A timid voice suddenly rang out.
Aramaki was completely dumbfounded.
Was this really the supreme and exalted Celestial Dragon he had always worshipped?
More importantly, just moments ago, he had sworn that he would stand up for the Celestial Dragon.
As the Celestial Dragons’ greatest supporter, he had been prepared to protect Saint Charlos at all costs.
Yet now, Saint Charlos had opened his mouth and said he wanted to run away again.
And he had said it right in front of this arrogant Admiral.
It was an enormous humiliation.
However, before Aramaki could say anything, the words that followed struck him like an invisible slap across the face.
"Aramaki... Aramaki, we’d better run now, or we won’t have a chance!"
Spandine shouted in panic.
Hearing this, Aramaki’s expression darkened to the extreme.
He abruptly turned around and roared furiously,
"You useless CP0! Didn’t you just say I had a one-hundred-percent chance of winning? Why are you spouting this nonsense now?"
"How dare you incite the great Celestial Dragon against me? Be careful, or I’ll drain you dry!"
As his voice fell, the enormous vines that had burst from the ground around them suddenly tensed like venomous snakes.
Unfortunately, before Aramaki could make a move, the scene before him caused his pupils to contract slightly.
At that moment, he finally understood why Spandine and the great Celestial Dragon had brought up fleeing once again.
Five figures were slowly approaching from all around them.
The auras emanating from them instantly caused Aramaki’s face to turn ashen.
He might have been a fanatical supporter of the Celestial Dragons, but he wasn’t actually an idiot.
Faced with these sudden arrivals, he naturally understood that they had not come with good intentions.
More importantly, recalling the uproar that had recently spread across the sea regarding the special combat-force recruitment missions being undertaken by the newly appointed Marine Admiral, combined with the extraordinary auras of these people—
Their identities were practically self-evident.
Perhaps Aramaki wouldn’t have felt the slightest fear if he faced any one of them individually, or even two or three of them simultaneously.
But now, he not only had to fight Lucas.
If these five people joined the battle as well, the situation would undoubtedly become even worse.
What surprised Aramaki the most was that he had originally thought that after he and Fujitora publicly rejected Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s invitation, the newly appointed Marine Admiral would be unable to recruit even a single special combatant.
Yet five had suddenly appeared.
"Heh. Marine Admiral, you’re really not playing fair."
Aramaki turned back toward Lucas and gave him a savage grin.
"I never expected you to secretly gather so many people. Are you planning to deal with me?"
"But unfortunately, I originally intended to deal with you alone as well."
"Now, however, I’ll have to let you experience ahead of time what it’s like to face the combined pressure of two Admiral-level combatants."
"Don’t say I’m playing dirty. I’m merely learning from you."
After saying this, Aramaki looked toward Fujitora.
"Brother Fujitora, I originally didn’t want to trouble you, but this newly appointed Admiral simply refuses to play fair. I have no choice but to ask you to make a move."
The moment those words fell, Spandam, who had already dragged Saint Charlos farther and farther away, tensed up.
The special combat forces Lucas had assembled had indeed exceeded his expectations.
If Aramaki and Fujitora joined forces, perhaps they really could turn the tables despite being at a disadvantage.
However, when Spandine saw Fujitora slowly stand up, leaning on his cane sword and raising his eyelids, the unease in his heart only intensified.
In the end, it erupted like a volcano.
"Heh. Brother Aramaki, I was just about to make a move myself."
Fujitora gave a dry laugh as he stood up.
The blade of his cane sword slid slightly from its sheath, and an invisible force of gravity suddenly descended over the battlefield.
"But I’m planning to attack you!"
BOOM!
Enormous gravity descended upon Aramaki like Mount Tai itself.
The sudden turn of events left Aramaki completely dumbfounded.
Spandine and Saint Charlos, who had already retreated more than a hundred meters, stared in disbelief, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, they absolutely would never have believed it.
Just moments ago, Aramaki had been addressing Fujitora as "Brother Fujitora" again and again, assuming they stood on the same side.
Yet Fujitora had actually launched an attack against Aramaki.
And not just any attack—
He had suddenly turned on him.
The situation that had originally been two Admiral-level combatants against one had been completely reversed.
Feeling the enormous gravity instantly envelop the entire battlefield, Spandine grabbed Saint Charlos and screamed,
"Run! Hurry up and run! Issho, Fujitora, is also one of the special combat-force candidates!"
Beside him, Saint Charlos had already turned fleeing into a bodily reflex.
The status of a World Noble, the aura of being a Celestial Dragon—all of it had long since been thrown out the window.
He simply ran.
"You bastard! You’re the one who’s not playing fair!"
Aramaki’s eyes widened with rage as his expression twisted horribly.
"You dare make the great Celestial Dragon worry and suffer? I’ll kill every last one of you!"
"Brother Fujitora, why are you helping this newly appointed Marine Admiral?"
"I am deeply disappointed in you."
"Since that’s the case, don’t blame me for killing all of you!"
"Forest of Hatred!"
BOOM!
Aramaki drove the power of his Devil Fruit to its absolute limit.
Sabaody Archipelago was already composed of enormous mangrove trees.
Now that Aramaki had planted himself firmly into the island, it was as though he had brought the entire archipelago to life.
CRACK!
The ground split apart.
Countless roots twisted and surged like gigantic dragons.
The places where Fujitora and the others had been standing were instantly pierced through by the massive roots.
The roots then transformed into countless tentacle-like vines, frantically reaching toward everyone and attempting to ensnare them.
Faced with the incoming assault, Fujitora and the others immediately retreated while unleashing their own attacks, shattering the roots that came rushing toward them.
Seeing Fujitora and the others forced back, Aramaki roared savagely.
"Newly appointed Marine Admiral, you lowly creature!"
"I’ll kill you!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
One massive root after another burst through the air, charging straight toward Lucas.
There were so many that they seemed to blot out the sky.
At this moment, Aramaki truly gave off the impression that he had become the master of the entire island.
Lucas frowned slightly as he watched the scene.
The Conqueror’s Haki lying dormant within his body instantly surged to its absolute limit.
The immense Haki impact was immediately enveloped in pitch-black Armament Haki.
The next moment, it collided head-on with the incoming roots with an equally overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The two attacks collided violently.
However, compared with the Conqueror’s Haki covered in Armament Haki, the countless roots were practically made of paper.
They shattered upon impact.
The resulting shockwave continued forward without losing momentum, crashing straight toward Aramaki, who had rooted himself deep within the earth.
Yet as the rapidly approaching attack expanded before his eyes, Aramaki showed not the slightest trace of panic.
Instead, he threw his head back and laughed savagely.
"Hahaha! You arrogant lowlife, you’d better save your strength!"
"As long as I remain rooted in this island, you won’t be able to attack my true body!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT
◇ 1 bonus Chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus Chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70+ Chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789