61 Chapter 61

The moment I realized my brother was in danger, my haoshoku surged out of me like a pulsing tide. Even Agana froze in her steps and squinted her eyes, quickly reassessing the threat I posed. Without hesitation, she drew her blade and pointed it at me.

"Afraid to approach without your blade now?" I smirked and taunted the new admiral, whose eyes had turned blood red.

As I squared off against the new admiral, her lips curled in mockery, as though she regarded me as nothing more than a fool. Yet, as my Haoshoku surged, the sea and its surroundings transformed. The once serene atmosphere of Marineford twisted into chaos as dark clouds gathered, unleashing a torrential downpour accompanied by ferocious winds.

The sky crackled with lightning, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. Despite the tempest, my keen observation Haki allowed me to maintain focus, while Agana, already at a disadvantage fighting on the ship, struggled against the poor visibility and the tumultuous conditions. Though she possessed a decent observation Haki, it paled in comparison to mine.

"Crimson Spear," Agana whispered under her breath. I immediately noticed a vast movement beneath the ship. Hundreds of spears made of blood suddenly pierced from underneath, attempting to skewer me. Unlike ordinary spears, these seemed to have a mind of their own, chasing after me relentlessly. I realized that running away was futile in this situation without creating an opening, so I started deflecting the blood spears.

The saving grace was that, despite covering a large area around the ship, I could feel that her powers were restrained due to the seawater. It was the right call not to land on the island; staying on the ship restrained the woman's power to a certain level.

As Admiral Agana's crimson spears relentlessly pursued me, I deflected them with all the skill and focus I could muster. Each clash of her blood-infused weapons against my sword echoed across the deck of the battleship. 

"Meteror slash!"

I leaped and spun, dodging and parrying as the blood spears chased after me with relentless determination, countering with a relentless barrage of flying slashes of my own. Agana's mastery over her devil fruit power was undeniable, and I could feel the pressure mounting with each passing moment.

But I refused to yield. Drawing upon my own observation Haki, I focused on anticipating her movements, using my future sight to predict her attacks milliseconds before they came. This might look like a small interval, but for me, it was a matter of life and death; I was dancing on the tip of the blade.

"Crimson tiger!"

With a swift motion, Agana lunged forward, her blade flashing with deadly intent infused with the power of blood and Haki. I countered, meeting her strike with a burst of Armament Haki, the clash sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The force of our collision threatened to knock me off balance, but I held firm, gritting my teeth against the strain. If not for my future sight, I might have already succumbed to the unpredictable nature of her bloody attacks; her strikes were like flowing water, hard to discern the true intent.

"Your skills are a bit decent, little boy," Agana called out, her voice ringing with disdain and scorn over the din of battle. "But if this is all you have, you should give up. I fight for the true rulers of the World Government, and no one can defy it!"

Agana's response was a fierce glare, her eyes burning with determination. Without a word, she launched into another relentless barrage of attacks, her movements fluid and precise. Each strike was imbued with her Armament Haki, threatening to break through my defenses with sheer force alone. Despite attacking me with her sword, she did not give up on her blood fruit powers; I felt as if I was being besieged by two attackers, the woman in front of me had found a rare balance between the two forms of power, making her absolutely dangerous.

I responded in kind, meeting her blows with all the strength I could muster. The clash of our swords reverberated across the deck, the sound of steel against steel echoing like thunder. With each passing moment, the intensity of our battle grew, the air crackling with the energy of our conflicting wills.

The clash between Agana and me was palpable; her superiority in combat was evident with each move she made. However, nature itself seemed to conspire on my behalf. With every passing moment, the weather deteriorated, and the environment became increasingly hostile. Visibility plummeted to near-zero levels, reducing our surroundings to a murky haze. This environmental advantage allowed me to hold my ground, albeit temporarily. It felt like a desperate race against time, knowing that my window of opportunity was rapidly closing.

Despite the worsening conditions, Agana remained nonchalant, exerting minimal effort in the fight. She knew she held the upper hand, and her relaxed demeanor only added to my sense of urgency. All I needed was a split second of distraction to make my escape. I harbored no illusions about my chances against Agana; she was a force to be reckoned with, a league below even Garp himself. Her blood Logia ability only compounded the challenge, further stacking the odds against me.

But even as Agana pressed her advantage, I refused to back down. Drawing upon the depths of my conqueror's haki, I unleashed a wave of raw intimidation, the sheer force of my willpower radiating outward in a palpable wave. For a moment, Agana faltered, her movements slowing ever so slightly.

"Dark Descent!"

Seizing the opportunity, I launched a fierce counterattack, a move that I had learned from mirroring the famed Dark King himself. The attack was launched, channeling all my skills and Haki into the strike. With the powerful blow, I pushed Agana back, driving her towards the edge of the ship. The deck beneath our feet shook with the force of our clash, the very wood groaning in protest. If it were not for Agana keeping her blood from wantonly attacking, the only foothold, the ship would have already sunk. It was clear she was using her blood powers to keep the ship afloat.

