Chapter 172: 172: Mockery & The Collapse of the Admirals.
Sengoku watched with a tight jaw, realizing his admirals were stunned by Zenkichi's overwhelming power. Fearing their morale would break, he shouted sarcastically to provoke them back into action.
Luckily, the three Navy Admirals weren't so easily rattled. Despite the monstrous strength Zenkichi displayed, they stood firm. These were men who had fought countless deadly battles, molded through blood and fire. You didn't reach admiral rank in the Navy without extraordinary resolve and monstrous talent.
In the turbulent tides of the world, many so-called "geniuses" were swallowed and forgotten. But those who survived to the top were anything but weak.
There was no room to surrender.
"Still planning to resist?" Zenkichi raised a brow, smiling faintly at the regrouped Admirals and Sengoku.
"Well then… I'll grant your wish."
Sengoku grunted and leapt into the air, golden light surging from his body as he transformed into a massive Buddha.
BOOM!
A thunderous palm strike came crashing down, the shockwave shaking the air itself.
Zenkichi didn't dodge. He responded with a single, clean punch.
The sheer pressure of his blow split the air apart, colliding with Sengoku's shockwave—and shattered it. The impact sent the golden Buddha flying, crashing to the ground with a groan.
"Hellhound!"
Akainu's roar echoed out as he charged in, his magma arm transforming into a snarling, molten hound.
The blazing fist hurtled toward Zenkichi's chest—but the invisible spiritual pressure barrier held firm, stopping it cold.
Even Akainu's ultimate move couldn't break through.
In response, Zenkichi's fist gleamed with Armament Haki. With ruthless precision, he slammed it into Akainu's skull.
CRACK!
Akainu's body smashed into the ground, exploding into splattering magma. The molten puddle twitched and squirmed, slowly reforming into his body—but he looked pale, trembling, blood dripping from his lips.
One punch had done that. A single blow, and a Navy admiral—one known for his monstrous endurance—was nearly done.
Akainu couldn't believe it.
He had always been a war tank, feared for his strength and near-unbreakable body. Even when Whitebeard struck him with a full-powered blow in the original war, he continued fighting and suppressed Whitebeard's captains.
But now?
One punch from Zenkichi nearly ended him.
"Light Kick!"
Kizaru blurred into motion, his body flashing into particles of light. He soared toward Zenkichi, delivering a blinding kick cloaked in shimmering photons.
Zenkichi didn't flinch. A spiritual pressure barrier shimmered into view.
Kizaru's kick connected with a sound like thunder, air rupturing violently—but the barrier didn't even crack.
Zenkichi stared at him with cold indifference.
"No matter how much you struggle, you're still not on my level."
Then, without warning, he moved.
Before Kizaru could react, Zenkichi grabbed his leg mid-air.
"Wha—?"
Zenkichi spun him overhead and slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll.
Again. And again.
One, two, three, four—two, two, three, four!
He smashed Kizaru left and right like a child with a toy. Then with a roar, he hurled him toward a distant warship.
BOOM!
Kizaru crashed into it like a missile, light exploding in all directions. Even though he tried to reduce the damage by turning intangible, the impact still blew a gaping hole into the warship.
Sailors screamed and scrambled as debris rained down.
"Ice Blade!"
Aokiji rushed in, holding a katana-shaped weapon formed from ice, its edge reinforced with jet-black Armament Haki.
He lunged at Zenkichi, aiming straight for his heart.
With a flick of a finger, Zenkichi shattered the blade—then followed up with a punch that sent Aokiji flying.
A golden flash lit up behind him. Sengoku had recovered and charged in again, trying to seize an opening.
But Zenkichi spun and delivered a savage kick enhanced with Flash Step, catching Sengoku off-guard. The force hurled the golden Buddha away, and the marshal tumbled across the ground, groaning in pain.
"The Marshal… and all three Navy Admirals… defeated?"
Zenkichi slowly approached the four battered men, his expression unreadable.
"What do you think the world would say if I killed you here?"
His tone was casual, almost mocking.
"Would it spark panic? Collapse the balance? Or perhaps... usher in something new?"
Sengoku glared at him through labored breaths.
"It's not over… until the final moment."
Zenkichi laughed quietly.
"So you're saying I need to kill all of you to prove I've won?"
From the shattered warship, Kizaru flew out weakly, light flickering from his battered form.
"Sengoku… I think we need to… reevaluate," he said, gasping.
"Continuing to fight now… it's suicide."
Akainu stood shakily, magma dripping from his arm. He scowled at Kizaru.
"Borsalino… are you suggesting we surrender?"
Kizaru shrugged, breath ragged.
"Not surrender. Just… live to fight smarter. Right now, we're not winning this."
Zenkichi glanced at them, amused.
"Relax. I'm not planning to kill you—yet."
"The seas still need balance. And for now, your presence is useful. I have other priorities."
He turned his back on them, walking away from the broken battlefield without a trace of fear.
---