"Mist Realm: Withering Life!"
Crimson mist exploded outward, swallowing all three admirals.
Aokiji tried freezing the mist into ice shards but found his power failing.
Rhett was getting serious.
The original user had just frozen Rhett's mist and bulldozed around recklessly.
Blood-red mist swirled with glittering ice crystals, making Rhett appear both divine and sinister.
In an instant, dense fog blanketed the entire battlefield, Rhett's figure flickering within it.
"Observation Haki's being jammed?" Sakazuki frowned.
"Tch, troublesome ability." Borsalino's fingertips gleamed with golden light as he fired lasers to disperse the mist—but Rhett's voice came from everywhere at once:
"Mist God Style: Bladeless!"
Silent slashes erupted from the fog! Sakazuki dodged by instinct, but a crimson line still appeared on his shoulder.
"Bastard... he's faster in the mist!"
"Don't give him openings!" Kuzan slammed both palms on the ground: "Ice Age!"
Frigid air exploded outward, freezing the mist into falling crystals—but it barely mattered. The moment Rhett's domain weakened, fresh mist replenished it.
Kuzan had wasted an ultimate move to counter Rhett's basic attack.
"Tsk tsk, Aokiji-san's fruit is such a pain..." Rhett clicked his tongue.
He stomped the ground, Conqueror's Haki wrapping around his blade as black lightning crackled along the black-tide greatsword—
"Conqueror's Infusion: Mist God Style: Hidden Mist Slash: Super Invincible Triple Combo!" (Sponsored by Minato Namikaze)
The sword cleaved forward, space itself seemed to tear! Sakazuki roared as he met it: "Hellhound!"
Magma clashed with Haki—the shockwave detonated! Kuzan seized the opening, lunging from the side with an ice blade aimed at Rhett's back—
"Ice Blade: Pheasant Beak!"
Rhett's body dissolved into mist just before impact.
"What?!" Kuzan's pupils shrank.
"Mist God Style: Phantom Strike!"
Rhett materialized behind Kuzan, sword descending! Borsalino flashed in at lightspeed, a golden kick intercepting—followed instantly by:
"Ama no Murakumo!"
A sword of pure light formed, clashing violently against the black-tide greatsword!
"CLANG—!"
Sparks flew as Rhett staggered back from the impact—but his grin only widened: "Now we're talking! All three Admirals together—this is fun!"
Sakazuki wiped blood from his mouth, eyes glacial: "Arrogant pirate... today you fall."
Kuzan exhaled frost: "I won't hold back this time."
Don't let Rhett's banter fool you—the pressure was immense. He had to split his Observation Haki to monitor Shiki's battle. The moment Shiki showed signs of losing, he'd bolt.
Underestimate the three Admirals at your peril. These were the men Sengoku relied on to maintain order across the chaotic seas.
"GYAHAHA! Sengoku! Garp! Is this all you've got combined?" Shiki cackled as he unleashed:
"Lion's Earth Roll."
"Buddha Impact!" Sengoku transformed into a golden Buddha, shockwaves shattering boulders!
Garp charged straight at Shiki, Armament Haki fists flying: "Meteor Fist!"
Shiki blocked with his swords but still skidded back meters, blood trickling from his lips: "Tch... your punches still hit like a damn island, Garp."
Sengoku's voice boomed: "Shiki, there's no escape!"
"Escape?" Shiki sneered. "I'm motherfucking Golden Lion!"
The battle between Rhett and the Admirals reached its zenith—every clash detonated like artillery fire. Marineford's structures crumbled as panicked soldiers fled.
"No more holding back..." Sakazuki growled, magma erupting across his body: "Meteor Volcano!"
Countless magma fists rained from the sky in indiscriminate bombardment!
Kuzan clasped his hands: "Ice Time!"
Absolute zero temperatures flash-froze the battlefield, restricting Rhett's movement!
Borsalino raised Ama no Murakumo: "Yasakani no Magatama!"
A torrent of light bullets poured down like divine punishment!
Facing the Admirals' combined ultimate attacks, Rhett inhaled deeply—and unleashed his Conqueror's Haki at maximum output!
"COME ON! FINAL ROUND!"
A black blade of annihilation tore through reality, colliding head-on with the trio's assault.
"BOOOOOOM—!!!"
The shockwave flattened half of Marineford, even knocking back Shiki, Sengoku and Garp in the distance.
When the dust settled, Rhett stood—barely. His black-tide greatsword was planted in the ground as he knelt on one knee, blood dripping from his lips.
The three Admirals fared no better.
Sakazuki's chest bore a gruesome slash. Kuzan's ice armor lay in shards. Borsalino's sunglasses were cracked.
Five days of fighting had drained them all to the brink.
"Haah... haah..." Rhett panted, yet his smile was exhilarated. "Now THAT'S a fight!"
A glance at Shiki's battle—getting stomped—told Rhett it was time to go. Garp's fists hurt like hell.
He was out.
The instant Shiki fell, Rhett activated his fruit's full power—tossing a bag of seastone powder into the mix.
Fight's over. Grudge settled. Time to bounce. Next meetup? Probably Loguetown.
Days after the Marineford war, Rhett returned to Water 7.
The entire world was buzzing about Rhett and Shiki's rampage. Newspapers flooded the streets with outrageous headlines:
"SHOCKING! 'Phantom of the Mist' Rhett Fights Future Three Admirals Solo! Is Marineford Doomed?"
"New Era's King Arrives! World Government Trembles!"
"EXCLUSIVE: Rhett and Shanks' Secret Connection Revealed!"
Rhett stared at the thick stack of World Economic News in his hands, eye twitching violently.
"What the actual—" There were photos of him pointing his sword at the Admirals, gotta admit, they've mastered the art of propaganda.
Sure, the facts were technically correct, but—
Every newspaper only showed Rhett "dominating" the Admirals. Not a single shot of him getting hit.
The final image? Rhett's dramatic entrance pose, leaning on his greatsword.
Rhett knew his limits. The moment Garp showed up, he'd turned tail and run.
"'Ravaging Marineford'? 'New Era's King'? Morgans, you drunk vulture—what bathtub gin are you drinking?!"
The new bounty poster landed in Rhett's hands.
"Scarlet Mist" Rhett—bounty: 2.5 billion berries!
Rhett curled his lip. Cheap bastards. Next door, someone chops down a Celestial Dragon and gets a ten-billion bump. I practically razed Marineford to the ground and only get a five-billion increase. The Navy's got no clout.