The fight against Agana was an uphill battle from the start. With each clash, her mastery over Haki and her blood Logia powers left fresh wounds on my body. My own skills in swordsmanship and Haki were pushed to their limits as I desperately tried to fend off her relentless attacks. Every move I made was fueled by the primal instinct to survive, to escape this dire situation.

But with each passing second, my chances grew slimmer. Agana's relentless assault left me reeling, struggling to keep pace with her ferocity. I tried to use every tool at my disposal, even attempting to stir the sea kings from their nests below Marineford with my voice. Yet, my control was still lacking, and my efforts proved futile.

Despite the odds stacked against me, I refused to yield. The thought of capture loomed over me like a dark cloud, threatening to snuff out any hope of escape. I couldn't afford to be captured; the consequences would be catastrophic. So I fought on, fueled by sheer determination and the desperate need to survive.

The clash between Admiral Agana and me intensified, our swords flashing in a blur of movement as we danced across the deck of the battleship. With each clash, I could feel the strain on my body mounting, but I pushed through it, drawing upon my well of Haki to bolster my defenses and launch counterattacks of my own. Our battle was like a tempest raging upon the seas, fierce and unyielding, with neither of us willing to give ground.

Despite my efforts, Agana remained undeterred, her resolve unshaken even in the face of adversity. With a fierce glare, she launched into another series of attacks, her movements fluid and precise, her blade flashing with deadly intent. But I refused to waver, drawing upon every ounce of strength and determination within me to continue the fight.

As Agana lunged forward once again, her blade gleaming with deadly intent, I met her strike head-on, the force of our collision sending shockwaves rippling through the air. But even as I countered her attack, I could sense her determination and resolve, her unwavering commitment to her cause, shining through in every movement.

Though the battle was in favor of Agana, she felt insulted by my resilience. No child had ever challenged her and survived for more than a dozen minutes, let alone matched her skill. Her anger surged, and her aura blazed with intensity. With a swift motion, she sheathed her blade and unleashed her full power. It was a move born of instinct, and I reacted just in time to avoid the brunt of her attack. If I had reacted a moment later, I would've been a headless corpse, but the attack did leave a gash on my neck, making it ooze blood. Agana smirked as she looked at the bloody cut.

"Blood Moon," she whispered, and my entire blood started coursing as if being summoned. I quickly understood that she was trying to control my own blood. I infused my entire body with Armament Haki to counteract the effect of the blood Logia fruit.

"Busoshoku koka!" But even in that split second, she had pulled out a baby fist-sized globule of blood from me. The blood floated towards her, and Agana, as if savoring the best cuisine, sipped the blood in its entirety. Her lips were now dripping with blood.

"Young blood sure is delicious," she chuckled, wiping her lips with her sleeve.

Suddenly, overhead, a shadow formed due to a blood sphere, which was condensed, and it started raining blood. However, every blood drop was like a needle trying to pierce through me. "Blood Rain," she whispered as she primed herself to jump into the melee again.

As the blood rain descended, painting the battlefield in shades of crimson, I unleashed my conqueror's haki in full force. Black and golden lightning crackled around me, each bolt of energy sizzling as it made contact with the blood droplets, vanishing them from existence. The deck of the battleship trembled beneath my feet as I prepared for Agana's next assault.

But the Admiral was not one to give me a moment's respite. With a fierce cry, she lunged forward, her blade flashing with deadly intent. "Crimson tiger!" The power behind her attack was unlike anything I had faced before, and my future sight warned me that dodging was not an option. With a roar of defiance, I met her strike head-on with a downward slash.

"Meteor slash!"

The clash of our blades echoed across the deck, the force of our collision sending shockwaves rippling through the air. But even as I tried my best to counter her attack, I felt a sharp pain lance through my gut. Agana had managed to drive her katana right through me, exploiting the weakness caused by the blood I had lost since the start of the clash. With a sickening squelch, she twisted the blade, causing waves of agony to wash over me.

The entire world around me spun in a dizzying whirl, my vision tinged with crimson as blood rained down upon us, mixing with the relentless downpour already soaking the battlefield. Under the oppressive influence of Agana's blood Logia powers, my own blood flowed faster, draining me of strength with each passing moment. Light-headed and disoriented, I struggled to maintain my focus, the gears in my mind turning frantically as I searched for a way out of this dire situation.

But Agana, the relentless monster standing before me, showed no mercy. With a smug smirk, she methodically cut off any possible route of escape, her blade flashing with deadly precision. Despite the tumultuous climate, she remained vigilant, maintaining a thick layer of blood around the ship to prevent any sudden attempts to flee into the sea.

As the world blurred around me, my desperation grew, with every instinct screaming for survival. But with each passing second, my chances of escape seemed to dwindle, with Agana's relentless assault pushing me to the brink of collapse. In the face of her overwhelming power, I struggled to find a glimmer of hope, a flicker of light in the darkness threatening to consume me.