Having lost control of most of her natural clouds, Shirokitsune found herself temporarily unable to finish Aranea. While maintaining the aerial skirmish, she rushed toward the direction the clouds were flowing.
When they reached the airspace directly above the center of the battlefield, both Shirokitsune and Aranea gasped in unison. "A dragon?"
This "Dragon" did not refer to the former leader of the Revolutionary Army, but to the legendary creature itself: crocodile snout, long whiskers, stag horns, and a serpentine body, every bit the divine beast of myth.
"Dragon's ability..." Kong gritted his teeth, looking at the massive creature soaring above.
Dragon had enlisted when Kong was Fleet Admiral, before his defection. Kong was one of the few who knew Dragon's true identity and abilities. He could confirm without a doubt that the giant dragon before him was Monkey D. Dragon himself.
Rumble!
The shock of the Mythical Zoan dragon was far from over. The earth began to groan again as the rubble of the destroyed base and the soil from the ground rose into the air, twisting together to form three massive, roaring lion heads.
"Shiki's ultimate move?"
Kong traced the aura and saw Shiki floating in mid-air, half his face covered by the blood pool. With a flick of his wrist, the lion heads roared and charged.
"Chaton! Momonga!"
At Kong's shout, the two Vice Admirals with earth-manipulation powers activated their Devil Fruits to stall the lions.
With their combined efforts, one of the lion heads was dismantled and reshaped into a massive defensive net for the Government forces, shielding them from the other two. The resulting shockwaves sent mud flying with enough force to knock men unconscious.
"Vice Admiral Chaton, Vice Admiral Momonga, watch out!" an Army soldier screamed a warning.
The two, who were fully focused on resisting Golden Lion, stiffened. A surge of intense killing intent was bearing down on them. They looked up to see the dragon that had been soaring in the clouds. Its front claws were wreathed in lightning as it dove toward them.
"Oh no!"
Chaton, whose eyes were already small, squinted into slits. They were already giving their all to stop Shiki; if either of them diverted their attention to Dragon, they would be instantly swallowed by Shiki's technique.
"Don't get cocky, you damn pirates!"
Kong clenched his fists and intercepted the dragon. Despite the massive size difference, his blackened fists collided head-on with the lightning-clad claws.
The resulting shockwave rippled through the air, forcing Aranea and Shirokitsune back several thousand meters.
Thud...
Kong landed back on the ground. Dragon, in his Mythical form, was knocked off-balance but righted himself before hitting the earth, soaring back into the sky.
Looking at the two combatants, Kong's right arm and Dragon's left claw were both covered in blood—the cost of their exchange. But then, blood from the mist surrounding Dragon's body flowed back into his wounds. In less than five seconds, he was completely healed.
"DAMMIT!!!"
A Government soldier finally reached his breaking point and screamed, "How are we supposed to fight this?!"
Not only had Alucard summoned five world-class powerhouses, but each one possessed self-regeneration. Could this war even continue?
"How can the gap be this large..."
Shirokitsune bit her lip. In a moment of distraction, a blur appeared beside her. She turned in a panic to see Bartholomew Kuma!
Puff!
The paw pad on Kuma's palm unleashed a shockwave that sent Aranea flying downward. As she fell, she mocked, "Distraction in battle is a cardinal sin, Senior."
BOOM!!
Shirokitsune crashed about two hundred meters behind Kong. Army soldiers rushed to her side, shouting, "Are you alright, Vice Admiral Shirokitsune?"
She emerged slowly from the dust, her voice cold. "I won't die."
Despite her words, the streak of blood at the corner of her mouth and the paw print on her back told a different story.
"What's the matter, Commander-in-Chief?"
Alucard, who had been watching the show in silence, finally spoke. He spread his hands, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What's wrong? I've lost my immortality. Seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you've all dreamed of. Come, run your swords through my heart!"
The Government forces felt a wave of profound humiliation. They didn't know if Alucard was telling the truth about his immortality being gone, or if he was just baiting them. The only way to find out was to attack him, yet since he had released the five souls of the River of Death, not a single person had even managed to touch him. He simply stood there, motionless.
Kong forced himself to remain calm. He was the commander; if he allowed Alucard's words to provoke him into losing his judgment, the war was truly lost.
Just then, a figure descended from the sky. It was Jarram, who had been fighting Ivalis just moments ago. Ivalis followed close behind, pausing briefly at the sight of Shanks before refocusing entirely on the battle.
"Commander-in-Chief Kong, we have a way."
As Jarram spoke, several soldiers wearing the same style of trench coat stepped forward, forming a line between Alucard and Kong.
"What are those guys planning?" Ivalis frowned, unable to read Jarram's intent.
Jarram whispered something into Kong's ear. Kong's expression shifted drastically. In the next moment, Kong signaled for everyone to withdraw. The soldiers of the Karathoka Banuyar Knight Order under Jarram's command drew their swords, gripped the hilts in a reverse hold, and plunged the blades into their own abdomens!