation. A Tomahawk missile shot up from the battleship.

It soared into the sky before diving swiftly in Sengoku's direction.

Meanwhile, on the island, Esdeath was immersed in the thrill of battle when she suddenly sensed something approaching from afar. Looking up, she saw it: a Tomahawk missile headed her way.

She had witnessed the missile's destructive power during the previous battle with Kaido. A direct hit could very well be fatal.

Yet even in the face of such a threat, Esdeath remained calm. With a casual wave of her hand, several large rocks that had been floating around her surged forward. They moved with a strange kind of telepathy or magnetic pull, hurling themselves toward the incoming missile.

In the next instant, the rocks collided with the missile. The impact triggered its fuse, causing it to explode in mid-air before reaching its target.

Esdeath, watching the explosion, was visibly satisfied.

Since the missile had detonated close by, the resulting shockwave scattered many of the surrounding stones.

Because of this blast, much of the debris covering Sengoku was blown away. He seized the opportunity to leap forward and break out of the encirclement.

Once free, Sengoku panted heavily. To destroy all the rocks around him, he had been constantly moving, relying on brute strength. He had no idea how many punches he had thrown—his fists were now numb, and he was nearly out of breath.

He looked completely drained—after all, he had likely thrown tens of thousands of punches.

Esdeath noticed his exhaustion and the slight misjudgment in his reaction. A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She suddenly stomped the ground and soared into the sky.

Seeing Esdeath suddenly appear in front of him, Sengoku quickly gathered his remaining strength. He unleashed an air cannon at her without delay.

The terrifying blast surged forward at high speed.

But Esdeath didn't flinch. With a graceful motion, she raised a finger and tapped lightly. Instantly, the air in front of her condensed into a massive icicle.

The air cannon struck the icicle, triggering a violent explosion.

A flurry of ice and snow filled the air.

Knowing he needed to close the distance quickly, Sengoku rushed in, determined to overpower Esdeath before she could gain more momentum.

But just as he was about to reach her, more ice began forming in the air.

Esdeath's abilities far surpassed even those of Admiral Aokiji.

Sengoku couldn't hide his surprise at the sudden formation of ice above him.

The power Esdeath displayed exceeded even that of a Marine Admiral. It was hard to believe.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Esdeath had already seized control of the battlefield.

The ice blocks in the sky spun rapidly, transforming into sharp, whirling blades.

At the same time, huge stones from the ground floated into the air. These rocks compressed and reshaped themselves into enormous swords.

The two types of weapons—blades of ice and blades of stone—spun furiously as they shot toward Sengoku.

Still, Sengoku didn't panic. His entire body was reinforced with Armament Haki, making him nearly invulnerable. With such solid defense, he stood ready to face the assault head-on.